RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1996 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/3n209j641 Anthony Siu Kwok Kin - Distribution of Temples on Hong Kong Island as Recorded in 1981 ... 241 Ronald Bishop Smith - The Sepulchral Urn of Martim Afonso de Melo in Santarém. 247 Dan Waters - Past Presidents of the Royal Asiatic Society, Hong Kong Branch. 251 Dan Waters - Logo of the Royal Asiatic Society, Hong Kong Branch 252 BOOK REVIEW 253 ix ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1996 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/3n209j641 247 THE SEPULCHRAL URN OF MARTIM AFONSO DE MELO IN SANTARÉM BY RONALD BISHOP SMITH It must be considered an amazing fact in these times, certainly it amazes me, that the city of Santarém which possesses the gravestone of Pedro Alvares Cabral, the discoverer of Brazil, which has long been an object of almost unending homage, also possesses the sepulchral urn of Martim Afonso de Melo, one of the discoverers of China, and no one in Santarém, or elsewhere, has sought to elucidate the curious fact. On March 26th 1992 I attempted to locate this urn in what today is the suppressed church of the suppressed convent of São Francisco of Santarém and to read the inscription on it. Several times over the course of the years I attempted to enter the church but always found it closed. This time I found it open and walked in. I found the urn but in a much damaged condition and was able to read what remains of the inscription on it, which, however, is only about one half extant. The urn is embedded in the west wall of the capela of Santa Ana and the inscription can be easily read at eye level. Certainly I have not found anything new. Martim Afonso de Melo's urn was rediscovered during works in the church of São Francisco in the 1950s (unknown to me on March 26th 1992) after its whereabouts was unknown for many years, being hid for much time by a horse's trough (manjedoura) of the garrison of the Portuguese army formerly installed in the suppressed convent. What is new is the proof that I present that this sepulchral urn (already violated before the French invasions) is that of Martim Afonso de Melo, sometimes called Martim Afonso de Melo Coutinho, one of the discoverers of China. The proof which follows is brief, but to the point, and I believe sufficient. Fernão Lopes de Castanheda, Historia do Descobrimento & Conquista da India pelos Portugueses (Livro V Capitulo Lxix, 1553 ed.) and João de Barros, Da Asia (Decade III Livro VII Capitulo I, 1563 ed.) state that Martim Afonso de Melo sailed from Portugal to ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1996 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/3n209j641 248 India in 1521 preparatory to a voyage to China. Fernão Lopes de Castanheda notes that he was from Santarém and João de Barros notes that he was the son of Jorge de Melo Lageo dalcunha. Now in various nobiliários Martim Afonso de Melo is said to be the son of Jorge de Melo O Lageo and of D. Branca Coutinho and that he returned very rich from China. In 1522 he sailed to China." According to João de Barros, Da Asia (Decade III Livro VIII Capitulo V, 1563 ed.) he returned safely to Portugal in 1525. In April 1526 he is already dead (cf. Chancelaria of D. João III, Doaões, Livro 11, folio 84v). A humble Portuguese Jorge Alvares was the first Portuguese to sail to China in 1513-1514 as is well known. His voyage was succeeded by the more principal voyages of Fernão Peres de Andrade in 1517-1518, Simão de Andrade in 1519-1520 and Martim Afonso de Melo in 1522, in which each of these captains sailed as captain-major of a Portuguese fleet, after which official contacts of Portugal with China ceased for many years. The voyage of Martim Afonso de Melo brought to a conclusion the epochal period of first Western contacts with China during the era of trans-oceanic navigation, of which he was one of the principal figures. I take the present opportunity to republish the inscription of Martim Afonso de Melo which appears on his sepulchral urn according to the version of Ignacio da Piedade e Vasconcelos in his Historia de Santarem Edificada, Parte II, Lisbon, 1740, p. 202 and add to it my version so much as the damaged state of the urn allows.' It does not appear to have been dated. INSCRIPTION NUMBER 1 THE INSCRIPTION OF MARTIM AFONSO DE MELO ON HIS SEPULCHRAL URN ACCORDING TO PIEDADE E VASCONCELOS Aqui jaz Martim Affonso de Mello filho de George de Mello, e de Dona Branca Coutinho, e sua nora Dona Maria Henriques Page 270 Page 271 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1996 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/3n209j641 249 INSCRIPTION NUMBER 2 THE INSCRIPTION OF MARTIM AFONSO DE MELO ON HIS SEPULCHRAL URN ACCORDING TO MY READING Aq jaz ; martım ; a° . Jorge de melo : e.. 4 coutinha es.. na hary.... Па OBSERVATIONS AND CRITERION Inscription Number 2 is written in Gothic letters in four lines in the original. The right side of each line is broken away (It appears to me by chiselling.) I cannot determine the right margin. It is roughly determined by Piedade e Vasconcelos' reading in Inscription Number 1. In the original, what remains of each line makes it a little longer than that which follows it. Thus, line one is a little longer than line two, line two than line three, line three than line four. I do not open up the abbreviations. The meaning can be seen in Inscription Number 1. A doubt in reading is noted in Italic. In line four, the upper part of several letters, not read by me, still remain. NOTES I knew of its existence from Ignacio da Piedade e Vasconcelos, Historia de Santarém Edificada. Parte II, Lisbon, 1740, p. 202. He describes it as "hum caraò de pedra" found in the chapel of Santa Ana of the church of the convent of São Francisco of Santarém. Later, I discovered that the convent of São Francisco was formally opened to the public on March 28th, 1992 (see, to this respect, the Santarém newspapers O Ribatejo N° 335 [2 de Abril de 1992], p. 17 and Correio do Ribatejo. N° 5,266 [3 de Abril de 1992], pp. 1 and 28) and from this day ahead, at certain hours, Tuesdays to Sundays, less holidays, anyone can visit it. Published by Ignacio da Piedade e Vasconcelos, op. cit. p. 202 when the inscription was complete. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1996 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/3n209j641 250 + Cf Zelenino Sarmento «A Igreja de S. Francisco» in Conero do Ribatejo, N° 3 531 (20) de Dezembro de 1958). This article, in spite of being noted by Joaquim Verissimo Sertao in Santarém Historia e Arte, 2 a edição, Santarem, 1959, p 146 and cited in the bibliographical guides Santa ém Subsídios para uma Biblio-grafía Santarém, 1971 and Santarém Achegas para uma Biblio-grafia [the title on the cover of this work reads: Novas Achegas para a Bibliografia de Santa ém] Santarém, 1979, has been lost sight of (However it has been republished in a collectanea of his publications and writings by the Câmara Municipal de Santarém in 1993 with the title Histona e Monumentos de San-ta ém, at pas 55-62) The urn was known to Gerard Pradalié and is cited in his thesis Saint-François de Santarém (Université de Toulouse-Le Murail, 1972, at p 68), of which a copy can be seen in the Biblioteca Municipal de Santarém, and which has been translated to Portuguese and published by the Câmara Municipal de Santarém in 1992 with the title O Convento de São Francisco de Santarém In this publication (and in the thesis) he shows no knowledge that Martim Afonso de Melo had anything to do with China (he is mentioned at p. 94 of the publication and p. 68 of the thesis) Vítor Serrao, who wrote the Preface to the translation, shows no knowledge of the urn in his Santarém, Lisbon, 1990 and asserts (at p. 34 of the cited work) that Martim Afonso de Melo was figura grada do Santo Offc to without proof * We need only cite two nobiliários in the Biblioteca Municipal de Santarem: that of Diogo Gomes de Figueiredo, Tomo 9, pas 445-447 (call number 2/6/36) and that of Jorge Saler de Mendonça (e outros), Tomo 15, folios 1191 and v (call number 35/3/15) Various nobiliários found in other libraries might be cited D Branca Coutinho is buried in the same capela of Santa Ana and a copy of her sepulchial inscription, in which she is noted as wife of Jorge de Melo, can be found in Ignacio da Piedade e Vasconcelos, op. cit, p 202 She is Martin Afonso de Melo's mother * Ch my Martim Afonso de Mello Captam-Major of the Portuguese fleet which suited to China in [522 being the Portuguese text of two unpublished letters of the National Archives of Portugal. Bethesda, Maryland. 1972 and Joao Paulo Olivena e Costa's «Do Sonho Manuelino ao Realismo Joanino Novos Documentos sobre as relações luso-chinesas na terceira decade do Século XVI», Studia, N° 50. Lisbon, 1991, pas 121-155 He would have been virtually viceroy of China, independent of the governor of India, it all had gone according to plan 7. It is curious to observe in Piedade e Vasconcelos' version of the inscription D. Maria Henriques is said to be the nora (daughter-in-law) of Martim Afonso de Melo In the nobiliários that I have seen she is said to be his wife This is certainly the case The Chancelaria of D Joao III (Doações, Livro 14, folio 19V), proves that she was indeed the wife of Matum Afonso de Melo In the original inscription in the part where the word mulher (wife), or some form or abbreviation thereof should appear it is unfortunately broken away ================================================================================