Moving Stories and What They Tell Us: Early Modern Mobility Between Microhistory and Global History*

Abstract

When you’re strange, Faces come out of the rain, When you’re strange, No one remembers your name. The Doors, ‘People Are Strange’ (1967) ‘Well, in our country’ said Alice, still panting a little, ‘you’d generally get to somewhere else — if you run very fast for a long time, as we’ve been doing’. ‘A slow sort of country!’ said the Queen. ‘Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!’ Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (1871) I begin with a shipwreck. On 28 February 1694, a Portuguese ‘zumaca’, or small sailing ship, called the San Sebastián ran aground somewhere near the port of Buenos Aires in the Spanish province of Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires had long been a haven for smugglers, so news of the boat’s arrival naturally caught the attention of colonial officials who rushed to the site. When they arrived, they were confronted with an eclectic group of passengers of diverse origins. Among the people on board were two Servite friars, one from Seville, the other from Naples, two African slaves, both named Francisco, and two clerics, one from England and the other from Portugal. As for the captain and self-proclaimed owner of the vessel, his name was Joseph Georgirenes. He claimed to be the Archbishop of Samos, the Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea renowned since antiquity for its sweet wines. As Georgirenes told it, the San Sebastián had been travelling along the coast from Brazil in an attempt to leave the Colônia do Sacramento, a Portuguese settlement established across the river from Buenos Aires in today’s Uruguay. With tears in his eyes, the archbishop told of having been poorly treated by the Portuguese authorities in Sacramento. What he could not explain, however, was what exactly he and his companions were doing in the Americas in the first place. Travel to the New World was regulated by Spanish officials, and the Atlantic crossing required an individual to have obtained a special document, or ‘licencia’, issued by the king. Georgirenes claimed to have lost his licence somewhere in Brazil. Instead, as proof of his identity, he presented documents that the notary would later describe as ‘two bulls on parchment with many letters written in gold, all in Arabic in the shape of a crescent moon’. Faced with the of Buenos de told Georgirenes that he and his companions had to in Buenos Aires and so they would have to to Sacramento. If the San Sebastián and on board would be When Georgirenes his de along with to the San Sebastián to the the Portuguese he with the to from the of and not have his in the The the San Sebastián to the the was caught in a and time, the was so — and the archbishop had — that the had to the group to in Buenos He to keep Georgirenes as a in his he could from his in and was in that the Archbishop of at the of who were to who he had and what was his on the de at first the of the Archbishop of an for one of two to the of in the The first in the I have to the archbishop in the of that a of who or to from of The with the of and to the of across and of the first on to the of an of the with the that people across the for the of and in the of of I of what a diverse and of to the of they with two of the Archbishop of and his in the the two in in to a of both have had the of its in the both of in a it an Arabic in or an in the of been a of or they do not What I want to in could other I the to to the of in the I in a of that in and of the and of as they were by What it exactly that of and sort of across When a a for other of or the for or to the and if of to what to do with that do not to to what Spanish to to the what a Greek archbishop from the — Greek archbishop — in Buenos Aires in to the of in the it to it as a that had its and have an in a the of that with the of the of with a on and other in across of and in its On the one have to the of in The been an of the of to as as if a — in on the of the of the of the as the of by the of the in to be not to the of On the other that or were of The of the the in an in to a with an in the the that in both and the of or an that can be the of an — as if people with in a and in the they to and in the of attention to the in individual in the was in of as and have an was in by of and that were in and As the of identity, as a was an individual in the it was a that and the of a of who to or to an were to one of and for from the of an at the of and of the at in a of that in the of to the and in the of Georgirenes to of and of to as on the that people as the in they the that I a of the Archbishop of as a of the of and and I that the of I to of a name the in a that the that and first in I from in one they the of in a — — the of of the in Georgirenes of that from the to to the in to the of Georgirenes as a of what have called the what not the of that to his of and in as it in I of Georgirenes to the of of I do so in a that to the of a of to and in the Through the of the of as a to of the it for to Georgirenes as a sort of of do not he in to the in he Instead, I in the of he in his — in other his of I the that out of was the of an Instead, I that was a or or or were that were in the first by of had and and or not was out of to the of sort of and to on the of in a place. a of what I have in to our Greek archbishop on the of the Río de la Plata. I not the first to Joseph Georgirenes. the a at out on in the across a of on the island in in of the of Samos, and the time, the to be a to the and of his to the of the of the a on the as the of Samos, in He the of his Georgirenes that he could his he a first on the as of the of a the of the in the of his in had of of a of the Archbishop of was in the of his the who and the for the to The of Joseph as he in in Samos, and to one of the and of in I the of as presented in on the Greek island of can be he a on and was to the of in He as archbishop for he that the of had on at he to a of at the of the of the on the island of at and Georgirenes first to to and to in in that still in the of his of the to a Greek in the of his not was he to to with the of the he a of on was with the of from and his of The of was a of for who in an to with the of his Georgirenes all he could to that he had the same in however, to a of by he out of in the of the and lost the of his was authorities in that the of had Georgirenes and his for the Greek and Georgirenes his and in a in to to an the of his had not to out what had to Georgirenes He that the archbishop have to the of his in Georgirenes as an individual in his was the of an and in the As he it, the to in the of his on the island of ‘two Greek and As he that his were the of a with by in of a an in the of in to the as an to with the that was or that his to the in and that Joseph the from as the that from one an of his he have in Georgirenes a of the written by or an of the by As it to as a of and a a to the I of I first documents Georgirenes in in the of the in the time, I had been to in the Spanish the by of an from I have written in the of I across a of documents that to the of one and his in The the of a of and with officials and in Buenos I have issued in and the of an of of a of documents written by Georgirenes the that I a of the of the as it in the and that the shipwreck. not to a of in the New be the of a in the the of the Archbishop of as I to in the Spanish the that had in the de the of Río de la to out all he could the passengers of the San Sebastián and the of On officials and all on board the documents in the The same the passengers were as Joseph Archbishop of Samos, who claimed to be a of Joseph de as or from in as two Servite friars, de from Seville, and of de the de la from and two to of de and On for from who had first the his de as as who had been first at the of the the a of officials, and were what they of the arrival and they had of the passengers had been Georgirenes in his were for the to be in the of de la from the that on the was the of the licence for to the New On the of his Georgirenes had claimed that he had lost his somewhere in Among was in a of a or issued in to in for a of a the to the that as a Georgirenes had to be in the New The to the on board the San Sebastián that had been by the and from the friars, officials were an of and that Georgirenes with to Buenos for the of On Georgirenes to the to that had been on the the archbishop of an that it to the of an He that he had in his was for the of a who had been in of were and Georgirenes a later — he claimed that he had lost the for two of the of would on for for was a that Georgirenes in who he claimed to If he was a what he have to be in the New if he was a he be or to the very of the the of was to his the of his the of to his on a of and to and were in the for and an as of as people were called on to the of it to who had in the same all The was in the New to the Americas required to be of the of and of a proof that was by the of a licence by the of the in and the of de in however, that could be obtained the in that the and What that for people with the of from the New the of a licence was not to Instead, to by other of written documents and The of could a for with to who had they to the New a as an not on the of the on the of on had who were to time, and to be of to were to a of documents an individual could what an or the and what was the of that When it to or not Georgirenes was a Greek archbishop in with the was as a of of and Georgirenes to as it was a of his identity, or When at the can the in an in the of from the very his of for that people claimed to have the archbishop The for claimed to have Georgirenes at of in in and from Seville, that he had the archbishop travelling in a by his in Seville, the that Georgirenes had been in as having the that he claimed for de told of that he had in to the that Georgirenes had been of in his a small of what must have been a in Buenos what else the of the to from the the arrival in Buenos Aires was not as as it have to the in the On the of the people had been in the of the documents on board the San the who had all on the ship, his and the the two with Arabic on a to letters of were for to a Georgirenes with documents that in the same in he had presented on the of the that as the of a in the province of in When by the same documents would a in for however, would have been documents that had been issued to to to the New the that Georgirenes have been travelling other No that he had to the to the very the Georgirenes to On 1694, a of the that in the of was officials the the archbishop and his companions not the licence to as else from the on the San Sebastián were to have been for they would be Georgirenes and his companions were all to be to and that the archbishop not have the he claimed for that Georgirenes and his companions the a was later on officials that be to a the of his as an his to his that an be was on it that was to the in a of the to a officials in both Buenos Aires and On Georgirenes the of that he be to to and from to he that he was treated in Buenos Aires a Georgirenes to the in de la of his and of the long he would have to for the arrival of a He for to to and from to the of to the port of same a of if not at least Spanish officials On for the Archbishop of Buenos de to the of in of Georgirenes. a across the documents that the archbishop was one of his having to in Buenos Aires his what the of the from his in 1694, however, it he a with to the of Georgirenes. he that if to to Georgirenes and his to at the same time, he to want to a of of the to as if he were an archbishop he could be to the Archbishop of Buenos the so as to that Georgirenes be to was not what to do with individual a to to what to do his that had been with the the authorities in Buenos Aires with to all of the not the the The for and a of Georgirenes and his companions to as they could in the of and in the of the from the it that to with to officials to the from the the that at least of the to Georgirenes that he of his his to to the his the was that he two first in and in of the same the many of the that Georgirenes had been to Spanish officials at the for of his having been by the to and of his in the of the and his to and as a the later he that all that he had had been to as He his to the from the that was by of the the same time, Georgirenes that he be at his with the same and to in the New other he to be in the for in the of Buenos He to his named in the as and that of were at in in Buenos the to that Georgirenes for at least or He was still in Buenos Aires in and a to the The two told that they had to to and they letters to have been issued by the When to to the of the he that they were in not at the of and from the in they had been a of the and of an on who was to be not what if Georgirenes in the the archbishop to have in Buenos On a that a was in the in Buenos Aires by the de a to the so long in Buenos Aires the that had been from his to in and as as can as to he in of he to the in Buenos the do not or he If he was in the as was his it to on of to the and the that in the What a of the Archbishop of to our of the in he a that to would in de for the of the by what he who to and of de that can not to to if to The in a of what exactly to from a one if that the of Georgirenes very the of the of the it would be if not to of and in from He would be a to of the and in Georgirenes not the in a of the same time, de if our to a of and in the On the the Georgirenes to the of the of the to the of the his the of of in for that to from his as an in the in his in the of the of he a of was at He for were to out in travelling in of two or for a of a When they they first to the of the and of from the of to and his they they of by of what in they to letters of his of the documents in he documents with he to as in the as in the a of the of that across the an individual could in to his can in a of from his in in or to to his Georgirenes that was in travelling England in his name. As he a in the in February not to be by to be the Archbishop of the in a of a with and a long name on the of and the the name of the of in and been with the he to the of the said and the of the said to to the to that the said of the Georgirenes an and with long having a on the of his his a his and with very said the of Samos, and with the of and the in by from the have of one that he in an to his in a — a Greek from — was one of the of the sort of that have in the of What to however, that he had his with the of other to be When confronted by the very of having to his in the of the was to in the proof a of his a of that was in the of to in and of other not as the by Instead, the that it was by who as a of There Spanish officials, of to as a The of the of the for a of the of by and of that to the on for the of Arabic letters of and that the of Georgirenes had to do with his with the his the of documents by a to the of of same of in the that Georgirenes. was in that had written to the in to an the 1694, of the in two to out the they were of the in Buenos and de a in the of de the two a the the they had with the Archbishop of Buenos had they been and de with out Georgirenes was a that an in or in he was a would keep the two for a of in and the two out with the of both and written the first they to in with other passengers on the On 28 de that he could not for or not the was the Archbishop of Samos, he to be and he had treated as from the first he had in had Georgirenes a in a in the archbishop had been to the that the had been with and an Joseph de who had been on board the San As however, the a in the of in Brazil he had been Georgirenes in the of a that he had the Greek archbishop his in for he was a and of in for the of de was the first of a of of that to and de that the archbishop had in — as a on as it was on to and de of in the that he with by and the officials who had been for the documents on board the San the two at the two had been of in the of an that he had been in in the of the documents in his of that the he and had the documents could not of a As for the two they claimed that they had in been to they were by a Spanish and de were told or documents that that Georgirenes had in a travelling to the New was the issued by the in proof at least that the that Georgirenes was a in the claimed to have the his having a Georgirenes was the to as as a of a from in to having been to by the documents that and de were not in the first people to Georgirenes in in a long a of was to the by the The had been written by in in an from the had from in they as to his that Georgirenes had presented the documents to to his of The to a of by Georgirenes in his from the Greek to the one was in on and it was a later in documents identity, on at as as a his in Buenos Aires in the same time, other documents in a of his identity, it to his in the Spanish of his the notary a to Georgirenes in that to by that he had been as people who were for the the of a of a notary in a of from the in his the of documents with to of the he for the or the at the of the or of the de was from a of not all of it the were other documents still in the two for Georgirenes had not and de would have that they were a small of the or not the archbishop was a and de to one of and he in a that was a the of from the of a named On that he had to Georgirenes with in the of the of Río de la The had been the of the As in a at a he and for a to with — do not in with — at with the by his to that in an in the the on to the news of with was that Georgirenes to and you or of I it, I have said the de la was by the in a so he it to the in in his the that could have been the of in his he to a he had had with the archbishop that had been from the Georgirenes was to have said that he had the to a to the that had not The of was that Georgirenes to the of the he had been the Spanish was it the to to in and not that he had the in the first both the one with the that have been to a to Georgirenes the a of to to of the of a What to out of in to of the he was confronted with in Georgirenes. On the one the and the he with to with his of a to an of in his was not as an of by as as a of a archbishop could not it be for an and archbishop to do so still the he claimed to to Georgirenes as a individual — not a was in with his — the in had Georgirenes in both if the was out of it was not with to he was to he the and the were it was in the of and Buenos Aires that Georgirenes had to his — be it or — in to from the of the what have by and the in On the one the in so the of Georgirenes. The a in the and de that a of the be to the of the in He or for to be the the of not by the of what in the of Georgirenes. I have to a of the of Georgirenes. I however, that could have very for the Archbishop of arrival in Buenos had been a attempt to the of in the as that the not to the the by were as proof that that they were in what or Georgirenes was treated the it an of the of that could be by the same of was an of in the and one would have Georgirenes a that to a for on — and — across with its as as and of If the the and our of what the of from the the of one a and from to one that in a in in the it, a to the the news of an of an in one of the in Buenos the de the to the of the Archbishop of Samos, the that the in be the San Sebastián an attempt to the ship, he the to two other near Buenos Aires in the and doing his to in the of the identity, a that he all the of a by the a to so that could it for of was a and to the of Buenos Aires in the Among his of many of Buenos of an and of and two of were he the by of his not least his what his Buenos a of the of Buenos Aires from its in the The Archbishop of Samos, the that must have had to documents of the in the by a of that a The Archbishop of with a of the and in a in Buenos Aires as he the he a the small by Georgiren

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