Published in 1735, this first edition of Samuel Johnson’s translation of Portuguese Jesuit Jerónimo Lobo’s "A Voyage to Abyssinia" is a harrowing account, both “curious and entertaining,” of Lobo’s misadventures in an effort to convert Abyssinians to orthodox Catholicism.This 17th-century work is a unique work of both travel and religious writing where Father Lobo describes the nine years he spent in Abyssinia as a missionary.

In the book, Lobo describes the geography, culture, and people of Ethiopia, as well as the history and politics of the region. He also writes about his encounters with the Ethiopian emperor, Susenyos I, and his interactions with various Ethiopian tribes and communities.One of the most significant aspects of Lobo's work is his account of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which he describes in great detail. He provides insight into the religious practices and beliefs of the Ethiopian people, an...

A Voyage to AbyssiniaBy Jeronimo LoboA gripping tale of faith, discovery, and the unknown heart of Africa.In the early 17th century, Jesuit missionary Jeronimo Lobo embarked on a daring journey into the mysterious and largely uncharted kingdom of Abyssinia—modern-day Ethiopia. With courage and conviction, he navigated treacherous seas, harsh landscapes, and cultural frontiers in pursuit of a d...

Published in 1735, this first edition of Samuel Johnson’s translation of Portuguese Jesuit Jerónimo Lobo’s "A Voyage to Abyssinia" is a harrowing account, both “curious and entertaining,” of Lobo’s misadventures in an effort to convert Abyssinians to orthodox Catholicism.This 17th-century work is a unique work of both travel and religious writing where Father Lobo describes the nine years he spent in Abyssinia as a missionary.

Jeronimo Lobo was born in Lisbon in the year 1593. He entered the Order of the Jesuits at the age of sixteen. After passing through the studies by which Jesuits were trained for missionary work, which included special attention to the arts of speaking and writing, Father Lobo was sent as a missionary to India at the age of twenty-eight, in the year 1621. He reached Goa, as his book tells, in 1622, and was in 1624, at the age of thirty-one, told off as one of the missionaries to be employed in...