Book I

54

From Abram’s race our holy prophet sprung,

An angel taught, and heaven inspir’d his tongue;

His sacred rites and mandates we obey,

And distant empires own his holy sway.

From isle to isle our trading vessels roam,

Mozambique’s harbour our commodious home.

Book I

During the civil war in Mozambique (1976-1992), the

population from the continent ran away to the isle of

Mozambique to escape from armed riots, and so the isle

saw an enormous population growth. As most of the

population depends on the exploitation of natural resources

especially sea resources to survive, there has been an

increasing degradation of the habitats, mainly fishing spots.

Each group should define two attitudes that we, as

consumers, can adopt in order to reverse the present-day

situation of sea spots around the world.

Book V

9

Here, our bold fleet their pond’rous anchors threw,

The sickly cherish, and our stores renew.

From him, the warlike guardian pow’r of Spain,

Whose spear’s dread lightning o’er th’ embattled plain

Has oft o’erwhelm’d the Moors in dire dismay,

And fix’d the fortune of the doubtful day;

From him we name our station of repair,

And Jago’s name that isle shall ever bear.

The northern winds now curl’d the black’ning main,

Our sails unfurl’d, we plough the tide again:

Book V

9

The aim of stopping in already known places was mainly to make

the “aguada”, that is to collect water for the survival of the crews.

Today, the water is still scarce: 97% of the water of the planet is

salty, only 3% is fresh water. From those 3%, only 0,06% is

available for consumption.

Each group should point out two attitudes in our daily life we

can/should adopt so as to save water.

Book V

65

Now, round black Afric’s coast our navy veer’d,

And, to the world’s mid circle, northward steer’d:

The southern pole low to the wave declin’d,

We leave the isle of Holy Cross behind:

That isle where erst a Lusian, when he pass’d

The tempest-beaten cape, his anchors cast,

And own’d his proud ambition to explore

The kingdoms of the morn could dare no more

Book V

“And in this small island there are birds, as big as ducks, and that

do not fly because they have no wings and we call them fortilicaios

and we killed as many as we wanted; these birds bray like donkeys.”

in Guidebook of Vasco da Gama’s first trip

Each group should draw the animal they think it is.

Book VI

10

Adorn’d with pillars, and with roofs of gold,

The golden gates their massy leaves unfold:

Inwrought with pearl the lordly pillars shine,

The sculptur’d walls confess a hand divine.

Here, various colours in confusion lost,

Old Chaos’ face and troubled image boast.

Here, rising from the mass, distinct and clear,

Apart, the four fair elements appear.

Book VI

10

The four mentioned elements are the fire, the air, the earth and the

water.

Each group must associate each one with natural strength, that is,

natural events that transform our planet or the various qualities

connected with them.