CABRAL, João. Cerolico/Guarda 1599/1601 — Goa 4.7.1669. S.J. Portuguese Missionary in India and Ladakh. From Celorico (Beira). Jesuit since 1619 (novice 1615), studied in Braga and Coimbra, in 1624 to India. In 1626 he was sent together with —> E. Cacella to Shigatse (arrived in 1627 via Bhutan), in 1628 returned now travelling as the first European through Nepal. Soon back to Shigatse with —> M. Diaz, but Diaz died on journey and Cacella later in Shigatse, and Cabral had to go on alone. In 1632 his superiors decided that the mission in Shigatse was too difficult to support and ordered him to return. He corrected Andrade’s error that Lamaism would be corrupted Nestorianism. Afterwards, he worked many years in Hooghly, Cochin, Malacca (1639), Macao (1645), and Tongkin (1647). As Provincial of Japan (1649-53) resided in Macao. From 1654 in Goa teaching and acting as pastor of Salsette.
Publications: Apparently no letters (at least not those from Tibet) are extant (except one from Hooghly 1628), but some were used in contemporary documents.
Sources: Koch, Jesuiten-Lexikon under Cacella; Wessels 1924, 100ff.; *Sommervogel; Wikipedia briefly (more in French version).
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