The Lisbon book of pantuns

Abstract

Recently, in the archives of Lisbon’s Museu Nacional de Arqueologia, a manuscript of considerable historical, linguistic and literary interest, presumably hailing from 18th century Batavia (now Jakarta, in Indonesia), has been discovered. «Rediscovered» might be a more accurate term, since the manuscript, which bears the title of Panton Malaijoe dan Portugees (Malay and Portuguese Pantuns), was not entirely unknown. In fact, it surfaced in the 19" century and was mentioned by one ofits former owners, Professor Hugo Schuchardt from the University of Graz, in his description of the Portuguese-lexified creole of Batavia and Tugu.