The travel exploration of William J. Burchell to Brazil (1825-1830) and the network of intermediaries in the field

This paper explores the ‘hidden’ presence and contributions made by the local Indigenous peoples involved in William John Burchell’s travel to Brazil (1825-1830). Travelling through regions seldom or entirely uncharted by European travellers, the British traveller and botanist produced a vast and rich ‘archive of exploration’. However, as Burchell’s Brazilian findings have never been published, his work is underestimated in the context of Brazilian historiography, particularly regarding the agency of Indigenous inhabitants. Drawing on Burchell’s archives, which offer invaluable but fragmented and partial evidence, this paper argues that Burchell by largely using local transport, supply and labour systems had a successful fieldwork in a tropical region. This paper aligns with contemporary scholarship in History of Geography which emphasises the role played by intermediaries and local people in exploration. It aims to demonstrate how the geographical knowledge, physical labour and material resources of the ‘indigenous intermediaries’ were appropriated by Burchell during his expedition in Brazil and later marginalised in his archival sources.