La escritura del viaje verosímil: Confrontación de Luis de la Cruz con la comisión consular de Buenos Aires

Abstract

This article analyzes a controversy arisen at the beginning of the 19th century. This polemic oceurred between Luis de la Cruz —Mayor of Concepción, Chile— and the Consular Commission in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The issue involved the scientific validity regarding a travel diary written by De la Cruz in 1806. On one hand the Commission defends its point of view which considers that certain illustrated epistemic clauses of knowledge and representation must rule every expedition diary. On the other hand, the Mayor intends to overeóme this strict imitative principie and turn it into a new one based on the power of expression of the traveler.