Escribir las cartas, contar las historias naturales. Naturaleza novohispana en la correspondencia de los jesuitas de la Provincia de Bohemia (siglos XVII-XVIII)

The main aim of this article is to introduce and analyse the specific – and in the discourse of history of science hitherto largely neglected – subject of historia naturalis as it is found in letters sent in the 17th and 18th century by Jesuits of the Province of Bohemia, such as Simón de Castro (Šimon Boruhradský), José Neumann (Josef Neumann), Adán Kall (Adam Kall), Jan Steinhöfer (Juan Esteyneffer), Wenceslao Eymer (Václav Eymer), Juan Tilpe (Jan Tilpe), and others, from New Spain to Central Europe. Special attention is paid to analysis of the theoretical context (epistemic setting) within which Czech Jesuits acquired knowledge about the nature of New Spain. Discussed are also the particular techniques and practices through which they acquired knowledge of the new nature in situ. And last but not least, the article investigates the process of ‘translating’ the newly acquired knowledge of nature of New Spain for Central European environment. Taken into account are also some parts of the network that linked New Spain with the heart of Europe, a network within which circulated people, information, and objects (both naturalia and artificialia) which represents one of the spaces within which new, globalised science was forming.