About the author: Luis Née (July 12, 1735 – October 3, 1807) naturalized Spaniard born in France, botanist. Member of the Malaspina scientific expedition to the Philippines. On March 17, 1792, he arrived at Sorsogon Bay. The next three months were spent traveling to Manila. See National Herbarium of the Netherlands entry on Luis Née for more.
About the diary: Note that a definitive version exists, F. MUÑOZ GARMENDIA (ed.) Diarios y trabajos botánicos de Luis Neé, Vol. III di La Expedición Malaspina 1789-1794, Madrid, Ministerio de Defensa – Museo Naval – Lunwerg, s.d. 1993, 416 pp. The latest English translation is Alessandro, and Andrew David. 2001. The Malaspina Expedition, 1789-1794: journal of the voyage by Alejandro Malaspina. Works Issued by the Hakluyt Society, London: Hakluyt Society in association with Museo Naval, Madrid. Specifically, v. 2. Panama to the Philippines. 2003 and v. 3. Manila to Cadiz. 2004.
However, what has been used here was taken from LUIS NÉE: A NATURALIST IN THE PHILIPPINES, 1792, Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, Vol. 16, No. 3/4 (September-December 1988), pp. 179-209. As the article says,
Née wrote a narration of his journey from Sorsogon toManila in 17 folios. His handwriting,which is typically 18th century, is, to say the least, not easy to read. It is blotted inmany places. Many words are crossed out, even entire sentences and paragraphs. Since the folios were not carefully bound, words have either partially or entirely disappeared on some margins.
The narration was transcribed and published in the article. The Philippine Diary Project has used these transcriptions, from March 17 (arrival in Sorsogon) to June 21 (arrival in Manila). The division into entries, however, is by The Philippine Diary Project. Notations on the text (e.g. “the following was crossed out but remains legible,” etc.) have been retained but other notes omitted.