In 1796, the Navy and Overseas Minister of the Mariano's Government, Dom Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho, elaborated a political-reformist program which aimed to modernize the administration of the Portuguese Empire, guaranteeing this way the command of its richest part -Brazil, and above all, save the kingdom, and the Portuguese Monarchy. Among the measures took by the Minister was the study of the colonial "natural productions", once he considered as wealth sources which would help to promote the development of the Portuguese nation. In order to map, explore and analyze the colonies' natural world , D. Rodrigo allied with the naturalists, hired in many regions of the Portuguese America. In the Captaincy of São Paulo the allocated studious to work to the Crown's service were: