the book is said to be a travelogue written by a 14th-century franciscan (minorite) friar from oxford who travelled the north atlantic region in the early 1360s, making some half-a-dozen journeys conducting business on behalf of the king of england (edward iii). he described what he found on his first journey to the islands beyond 54 degrees north in a book, "inventio fortunata", which he presented to the king.