CATALOGUE TWO HUNDRED NINETY-SIX Rare Latin Americana WILLIAM REESE COMPANY 409 Temple Street New Haven, CT 06511 (203) 789-8081 A Note This catalogue is devoted entirely to the history of Latin America, from the earli- est European contacts through the latter part of the 19th century. Our last Latin Americana catalogue (284) focused closely on the era of Revolution from 1808 until the 1830s, when Spanish control of its overseas empire collapsed, and most of the countries from Mexico south achieved independence. While there is some Revolutionary material here, this is far more broad-based. Within it are particularly strong collections of material on Peru, Mexico, and Argentina, reflecting recent acquisitions. In fact, most of the items listed here have not appeared in any of our previous catalogues. Besides the items listed here, many less expensive pieces may be found on our website at www.reeseco.com. Available on request or via our website are our recent catalogues 288, The Ordeal of the Union; 290, The American Revolution 1765-1783; 291, The United States Navy; 292, 96 American Manuscripts; 294, A Tribute to Wright Howes: Part I; 295, A Tribute to Wright Howes: Part II, as well as Bulletins 24, Provenance; 25, American Broadsides; 26, American Views; 27, Images of Native Americans, and many more topical lists. Some of our catalogues, as well as some recent topical lists, are now posted on the internet at www.reeseco.com. A portion of our stock may be viewed via links at www. reeseco.com. If you would like to receive e-mail notification when catalogues and lists are uploaded, please e-mail us at [email protected] or send us a fax, specifying whether you would like to receive the notifications in lieu of or in addition to paper catalogues. Terms Material herein is offered subject to prior sale. All items are as described and are con- sidered to be on approval. Notice of return must be given within ten days unless specific arrangements are made. Connecticut residents must be billed state sales tax. Postage and insurance charges are billed to all nonprepaid domestic orders. Overseas orders are sent by air unless otherwise requested, with full postage charges billed at our discretion. Payment by check, wire transfer or bank draft is preferred, but may also be made by MasterCard or Visa. William Reese Company Phone: (203) 789-8081 409 Temple Street Fax: (203) 865-7653 New Haven, CT 06511 E-mail: [email protected] www.williamreesecompany.com ON THE COVER: [Colombia]: Castillo: Bogotá. La Plaza.... London. 1839. Descendants of Montezuma Sue Descendants of Cortés 1. [Abrantes y Linares, Duque de]: [COLLECTION OF MANU- SCRIPTS IN SPANISH FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE DUKE OF ABRANTES DOCUMENTING HIS FINANCIAL AFFAIRS AND HIS LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CONDE DEL VALLE]. [Mexico. 1781-1783]. Twenty-five documents comprising [55]pp., plus addi- tional contemporary wrapper inscribed: “1782 Mejico.” 36 folio and 19 quarto pages written in several different hands. In fine condition. In a cloth clamshell case, leather label. A collection of twenty-five manuscripts in Spanish, many relating to a lawsuit over lands in Mexico. These are probably connected to the lengthy and complicated suits brought by the heirs of the last Aztec ruler, Montezuma, over their just inheritance, which dragged on throughout the colonial period. The Dukes of Abrantes, ennobled in the 17th century, were descended through the female line from Montezuma. The Duke’s opponent, the Conde de Valle, was descended from Hernan Cortés, ennobled as the Marques de Valle after the Conquest. This archive consists of let- ters to and from the Duke of Abrantes, with reference to his financial affairs and his lawsuit against the Conde del Valle, whose “deliberate tricks for the purpose of delaying the proceedings” are sternly censured by the Duke’s counsel. The majority of the documents are dated 1782. References to the Valle case are found amongst the Duke’s correspondence. For instance, the draft of one of his letters contains the following personal commentary on the litigation (here in translation): “In spite of my administrator’s best efforts and copious documentary evidence, the Count, being well aware of the justice of my claims, seeks to delay the verdict, in which conspiracy he is assisted by his aunt, the Marquesa de Salvatierra, who, I think, has much influence with the ministers, and they are hoping to fleece me of large sums.” The documents also relate to other matters in which the Duke was directly or indirectly concerned, including an estate and the Hospicio de Nuestra Señora de Cobadonga. The collection includes signed letters from the Duke, Pedro Alonso de Alles, Juan Antonio de Elosua Abarratequi, Agustin de Compaxan, Antonio Francisco del Rio, and Fray Antonio Blanco Valdes. $3750. 2. Acosta, Jose de: HISTOIRE NATURELLE ET MORALE DES IN- DES, TANT ORIENTALES, QU’OCCIDENTALES; OU IL EST TRAICTE DES CHOSES REMARQUABLES DU CIEL, DU EL- EMENS, METAUX PLANTES, & ANIMAUX QUI SONT PRO- PRES DE CE PAYS; ENSEMBLE DES MOEURS, CEREMONIES, LOIX, GOUVERNEMENS & GUERRES DES MESMES INDI- ENS. Paris. 1616. [8],375,[16] leaves. Early vellum. Titlepage slightly worn at foredge. Scattered light soiling. Slight worming in gutter, not affecting text; two wormholes through last few leaves, minutely affecting text in spots. Bookplate of famous collector Alberto Parreno on verso of final leaf. Gener- ally very good. Fourth French edition of this most important source book on the Indians of Mexico and Peru and on the natural history of South America. A Jesuit father, Acosta spent seventeen years in American missions in Mexico and Peru between 1571 and 1588. While in Peru he was instrumental in founding the printing press there, and its first productions, in 1585, were prepared by him. In addition to being an accomplished linguist, Acosta was one of the first to formulate a systemic theory of anthropology, suggesting a classification of different peoples into different types, which foreshadowed later ideas of social evolution. “As a natural historian, Acosta surpassed Oviedo. He took a philosophical approach to natural phenomena, search- ing for causes and effects in a spirit of critical inquiry....The subject of his moral history is pre-Columbian civilizations, particularly the Aztecs and the Incas, whose religions, customs, and governments he admiringly compares” – Delgado-Gomez. “He provided great detail in his descriptions of sailing directions, mineral wealth, trading commodities, Indian history, etc. Consequently his work operated more strongly than any other in opening the eyes of the rest of Europe to the great wealth that Spain was drawing from America” – Streeter. Acosta was a keen observer of New World plants. He “mentions most of the plants used in Peru as foodstuffs or as medicinals, and even the ornamentals. He remarks that the Indians loved flowers just for their beauty” (Shaw). There are also detailed discussions of plants exported to the Old World, such as ginger, and the use of coca in Peru. PALAU 1989. EUROPEAN AMERICANA 616/1. MEDINA (BHA) 330n. JCB (3)II:110. SABIN 125. STREETER SALE 32 (ref ). ARENTS 35 (another ed). $3000. 3. Alcantana, Pedro: LIBRO EN QUE SE DA RAZÓN DE LOS CEN- SOS, CAPELLANÍAS, COFRADÍAS, PRIMICIAS, Y SÍNODO DEL CURATO DE LA MAGDALENA...1785 [manuscript title]. [Lima]. 1785. [1],94pp. Plus additional five leaves which may have been added later. Folio. Contemporary limp vellum, remnants of string ties. Light soiling. Very good. A mixed manuscript register of accounts and inventories of the parish of Santa María Magdalena from 1785, with later entries dated from 1808 through 1894, principally comprising inventories, some of which contain annotations as to history and locations. Irregularly ordered contents include income from bequests, rents, payments of fees for masses and prayers, inventories of ornaments and vestments for the church and for images, inventories of rents and ornaments of the brotherhoods of the parish, declarations of the extent of the jurisdiction of the parish, census of parishioners for 1797, and other miscellaneous notations. Santa María de Magdalena was initially established as a Dominican monastery on the outskirts of Lima in 1606 by provincial Fray Juan de Lorenzana and subsequently evolved into a separate town of the same name. This document is extraordinarily varied in content but provides an insight into multiple aspects of the functions of a parish church in both late colonial and independent Peru. $1800. 4. Alvarez de Ron, Antonio Joseph: REPRESSENTACION JURIDICA, ALLEGATO REVERENTE, QUE SE HAZE POR PARTE DE LAS RELIGIONES DE ESTA NOBLE CAPITAL.... Lima: Francisco So- brino en Calle de Barranca, 1747. [47]pp. Folio. Dbd. Some light soiling. Very good. Legal document regarding repairing the city after the Lima earthquake of 1746. The author, who was born in Lima, was a physician at the Universidad de San Marcos in Peru and a lawyer at the University of Lima. One copy on OCLC, at the John Carter Brown Library. MEDINA (LIMA) 983. VARGAS UGARTE 1558. OCLC 78040138. $2000. Route Guides in Mexico and the Southwest 5. Alvarez, José J., and Rafael Duran: ITINERARIOS Y DERROTE- ROS DE LA REPUBLICA MEXICANA. Mexico City. 1856. 480,[4]pp. Several errors in pagination. Small quarto. Contemporary red half sheep and boards, spine gilt. Boards and extremities rubbed. Contemporary bookplate on front pastedown. Light toning and minor foxing. Very good. “An important guide book, giving the routes and mileage, with sketches of the country throughout Mexico” – Eberstadt. An extremely valuable compilation which gives detailed data, including route, scenery, and other key information, about many various parts of Mexico. By piecing together the different itineraries it offers, a traveler could basically go anywhere in Mexico and into the U.S., already provided with extremely detailed instructions about the best route and what facilities – such as water, grass, and shelter – were available every step of the way.