Herrera y Tordesillas, Antonio de, et al | A classic descriptions of the Spanish conquests in the New World

Herrera y Tordesillas, Antonio de, Jacob Le Maire, and others

Description des Indes Occidentales, qu'on appelle aujourdhuy le Nouveau Monde ... avec La Navigation du vaillant Captaine de mer Jaques le Maire, & de plusieurs autres. Amsterdam: Chez Michel Colin, 1622

Folio (279 x 184 mm). Engraved additional title, 17 engraved maps, 16 of which double-sheet and 1 folding, 5 engraved in-text illustrations of the Le Maire narrative; without the portrait of Le Maire as usual (found in only a small number of copies). Early eighteenth century sheep, covers ruled in blind, spine with raised bands in seven compartments, morocco lettering piece to second, the others with a repeat decoration in gilt, marbled pastedowns.

One of the classic descriptions of the Spanish conquests in the New World, including the first publication of Jacques Le Maire's journal of one of the greatest early Pacific voyages and circumnavigations.

This edition of Herrera includes the first publication of Jacques Le Maire's journal of one of the greatest early Pacific voyages and circumnavigations, that of Le Maire and Schouten in 1615 and 1616. Le Maire's journal describes the voyage of trade and discovery, launched by one of the most aggressive of Netherlands traders in this era of Dutch expansion. The expedition sailed around Cape Horn, explored the Pacific coast of South America, and pursued the search for Terra Australis. Inspired in part by Quiros and motivated by Dutch trading zeal, this was the essential precursor to Tasman's voyage; indeed Tasman made great use of Le Maire's mapping of the ocean. The Le Maire voyage, the last of the seventeenth century expeditions to search for the unknown continent from the east, was responsible for extensive discoveries in the Pacific, recorded in excellent detail on the numerous maps published here. These include maps of Le Maire's Pacific route and of New Guinea, the latter definitely establishing it to be an island. There are also five engraved views, showing the expedition in Patagonia, a Polynesian sailing canoe, the anchorage at Cocos Island, natives at Cocos, and the isle of Hoorn.

The first section of this work is the first French (and second edition overall) of a portion of Antonio de Herrera's Historia General, first published in Madrid in 1601. This is one of the classic descriptions of the Spanish conquests in the New World, with important maps of the West Indies, the Americas, the coasts of Central and South America, the interior of Mexico, Terra Firme, and the west coast of South America, including some of the most important maps relating to the Pacific made to the time. The third section of this volume consists of brief accounts of other voyages into the Pacific, and the account of Pedro de Cevallos of the Spanish possessions in the New World.

Two issues of this French translation were printed in Amsterdam in 1622. This copy has the first imprint recorded by Wagner. There were also Latin and Dutch editions in the same year, differing slightly in their makeup; Wagner assigns priority to this French edition. A work of great rarity and importance.

A work of great rarity and importance.

REFERENCE:

Borba de Moraes p.400; European Americana 622/68; JCB (3)II:166; Sabin 31543; Tiele pp. 56-57, 314-316; Tiele-Muller 296; Wagner, Spanish Southwest 12