Physical Description:
Vol. 2: ff. 11-117 : paper ; 210 x 290 mm. Description:
Paper; ff. i (contemporary) + 107 + i (contemporary); modern
foliation in vol. 2 runs 11-117 since ff. 1-10, formerly bound with
this volume, were removed in 1976 and catalogued as HM 37542. Vol.
2: 1¹² 2¹²(-11, 12) 3¹² 4²²(-22) 5⁴ 6-7¹² 8¹²(plus
bifolium between 1 and 2) 9¹⁰. 290 x 210 (220-232 x 105-110) mm.
The lower margin of the last 8 leaves are completely cut away.
Written in the hand of the author. Catchwords enclosed in brown ink
scrolls in the middle or right lower margins. Leaf signatures in
roman numerals in the middle of the lower margin; quire and leaf
signatures in a later hand in letters and arabic numerals,
frequently including the seventh leaf of a quire, in the right
lower margin close under the text. 32-38 long lines; vertical
bounding lines ruled in dry point. The manuscript was written
probably in Santo Domingo between 1539-46 and completed in Spain in
1546-48: the dates given in the text are March 1539, in Book IV,
chap. 7 and 1548 in the prologue of Book VI. Illustrated with 24
pen and ink drawings by the author, a few shaded in black lead.
Marginal notes in 3 hands: i, the author's corrections, additions
and directions to the printer; ii, note on f. 49 of vol. 1 made
after 1580; iii, pencilled notes in English in vol. 2 with the book
numbers, probably made by a bookseller. Contents: [Gonzalo
Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés] Historia general y natural de las
Indias. Books IV, VII, IX, XI, XXXII, and XXXVII]: [f. 11,
Prologue:] Pues que es ya tiempo se de conclusion A las cosas de la
governacion ... [f. 11v, Text:] Capitulo primero ... Dixosse en el
libro procedente ...Y esto baste quanto a este breve libro del
numero xxxvi hasta que el tiempo nos avise de otras cosas que en el
se acresçienten. Notes:
Watermark(s): 2 types of Main, similar to Briquet 10718 and 11244.
A section of Vol. 2 of HM 177 was separated in 1975 and now
constitutes HM 37542. Binding: 17th century gold-tooled brown calf;
remains of 2 fore-edge ties; rebacked, original spine laid down;
later marbled endpapers. Guide to the American Historical
Manuscripts in the Huntington Library (San Marino, Calif. : H.E.
Huntington Library and Art Gallery,1979). De Ricci, S. with the
assistance of W. H. Wilson. Census of Medieval and Renaissance
Manuscripts in the United States and Canada (New York 1935-37;
index 1940), 61-62. Hulton, P. and D. B. Quinn, The American
Drawings of John White, 1577-1590 (London 1964) 1:31-32. Quinn,
D.B. "New Geographical Horizons: Literature," in First Images of
America, ed. F. Chiappelli (Berkeley 1976) 2:652 and 658.
Sturtevant, W.C. "First Visual Images of Native America," in First
Images of America, 1:447-48, with reproduction of HM 177, vol. 1,
ff. 4 and 9 in 1:425-26. Subjects:
Discoveries in geography. ; Indians of Central America. ; Indians
of the West Indies. ; Natural history -- Central America. ; Natural
history -- West Indies. ; Shipwrecks -- America. ; America --
Discovery and exploration -- Spanish. ; America -- Early accounts
to 1600. ; Spain -- Colonies -- America. Form/Genre:
Illuminations (Painting) -- Spain -- 16th century. (aat) ;
Marginalia (Annotations) -- Spain -- 16th century. (aat) ;
Manuscripts (documents) -- Spain -- 16th century. (aat) Provenance:
On the first leaf of most books a small section has been clipped
out, possibly to remove some identifying marks, and replaced with
matching paper on which the original text was recopied by tracing.
An early Huntington Library report mentions the presence of the
bookplate of Don Joś́é Colón of Cáceres on the first page of
Vol. 2 (Book IV); it is no longer in the book. The back pastedown
bears a pencilled bookseller's notation "AY 81." Purchased from
Maggs, February 25, 1926.
Rights
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