Origen de los Indios

Garcia, Fr. Gregorio. ORIGEN DE LOS INDIAS DE EL NUEVO MUNDO, E INDIAS OCCIDENTALES, AVERIGUADOCON DISCURSO DE OPINIONES por el Padre Presentado FR. GREGORIO GARCIA, de la Orden de Predicadores. TRANTANSEEN ESTE LIBRO VARIAS COSAS, Y PUNTOS curiosos, tocantes àdeversas Ciencias, i Facultades, con que se hacevaria Historia, de mucho gusto para el Ingenio i Entendimiento de Hombres agudos, i curiosos. DIRIGIDO AL ANGELICO DOCT. STO. THOMAS DE AQUINO. CON PRIVILEGIO REAL. En Valencia: Año de 1607.

xx, vi, iv, 536, xxiv, includes list of authors quoted and index, and at least four woodcuts.

This first edition is rare. It has been rebound in what appears to be contemporary vellum or very fine calf. Some repairs to page edges, very carefully pasted in with "hand printed" lettering are to be found. The edges have been guillotined to 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches, with occasional minor incursion into the page titles and magin notes. We are assuming that such repairs are C19th or earlier.

Garcia was a monk of the Dominican Order. He passed many years in America, where he devoted himself to the studies of the antiquities of the country and the manners and customs of the native Indians. He was a writer of high authority, and his work is one of great value and importance.