Noticias de Nutka, Manuscrito de 1793
Mexico: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1998.
Hardcover. Near fine. Two 12.5" x 9" volumes (text volume in 3/4 leather and blue cloth and blue cloth portfolio containing 22 loose plates) housed in matching cloth clamshell box. Book and portfolio in fine condition, clamshell has light bumping and creasing to corners. Due to size, shipping cost will be more than standard for priority or international orders. Account of a Spanish expedition to Nootka Sound conducted in 1792 for the purposes of scientific exploration and negotiation with the British over territory and navigation rights. According to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, the narravtive offered "a geographical description of the area with an account of the customs, government, economy, rites, chronology, and music of the Nootka Indians. In this work he included a history of European voyages to the sound, added a dictionary of the Nootkan language, and classified more than 200 species of plants and animals. Though fascinated by Nootka Sound’s attractions for the naturalist and ethnographer, Moziño was realistic in assessing Spain’s official presence there. He believed that retention of the presidio offered no military or commercial advantage. Unlike Dionisio Alcalá-Galiano he did not assume that Spanish control of the maritime fur trade would cause other countries to lose interest in the area, and he knew that on a coastline as complex as this a garrison of 6,000 to 8,000 men would scarcely be sufficient to guard against incursions by other Europeans. Further, even a monopoly of furs would not offset the enormous cost of such a force. He therefore recommended withdrawal, hoping nevertheless that individual Spaniards would be encouraged to enter the fur trade. Moziño’s recommendations appear to have made little impact politically, but his manuscript was immediately recognized as valuable by the few scientists who had access to it."
Item #24216
Price: $250.00