“OF IMMENSE IMPORTANCE FOR THE EARLY HISTORY OF UPPER CALIFORNIA”: PALOÚ’S BIOGRAPHY OF FATHER SERRA, 1787 FIRST EDITION, INCLUDING THE FIRST MAP TO SHOW A BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER CALIFORNIA

(SERRA, Junipero) PALOÚ, Francisco. Relación Hístorica de la vida y apostólicas tareas del venerable Padre Fray Junipero Serra y de las misiones que fondó en la California Septentrional, y nuevos establecimientos de Monterey. Mexico City: Felipe de Zuniga y Ontiveros, 1787. Octavo, contemporary full limp vellum, ink manuscript title on spine. Housed in custom half morocco clamshell box.

First edition of this biographical study of Father Junipero Serra, an indispensable source for the early history of California. “The letters from Father Serra to Father Paloú give interesting details on the various Indian tribes and their manners and customs, together with descriptions of the country… This work has been called the most noted of all books relating to California” (Hill, 220-21). An excellent copy, complete with engraved portrait of Serra and engraved folding map, in contemporary vellum.

A firsthand account of Fray Junipero Serra’s founding of the California missions, written by his devoted friend and traveling companion Father Paloú, who traveled with Serra to Mexico to teach in the Indian missions and also accompanied him on the expedition to San Francisco. This volume contains letters from Serra to Paloú as well as a biography of Serra, and forms one of the central contemporary documents of early California history. “Both a splendid discourse on the California missions, their foundation and management, and an intimate and sympathetic biography of the little father-president. Better, by long odds, than the bulk of lives of holy men, written by holy men” (Libros Californianos, 24, 67). “Of immense importance for the early history of Upper California” (Wagner, The Spanish Southwest, 477-80). This work was not translated into English until 1884. The engraved map provides further information on the extent of European influence in California and the location of nine of the missions founded by Serra; a dotted line on the map traces the path of Serra from Baja California to San Francisco. “This map seems to be the first on which a boundary line was drawn between Lower and Upper California” (Wheat I, 128). Mixed issue, with “CAR” as the catchword on the last page of the Index indicating first issue (second issue reads “PRO”) and with the words “Mar Pacífico” on the engraved map as almost always found, indicating second issue. With “A expensas de varios bienhechores” at the base of the title page; some copies read “A expensas de Don Miguel Gonzalez Caldern,” no priority established. Text in Spanish. Zamorano Eighty 59. Howes P-56. Sabin 58392. Wagner-Spanish Southwest 168.

Some repair and restoration to folding map, restoration to verso of portrait. Repairs to a few instances of worming in generally clean text, including title page. Light wear to spine ends, tiny hole to spine, inner paper hinges reinforced, contemporary vellum binding quite sound. An extremely good copy of this scarce work.