Juan Maria de Salvatierra of the Company of Jesus; Missionary in the Province of New Spain, and Apostolic Conqueror of the Californias

Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark Company, 1929. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Volume V of Spain in the West, A Series of Original Documents from Foreign Archives. 350 pp, frontispiece portrait, and other illustrations including early maps of California, facsimiles of documents. In publisher's original dark red cloth, gilt titles, top edge gilt. Minor rubbing to extremities, else fine. This is the first English translation of this work, from the original manuscript in the archives of Mexico; the book was first published in Mexico in 1754. Venegas' history of Salvatierra is extremely valuable for its description of the founding of the first missions in Baja California. Salvatierra was instrumental in the founding of the first missions in California, now located south of the Mexican border, and helped Spain gain a foothold on the California peninsula. Salvatierra founded the mission of Loreto in Baja California in 1697, thereby giving Spain a firm foothold on the California peninsula, and leading to further missions in the north, especially Junipero Serra's work in establishing missions and settlements in Alta California. Loreto later served as the mission base of the 1769 Galvez-Serra Expedition which resulted in the establishment of the Alta California chain of missions and was, until the Anglo Conquest of 1846, the connecting link between the Franciscan and Dominican Missions south of San Diego and Mexico City. Also includes information on the Pious Fund of California. Howes V-68, Clark & Brunet I: 261.