PALOU, Francisco (1723–1789).
Relacion Historica de la vida y Apostolicas Tareas del Venerable Padre Fray Junipero Serra, Y de las Misiones que fundó en la California Septentrional, y nuevos establecimientos de Monterey.
Mexico City: Felipe de Zúñiga y Ontiveros for Miguel Gonzales Calderon, 1787.

Comparables: PBA, 2020 - $16,800; Arader Galleries, 2020 - $15,860.

First edition. Small quarto (7 13/16" x 5 5/8", 198mm x 142mm). [Full collation available.] With an engraved portrait of Serra (integral to the text) and a folding engraved map of California, matted separately. Bound in contemporary limp vellum (perhaps a "publisher's binding?") with ties. On the front cover, ink manuscript ("VYDA" several times, "Proa. . ." twice) and "P" manuscript in blue graphite. On the spine, ink manuscript title (Vida/ Del V.P./ Fr. Junip./ Serra) between double rules. Ties perished. Binding a bit soiled, with a few abrasions. With some remargining and reinforcement to [pi], *1 and 434, not affecting the text. Map excised and presented separately. Ownership signature of P(adre) Beistegui ("Del P. Beistegui.") to the foot of the title-page.

Three marginalia, two in the preliminaries and one at the foot of the final page (see online). Father -- now Saint -- Junípero Serra (1713-1784), a Franciscan priest known as the "Apostle of California," was instrumental in the spread of Catholicism in America, from Puerto Rico through Mexico and the length of California, from Baja to San Francisco. Francisco Palou (1723-1789) was Serra's lieutenant, following him from Mallorca and serving for a time as presidente of the California missions. Palou had first-hand knowledge, therefore, of Serra's life and work. His account of Serra's travels up into California traces the settlement of the region (and as such is a Zamorano 80 title), with missions taking the place of forts. Diego Troncoso's map (California antigua y nueva) is one of the first to show a division in California between Baja (antigua, i.e., administered by Dominicans) and Alta (nueva, i.e., administered by the Franciscans). It also features prominently the Camino Real (King's Way), which is essentially modern Route 101. Nine of Serra's 21 missions are depicted on the map, showing the settlement and conversion of California in progress rather than as a fait accompli.

The identity of Father Beistegui (his signature appears in the same position on 1752 work on Spanish territories around the world (Swann, 16 October 2018, lot 145)) remains unclear. Three additional marginal comments shed a little light on the extent to which this copy was read and used. The first, at the foot of *1r, reads "El S.ta S.to D.la Msa/ de Valencay," perhaps refers to the 1813 Treaty of Valençay, in which Napoleon partially conceded in the Peninsular War to the Spanish (Valençay was the home of Talleyrand). The second, along the fore-edge of 2*2v (the parecer of Juan Gregorio Campos), reads "D.n Juan Muños Capitan General de la provincia/ de mordd(?)" calls to mind Juan Bautista Muñoz, a Spanish historian who in 1793 published a major account of Spanish colonies in the America (Historia del Nuevo Mundo).The third, at the foot of the final leaf (434v; errata), reads "Exmo Señor Conde del Clu[. . .]/ E. . .to . . .llon de Juars" (it is partially perished). Together these marginalia -- the second and third are certainly in the same hand; the first is perhaps different, and none seems to match the signature of Beistegui -- show a book used in developing an understanding of the Spanish settlement of the New World. There are two issues of the map; one, as here, with the words MAR PACIFICO in the Pacific, and one without. It is presumed but not proven that the words were an addition. In the book itself, there are two variants of the title-page. One, as here, reads "a expensas/ de Don Miguel Gonzalez Calderon/ sindico de dicho apostolico colegio." The other reads "a expensas/ de varios bienhechores." The final point is the catchword at the end of the index (2*7v): here "PRO-" and another issue with "CAR-". None of these has established priority.

Graff 3179; Howes P-56; Medina 7731; Palau 210789; Sabin 58392; Streeter 4:2450; Wagner, Spanish Southwest 168; Wheat, Transmississippi 208; Zamorano 80.