Vlll INTRODUCTION 



sources for the detailed and apparently accurate descriptions of the 

 mouths of the Orinoco (i88 ff. ; cf. 208) and the Amazon (213 ff.), 

 though he does say in 223 that the latter is confirmed by Capt. Roqu€ 

 de Chaves Osorio. Vazquez had a decided scientific and practical 

 bent, as is shown by his elaborate descriptions of mining processes 

 (see index) and of the causes of volcanic eruptions, and particularly 

 in the care he lavishes on accounts of animals and plants (especially 

 medicinal) in these new countries ; he provides us with the first known 

 statement of the curative properties of quinine (1714 ff. ; the book, 

 was written in 1628, and corrected in 1629; Vazquez received his 

 permission to print November 12, 1629) and the earliest descriptions 

 of numerous trees and fruits, generally full enough to be recognizable. 

 As regards his style, Vazquez cannot be absolved of the charge of 

 dififuseness, in spite of valiant and frequently mentioned efforts to 

 abridge on his part ; the MS is full of words, phrases, and occasionally 

 whole paragraphs crossed out; but as these several times contain 

 valuable information, they are included (within square brackets) in 

 the translation ; cf ., e.g., his criticism of the Corregidor of the Vitor 

 Valley in 1392. Two features of his style exercise the translator: 

 inversion and the use of two synonyms (we may be thankful he didn't 

 follow Ciceronian rhetoric and use three). The inversion may occa- 

 sionally be avoided by a simple reversal, but must generally be followed 

 because of modifiers of the inverted subject ; but one has to keep the 

 rhetorical doublets, like (in 888) traders and merchants, ships and 

 frigates, made and built, woods and groves, much as one hates the 

 waste involved. Vazquez seems to avoid the word "pero" (but), 

 using "aunque" (although) in its stead, or a simple "y" (and). 

 He has a rich Spanish- American vocabulary ; I have tabulated over 

 200 words he uses which are not in the great Spanish Academy dic- 

 tionary of the language either at all or in the sense here found. The 

 great majority are of animals and plants, but there are several which 

 were evidently in current Andalusian use — agalgado (990, 1339), 

 anchoveta (1294), arena azul (310), armado (1729, 1752), barbasco 

 (284), barbudo (1024), cabeza (mining term; 1654), cloquilla, 

 (11 16), cobo (1452), compuesto (1442), conaturahzado (1470), 

 confianza (2048), desbarrumbadero (161 3 f.), desocado (315), 

 estruja (1360), filipote (142), goza (1722), Caja de Granos (1451), 

 habada (40, 487), hogazuela (1367), jugoso (1979), mujeres de 

 manto (i795)» melinje (675, 1356), mingado (1451, 1636), mojo- 

 neria (1441, 1707), mollar (1387), palmicha (1000), officios de 

 pluma (2022), quebrantatinaja (662), ronchas (326), sanefa (1511, 

 1514), sinodo (salary; 1450, 1888), sopada (1815), tejita (515), 



