11 INTRODUCTION. 



probably Christoval 1 also. The Acostas were fellow 

 townsmen of that charming old soldier Bernal Diaz, 

 who told the story of the conquest of Mexico, but they 

 were many years his juniors. 



Joseph de Acosta became a Jesuit in 1553, and for 

 the next eighteen years he must have devoted him 

 self to the study of sacred and classical authors, for he 

 was a man of very great learning, when, at the age of 

 thirty-two, he sailed for the New World, in company 

 with several brethren of the same Society. 



Acosta left Spain in the year 1570, touched at the 

 Canaries, and made a rapid passage across the Atlantic ; 

 which, he tells us, would have been still more rapid if 

 the manners had made more sail. 2 He landed at Car- 

 thagena, and finally at Nombre de Dios, whence he 

 journeyed through eighteen leagues of tropical forest to 

 Panama. 3 Here he enjoyed the beauties of the glori 

 ous scenery, the novel sights at every turn, and was 

 interested, at Capira, in the clever antics of troops of 

 monkeys. 4 From Panama the Jesuit, in pursuance of 

 his missionary work, embarked for Peru, looking for 

 ward with curiosity, and some dread, to the passage 



1 But this is not the Christoval de Acosta who wrote the well- 

 known book on the medicines and drugs of India. He was a native 

 of Burgos. His work (Tractado de las drogas y medicinas de las 

 Indicts Orientates con sus plantas debuxadas al vivo por Christoval 

 A costa medico y cirrejano que las vio ocularmente : en el qual se veri- 

 Jica mucho de lo que escrivio el Dr. Garcia de OrtaJ was published 

 at Burgos in 1578. It contains plates of the spice-yielding and 

 other plants. Dr. Acosta, called El Africano, suffered captivity 

 in Africa, Asia, and China. His work completed what the learned 

 Portuguese, Dr. Orta, began. 



2 Page 5G. 3 Page 2G3. 4 Page 285. 



