The 6th part of vol. 1 has a title-page (the title-page or half-title (?) preceding the fifth part is wanting in the present copy); the other relations have caption titles. Each relation is paged separately excepting no. [2-4] in v. 1, [11-12] and [15-15] in v. 3.

Signatures: t. 1, 2, preliminary leaves without sig.; A, [par.], B-Q, S-Z, Aa-Kk in twos; Ll in one; A-X in fours, Y in three (last page blank); A-C in fours, H-I in twos, K in one; 1 p. ¾. without sig., A in fives, B-F in fours, G in one; A-E in fours; F-H in twos, A-I in fours.--t. 2, 1 p. ¾. without sig., A-Bb in fours, Cc in two, Dd in one, [par.]-[par.]15 in twos; A-Gg in fours, Hh in two, [par.]-[par.]11 in twos, [par.]12 in one.--t. 3, 1 p. ¾. without sig., [par.]-[par.][par.] in twos; A-Y in fours, [par.]-[par.][par.][par.][par.][par.][par.][par.] in twos; Z-Dd in fours, Ed-Ff in twos; A-K in twos; A-Hh in twos; A-F in fours.

After having published various works relating to the history of Spanish America, Barcia began to edit the works contained in this collection which were printed as early as 1731 according to his statement in the 2d edition of Pinelo's Epitome. They were, however, "not published until 1749 (six years after Barcia's death ...) when general titles to the 3 vols. were printed, with a table of contents, of which there are two different impressions; one the most modern is printed by Ibarra." A large number of the separate parts, and possibly also the 21 copies on large paper, mentioned in the account of the remaining stock of this work in 1778, were sold as waste paper early in the 19 century. cf. Rich, Bibl. amer. nova, 1846, v. 1, p. 96.

Some of these treatises were combined in one volume and published without date or place (but previous to the present collection) with title: Varias historias de los primeros descubridores de lad Indias. I. Historia del almirante don Christoval Colòn por su hijo d. Fernando Colòn. II. Relacion de las Indias de Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo. III. Examen de los naufragios etc. de Alvar-Nuñez Cabeza de Baca. IV. Naufragios de Alvar-Nuñez Cabeza de Baca. V. Historia de Rio de la Plata, y Paraguay, escrita por Ulderico Schimidèl. VI. Historia general de las Indias por Francisco Lopez de Gomara. cf. Catálogo de la bibl. de Salvá, t. II, no. 3344.

Contents are given according to the "Indice de las obras contenidas en estos tres tomos de Historiadores de Indias," 2d preliminary leaf of v. 1. No. [2] contains only three letters of Cortez: the 2d, dated "Segura de la Frontera," 30 de octubre, 1520; the 3d, "Cuioacan" 15 de majo, 1522; and the 4th, "Temixtitan," 15 de octubre, 1524.

References: Eberstadt no. IV-270.

References: Howes, U.S.IANA, no. B.131.

Microfilm. New Haven, Conn., Research Publications, 1975. 1 reel. 35 mm. (Western Americana, Reel 36, no. 343)