The Natural and Moral History of the Indies, the classic work of New World history originally published by José de Acosta in 1590, is now available in the first new English translation to appear in several hundred years. A Spanish Jesuit, Acosta produced this account by drawing on his own observations as a missionary in Peru and Mexico, as well as from the writings of other missionaries, naturalists, and soldiers who explored the region during the sixteenth century. One of the first comprehensive investigations of the New World, Acosta’s study is strikingly broad in scope. He describes the region’s natural resources, flora and fauna, and terrain. He also writes in detail about the Amerindians and their religious and political practices.
A significant contribution to Renaissance Europe's thinking about the New World, Acosta's Natural and Moral History of the Indies reveals an effort to incorporate new information into a Christian, Renaissance worldview. He attempted to confirm for his European readers that a "new" continent did indeed exist and that human beings could and did live in equatorial climates. A keen observer and prescient thinker, Acosta hypothesized that Latin America's indigenous peoples migrated to the region from Asia, an idea put forth more than a century before Europeans learned of the Bering Strait. Acosta's work established a hierarchical classification of Amerindian peoples and thus contributed to what today is understood as the colonial difference in Renaissance European thinking.
- Contents
- Introduction to José de Acosta’s
Historia Natural y Moral de las Indias
- Printing permission granted by King Philip II
- Printing permission granted by Gonzalo Dávila, Society of Jesus
- Content approval granted by Fray Luis de León
- Dedication to the infanta Doña Isabel Clara Eugenia de Austria
- Paper tax ordered by Christóbal de León
- Prologue to the reader
- Book I
- 1. Of the opinion held by some authors that the heavens
did not extend to the New World
- 2. How the heavens are round everywhere and rotate
around themselves
- 3. How Holy Writ gives us to understand that the earth is in
the midst of the universe
- 4. In which a response is given to what is alleged in Scripture
against the heavens being round
- 5. Of the shape and appearance of the heavens in the New World
- 6. How the world has both land and sea in the direction
of both poles
- 7. Which refutes the opinion of Lactantius, who said
that there were no antipodes
- 8. Of Saint Augustine’s motives in denying the antipodes
- 9. Of Aristotle’s opinion of the New World and what it
was that caused him to deny it
- 10. How Pliny and most of the ancients believed the
same as Aristotle
- 11. How some mention of this New World is
found in the ancients
- 12. What Plato believed concerning these West Indies
- 13. How some have believed that in Holy Scripture
Ophir is this Peru of ours
- 14. What Tarshish and Ophir mean in Scripture
- 15. Of the prophecy of Abdias, which some say concerned
these Indies
- 16. How the first men could have come to the Indies
and how they did not sail purposely to these parts
- 17. Of the properties and remarkable virtue of the lodestone in
navigation and how the ancients did not know of it
- 18. Which answers those who believe that in ancient
times the ocean was crossed as in our day
- 19. How it may be believed that the first inhabitants of the Indies
came there brought by storms and against their will
- 20. How it is more reasonable to believe that the first
dwellers in the Indies came by land
- 21. How wild beasts and domestic animals crossed
to the lands of the Indies
- 22. How the race of Indians did not come by way of
Atlantis, as some believe
- 23. How the opinion of many, who believe that the Indians
come from the race of the Jews, is false
- 24. Why there is no sure way to establish the Indians’ origin
- 25. What the Indians are wont to say about their origin
- Book II
- 1. Which will deal with the nature of the equinoctial line,
or equator
- 2. What caused the ancients to have no doubt that
the Torrid Zone was uninhabitable
- 3. How the Torrid Zone is very wet, and how in
this the ancients were much mistaken
- 4. How outside the Tropics there is more rain when the sun
draws farther away, which is the reverse of the Torrid Zone
- 5. How in the Tropics the rains come in summer, or time
of heat, and the calculation of winter and summer
- 6. How the Torrid Zone has a great abundance of water
and vegetation, though Aristotle denies it
- 7. Which deals with the reason why the sun, outside
the Tropics, causes rain when it is most distant, and in the Tropics the
reverse, when it is nearest
- 8. How what is said of the Torrid Zone must be understood
- 9. How the Torrid Zone is not excessively hot
but only moderately so
- 10. How the Torrid Zone’s heat is tempered by the
abundance of rain and the brevity of the days
- 11. How in addition to the causes mentioned there are other reasons
why the Torrid Zone is temperate, especially the proximity
of the Ocean Sea
- 12. How the higher lands are colder and the
reason for this
- 13. How cool winds are the chief reason why the
Torrid Zone is temperate
- 14. How life in the equatorial region is very agreeable
- Book III
- 1. How the natural history of the Indies is
pleasant and enjoyable
- 2. Of winds and their differences and properties and causes in general
- 3. Of some properties of the winds that blow in the New World
- 4. How easterly winds always blow in the Torrid Zone
and outside it both westerlies and easterlies
- 5. Of the differences between easterlies and southwesterlies and other kinds of winds
- 6. Why there is always an east wind for sailing
in the Torrid Zone
- 7. Why westerly winds are more usually found when
leaving the Torrid Zone, at higher latitudes
- 8. Of exceptions to be found in the rule just expressed
and the winds and calms that exist on sea and land
- 9. Of some wonderful effects of winds in parts of the Indies
- 10. Of the ocean that surrounds the Indies and of the Northern
and Southern Seas
- 11. Of the Strait of Magellan and how it was crossed
on its southern side
- 12. Of the strait that some say exists in Florida
- 13. Of the properties of the Strait of Magellan
- 14. Of the ebb and flow of the Ocean Sea in the Indies
- 15. Of the different fish and methods of fishing of the Indians
- 16. Of the pools and lakes that are found in the Indies
- 17. Of various fountains and springs
- 18. Of rivers
- 19. Of the general nature of the earth in the Indies
- 20. Of the properties of the land of Peru
- 21. Of the reasons given as to why it does not rain
on the plains
- 22. Of the properties of New Spain and the islands
and the other lands
- 23. Of undiscovered regions and the difference of a whole day between east and west
- 24. Of volcanoes or vents of fire
- 25. Why the fire and smoke of these volcanoes
persists for so long
- 26. Of earthquakes
- 27. How earth and sea clasp one another
- Book IV
- 1. Of the three kinds of mixtures that will be dealt
with in this history
- 2. Of the abundance of metals that exist in the Indies
- 3. Of the kind of land where metals are found, and
how in the Indies all the metals are not worked, and how the
Indians used metals
- 4. Of the gold that is produced in the Indies
- 5. Of the silver of the Indies
- 6. Of the mountain of Potosí and its discovery
- 7. Of the wealth that has been taken, and is still being
taken daily, from the mountain of Potosí
- 8. How the mines of Potosí are worked
- 9. How silver ore is refined
- 10. Of the wonderful properties of quicksilver
- 11. Where quicksilver is found and how rich mines
of it were discovered in Huancavelica
- 12. How quicksilver is extracted and how silver is
refined with its use
- 13. Of the machinery for grinding ore and assaying silver
- 14. Of emeralds
- 15. Of pearls
- 16. Of bread in the Indies, and maize
- 17. Of yucca and cassava, and potatoes
and chuño and rice
- 18. Of different roots that grow in the Indies
- 19. Of different kinds of greenstuffs and vegetables, and of those called cucumbers, and pineapples and Chilean strawberries, and plums
- 20. Of ají, or Indies pepper
- 21. Of the plantain
- 22. Of cocoa and coca
- 23. Of maguey, tunal, and cochineal and of
indigo and cotton
- 24. Of mameys and guavas and alligator pears
- 25. Of chicozapote and anonas and capolíes
- 26. Of different kinds of fruit trees, and of coconuts and Andes almonds, and Chachapoyas almonds
- 27. Of various flowers, and some trees that bear only flowers,
and how the Indians use them
- 28. Of balsam
- 29. Of liquidambar and other oils and gums and
drugs that are brought from the Indies
- 30. Of the great forests of the Indies and of cedars and
ceibas and other large trees
- 31. Of the plants and fruit trees that have been
brought to the Indies from Spain
- 32. Of grapes and vines and olives and mulberries
and sugarcane
- 33. Of sheep and cattle
- 34. Of some European animals that the Spaniards
found in the Indies and how they might have come
- 35. Of birds that exist in Europe and how
they came to the Indies
- 36. How it can be possible that there are animals
in the Indies not found in any other part of the world
- 37. Of birds native to the Indies
- 38. Of game animals
- 39. Of micos, or the monkeys of the Indies
- 40. Of the vicuñas and tarugas of Peru
- 41. Of alpacas and guanacos and the sheep of Peru
- 42. Of bezoar stones
- Prologue to the subsequent books
- Book V
- 1. How the devil’s pride and envy have been the cause of idolatry
- 2. Of the kinds of idolatries used by the Indians
- 3. How there is some knowledge of God among the Indians
- 4. Of the first sort of idolatry, that of natural and universal things
- 5. Of the idolatry practiced by the Indians with particular things
- 6. Of another kind of idolatry with the dead
- 7. Of the superstitions that were employed with the dead
- 8. Of the funeral rites that the Mexicans and other nations used
- 9. Of the fourth and last kind of idolatry that the Indians,
especially the Mexicans, used with images and statues
- 10. Of a strange kind of idolatry that was practiced
by the Mexicans
- 11. How the devil has tried to copy God in methods of sacrifices
and of religion and sacraments
- 12. Of the temples that have been found in the Indies
- 13. Of the splendid temples of Mexico
- 14. Of the priests and the offices they performed
- 15. Of the monasteries of virgins that the devil invented
for his service
- 16. Of the monasteries of religious that the devil possesses
for his superstition
- 17. Of the penances and austerities that the Indians practiced
at the devil’s behest
- 18. Of the sacrifices the Indians made to the devil, and of
what they consisted
- 19. Of the sacrifices of men that they made
- 20. Of the horrible sacrifices of men that the Mexicans performed
- 21. Of another kind of human sacrifice that the Mexicans performed
- 22. How the Indians themselves were exhausted and could not endure
the cruelties of their gods
- 23. How the devil has tried to mimic the sacraments
of Holy Church
- 24. How the devil tried in Mexico to mimic the feast of Corpus Christi
and the communion used by Holy Church
- 25. Of the confession and confessors used by the Indians
- 26. Of the abominable unction used by the Mexican
priests and those of other nations and of their sorcerers
- 27. Of other ceremonies and rites of the Indians
that are similar to ours
- 28. Of some festivals that the Indians of Cuzco
had and how the devil also tried to imitate the mystery of the
Holy Trinity
- 29. Of the festival of rejoicing celebrated by the Mexicans
- 30. Of the merchants’ festival performed by the Cholulans
- 31. The benefit that can be drawn from an account of the Indians’ superstitions
- Book VI
- 1. How the opinion of those who believe that the Indians
lack understanding is false
- 2. Of the method of calculating time and the calendar
that the Mexicans used
- 3. Of the method of counting years and months used by the Incas
- 4. How no nation of Indians has been found to have
the use of letters
- 5. Of the kinds of letters and books that the Chinese use
- 6. Of universities and studies in China
- 7. Of the kinds of letters and writing that the Mexicans used
- 8. Of the memory aids and reckonings used by the Indians of Peru
- 9. Of the order the Indians maintain in their writings
- 10. How the Indians dispatched their messengers
- 11. Of the government and monarchs that they had
- 12. Of the government of the Inca kings of Peru
- 13. Of the distribution that the Incas made of their vassals
- 14. Of the buildings and construction methods of the Incas
- 15. Of the Inca’s revenues and the order of tributes
he imposed on the Indians
- 16. Of the trades that the Indians learned
- 17. Of the posts and chasquis that the Inca used
- 18. Of the laws and justice and punishments that the Incas imposed
and of their marriages
- 19. Of the origin of the Incas, lords of Peru, and their conquests
and victories
- 20. Of the first Inca and his successors
- 21. Of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui and what happened up to the time
of Huayna Capac
- 22. Of the great Inca named Huayna Capac
- 23. Of the last successors of the Incas
- 24. Of the kind of commonwealth that the Mexicans had
- 25. Of the different ranks and orders of the Mexicans
- 26. Of the Mexicans’ way of fighting and the military orders
that they had
- 27. Of the Mexicans’ great care and diligence in bringing
up their youth
- 28. Of the Indians’ dances and festivities
- Book VII
- 1. Why it is important to know of the Indians’ deeds, especially
those of the Mexicans
- 2. Of the ancient dwellers in New Spain and how
the Nahuatlacas came there
- 3. How the six Nahuatlaca clans settled the land of Mexico
- 4. Of the departure of the Mexicans and their route and
the founding of Michoacán
- 5. Of what befell them in Malinalco and in Tula and Chapultepec
- 6. Of the war they waged with those of Culhuacán
- 7. Of the founding of Mexico
- 8. Of the rebellion of Tlatelolco and the first king
chosen by the Mexicans
- 9. Of the strange tribute paid by the Mexicans to the Azcapotzalcans
- 10. Of the second king and what befell him during his reign
- 11. Of the third king, Chimalpopoca, and of his cruel death
and the cause of the war waged by the Mexicans
- 12. Of Izcoatl, the fourth king, and the war against the Tepanecas
- 13. Of the battle the Mexicans fought with the Tepanecas
and the great victory they achieved
- 14. Of the war and victory of the Mexicans over the city
of Coyoacán
- 15. Of the war and victory that the Mexicans won over
the Xochimilcans
- 16. Of Moctezuma, fifth king of the Mexicans, first of this name
- 17. How Tlacaelel refused to be king and the election
and deeds of Tizoc
- 18. Of the death of Tlacaelel and the exploits of Axacayatl,
seventh king of Mexico
- 19. Of the exploits of Ahuitzotl, eighth king of Mexico
- 20. Of the election of the great Moctezuma, last king of Mexico
- 21. How Moctezuma ordered the service of his household
and the war he waged for his coronation
- 22. Of Moctezuma’s habits and great state
- 23. Of the strange omens and prodigies that
appeared in Mexico before its empire perished
- 24. Of the news that Moctezuma received of the Spaniards who had reached
his country and the embassy that he sent them
- 25. Of the Spaniards’ entry into Mexico
- 26. Of the death of Moctezuma and the Spaniards’
departure from the City of Mexico
- 27. Of some miracles that God has performed in the Indies in favor
of the Faith, beyond the merits of those who brought them to pass
- 28, and last. Of the plan ordained by Providence in the Indies for the entry
of the Christian religion there
- Commentary
- Bibliography
- Index
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