El Nuevo Apostol de Galicia, religioso Capuchino, y Misionario Apostolico en la America, y Europa [Carabantes] by Gonzalez de Quiroga, Diego; Carabantes - 1698

First edition of one of the very few and earliest sources of information on the Caribes and the Provinces of Caracas and Cumana. 1698. Madrid. Oficina de la viuda de Melchor Alvarez. In 8vo (200 mm x 152 mm). 12 ff. + 507 + 12 ff. & portrait of Carabantes sorrunded by American natives. Contemporary limp vellum, remnants of ties, spine lettered in ink, slightly soiled, else fine, a most attractive binding. Worm holes to several leaves at the beginning, some affecting a little text, a few foxing spots and damp staining, else a remarkably fresh and clean copy. First edition; an exceedingly rare work on the life of this 17th century Capuchin monk in Venezuela and the Caribbean. Carabantes (1628 – 1694) was one of the first Capuchin missionaries in America; although his name was Velazquez, he changed his name for that of his home town in 1645, when entering the order. In 1657, he arrived in the Island of Margarita (Venezuela), from there he went on to Caracas and Cumana, where he was able to evangelize the Caribes, a tribe notorious for its cruelty and ferocity. As often, the missionary learned the natives tongue and wrote subsequently a vocabulary for the missionaries. His stay in the region lasted for 9 years, after which he had to travel back to Spain to defend his fellow missionaries; after that, he planned to return to the Americas, but his superiors decided to keep him in Spain, where death found him short after. It is attributed to him the conversion of five "caciques" (denomination for the chiefs of the tribes). It is with little doubt one of the few, and more primitive, sources of information extant on several Provinces of Venezuela and local tribes amongst them, the Caribes, Cuacas, Tapies, etc. A copy of the "Copia de Carta escrita al Excelentissimo Señor Marques de Aytona" published in 1666 and written by Carabantes, is only registered as having appeared for sale by Maggs in the 20´s; no auction record is found for this work. Sabin, 67345.