Page 17 - Catálogo #78 2020 Bostn Virtual Book Fair

Librería José Porrúa Turanzas 2020 Boston Virtual Book Fair

POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORIOGRAPHIC SOURCE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE no presence of prohibited genders in the place and, in the case of having
OF THE FIRST YEARS OF COLONIZATION ON THE NORTHERN BORDER OF MEXICO dependents or servants, summon them and ask if they are well treated, if
they are paid as appropriate and if they receive good food. Finally, it states
9. ISTURIZ, Gabriel de. Collection of 97 “autos” or notification orders as general in the same order if all this is fulfilled or not. This is done in ranches, places,
visitor of New Vizcaya in Sonora and Sinaloa. [Manuscript]. Mexico, various locations, towns and haciendas.
1685-1686. Folio (317 x 219)mm. (1), 23 ff., 1 bl. Total of 97 Autos, some written with These Autos are, possibly, the most important historiographic source for
blue ink. Signatures of Gabriel de Isturiz and Jacinto de Fuensaldaña in all the autos. the knowledge of the state of the region and its populations that exist, just
Unbound, sewn with thread, inside a folder. 45,000 € / US$ $52,000 before the entrance on the scene of Father Juan Eusebio Kino. Gabriel de
Istúriz was appointed visitador (inspector) of the North of Mexico by José de
Very important collection of Autos or notification orders of the general visitor Gabriel de Istúriz to Neyra y Quiroga, Governor of New Vizcaya, in 1685. In those years, although
the towns and estates that he consigns, all signed by his hand, which undoubtedly complement there were European civilians in Sonora and neighboring regions, they did
the manuscript of the chronicle of his trip to the province of Sonora which is preserved at the not usually leave useful written testimony for the historiography of the North
Parral Archives in Mexico. The towns, missions and haciendas that Isturiz visited during his trip of Mexico and the American Southwest. For this reason, these Autos are of
between 1685 and 1686 are: Matape, Real de Minas de San Miguel Arcangel, town of Guepaca, enormous importance for the knowledge of the first settlements and mis-
town of Aconche (Aconchi), Huepac, Real de Minas de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Opodepe, Val- sions in the provinces of Sinaloa, San Ildefonso de Ostimuri and Sonora. The
le de Pache, Valle de Vacanuche, town of San Ignacio, Arispe, Real de Minas de San Juan, town Visitor also describes extensively the raising of cattle in the different farms,
of Saguaripa, Real de Minas de San Justo and La Concepción. All the Autos include the place and as well as the shops and establishments of different towns such as Real de
date of the inspection visit. Bacanuche or Nacozari. David Yetman notes that the governor of New Viz-
In general, Isturiz quotes those he is going to visit (if it is a town, by means of a notice published caya also instructed Istúriz to seek Jesuit missions in Sonora to interrogate
in the town square in which the people who should be present when he arrives are nominated) the Indians with the intention of knowing if they were being treated properly.
or by personal notification in the case of farm. This appoiments are registered in a Auto. In the References: John Francis Bannon, The Mission Frontier in Sonora 1620-1687,
following Auto, he leaves a record of the visit in which he observes: that the property titles for pp. 136-139 in: Charles W. Polzer et al., Spanish Borderlands Sourcebooks,
land, farms, mills, etc. are in order; that the account books are correct; the branding irons with New York 1991; John Francis Bannon, The Spanish Borderlands Frontier
which the cattle are marked are the correct ones (drawings of the branding irons are included 1513-1821, Albuquerque 1974, pp. 66-65; David A. Yetman, The Ipatas: In
in the margins, in some cases), that the weights and measuring rods are correct; that there is search of Sonoran People, Tucson 2010

— 16 — — 17 —