A relation of the invasion and conquest of Florida by the Spaniards, under the command of Fernando de Soto.
By: Written in Portuguese by a gentleman of the town of Elvas. Now Englished. To which is subjoyned Two journeys of the present emperour of China into Tartary in the years 1682, and 1683. With some discoveries made by the Spaniards in the island of California, in the year 1683.
Publisher: Printed for J. Lawrence
Published: 1686
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 272
Subjects: Soto, Hernando de, ca. 1500-1542; Florida -- History -- To 1821
Notes: Imperfect: lacks first leaf (sig. A1) probably a blank.
The first part of this work, "A relation of the invasion and conquest of Florida ... " is a translation of the anonymous Portuguese "Relaçam verdadeira ... " but was made from the French version by Citri de la Guette published a year previous, entitled "Histoire de la conqueste de la Floride ... "  Paris, 1685. The new anonymous English translator was evidently ignorant of Hakluyt's translation, published in 1609 as "Virginia richly valued ... " and in 1611 as "The worthye and famovs history of the travailes, discouery, & conquest ... of Terra Florida ... " to which it is "very inferior", says W.B. Rye, "and erroneous as to numbers, distances, and names of places".
(Cont)  He has taken even his preface and table of chapter headings from the French version, changing only the closing phrase of the French preface " ... la Floride, que les François ont découvert par les ordres du Roy ... " to " ... the English plantations on that continent ... " and omitting the 5 p. "Privilege du Roy".
The "Two journeys of the present emperour of China into Tartary ... " by Ferdinand Verbiest, and "Some discoveries made by the Spaniards in the island of California ... " taken from the letters of the admiral Isidoro Atondo y Antillon, are translated from "Voyages de l'empereur de la Chine dans la Tartarie, ausquels on a joint une nouvelle découverte au Mexique", Paris, 1665.
The first of Verbiest's letters has special t.-p.: "A journey of the emperor of China into East-Tartary. In the year 1682. London: Printed by F. Collins for J. Lawrence, 1686." p. [221]
The entire work was reissued with a new t.-p. which omitted all reference to the major portion of its contents, the account of Florida: "Two journeys of the present emperour of China into Tartary, in the years 1682, and 1683. With some discoveries made by the Spaniards in the island of California, in the year 1683. London, Printed for J. Lawrence, 1687."