First french edition forming volumes 18 and 19 of the Voyages, relations et mémoires originaux pour servir à l'histoire de la découverte de l'Amérique, issued by H. Ternaux-Compans (cf. Sabin, 98793).
Some foxing, light dampstaining to the upper margins of most leaves of the first volume, marginal losses to the spine and boards.
A member of the Society of Jesus and a native of Quito, Don Juan de Velasco withdrew to Italy following the expulsion of his order.
It was there that, in 1789, he composed his Historia del Reino de Quito.
The work comprises three parts: natural history, civil history, and geography.
The present publication contains the second part.
In preparing it, the author relied on works published by Xerez, Oviedo, Cieça de Leon, Zarate, Acosta, Rodriguez, as well as on several manuscript sources.