Historia natural y moral de las Indias (vol. 1 of 2)

A remarkable window into the early Spanish encounter with the Americas, this volume blends natural observation with moral reflection. Written by a Jesuit who spent several years in Peru before returning to Europe, it records what he saw of the heavens, the minerals, plants and animals of the New World. At the same time it sketches the rites, laws, governance and wars of the indigenous peoples, offering a holistic picture of a continent just beginning to be understood by Europeans.

The work earned praise from later scholars such as Humboldt, who saw in it an early foundation for physical geography before modern mathematics entered the field. Acosta relied on his own journeys and on trustworthy reports from fellow travelers, avoiding the habit of merely copying earlier authors. As a result, the book stands as a singular, first‑hand chronicle that helped expand European ideas about the world beyond the Atlantic.