Travels from Buenos Ayres, by Potosi, to Lima. With Notes by the Translator, containing Topographical Descriptions of the Spanish Possessions in South America, drawn from the last and best Authorities.
London: Printed for Richard Phillips, 1806. xii, 287, [1] pp. [i.e. 253; pages 105-253 misnumbered 141-287. Illus. with 1 folding map. 16mo. Later half calf over marbled boards, red morocco lettering piece, spine decorated in gilt. First English Language edition. A near fine copy, armorial bookplate on front pastedown, faint glue mark at hinge, minor foxing. Sabin 31265. Palau 112884 (1807 ed.). Kress B.5054. Goldsmiths'-Kress: 19189.6. Lowndes II: 902. See Hill (2004): 1349. Humphreys 563. Naylor A.4. Item #38738
With one page of advertisements. Originally published as "Tagebuch einer reise durch Peru" (Dresden, 1798). Anton Zacharias Helms (1751-1803) was a mining expert who joined the expedition to the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata led by Thaddeus von Nordenflicht at the request of the King of Spain to assist in improving the system for processing silver from the mining operations in Potosi. This is the best record of the expedition, and Helms writes not only about mining operations, but in the second section covers extensively the governments, geology, topography, peoples, history, and commerce of the region. An abridged version without the map and running 92 pages, was published the following year. Provenance: Coleccion Monclau (bookplate).
Price: $850.00