Travels in Chile and La Plata: including accounts respecting the geography, geology, statistics, government, finances, agriculture, manners and customs, and the mining operations in Chile: collected during a residence of several years in these countries.
London: Printed for Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, 1826. xv, 494 pp.; viii, 352 pp. (without 4 pp. advertisements). Illus. with 6 maps and plans (4 folding), 16 plates (1 folding), and in-text drawings. Illustrations by Thomas Mann Baynes, after John Miers. 8vo. Modern half brown cloth over marbled boards, brown morocco title labels and tan volume labels. First edition. Scattered foxing to plates and a few leaves including titles, else a near fine copy. Sabin 48889. Palau 168549. Abbey Travel 701. Goldsmiths'-Kress 24798. Griffin 3636. Naylor 13. Item #39082
John Miers (1789–1879) was a British botanist and engineer, who traveled to South America to begin a copper mining venture in Chile, a trip that he abandoned when his wife fell ill, and instead focused on collecting plants. "Travels in Chile and La Plata, which appeared ...[in 1826] in two volumes, edited and carried through the press by his father-in-law, Francis Place, was to bring him a lasting reputation as the foremost authority on the geography and way of life of that region," (ODNB, 18688). Volume One is primarily a travel account and "a very good one" (Griffin), while the second volume is an organized and detailed description of Chile's geography, politics, history, society, mining, and natural history.
Price: $1,250.00