HADFIELD, William. Brazil, the River Plate, and the Falkland Islands; with the Cape Horn Route to Australia. Including notices of Lisbon, Madeira, the Canaries, and Cape Verds ... also of the Region of the Amazon. London, Longman, etc., 1854.
8vo. Original cloth, spine lettered in gilt, covers onamented in blind; pp. [2], vi, 384, [2, advertisements], lithographic frontispiece-portrait, 3 folding maps (one large and coloured in outline; numerous wood-engraved illustrations in the text; binding expertly restored; frontispiece froxed, and offsetting to opposite title, as commonly the case, otherwise very clean and fresh; provenance: contemporary armorial engraved bookplate I. B. Tiernay inside front cover.
First edition of the author's first and most important book. The Liverpool-born businessman, traveller, writer and long-term resident in Brazil William Hadfield (1806-1887) had travelled on business in Brazil early in his life. 'Hadfield resided in Brazil for several years, later moving to Argentina. While in Brazil, in addition to his association with the railway company, he attempted to establish steamer services on the Paraná, as well as to make links with neighbouring countries, and Europe. He set up the first steamship agency in Buenos Aires when he arrived there in 1852. Later, when the province of Buenos Aires temporarily broke away from the Argentine confederation, he developed contacts with General José de Urquiza, sometime president of the confederation, who was anxious to promote foreign investment in the region' (ODNB).
Sabin 29486 (calls for only two maps); Borba de Moraes p. 389.
#2101073