A Succinct Abridgment of a Voyage made within the Inland Parts of South America from the Coasts of the South Sea to the Coasts of Brazil & Guiana, down the River of Amazonas

8vo [22 x 13.5 cm]; xii, 108 pp, folding engraved map, with the half title page. contemporary marbled boards, leather spine, covers worn, joints repaired with leather, lacks front blank endpaper, map with old one inch tear repaired, interior is very good. A picture of this book is available upon request by email. Sabin 38488. A French-Spanish expedition was sent to South America in 1736, to measure a degree of latitude in the area near Quito where the equator crossed, to determine the size and shape of the earth. The ten year expedition proved that the earth is flattened at the Poles. La Condamine returned by crossing Brazil via the Amazon. His narrative of his journey was of great importance, because for the first time the long course of the Amazon was traversed by a man of science capable of making astronomic observations, and determining longitudes.' [Borba de Moraes, I, 447] The fine engraved map of the Amazon and its tributaries accompanying the text was drawn by La Condamine himself, and is the first map in which the latitudes were observed and shown on the map. Cox ii, 273: 'La Condamine returned to the east coast of the continent by descending the Amazon, the first time it was accomplished by a scientist'. Hill 169: 'the greatest geographical event of the eighteenth century as regards South America. . . to measure one exact degree of meridian to determine the dimensions and shape of the earth. . . the work occupied eight years'. Goodman 495: 'A very useful abridgment of this indispensible work, entirely satisfactory for nearly all purposes'. Spain & Spanish America I, 369.