Brazil and the Brazilians, Portrayed in Historical and Descriptive Sketches

8vo [23 x 15 cm]; 630, [x, ads, advertising Elisha Kane's Arctic explorations] pp, engraved frontis (portrait), map of Bay of Rio de Janeiro, folding map of Brazil, 150 illus, many plates, including 2 hand-colored plates of birds, not in later editions. original blind-stamped cloth, gilt spine title lettering, wear at edges and corners, name on endpaper, short tear at stub of map, the colored and black & white plates have tissue guards, interior is clean & very good, in good cover, good hinges. A picture Sabin 37709. Griffin 6502. Humphreys 413. Naylor 164. Welch 41. Borba de Moraes p 434: "This is the first edition of this successful book, it was reprinted many times.", "The success of this book was enormous . . . . and became a classic book about Brazil for North Americans." This is a comprehensive treatment, with particularly good illustration, covering views, scenes, people, buildings, birds, plants, etc, with detailed appendices of commerce, history, economics, population, etc. 'The accompanying map is probably the most perfect ever published of an Empire which has never been surveyed. In 1855 the junior author travelled more than three thousand miles in Brazil, making corrections on this map as he journeyed', the Colton map being of Brazil with Guayana, dated 1855 with insets of Rio and Pernambuco showing streets. Wood 417: 'The references to birds and other animals are numerous, including such species as Jacana, Boat-bill, Toucan, Harpy Eagle, Umbrella bird, Variegated Breast Parrot and Rose-colored Spoonbill, the last two depicted in color'. The first edition of one of the first works published in the US just on Brazil based on the author's several decades in the country.