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Hard cover, 8vo. In tan paper-covered boards with spine in brown cloth, printed paper label attached, page edges untrimmed. Collation: 8pp. publisher's adverts dated 1827, 303 pp., complete with two fold-out maps, and one fold-out elevation plan. Condition Good Plus. Although several corners are bumped, the spine and hinges remain firm and in good repair. A bit of water staining and pencil marks the top board, along with the near contemporary owner's numerical designation in old ink. Water staining is apparent to the rear board, and to bottom of last signature. Pages are moderately browned, with offset, showing small losses at corners, or the occasional foredge tear. Map offset to title page. Overall, however, the text block is firm and the binding remains in solid shape. A former owner's signature in old ink appears to the ffep, dated Topsfield, Jamaica, 1831. Published several years after La Gran Colombia's (ie., modern-day Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador) wars for independence from Spain starting in 1819, this work is both a readable travelog, political and cultural observation, and part economic handbook for American traders seeking to explore newly available Central and South American markets. Those aboard the cruise included "Madame C. the sister of "The Liberator," Simon Bolivar. The traveling party visits the hacienda of Bolivar on the way to Valencia, allowing the author to meet the then 42-year old revolutionary and form his own opinions. Other interesting observations are made about the state of the government troops posted at Valencia; about the advanced state of race relations in this region of multicultural richness; how different individuals exhibit the national character. A contemporary review appearing in "The United States Review and Literary Gazette" (March 1827, Vol. 1, pp. 418-432) highlights these topics and more. **Varied appendices include more strictly economic matters such as the Duties on Imports, Duty-free items, Export duties, Pilotage, Light and Other Port Duties, The Comparative Footing of National and Foreign Ships, Trade with Different Countries and Ports open by Law to Foreign Commerce. Commercial notes regarding exports and prices of South and Central American territories are drawn with reference to Depons, and Humbolt is credited with extracts on the physical descriptions.**Publishers Henry Charles Carey (1793-1879) and Isaac Lea of Philadelphia were the successors to the important Philadelphia atlas publishers John Melish and Matthew Carey. ** The Author, Lieut. Richard Bache (1794-1836), was a great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin, and a part of the influential Philadelphia Bache family, who were merchant traders to the West Indies at this time. The reviewer, mentioned above, asserts that the Author traveled to sell mercenary services to the new republic, but found he had come too late in the wars' proceedings to do so. Our Lieut.'s grandfather, Richard Bache (I),was Postmaster General from 1776-1782, succeeding his father-in law Benjamin Franklin in that position. One of the mysteries with this book is why the author goes unnamed on the Title page, merely referred to as "An Officer in the U.S. Army,". Scant details of his biography come from Sabin, and Drake's DAB, mentioning only the Author's service as a Captain of Ordinance in the U.S. Army. The reticence may stem from the controversy with the author's father. Benjamin Franklin Bache (1769-1798) was arrested for sedition in 1798 under the newly-minted Sedition Act. As publisher of the Philadelphia "Aurora," Bache had argued for an end to the assumption of British style common law, an end to Slave ownership, and against what he saw as the monarchial tendencies of, Pres.Washington. Bache died of yellow fever before standing trial. While our author's father is now held in esteem for pioneering the freedom of the press, at the time of this controversy, the family must have experienced some blowback amongst the political elites. This is a Rare work, sold at auction only a handful of times since the turn of the twentieth century. I. Thomas, p. 171. Wroth p. 102. OCLC 253889362 Sabin 2593. Shaw and Shoemaker (1827) 27920.
Ref: ADV 8674
$850.00