Travels in Brazil, in the Years 1817-1820 2 Volume Set

First published in 1824, this is a two-volume English translation of part of the account by German naturalists Johann Baptist von Spix (1781-1826) and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794-1868) of their Brazilian expedition, one of the nineteenth century's great scientific enterprises. Despite debilitating conditions, they accumulated a spectacular collection of specimens, including dozens of live animals and over 10,000 other examples of flora and fauna. Although no further volumes appeared, this wide-ranging work formed part of the library aboard the Beagle during Darwin's famous voyage. Volume 1 recounts the early stages of the expedition, focusing on the voyage from Trieste to Rio de Janeiro. It contains studies of flora and fauna in Malta, Gibraltar and Madeira. Volume 2 covers the expedition's progress from Sao Paulo, through the state of Minas Gerais, to Villa Rica (now Ouro Preto) up to May 1818.