London: Henry G. Bohn, 1850
First English edition. In the publisher’s original red cloth. Complete with the colored frontispiece from a sketch by Humboldt, depicting Chimborazo, and the facsimile of his handwriting. A very good to near fine copy, remarkably sound with minimal wear and no loss to the spine. The pages slightly cockled, and some foxing mainly to the preliminaries. The contents otherwise crisp and clean. An uncommonly nice example of this collection of observations by the legendary polymath, written shortly after his return from South America. An early landmark in nature writing, in which Humboldt bridges literary and scientific sensibilities to relate his understanding of the natural world. This work would influence many writers and thinkers, including Thoreau, Darwin, and von Goethe.