Author: (SKINNER, Joseph).
Title: The present state of Peru: comprising its geography, topography, natural history, mineralogy, commerce, the customs and manners of its inhabitants, the state of literature, philosophy, and the arts, the modern travels of the missionaries in the heretofore unexplored mountainous territories, etc. The whole drawn from original and authentic documents, chiefly written and compiled in the Peruvian capital.
Description: London, Richard Phillips, 1805.4to. Contemporary tree calf (one hinge sl. damaged but firmly holding). With 20 handcoloured stipple-engravings depicting costumes of Peruvian society, natives, bullfighter, llamas, etc. XIV,488 pp.First edition. - Skinner translated portions of El Mercurio Peruano, published between 1791-1795, for this detailed overview of Peru, illustrated with twenty beautifully coloured plates depicting the costume of various segments of Peruvian society, including upper-class ladies, female domestics in Spanish dress, Indian men and women, a bullfighter, etc. The Appendix contains two interesting accounts: History of the missions of Caxamarquilla, with the origin and loss of those of Manoa, intended as an introduction to the recent travels of fathers Sobreviela and Girbal, in the remote parts of Peru. The second account: Interesting notices relative to the entrances made by the monks of the order of St. Francis, into the mountainous territories of Peru, from each of the parts bordering on the Cordillera of the Andes, communicated to the academical society of Lima by father Sobreviela, guardian of the college of Santa Rosa of Ocopa. 'An extensive illustrated reference work on Peru' (Von Hünersdorff II, p.1384). - The earliest and most lavish English colour-plate book relating to Peru and Ecuador. -Some foxing otherwise fine.Abbey, Travel, 723; Lipperheide I, p.389; Colas 2751; Hiler p.802; Sabin 81615; Palau 315564.

Keywords: America Jubileum cat. Peru mission