Reports of Explorations and Surveys to Ascertain the Practicability of a Ship-Canal Between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by Way of The Isthmus of Darien
$275.00
Determining the best route to link the Atlantic to the Pacific.
1 in stock
Description
This fascinating volume reflects numerous months of intensive jungle explorations led by U.S. naval officer Thomas Selfridge between 1870 and 1873. Selfridge was at the head of several expeditions across Panama (the Darien Isthmus) in an attempt to locate the ideal course for a Trans-Oceanic Canal – connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific across America had been a global priority since the first discoveries of Columbus. While a more favorable route was eventually selected over those trailblazed by Selfridge, the information obtained by him and his men was helpful in narrowing down the possible options.
The report (a battered copy) was authored by Selfridge and includes 250+ pages; offering a narrative, tables of data, several illustrations, and general observations. Seventeen folding maps (only sixteen are referenced in the index) are included, providing a detailed overview of the arduous routes taken. Published in Washington, D.C. by the Government Printing Office in 1874.
Map Details
Publication Date: 1874
Author: Thomas Oliver Selfridge
Sheet Width (in): See Description
Sheet Height (in): See Description
Condition: B
Condition Description: Collection of seventeen lithographed maps, originally issued folded and bound into the accompanying report. Sharp creasing along old folds and faint toning along the outer edges, consistent with age. Light scattered dampstaining is visible in several areas (see scans). Some wrinkling and a few clean splits have been repaired on the verso with archival tape, but overall the maps are in good condition. The volume, complete 268 pp. in original full leather, is also included, but shows heavy wear, soiling, and dampstaining that makes for only a fair reading copy.
$275.00
1 in stock