Wanderings in South America

Alternative Title

Waterton's Wanderings

Date Created

[n.d.]

Identifier

Special Collections: Brasch F/1409/WA27

Publisher

London, Blackie

Description

This book first appeared in 1825, though this edition, with its handsome binding, was printed much later, probably in 1894. Although Waterton's style is clearly dated and, to our ears, rather pompous, his work has been often reprinted even in the twentieth century, and his voice is engagingly enthusiastic once you accept the preachiness:

"Cast thine eye around thee, and see the thousands of Nature's productions. . . . What a noble field, kind reader, for thy experimental philosophy and speculations, for thy learning, for thy perseverance, for thy kind-heartedness, for everything that is great and good within thee! (32-33)"

Somewhat surprisingly in light of this lofty rhetoric, Waterton's initial interest in his travels was to learn about native poisons.

This edition concludes with sixteen pages of advertisements for 'Blackie's Story Books for Boys', indicating that the publishers thought readers of their day might appreciate the adventures more than the admonitions.

Source

Wanderings in South America, the United States, and the Antilles.

Is Part Of

Blackie's crown library

Files

waterton.JPG

Citation

Waterton, Charles, 1782-1865, “Wanderings in South America,” ourheritage.ac.nz | OUR Heritage, accessed March 30, 2024, https://otago.ourheritage.ac.nz/items/show/7595.