Description of Central America, with fine folding plates 

Jacob Haefkens (1789-1858). 

Centraal Amerika, uit een geschiedkundig, aardrijkskundig en statistiek oogpunt beschouwd. Met kaart en platen. 

Dordrecht, Blussé & Van Braam, 1832.  

8°. XII, 488 pp. With 2 folding lithographed views, 1 folding lithographed map (50 × 40 cm.) and 2 full-page lithographed plates.  

Modern half calf with marbled sides. 

First and only edition of a description of Central America by the Dutch consul to the new Central American Federation, Jacob Haefkens. His observations during a three-year stay are correspondingly astute. He provides information on events that passed during his stay, as well as geographical, biological and statistical details. This book deals for the greater part with Guatemala but also contains a separate part on Belize. Guatemala was then significantly larger than it is nowadays. The excellent map encompasses Central America between current South Mexico and Costa Rica. The two lithographed plates show people in costume and the two folding views depict the main square of "Nieuw-Guatemala" (Guatemala-city) and “Oud-Guatemala” (Antigua Guatemala). The present work is an expanded and revised edition of Haefkens' earlier book on Guatemala: Reize naar Guatemala (The Hague, 1827). 

Reference: Sabin 29499; Tiele 440. 

Condition: title-page and frontispice foxed, slight foxing to the plates, minor tear in the margin of the folding plates, otherwise in very good condition.