Bücher-Recensionen :
"Voyages dans L'Amérique Meridionale, depuis 1781 jusqu' en 1801,
par Don Felix D'Azara." [mit]
Nachricht von dem Leben des Don Felix D' Azara Verfassers der, für Geographie, Völkerkunde und Naturgeschichte höchst Merkwürdigen Reisen in dem Südlichen
Spanischen Amerika, Während den Jahren 1781 bis 1801.
[Book Review and Notes on the Life of Don Felix D'Azara, Author of
'Geography, Ethnology and Natural History of the most Remarkable Voyages
in the Southern Spanish America during the years 1781 to 1801']
Weimar: Industrie-Comptoirs, 1809.
8vo. 76 pages, plus an engraved portrait.
Text is in German. A scarce contemporary resource.
This is two complete monthly issues, containing the above mentioned account,
as published in two parts, attractively bound booklet style in recent
blue paper covers with label.
Promptly after the release of the first edition of the voluminous
title by D'Azara, also published in 1809, appeared this substantial
reverent analysis of the important work performed over twenty years in
South America. Data tables illustrate statistics concerning the
etsablishment of Indian and Jesuit colonies, as well as geographical observations.
Further included is a 22 page biographical sketch, and portrait
engraving of the famed Spanish military naturalist. A most unique item
to pair with the collector's volume, and rare glimpse into its pages.
As a Spanish army officer De Azara was sent to Paraguay to take part in the cartographic work of a commission to settle the boundary dispute between
Spanish Paraguay and Portuguese Brazil. He would spend twenty years,
from 1781 to 1801, exploring South America from Buenos Aires north to the
Tropic of Capricon. His observations contributed enormously to
knowledge of the birds and quadrupeds of this region. He wrote at length on
the varieties of domestic animals then found there, speculated on various
aspects of geographical distribution, and collected information on local
Indian tribes, which, together with an account of the discovery and history
of Paraguay and Rio de la Plata, were incorporated in his principal work.
Charles Darwin had a high regard for Azara's work, and in several of
his books spoke approvingly of Azara's authority.
These are the original pages printed in 1809, and NOT a reprint.
This narrative is from a rare multi-volume geographical and scientific journal titled "Allgemeine Geographische Ephemeriden", which issued fifty volumes from 1798-1816
and which encompassed critical contemporary topics of geography and astronomy.
Adam Christian Gaspari and Franz Xaver von Zach were editors of this important
scientific journal.
Don Félix Manuel de Azara (1742 - 1821) was a Spanish military officer,
naturalist and engineer. He was born in Barbunales, Aragon. He first embraced
a military career as an engineer, and distinguished himself in various
expeditions, and rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Spanish Army.
Azara was sent to South America in 1781 to settle the question of borders
between the Portuguese and Spanish colonies. He remained until 1801. Before
leaving South America, he sent his brother, then Spanish Ambassador at Paris,
many notes and observations of a zoological nature, which Moreau de Saint-Méry
published at Paris in 1801 under the title of "Essai sur l'histoire naturelle
des quadrupèdes du Paraguay". In 1802 there appeared at Madrid "Apuntamientos
para la Historia natural de los cuadrúpedos del Paraguay y Río de la Plata".
On his return he wrote "Voyage dans l'Amerique meridionale depuis 1781 jusqu'en
1801," which was published in 1809.
A number of animals were named after him, including Aotus azarae, Azara's Agouti Dasyprocta azarae, Azara's Grass Mouse Akodon azarae and Azara's Spinetail Synallaxis azarae. Dorsum Azara on the Moon is also named after him.
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