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[Mato-Grosso], Relaçam curioza do sitio do Graõ Pará terras de Mato-Grosso bondade do clima, e fertilidade daquellas terras. Escrita por hum curiozo experiente daquelle paiz. Primeira parte [only one published]., S.a. [ca.1750]. S.l. [Lisbon].

[Mato-Grosso]

Relaçam curioza do sitio do Graõ Pará terras de Mato-Grosso bondade do clima, e fertilidade daquellas terras. Escrita por hum curiozo experiente daquelle paiz. Primeira parte [only one published]., S.a. [ca.1750]. S.l. [Lisbon].
Rare Portuguese colonial account of the Mato-Grosso in Brazil

First and only edition of this rare account of a travel to the Mato-Grosso, by an unknown author who Borba believes to have been real. The region the account deals with is the current State of Mato Grosso, today mostly covered with Amazon rainforest, wetlands and savanna plains.
$ 2,800.00
Enquire
%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3E%5BMato-Grosso%5D%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ERela%C3%A7am%20curioza%20do%20sitio%20do%20Gra%C3%B5%20Par%C3%A1%20terras%20de%20Mato-Grosso%20bondade%20do%20clima%2C%20e%20fertilidade%20daquellas%20terras.%20Escrita%20por%20hum%20curiozo%20experiente%20daquelle%20paiz.%20Primeira%20parte%20%5Bonly%20one%20published%5D.%3C/span%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3ES.a.%20%5Bca.1750%5D.%20S.l.%20%5BLisbon%5D.%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3ERare%20Portuguese%20colonial%20account%20of%20the%20Mato-Grosso%20in%20Brazil%3Cbr/%3E%0A%3Cbr/%3E%0AFirst%20and%20only%20edition%20of%20this%20rare%20account%20of%20a%20travel%20to%20the%20Mato-Grosso%2C%20by%20an%20unknown%20author%20who%20Borba%20believes%20to%20have%20been%20real.%20The%20region%20the%20account%20deals%20with%20is%20the%20current%20State%20of%20Mato%20Grosso%2C%20today%20mostly%20covered%20with%20Amazon%20rainforest%2C%20wetlands%20and%20savanna%20plains.%3C/div%3E
4to, (196 x 138 mm). 8 pp. Bound in modern wrappers, slight loss to corners and head of spine. Evenly browned throughout with dampstaining to lower edge mostly unaffecting text. Glue residue along gutter to title-page.

The small account makes comparisons between Brazil and India and its savage fauna, going to the length of considering the potential extinction of cocrodiles:

“ha com tudo ali inumeraveis bichos, huns nocivos pela ferocidade, outros pelo veneno; de huns, e outros he antidoto a vigilancia, e a cautella, o animal mais horrendo he o Jacareo, tao atrevido, que apanhando qualquer canoa defcuidada fas toda a diligencia por alcánçar nella a preza, lançando as garras ao que lhe fica mais a geito, o remedio contra efte mal he o que fe deu já em outro tempo aos mont-truozos Lagartos, que habitava nos rios de Goa, tao grandes que como diz o celebrado hiftoriador Joao de Barros, engoliao hum boy de hum bocado, e dizem os que á India vao agora, que já nao ha ver hụm deftes Lagartos, porque a frequencia das embarca-çoens, o continuo fuzilar dos tiros, ou os extingui-rao”
The author also speaks of the snakes ‘Surucucu’, which he reckons is similar to a cobra.

“The author of this interesting anonymous account must certainly have traveled across the Brazilian 'sertoes.' He describes the excellence of the climate, the forests, and the animals in the jungle. 'O animal mais horrendo he o Jacareo,' he states, writing also about the 'onça,' the snakes, the 'surucuré,' etc. The author declares that this account was written with the intention of publicizing these regions which he considers to be a Paradise” (Borba de Moraes).

Although the title mentions that this is the first part, “The intended second part was never published.” (JCB), thus this is all that was published.

Rare, according to OCLC we locate copies at NYPL, Catholic University, Indiana, Univ. of Sao Paulo, Cornell, and Harvard.
Azevedo-Samodães, 2672. Borba de Moraes, 707/708 “this curious account is very rare”. Gauz (JCB), 754/1. Mindlin (Bib. Brasiliana), 7245.


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