The Gate of the Pacific

London, Lovell Reeve & Co., 1863, First edition. . original pictorial cloth, gilt spine title lettering, light wear at spine edges and corners, very good+ copy. . 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; xiv, 432 pp, complete with 9 plates of which 8 are colored lithographs with tissue guards, 7 maps including 2 folding and 1 colored, a folding map with small old repair on verso. . Sabin 62872. Palau 225979. Welch 63. Pim had been an Arctic explorer and sailed with Belcher in search of Franklin and later commanded the Banterer off the coast of China and commanded the Gorgon off the coast of Central America. Hill 539: 'He originated and surveyed the Nicaraguan Canal route across the Isthmus, through the Mosquito Coast and Nicaragua.' Grieb 526: 'includes analysis of the various canal and railroad schemes in the isthmus and denunciation of the British government for failure to stand up to the Yankee bullies who seek to control the region. He demonstrates the importance of a canal to world commerce'. This work provides good descriptions of Nicaragua and Panama and some on Honduras based on his extensive travels. The excellent colored plates are views and scenes including San Juan del Sur, Gorgon villa, port of Realejo, railway bridge over Chagres, eastern suburb of Panama, etc. A picture of this book is available on request by email.