This is the first edition of one of the first American atlases to include extensive geographical descriptions to supplement the maps. This increasingly scarce atlas contains sections on the physical view of the world, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and ancient history and geography. The maps of North America, the United States, and Mexico all show Mexico extending to the southern border of Oregon in the north and encompassing Texas in the east. Texas became an independent republic in 1836, shortly after the publication of this atlas. The atlas also includes interesting charts, such as "Dwellings of Different Countries" and "Distribution of Vegetables, and Snow Line," and a great comparative chart of mountains and rivers.

Large quarto, quarter leather spine and tips over marbled-paper covered boards, four raised bands with gilt title on spine, marbled pastedowns, 180 pp. Contains an engraved pictorial title page, advertisement, table of contents, 10 engraved plates (three colored), and 65 engraved maps. All maps are included, but the atlas is missing the frontispiece of The Five Varieties of the Human Race, three text pages containing information on southern South America, northern and southern Europe, and China, Japan and India, and the front and back free-endpapers. Printed by William D. Ticknor from Boston and Wiley & Long from New York.

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Condition: B

Original outline color on maps, which range from good to satisfactory, with scattered foxing and a few small damp stains and pencil marks, mostly confined to blank margins. Hinges are starting, spine is rubbed and covers are heavily worn with parts of the marbled paper missing. Binding is still sound.