Travels in Chile and La Plata

John Miers' Travels in Chile (1826) is the account of his travels and residence in Chile between 1818 and 1825 and his investigations into the cultural, political, and geographical aspects of the country. It is a rich source for botanical information and offers an insight into Victorian perceptions of Chile.

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The botanist and mining engineer John Miers (1789–1879) published Travels in Chile and La Plata in 2 volumes in 1826. The work is an account of his travels and residence in Chile between 1818 and 1825 and his investigations into the cultural, political, geographical and botanical aspects of the country. It is richly illustrated with maps and his own drawings. The work is most valuable for the data it contains from Miers' research into the plants and birds he found there. It includes drawings and descriptions of many species previously unknown and undocumented in the West. Volume 1 contains the main travel account of his journey from England to Chile and geographical descriptions of the places he explored there. Volume 2 gives an account of Chile's political and economic history; its religion and culture; its trade, agriculture and mining; and lists the plants and animals he examined.