TRANSLATING AND ANNOTATING THE CHAP. XII OF EXPLORATION OF THE VALLEY OF THE AMAZON, BY LARDNER ARTHUR GIBBON

Abstract

This work summarizes some considerations related to the process of translation, analysis and commentary on chapter XII of the second volume of the book Exploration of the Valley of The Amazon, written by United States Navy Lieutenant Lardner Arthur Gibbon Arthur, between 1851 and 1852. The historical and political scenarios for the Amazon of that period are also presented and contextualized, to be able to understand more closely the conditions of possibility for the journeys, the compiled reports and opinions of the expeditionary to have taken place as they are known today. At the end of the translation of the chapter, rich in details about the descent from Bolivia to Brazil (especially along the Madeira River), we made 18 notes, in which we sought to cover economic, social and political life aspects of the population in region. We consulted the original text in different editions, in order to present a text in English and in Portuguese as accurate as possible, paying special attention to the units of measurement used at the time. We hope that the bilingual edition of this chapter will contribute to a greater knowledge of the neglected second volume of this exceptional book and of great value for the history of the Brazilian Amazon.

Keywords
Amazon; Lardner Arthur Gibbon; Translation; Travel Literature; Madeira River