Travels in Brazil, Volume 1 by Henry Koster (1793 - 1820)

A well-written and informative first-hand account of a young man's travels within Brazil during the period shortly before Brazil's independence from Portugal. Koster's travels take place principally in the coastal region of the Northeast, but he does visit the northern port city of Maranhão. Koster is an Englishman who reports on the life and cultural practices of the Brazilians with a refreshing objective perspective. His work is really more ethnography than travelogue. (Summary by KevinS)