Bell Stephen - A Life in Shadow: Aim Bonpland in Southern South America, 18171858

The writer Sybille Bedford argued that to remain monolingual reduced the mind to the confines of a tramline. The subject of this book was somebody who most certainly broadened his cultural experience as a young man through learning Latin and Spanish, and through much pondering of the significance of Native American words. His trajectory laid out research challenges which it has been a distinct pleasure to navigate. My first major debt goes to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The bulk of the financial support for archival research in Europe and in South America came from this institution. In addition, the support of the University of California proved crucial for filling in gaps as the research unfolded.

I extend my thanks to all those who helped shape this work in their various ways. The seed of the project germinated while I was still a graduate student, when consulting the tantalizingly imprecise category of diverse documents in the Arquivo Histrico do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A conversation with Jock Galloway, my graduate mentor at the University of Toronto, brought the response that there might be a book in it. As often, he was right, and his encouragement is gratefully noted. In terms of method, I worked from the better cataloged to the lesser known, beginning in Paris and La Rochelle. In France, I especially appreciated the guidance of the late Frdric Mauro, who invited me to participate in his seminar on the economic history of Latin America. In addition, the late Charles Minguet made many useful suggestions. Guy Martinire was always enthusiastic about the project, and his Bonplandista graduate students, Nicolas Hossard and Cdric Cerruti, both offered much spirited discussion.

Working across many countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the United States, and Uruguay), any attempt to list those who helped can only fail by serious omission. I particularly appreciate that all my requests to view material met with respectful attention, even if establishment of credentials sometimes took a little time. A key moment in the research came during my first visit to Buenos Aires, when the late Prof. Jos L. Amorn conceded permission to consult the extensive Bonpland manuscript materials held in the institution he directed, the Museo de Farmacobotnica Juan A. Domnguez. He and his staff, working with modest resources, deserve my heartfelt thanks. The atmosphere of work in the museum was special and enjoyable. I am particularly indebted to Liliana Maetakeda, who did all she could to squeeze out additional hours in which I could work uninterrupted.

Much of the research was done while I was still working within the Department of Geography at McGill University. I retain a deep affection for that department. But of all my former colleagues there, my thanks are due most especially to Sherry Olson. A keen Francophile, she helped my scholarship grow in ways neither of us probably fully realized. And outside the academy in Montreal, my thanks go to Ann Dadson, who accompanied me along parts of the French portion of the research trail. In the Department of Geography of the University of California at Los Angeles, all my colleagues have supported this research in different ways and I am thankful to them, but most especially to Chase Langford for his cheerful preparation of the maps and figures. At UCLA, I have particularly enjoyed the enthusiasm for all things Latin American shown by Larry Lauerhass, an ardent bibliophile and a true friend.

Prof. Thomas Whigham of the Department of History at the University of Georgia accompanied this project from its inception, thus from a time that we were both part of a very small international contingent consulting the archives of southernmost Brazil. I have greatly valued his sage comments on the manuscript. All translations as well as errors in this work are mine. I thank the Institute of Latin American Studies (now part of the Institute for the Study of the Americas), University of London, for permission to draw on material earlier published there. In addition, my thanks are due to the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, for allowing me to draw on the William Baldwin papers.

Finally, I remain indebted to Stanford University Press, and most especially to Norris Pope. For some of us, he has become synonymous with that publisher and its ongoing reputation for the maintenance of high standards. I also wish to thank Mary Barbosa for the care she has taken in editing this book.