JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO NORTH- AMERICA.CONTAINING THE GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION AND NATURAL HISTORY OF THAT COUNTRY, PARTICULARLY CANADA. TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE CUSTOMS, CHARACTERS, RELIGION, MANNERS AND TRADITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS.

Charlevoix, Pierre François-Xavier

Verlag: Printed for R. and J. Dodsley., London, 1761

Two volumes. viii,382; viii,380,[22]pp., plus folding map and 4pp. of advertisements. Contemporary calf, expertly rebacked with antique gilt-extra spine, leather labels. Corners worn. Some offsetting onto the map. Internally clean. Overall very good. Lacks the half titles. The George Brinley-Brayton Ives copy, with their bookplates from their sales in 1879 and 1891. Brinley was one of the greatest American book collectors of all time, and he amassed an astounding collection of books from dealers, at auction, and by travelling throughout New England and "scouting" for himself. His library was sold at a series of sales between 1879 and 1893. Brayton Ives, a graduate of Yale, was commissioned a brigadier general during the Civil War and was subsequently very active on Wall Street, where he was elected president of the New York Stock Exchange in 1877. Ives himself built a significant collection of Americana, and was an active participant at the Brinley sales, where he bought this copy, in 1878, for $1.75. It sold at the 1891 sale of Ives' books for $6. Charlevoix was sent to Canada by the Jesuits at the age of twenty-three. After four years of missionary work, he returned to France, whereupon he accepted the commission for this trip from the regent of France. During 1720- 22 he travelled in the Great Lakes region and down the Mississippi. Although his trip was publicly stated to be for the purpose of inspecting interior posts and settlements, he was actually under orders to seek out information relating to the existence of a passage to the Pacific via continental North America. During his travels, Charlevoix questioned the Sioux and traders he found returning to the Mississippi via the Missouri River. Although he hoped to return up the Mississippi in 1723, he fell ill at Biloxi and was forced to return to France from there. ".One of the most interesting of 18th century travel books" - Graff. HOWES C308, "b." GRAFF 651. SABIN 12139. CLARK I:60. FIELD 283. SERVIES 419. PILLING, PROOF-SHEETS 758. BRINLEY SALE (this copy) 78. IVES SALE (this copy) 166. REESE, BEST OF THE WEST 5 (note). Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers WRCAM56629

Bibliografische Details

Titel: JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO NORTH- ...
Verlag: Printed for R. and J. Dodsley., London
Erscheinungsdatum: 1761