Books and Manuscripts

Carver, J(onathan).
Travels Through the Interior Parts of North-America, in the Years 1766, 1767, and 1768
London: Printed for the Author, and Sold by J. Walter and S. Crowder, 1778. First edition. 8vo. (xx), xvi, 543, (1) pp. Illustrated with two engraved folding maps and four engraved plates. Full contemporary brown calf, rebacked original red morocco label, stamped in blind and in gilt; all edges trimmed; early Scottish bookseller's ticket on front paste-down; ownership inscription of Alexander Mackintosh, dated 1831, on title-page, light foxing to same; scattered offsetting from plates on to text; small tear in top corner of rear free endpaper. Arents 890; Bell C84; Cox II,151; Field 251; Gagnon II 325; Graff 622; Howes C-215; JCB II 2538; Jones 563; Lande 108; Pilling, Algonquian, p. 68, and Siouan, p. 12; Sabin 11184; Streeter III,1772

First Edition of this landmark work on the exploration of the American West. "Carver penetrated farther into the West than any other English explorer before the Revolution. Like his French predecessor--Verendrye--he was seeking a transcontinental waterway, but, aside from exploring some tributaries of the Mississippi, he made no substantial contributions to geographical knowledge; his book, however, stimulated curiosity concerning routes to the Pacific, later satisfied by Mackenzie and Lewis and Clark." (Howes) The name “Oregon” appears here in print for the first time, both in the text and on one of the maps.