Printed and Manuscript Americana

Paris: Jean-Luc Nion and Francois Didot, 1722. In four volumes. First edition. 12mo. (xii), 10, 15-370, (4); (ii), 356, (8); (xii), 310, (6); (ii), 271, (5) pp., with errors in pagination as issued. Title-pages printed in red and in black. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece, 28 engraved plates and maps (including 12 folding and one double-sided plate of sheet music). Full contemporary speckled brown calf, red morocco spine labels, stamped in blind and in gilt, scattered wear to boards and extremities; all edges stained red; marbled endpapers; book-plate on front paste-down of each volume; contemporary ownership inscription on each title-page; scattered spotting to text. Howes B-23; Field 66; Lande 21; Sabin 2692; Streeter Sale I:120; Graff 133

Rare first edition of an important illustrated contemporary history of the Indian nations in Canada and their relations with the French,
including some of the earliest printed views in Canada.

Claude-Charles Le Roy de la Potherie, also called Bacqueville de la Potherie, arrived in New France (Canada) in 1698 as comptroller of the Marine and of the fortifications in Canada. His work, published twenty years before Charlevoix's great history, provides an
eyewitness account and historical record of the region. "Bacquevilles' account is in the form of letters, one of them describing the Cartier expedition and summarizing the next century and a half, but the history is mostly of the administrations of Frontenac, De la Barre, and Denonville, and as such is a contemporary account of that great period. The work contains much on the relations of New France with the English colonies and with the Indians" (Streeter).

The first volume includes a detailed account of the capture of Fort Nelson. "His letters on the governments of Quebec, Trois-Rivieres, and Montreal offer a fairly complete picture of Canada. The descriptions of places and of the settlers way of life, the notes on individuals, the statistics on population and sources of revenue show that nothing escaped La Potheries' attention and that he wanted his readers to be well informed" (Canadian National Biography). The second volume is devoted to descriptions of the principal Indian nations and their relations with the French. The author relied on information from Louis Jolliet, the Jesuit missionaries, and from Nicolas Perrot, and includes information provided to him verbally and not found in other accounts. The remaining two volumes are devoted to the Iroquois wars and of the peace discussions which led to the general treaty of 1701, including extracts from the speeches to the chiefs of the various nations.

Among the illustrations are a prospect of Quebec, a view of the taking of Fort Nelson, images of fur traders and Indigenous peoples, and three folding engraved maps of Hudsons Bay, Montreal and La Nouvelle France. Although described by Sabin as "the earliest views taken in Canada" they are preceded by those of Champlain and Lahontan. Nevertheless, the engravings provide the best, and arguably most accurate, iconography of the customs and costume of early Indigenous culture in Canada.