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Catalogue 257 The Streeter Sale Revisited |
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Section III: Cramer to Evans |
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Papers
on Book Collecting by William S. Reese
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With Lewis and Clark Material 61. [Cramer,
Zadok, pub]: THE NAVIGATOR: CONTAINING DIRECTIONS FOR NAVIGATING THE
MONONGAHELA, ALLEGHANY [sic], OHIO, AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS...TO
WHICH IS ADDED AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF LOUISIANA, AND OF THE
MISSOURI AND COLUMBIA RIVERS, AS DISCOVERED BY THE VOYAGE UNDER CAPTAINS
LEWIS AND CLARK. Pittsburgh. 1808. [2],156pp. including twenty-eight
full-page maps. 12mo. Contemporary half calf and paper boards. Lower outer
corner of rear board creased, boards worn at extremities. Bookplates on
front pastedown and front free endpaper, early ownership inscriptions on
front fly leaves. Occasional light fox marks, some light tanning. A closed
tear in pp.147-148, with no loss. Neat repairs along foredge of a few
leaves. Overall, about very good. In a half morocco and green cloth
folding box, spine gilt. Styled
the “Sixth edition – improved and enlarged” on the titlepage, but
actually only the fourth known edition, after those of 1802, 1804, and
1806. The first two editions
have been found in a few copies only.
Cramer’s work is the first navigational guide for the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers, which were vitally important commercial arteries at
the time. The present edition
is the first to contain material regarding the Lewis and Clark expedition,
found on the final ten pages of text.
The Lewis and Clark material is taken from Patrick Gass’ journal,
which was also printed by Zadok Cramer in Pittsburgh the previous year.
Also included are twenty-eight woodcut maps of various sections of
the rivers described. A
vitally important work in helping to develop the commerce of the early
United States, with a very early account of Lewis and Clark’s
discoveries. J.S. Canner paid $325 for the Streeter copy. 62. Crary,
L.P.: A DIRECTORY FOR THE VILLAGE OF BUFFALO, CONTAINING THE NAMES AND
RESIDENCE OF THE HEADS OF FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDERS, IN SAID VILLAGE, ON
THE FIRST OF JAN. 1828.... Buffalo. 1828. 55,[5]pp. 12mo. Modern
cloth. Tanned and foxed, else good. Folding frontispiece map mostly
lacking, supplied in facsimile. The
first directory of Buffalo, updated and printed annually for a number of
years. Includes a history of
the village as well. Not a straight comparison, since my copy is imperfect, but the Streeter
copy brought $525, from Nebenzahl. 63. Crawford,
Charles: SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS IN CROSSING THE PLAINS TO OREGON AND
EXPERIENCES OF WESTERN LIFE. Petaluma. 1898. 186pp. Portrait. Illus.
Original gilt cloth. Cloth sunned, front hinge cracked. Good. In cloth
clamshell box, gilt label. Crawford
left Illinois for Oregon in 1851, crossing the plains with a small party
of travellers. In 1858 he
moved to California, settling in the Sonoma Valley.
Included here is his account of the two years he spent in the
Powder River Mines. The Streeter copy sold for $60. 64. [Cross,
Henry]: AN ANSWER TO AN INVIDIOUS PAMPHLET, INTITULED A BRIEF STATE OF THE
PROVINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA.... London: S. Bladon, 1755. [2],80pp. Modern
plain wrappers. Lightly tanned. Near fine. In a folding half morocco and
cloth box, spine gilt. An
answer to William Smith’s A Brief State of the Province of
Pennsylvania... (1755), relating to the dispute between the
Proprietary Party and the Popular Party in regard to the Quakers and the
defense against the attacks on the frontier in the course of the French
and Indian War. In the 1756
edition of his own pamphlet, Smith identifies Cross as the author of this
work, and suggests he was guilty of forgery and had at one time been
sentenced to the gallows. A
relatively scarce colonial Pennsylvania item. Scribner’s paid $80 for the Streeter copy. 65. Cuming,
Fortescue: SKETCHES OF A TOUR TO THE WESTERN COUNTRY, THROUGH THE STATES
OF OHIO AND KENTUCKY; A VOYAGE DOWN THE OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS, AND A
TRIP THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI TERRITORY, AND PART OF WEST FLORIDA....
Pittsburgh. 1810. 504pp. 12mo. Contemporary calf, brown gilt morocco
label, gilt tooled spine. Rubbed, spine a bit worn with expert repairs
along hinges. Small dampstain and contemporary ownership signature on
titlepage, scattered foxing throughout. Overall very good. Thomson
calls this one of the most interesting works relating to the West.
It is likely that this account was edited by Zadok Cramer, from
whose press it was issued, and who included over one hundred pages of
other information on the West gathered by himself, which follows the
Cuming narrative. These
include contributions by Loskiel, Forsyth, Hildreth, Badger, and
Heckewelder, among others. Cuming
himself undertook his tour in 1807 and 1808.
An excellent account, one of the most notable early trips down the
Mississippi to New Orleans and environs. The Streeter copy was bought by Sanders for $160. 66. Cutler,
Jervis: A TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF OHIO, INDIANA
TERRITORY, AND LOUISIANA. COMPREHENDING THE OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS,
AND THEIR PRINCIPAL TRIBUTARY STREAMS.... Boston. 1812. 219pp. plus
five woodcut plates. Contemporary speckled calf, gilt morocco label. Worn
at spine ends and corners. Front hinge cracked, rear hinge repaired.
Uniform light tanning, scattered foxing. Good. Lacks the errata leaf. Despite
the title, the better part of this work is devoted to describing the
trans-Mississippi West. The
most interesting section is Charles Le Raye’s journal of his experiences
from 1801 to 1803 as a captive of the Sioux, and his travels to the Rocky
Mountains. There is also an
essay on Indian tribes between the Mississippi and the Rockies, a
description of the Red River country, and the descriptions of Ohio and
Indiana referred to in the title. The
plates include one of the first views of Cincinnati and two interesting
illustrations of Flathead Indians. The
final page of text contains a table of the estimated number of members of
several Indian tribes, as well as the number of warriors in each.
“One of the most important of Western narratives, and the
earliest authentic relation of a captivity among the Sioux” –
Eberstadt. Sanders paid $500 for the Streeter copy. “Remarkably interesting 67. [Dakota
Newspaper]: FRONTIER SCOUT. Fort Rice, Dakota Territory. Aug. 17,
1865. Volume 1, No. 10. 4pp., printed in three columns on blue-ruled
paper. Three horizontal fold lines. Small closed tear in a fold at one
edge, else near fine. The
tenth issue of this rare weekly newspaper printed at Fort Rice in the
Dakota Territory. The main
story in this issue is the “March of the North-West Indian
Expedition,” written by “Medicus.”
This expedition of several days’ duration was commanded by Brig.
Gen. Alfred Sully and contained companies drawn from all over the upper
Plains. They travelled as far
west as the “Shyenne” and Mouse rivers, encountering several tribes
but seeing no action. While
the troops were away, Fort Rice was attacked by the Sioux on July 28, in a
bloody battle recounted in issue eight of the paper.
Another article, written by a regular contributor identified as “S.P.Y.,”
gives biographical information about several of the officers stationed at
Fort Rice. Other contents
include poetry (e.g. a poem called “The Dying Indian’s Request”), a
report of a buffalo hunt, and an article on Sioux ceremonial dances.
The Frontier Scout carried original articles by soldiers and
local citizens, and was published “for the edification of the people of
Dacotah, both civilized and savage.” “This weekly Army newspaper is the second newspaper printed in what is
now North Dakota...Remarkably interesting and full of local color” –
Streeter. Indeed, as Streeter
notes, it is only preceded by an identically named newspaper published at
Fort Union, which produced three or four issues in the summer of 1864.
The Frontier Scout published at Fort Rice began its run on
June 15, 1865, and continued on until the First United States Volunteers
left the fort in October 1865, producing a total of fifteen issues.
It was edited by Captain E.G. Adams and published by Lieut. C.H.
Champney. Fort Rice was established July 11, 1864 on the right bank of the Missouri
River, about thirty miles south of present-day Bismarck, North Dakota. The
mission of the troops at the fort was to control the Sioux, protect the
immigrant route from Minnesota to Montana, and to protect navigation on
the Missouri River. The fort
was abandoned within fifteen years, superseded by the nearby Fort Yates. The Frontier Scout is not listed in Allen’s bibliography of
Dakota imprints, but if it was it would fall within the first thirty-five
items listed. A remarkable
frontier newspaper, filled with information on Badlands, and on the
activities of the army in the early days of the Indian Wars.
Rare. The Streeter lot had six separate issues, which sold to Henry Stevens for
$150. 68. [Dakota
Territory]: FIFTH ANNUAL SESSION. THIRD ANNUAL MESSAGE OF GOVERNOR NEWTON
EDMONDS DELIVERED TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, OF THE TERRITORY OF DAKOTA,
IN JOINT CONVENTION ASSEMBLED, DECEMBER.... Yankton, D.T. 1865. 15pp.
Original printed wrappers. Single vertical fold line. Internally bright
and clean. Very good. “An
interesting message including comments on the progress of the Sioux War,
the wagon road to Virginia City, and a proposal for a railroad to the gold
fields of Idaho” – Streeter. Discusses
the opening of three important wagon roads through the territory, the
importance of the proposed Pacific railroad, the need for better state
government buildings and schools, etc.
Includes a brief section on promoting immigration into “our
sparsely settled Territory.” The Streeter copy sold to Eberstadt for $50, and sold again by
Goodspeed’s in 1985 for $250. We
later acquired it and sold it to the British Library in 1997. 69. [Dakota
Territory]: JOURNAL OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
HELD UNDER AN ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE AT SIOUX FALLS, DAKOTA, SEPTEMBER,
1885. A.J. EDGERTON, PRESIDENT. JOHN CAIN, SECRETARY. [Sioux Falls,
Dakota: Sioux Falls Leader, 1885]. [2],77pp. printed in double columns.
Quarto. Later pebbled cloth. Near fine. The
statehood movement in Dakota Territory began in the late 1870s and
proceeded fitfully for the next few years, with those in the northern part
of the territory, as well as Democrats, generally opposing statehood, and
Republicans and those in the south generally in support of the movement.
The result of this 1885 convention was a compromise, framing a
constitution and providing for the election of state officers, but not
making any provisions that might offend the federal Congress in Washington
when it considered statehood for the territory.
The constitution that emerged from this 1885 convention, however,
was the same one (with very minor changes) that was adopted in 1889 when
South Dakota became a state. The
constitution itself is printed on pages 60-77, the names and home counties
of the 111 delegates to the convention are also given, and the daily
proceedings of the convention are related in minute detail.
This official journal of the proceedings of the 1885 Constitutional
Convention, then, is one of the earliest printings of the South Dakota
constitution. We can locate a
total of thirteen institutional copies of this scarce account of the 1885
journal of the Dakota Territory convention. Ralph Newman paid $450 for this at the Streeter sale, for Harry
Sonneborn. It later sold at
his poor sale in 1980, and was last seen in a bookseller’s catalogue for
$750 in 1994. Texas and Oregon, 1819 70. Dana,
Edmund: GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES ON THE WESTERN COUNTRY: DESIGNED FOR
EMIGRANTS AND SETTLERS: BEING THE RESULT OF EXTENSIVE RESEARCHES AND
REMARKS.... Cincinnati. 1819. 312pp. 12mo. Contemporary calf. Rubbed.
Contemporary ink signature on titlepage, quite heavily foxed. Good. Dana
collected the material herein, although in the introduction he gives
credit to Reuben Kidder for preparing it for the press.
The major portion of the book deals with the area east of the
Mississippi, from Alabama to the Northwest Territory; however, there are
chapters relating to Louisiana, Texas (then part of New Spain), Arkansas,
and Missouri, and “Sketches of the Country Watered by the Columbia and
its Tributary Streams.” The
final section of the book is a mileage table of public roads from
Eastport, Maine to the mouth of the Columbia, and from Quebec to New
Orleans via the Mississippi. An
addition to Wagner-Camp-Becker. Nebenzahl paid $140 for the Streeter copy, in printed boards. 71. Darby,
William: A TOUR FROM THE CITY OF NEW-YORK, TO DETROIT, IN THE MICHIGAN
TERRITORY.... New York. 1819. 228,[71]pp. plus three folding maps
(including frontispiece map), all partially colored. Half antique calf and
marbled boards, leather label, raised bands. Some moderate scattered
foxing, somewhat tanned. A few pencil marginalia. Repaired hole in lower
blank margin of one map. Overall a very good copy, in a tasteful binding. Darby
was an expert surveyor and geographer.
He gives an accurate and detailed description of the path he
travelled across New York, southern Ontario, Ohio, and Michigan, and
offers one of the first systematic American views of Michigan Territory.
Howes notes that only one map is found in some copies.
All three maps are present herein, showing the straits of Niagara,
the environs of Detroit, and the Northeast as far west as Detroit,
respectively. The Streeter copy brought $70, and showed up in a catalogue of W&V
Dailey in 1981 for $140. We
later bought it and sold it for $400 in 1989, to a private collector. A Famed Rarity of the Burr Conspiracy 72. Daveiss,
Joseph H.: A VIEW OF THE PRESIDENT’S CONDUCT, CONCERNING THE CONSPIRACY
OF 1806. Frankfort, Ky.: From the press of Joseph M. Street, 1807.
64pp. Gathered signatures, stitched, as issued. Scattered light foxing.
Leaf E2 defective due to original paper flaw, resulting in the loss of
about twenty words. Overall, about very good, in original, unbound,
unsophisticated condition, untrimmed. In a half morocco and cloth box. One
of the great Burr conspiracy rarities, this is a vigorous and vituperative
condemnation of the actions of President Thomas Jefferson, written by J.H.
Daveiss, federal district attorney for Kentucky and Aaron Burr’s
prosecutor. In 1806, Daveiss,
an expert in land law and an ardent Federalist, began writing to
Jefferson, detailing an alleged plot by former Vice President Burr to
separate western states and territories from the Union and to invade
Mexico. His initial
allegations were ignored by Jefferson, but Daveiss nevertheless attempted
twice to indict Burr, both times unsuccessfully.
Daveiss’ public criticisms of Jefferson’s actions in the affair
caused the President to dismiss him from office, and Daveiss produced the
present pamphlet in response. Daveiss
writes that Jefferson has acted “with much negligence and insincerity
towards this nation” and has “long since made his judgment play the
whore to his ambition.” Much
of the text reprints Daveiss’ correspondence with Jefferson, and an
assessment of the qualities of the first three presidents is also
included. Jillson writes that Daveiss “believed others of prominence besides the
former Vice-President of the United States were engaged with him in his
schemes of empire in the southwest. His
insistence that the President follow a more active course to prosecute
those combining against the best interest of the country caused the
Executive to remove him from office, but history examining the sequence of
events closely following has declared emphatically that Joseph Hamilton
Daviess [sic] was quite right in his beliefs and contentions.
The issuance of this pamphlet with its forthright views shows him
to have been a patriot of the first order.”
The DAB notes that if Daveiss and his associates “had
hoped to discredit the administration and build up a Federalist following
in the West, their attempt was an utter failure.” Joseph Hamilton Daveiss was born in Bedford County, Virginia in 1774.
After three years of fighting Indians, he studied law, and in 1800
he was appointed by John Adams as federal district attorney for Kentucky.
In 1801 he became the first lawyer from west of the Alleghenies to
argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, and in 1803 he married the sister of
Chief Justice John Marshall. A
contemporary manuscript note on the titlepage of this pamphlet reports
that Daveiss was “killed in the battle with the Prophet,” a reference
to Daveiss’ death at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
Daveiss’ work is extremely rare, the last copy to appear being
the Streeter copy, which sold for $3,750 in 1967 (that copy is now in the
DeGolyer Library at SMU). The Streeter copy was bought by Peter Decker for F.W. Beinecke for $3750,
and Beinecke gave it to Yale. It
was later deaccessioned as a duplicate, and is now at the DeGolyer Library
at SMU. JILLSON,
p.39. AII (KENTUCKY) 295. TOMPKINS 38. COLEMAN 2744. STREETER SALE 1681.
HOWES D80, “aa.” SABIN 18684. SHAW & SHOEMAKER 12397. ANB
6, p.124. DAB V, p.80. $30,000. 73. Dawson,
Thomas F., and F.J.V. Skiff: THE UTE WAR: A HISTORY OF THE WHITE RIVER
MASSACRE AND THE PRIVATIONS AND HARDSHIPS OF THE CAPTIVE WHITE WOMEN AMONG
THE HOSTILES ON GRAND RIVER. Denver. 1879. 192pp. including ads.
Illus. Contemporary marbled boards, neatly rebacked and recornered in
tasteful black calf, spine gilt. Titlepage rather dust soiled. Otherwise
very good. Laid in a black cloth clamshell box, leather label. The
primary contemporary account of the events which led up to the removal of
the Ute Indians from their lands west of the 107th meridian.
By the late 1870s, most of the Indians of Colorado had been
removed, with the exception of the Utes, who retained certain portions of
their lands through the treaties of 1868 and 1873.
White land hunger still remained avid, and in 1879 conflict broke
out at the White River Agency where, under the direction of Agent Nathan
Meeker, tensions had been especially high.
After Meeker ordered the plowing of the Indians’ race track, a
number of Utes left their reservation.
Troops were ordered in from Wyoming and were ambushed en route, the
agency was attacked, Meeker and eleven men were killed, and five women
were abducted, including Meeker’s wife and child.
After their rescue, the women related tales of horror about their
period of bondage, and pressure for Ute removal increased.
In 1880 a new treaty ceded most of the Ute lands, and most of the
members of the tribes were sent to desolate regions of Utah.
“After Hollister...the rarest Colorado imprint” – Howes.
Edward Eberstadt writes, based on Dawson’s statement, that
probably less than a dozen copies of this rarity survive.
Apparently the book was used as cartridge wadding by troops during
an Indian uprising. In later
life Dawson became curator of the Colorado Historical Society. The Streeter copy, a fine one in original printed wrappers, sold for $500
to the Nebraska Book Company at the sale.
We later bought it and sold it for $5000 in 1998.
The price here accounts for the difference between original
wrappers and the present binding. 74. De
Barthe, Joe: THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF FRANK GROUARD, CHIEF OF SCOUTS,
U.S.A. St. Joseph, Mo. [1894]. 545pp. plus plates. Thick octavo.
Original calf stamped in gilt and blind, rebacked in cloth, leather label,
modern endpapers. Some edge chipping, bit age-toned, else a good copy. A
colorful narrative with much material on Indian fighting and captivity,
Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, the establishment of the Pony Express,
the Battle of the Little Big Horn, campaigning with Crook, and Frank and
Jesse James, mostly set in Montana, the Dakotas, and Wyoming. The Streeter copy went to Ginsberg for $80. The Extremely Rare First Edition 75. Dimsdale,
Thomas J.: THE VIGILANTES OF MONTANA, OR POPULAR JUSTICE IN THE ROCKY
MOUNTAINS. BEING A CORRECT AND IMPARTIAL NARRATIVE OF THE CHASE, TRIAL,
CAPTURE AND EXECUTION OF HENRY PLUMMER’S ROAD AGENT BAND, TOGETHER WITH
ACCOUNTS OF THE LIVES AND CRIMES OF MANY OF THE ROBBERS AND
DESPERADOES.... Virginia City, M.T.: Montana Post Press..., 1866.
228pp. plus two leaves of ads. Later plain wrappers. Wrappers stained and
chipped around edges. Titlepage chipped at outer corners, not affecting
text. Small ink stamp on verso of titlepage. Final eight text leaves with
small stain in outer margin, more pronounced staining on advertisement
leaves, otherwise quite clean internally and in overall very good
condition. In a half morocco and cloth slipcase. The
very rare first edition. “Perhaps
no book excells [sic] Dimsdale’s in presenting the picture of the
lawless conditions that characterized the mining camps of the Rocky
Mountain country. The author
was editor of the Virginia City Montana Post and a participant in
the extraordinary campaign against lawlessness...Exceedingly rare” –
Adams. “Not only the first,
but textually the most important, book ever printed in Montana” –
Howes. A legendary rarity of
Montana and western outlaw books. The Streeter copy was bought by Ralph Newman for collector Harry
Sonnenborn for $750, and reappeared at the Sonnenborn sale in 1980, where
it went for $1430. It
reappeared at Christie’s in 1992, but bought in, and its present
whereabouts is unknown to us. The Streeter Copy, in Original Boards 76. Dixon,
George: A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD; BUT MORE PARTICULARLY TO THE NORTH-WEST
COAST OF AMERICA: PERFORMED IN 1785, 1786, 1787, AND 1788, IN THE KING
GEORGE AND QUEEN CHARLOTTE, CAPTAINS PORTLOCK AND DIXON.... London:
Published by Geo. Goulding..., 1789. xxix,[3],360,47pp. plus seventeen
plates (three folding) and five folding maps. Half title. Quarto. Original
boards, paper label. Front hinge starting, but held strong by cords.
Internally crisp and clean. Contemporary ink signatures on titlepage. A
fine copy in original state, untrimmed. Thomas
W. Streeter’s copy, with his pencil marginalia and book label laid in.
The text consists largely of letters composed by William Beresford,
super-cargo aboard the Queen Charlotte which, along with the King George,
set out to establish a trade in furs in North America.
Much important exploratory work was undertaken, including the
discoveries of Queen Charlotte Island, Port Mulgrave, Norfolk Bay, and
Dixon Entrance and Archipelago. Dixon
had sailed with Cook on his third voyage, and endeavored on this
expedition to map more accurately the northwestern coast of America than
had been possible when he sailed with Cook.
Included is an appendix on the natural history observations made
during the voyage, and the whole work relates much valuable geographic and
ethnologic information about the American coast from Nootka Sound
northward, with a plate illustrating a traditional Indian song sung by the
natives of Norfolk Sound (facing page 243).
All of the maps and charts are of either the Northwest Coast or
Hawaii. This is one of the
most important and basic early Northwest Coast voyages. This copy was sold at the Streeter sale for $375 to an unknown buyer. 77. Doddridge,
Joseph: NOTES, ON THE SETTLEMENT AND INDIAN WARS, OF THE WESTERN PARTS OF
VIRGINIA & PENNSYLVANIA, FROM THE YEAR 1763 UNTIL THE YEAR 1783
INCLUSIVE. TOGETHER WITH A VIEW, OF THE STATE OF SOCIETY AND MANNERS OF
THE FIRST SETTLERS OF THE WESTERN COUNTRY. Wellsburgh, Va.:
Printed...for the Author, 1824. [4],316pp. Contemporary mottled calf,
leather label. Tanned, some minor staining, a few marginal tears expertly
repaired. Very good. “Classic
on the life of the first settlers beyond the Alleghenies.
Doddridge’s parents moved to Washington County, Pennsylvania,
then a wilderness, in 1773, when he was four years old, so he knew by
family tradition and actual experience the frontier life he describes so
well” – Streeter. “...A
striking picture of the life, times and manners of the early
frontiersmen” – Church. All
authorities agree on the remarkable nature of this book, not only for
facts, but for its insight into frontier life.
With references to numerous Indian captivities, detailed by Ayer. The Streeter copy sold for $100. Important Exploration 78. [Drage,
Theodore, (or) Charles Swaine]: AN ACCOUNT OF A VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY
OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY HUDSON’S STREIGHTS, TO THE WESTERN AND
SOUTHERN OCEAN OF AMERICA. PERFORMED IN THE YEAR 1746 AND 1747, IN THE
SHIP CALIFORNIA.... London. 1748-1749. Two volumes. [2],vii,[1], 237;
[2],342, [18]pp. plus four plates and six folding maps. Contemporary
speckled calf, ruled in gilt, gilt morocco labels, raised bands. Hinges a
bit weak, minor shelf wear. Bookplate of Scotland’s Cullen House on
front pastedown of both volumes, modern private bookplate on rear
pastedown of both volumes. Three of the maps with closed tears, but with
no loss. Closed tear (with no loss) in first preface leaf, else quite
clean and fresh internally. Overall, a very good set. An
important narrative of an exploratory expedition in Hudson Bay in search
of a northwest passage, dispatched by the North West Committee in 1746 as
part of an attempt to verify the assertions of Arthur Dobbs and
Christopher Middleton in the quest for a passage.
The two ships of the expedition examined Wager Bay and overwintered
at the Hudson’s Bay Company’s York Factory.
“...A significant item in the literature relating to attempts at
finding the Northwest Passage...it tells of a voyage undertaken to sustain
Arthur Dobbs’ claim that a northwest passage existed leading from
Hudson’s Bay” – Streeter. The
outcome was to prove the opposite. Among
the illustrations is a plate of an Indian in a kayak, and another shows an
Indian tent and equipment. TPL
and Sabin call for only five maps, though the present copy has six, as
have other copies we have seen. While
in the collections of a few prominent institutions, it is a rare work on
the market, seldom met with. Goodspeed’s paid $1100 for the Streeter copy, acting for the
collector’s son, Frank Streeter. 79. Drake,
Daniel: NATURAL AND STATISTICAL VIEW, OR PICTURE OF CINCINNATI IN THE
MIAMI COUNTRY, ILLUSTRATED BY MAPS. WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING
OBSERVATIONS ON THE LATE EARTHQUAKES, THE AURORA BOREALIS, AND SOUTHWEST
WIND. Cincinnati. 1815. 251,[4]pp. plus two folding maps. Antique half
calf and marbled boards. Folding plan of Cincinnati with tears at two
folds, with a small bit of loss in each case. Scattered foxing throughout.
A very good copy. Divided
into seven sections: I. Geographical and Historical Introduction, II.
Physical Topography, III. Civil Topography, IV. Political Topography, V.
Medical Topography, VI. Antiquities, and VII. Conclusion.
“The work is almost entirely original, and has been drawn upon
largely by all subsequent writers on the subject” – Thomson.
The maps are a plan of Cincinnati and a map of Miami county.
This is one of the most notable and important early Ohio books. Goodspeed’s paid $125 for the Streeter copy.
Ours is rather rough, and so is priced about two-thirds of a really
nice one today. With Highly Important Illustrations 80. Du
Creux, François: HISTORIAE CANADENSIS, SEU NOVÆ-FRANCIÆ LIBRI DECEM, AD
ANNUM USQUE CHRISTI MDCLVI. Paris: Apud Sebastianum Cramoisy, et
Sebast. Mabre-Cramoisy, 1664. [28],810,[6]pp. Engraved vignette
incorporating the publisher’s device on the titlepage, folding engraved
map, thirteen engraved plates (one folding). Quarto. Late 18th-century
French red morocco, marbled endpapers, expertly rebacked to style, spine
richly gilt in compartments. Old repairs to the folding plate, some old
dampstaining. Very good. A
classic history of Canada: one of the most important ever published,
including the very rare map and powerful images of 17th-century Canada. Du Creux, a Jesuit from Bordeaux, compiled this history from
conversations with missionaries such as fathers Brebeuf, Lalemant, le
Jeune, and Bressani. Du Creux
entered the Society of Jesus in 1614.
The present work was prepared by him from the various Jesuit
Relations or reports from the overseas missions.
A careful researcher, du Creux did much “to clarify and
supplement” (Streeter) the information in the Relations using oral and
manuscript reports from missionaries newly returned from the New World.
The wonderful plates depict Indian families, customs and manners,
beavers at work on a dam, birds, and other natural history subjects.
The folding plate is a composite plate by Huret showing several
Jesuit martyrdoms. The plates
of Hurons are among the most important and best executed illustrations of
North American Indians of the 17th century.
“The origin of the illustrations of animal and native life and of
the map is unknown; the latter is not merely a reproduction from Sanson”
– TPL. The very handsome folding map of “Nova Franca” is dated 1660 and
shows most of northeastern North America, including the Great Lakes region
and Hudson Bay. Philip Burden
describes some important aspects of the map: "The
outline of the map largely draws upon those of Sanson’s Le Canada,
1656, and Bressani’s Novae Franciae, 1657.
There are some important additions with the earliest depiction of a
complicated river system feeding into the Hudson and James Bay.
This is most probably an attempt to illustrate the various routes
recounted by Father Gabriel Roulettes in the Jesuit Relations of 1657-58,
published in Paris, 1659. One
of these routes was that of the Corers de Bois, Raison and Grovellers,
leading through Lake Nipigon and the Albany River to the Milestones for
furs. Part of this intricate
network introduces the name Spiritualises Fl. for the first time; it would
later be associated with a number of lakes in Manitoba...The east coast
colonies are identified, including the by now defeated Swedish ones.
Many new tribes are recognised, particularly in the north. British
dealer Charles Traylen paid $1000 for the Streeter copy. A Great Louisiana Rarity 81. [Dumont,
Georges Marie]: MEMOIRES HISTORIQUES SUR LA LOUISIANE, CONTENANT CE QUI Y
EST ARRIVE DE PLUS MEMORABLE DEPUIS L’ANNEE 1687.... Paris. 1753.
Two volumes. [4],x,261; [4], 338pp. (final six pages in second volume
[pp.333-338] bound in between pages 328 and 329). Plus three double-sheet
and two single-sheet plans, four plates of native plants and trees, and a
folding engraved map of Louisiana. Half title in each volume. 16mo.
Contemporary mottled calf, spines elaborately gilt, gilt morocco labels.
Hinges expertly repaired, spines rubbed and chipped. Ex-lib. with
bookplates on front pastedowns and one small ink stamp on first text leaf
of each volume. A very good set, in contemporary binding. In a half
morocco box. A
rare and important early history of French Louisiana.
“One of the best contemporary histories of French Louisiana,
based on the author’s twenty-five-year residence in the colony as an
army officer, engineer, and planter. The
first volume describes the natural history and life of the inhabitants,
Europeans and Indians; and the second volume is devoted to the military
and political history of the colony from about 1717 to 1740, especially
the Indian wars. Dumont’s
work is the first reliable account of much of Louisiana” – Streeter.
The engraved plates depict four different tree specimens, while the
wonderful plans show New Orleans and Fort Rozalie des Natchez, as well as
a typical Louisiana house plan. The
handsome folding map of Louisiana notes the different Indian tribes and
villages in the region. This is one of the few reliable firsthand accounts of French Louisiana in
the mid-18th century, and far rarer than the works of Bossu or Le Page du
Pratz, the other cornerstones of the time and place. Ralph Newman paid $550 for the Streeter copy. 82. DuPont,
Samuel F.: EXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE JOURNAL-LETTERS OF CAPTAIN S.F. DuPONT,
WHILE IN COMMAND OF THE CYANE, DURING THE WAR WITH MEXICO, 1846 – 1848.
PRINTED FOR HIS FAMILY. Wilmington: Ferris Bros., Printers and
Binders, 1885. [6],444pp. Original three-quarter morocco and marbled
boards, spine gilt. Front hinge expertly repaired, else a near fine copy. “These
extracts from DuPont’s journal and letters, privately printed for his
family by his wife after his death, are a valuable and almost unknown
account of U.S. Naval operations in the Pacific and Gulf of California
during the Mexican War. After
conveying Fremont and his battalion from Monterey to San Diego and
participating in the taking of San Blas, DuPont entered the Gulf of
California, seized La Paz, and at Guaymas burned the Mexican fleet.
Within a few months he had cleared the Gulf, and in 1847 aided
Commodore Shubrick in the occupation of Mazatlan, and later led his troops
to the rescue of the American forces at Mission San Jose” – Streeter.
Only fifty copies were printed for the family.
Not in the Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages. Dawson’s paid $475 for the Streeter copy. Original Sample of California Gold 83. Eckfeldt,
Jacob R., and William E. Du Bois: NEW VARIETIES OF GOLD AND SILVER COINS,
COUNTERFEIT COINS, AND BULLION; WITH MINT VALUES. Philadelphia. 1850.
60,[1]pp. plus plate of gold coinage. Frontis. Original printed boards,
gilt-lettered cover with illustrations of gold coins, expertly re-backed
in matching paper, a.e.g. Covers slightly rubbed. Very good. In a cloth
clamshell case, leather label. Included
as illustrative material is a sample of genuine gold from the California
mines, as well as an inserted leaf illustrating California and Mormon
coins, in gilt. The authors
were the official assayers for the Philadelphia Mint at the time of this
work’s publication, and the book was intended as a guide for those
unfamiliar with recent advances in coinage and assaying.
The text includes much data regarding the recent strikes in
California, and devotes an entire chapter to the analysis of the quality
of ore coming from California. The
sample is included so that the novice can discriminate between alloyed and
unalloyed gold. There is also
a discussion of the coinage of various countries of the world, including
the tong tsien of China, a “trashy coin...extremely convenient
for alms-giving, a single piece being the usual quietus for a beggar.”
“...An extraordinary and colorful souvenir of the Gold Rush”
– Wheat. Western Hemisphere bought the Streeter copy for $400. Automobile Incunable 84. [Eddy,
Arthur J.]: TWO THOUSAND MILES ON AN AUTOMOBILE BEING A DESULTORY
NARRATIVE OF A TRIP THROUGH NEW ENGLAND, NEW YORK, CANADA, AND THE WEST by
“Chauffeur.” Philadelphia & London. 1902. 329pp. Illus.
Original pictorial cloth. Spine ends frayed. Some old marginal
dampstaining throughout (which also affects foredge of front cover). Else
a good copy. Although
the author (now identified as Arthur J. Eddy) never got farther than Ohio,
this is usually described as the first book-length account of an
automobile trip in the United States.
The hazards encountered by the travellers were worse farther west.
Scarce. The Streeter copy sold for $100; the Internet reveals this book to be
commoner than was generally thought. 85. Edwards,
Frank S.: A CAMPAIGN IN NEW MEXICO WITH COLONEL DONIPHAN. London:
James S. Hodson, 1848. [4],iv,134,[2]pp. plus folding map. Modern half
brown calf, paper covered boards, red gilt morocco label. Map near fine,
backed on linen. Very good. The
first British edition of the work which Wagner considered one of the most
interesting accounts of this important western expedition.
A work of much import for western Texas material, descriptions of
the Indians of New Mexico, the Santa Fe region, and Texas Ranger interest.
The “Map Showing Col. A.W. Doniphan’s Route through the States
of New Mexico, Chihuahua and Coahuila” illustrates New Mexico and West
Texas in detail, as well as Oklahoma and northern Mexico. The Streeter copy, in stained wrappers, went for $100. 86. Edwards,
Samuel E.: THE OHIO HUNTER: OR A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE FRONTIER LIFE OF
SAMUEL E. EDWARDS, THE GREAT BEAR AND DEER HUNTER OF THE STATE OF OHIO.
Battle Creek. 1866. 240pp., including chapter tail pieces. Portrait. 12mo.
Original blindstamped cloth, spine gilt. Cloth faded, rubbed, and
edgeworn, chipped at spine ends. Scattered light foxing. A good plus copy.
In a half morocco box. One
of the rarest Ohio and Michigan books.
“The Ohio Hunter is endlessly fascinating, for while some
of the episodes are close to fancy, most of them are probably based on
fact, if not wholly accurate. Many
of Edwards’ adventures occurred in Michigan” – Graff.
“One of the most fascinating accounts of the life of a frontier
hunter in print” – Clements Library.
The Streeter copy brought $350 in 1969.
One of the best accounts of this period, and certainly one of the
most readable. The Streeter copy went for the then strong price of $350.
Nebenzahl later had it, and sold it to the Indiana Historical
Society in 1985. One of the Great United States Surveys 87. Ellicott,
Andrew: THE JOURNAL OF ANDREW ELLICOTT...DURING PART OF THE YEAR 1796, THE
YEARS 1797, 1798, 1799, AND PART OF THE YEAR 1800: FOR DETERMINING THE
BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE POSSESSIONS OF HIS CATHOLIC
MAJESTY IN AMERICA.... Philadelphia. 1803. vii,299,151pp. plus
fourteen folding maps and charts, and errata leaf. Quarto. Contemporary
calf, re-backed with original gilt backstrip laid down, leather label.
Some edge wear. Scattered foxing and browning. Worming, sometimes
affecting a few letters of text and maps. Institutional ink stamp on
titlepage. Else good. Ellicott
was appointed commissioner to determine the boundary between the United
States and Spanish Florida. His
travels, occupying four years, covered the Mississippi Valley, Florida,
and the southern hinterlands. The
text provides a detailed summary of his work, while the maps show the
border and the region in far more detail than they had been illustrated
previously. The first thorough
American survey of the lower Mississippi, and one of the earliest American
reports on West Florida. At
the time of the Louisiana Purchase, this was one of the foremost
authorities available on the region. The Streeter copy was bought by Ralph Newman for $375 and re-emerged at
the Sonneborn sale in 1980, where it brought $385. 88. Ellis,
Henry: A VOYAGE TO HUDSON’S-BAY, BY THE DOBBS GALLEY AND CALIFORNIA, IN
THE YEARS 1746 AND 1747, FOR DISCOVERING A NORTH WEST PASSAGE; WITH AN
ACCURATE SURVEY OF THE COAST, AND A SHORT NATURAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY.
TOGETHER WITH A FAIR VIEW OF THE FACTS AND ARGUMENTS FROM WHICH THE FUTURE
FINDING OF SUCH A PASSAGE IS RENDERED PROBABLE. London. 1748.
xxviii,336pp. plus folding map and nine plates (five of them folding and
most with two images per plate). Later three-quarter calf and marbled
boards, rebacked in cloth. Some tanning, occasional dust soiling or light
foxing. Good. “The
first part contains a synopsis of twenty-three English voyages to discover
the Northwest Passage, a history of the rise of the Hudson’s Bay
Company, and the discovery attempted from New England.
The second part gives an account of a voyage under Captains Moor
and Francis Smith, financed by private subscription, with Arthur Dobbs the
leading subscriber. Ellis,
also a subscriber, was hydrographer, surveyor, and mineralogist on the
expedition, which proved, finally, the nonexistence of a Northwest Passage
from Hudson Bay. The voyage
led to a rapid decline of British interest in the search for a Northwest
Passage, which was not revived until 1816.
The work includes many valuable observations on tides, on the
vagaries of the compass, and on the customs of the Eskimos, people then
practically unknown” – Hill. The
attractive plates depict Eskimos canoeing and hunting seals; birds, fish,
mammals, and animals of the area, including the horned owl, pelican,
wolverine, porcupine, white bear, sea horse, whale, and sea unicorn; and
views of Douglas Harbor, Wager Bay, Cape Walsingham, and the Island of
Resolution, among others. The Streeter copy went to Maggs for $100; it is now owned by a New York
collector. 89. Emerson,
Charles L.: RISE AND PROGRESS OF MINNESOTA TERRITORY. INCLUDING A
STATEMENT OF THE BUSINESS PROSPERITY OF SAINT PAUL; AND INFORMATION IN
REGARD TO THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES, CITIES, TOWNS, AND VILLAGES IN THE
TERRITORY, etc., etc., etc. Saint Paul: Published by C.L. Emerson,
Minnesota Democrat Office, 1855. iv,[4],64pp. Quarto. Original printed
front wrapper bound into modern polished limp black calf (lacks rear
wrapper). Text lightly dampstained, some pencil notes. First leaf (ads)
with 25% loss to upper portion. Otherwise very good. In a half morocco and
cloth box. Emerson,
an early Minnesota land surveyor and civil engineer, obtained an intimate
knowledge of Minnesota country and its pioneers through his professional
travels. This interesting work
provides a history of the settlement of Minnesota Territory from 1838
onward, as well as a directory of merchants, printing presses, lawyers,
land agents, physicians, clergymen, hotels and taverns, traders, fur
dealers, and even two artists. A
table of distances is included for the potential settler, as well as
several pages of local advertising matter.
Very rare; Howes notes only four known copies, but OCLC currently
locates five copies. Goodspeed’s bought the Streeter copy for $200. With Important Northwest Coast Maps 90. [Engel,
Samuel]: MEMOIRES ET OBSERVATIONS GEOGRAPHIQUES ET CRITIQUES SUR LA
SITUATION DES PAYS SEPTENTRIONAUX DE L’ASIE ET DE L’AMERIQUE,
D’APRES LES RELATIONS LES PLUS RECENTES. Lausanne: Antoine Chapuis,
1765. xxii,268pp. plus two large folding maps (20 x 29 inches and 20 x 30
inches, respectively). Titlepage vignette. Quarto. Contemporary half gray
paper over pastepaper boards, contemporary inscription on spine. Bottom
one-fourth of paper spine lacking. Folding maps with old repairs at
bottom, a few small holes at folds, clean tear affecting inner margin and
upper right portion of first map. Overall, a very good copy in a pleasant
contemporary pastepaper binding. In a cloth clamshell box, leather label. A
valuable critical account of the northern regions of America and Asia,
according to the best contemporary sources.
Engel, librarian of the city of Bern, studied the maps and writings
of the leading cartographers of the day.
With penetrating criticism he produced the present work, a
state-of-the-art summary of contemporary knowledge as well as a
perceptive, original work. “Most
of the questions he raised were valid and the present-day student of these
regions would profit by reading his work with a modern map before him, to
see who was right or wrong – and when wrong, how wrong” –
Lada-Mocarski. The work is
often noted as containing the first definitive refutation of the
insularity of California. Lada-Mocarski
continues: “A valuable part of Engel’s present work is his rejection
of the persistent belief held by many of his contemporary geographers and
cartographers that California was an island.
He unequivocally asserted (see pp.176ff.)...’California is not an
island but a peninsula.’” California
is in fact treated at length. The
two engraved maps are entitled “Carte de la partie Septen-trionale et
Orientale de l’Asie...” (with four inserts), dealing mostly with
California and surrounding territory; and “Carte de la partie
Septentrionale et Occidente de l’Amerique...,” covering the whole of
the North American continent between 25° and 80° north latitude.
Engel also includes an account of the overland journey of Monacht-Ape,
and Gmelin’s voyages to the Northwest Coast.
A landmark history of California and the West.
Quite rare. Henry Stevens paid $300 for the Streeter copy. With a Series of Colonial Engraved Maps, 91. [Evans,
Lewis, et al]: A BILL IN THE CHANCERY OF NEW-JERSEY, AT THE SUIT OF JOHN
EARL OF STAIR, AND OTHERS, PROPRIETORS OF THE EASTERN-DIVISION OF
NEW-JERSEY; AGAINST BENJAMIN BOND, AND SOME OTHER PERSONS OF
ELIZABETH-TOWN, DISTINGUISHED BY THE NAME OF THE CLINKER LOT RIGHT MEN.
WITH THREE LARGE MAPS, DONE FROM COPPER-PLATES.... New York: James
Parker, 1747. 124,11,[1],13-24,[1],25-39pp. plus three folding maps.
Folio. Late 19th-century polished calf, spine and boards gilt, leather
label. Heraldic bookplate on front pastedown, contemporary ownership
inscription of Hendrick Remsen on front fly leaf. Occasional minor stains.
Bound at the end is the March 7, 1747-48 issue of The New-York Gazette
(No. 268). A very good copy. This
highly important work is of interest for a number of reasons: its primary
author, James Alexander, achieved great fame as the lawyer of Peter
Zenger; it contains some of the first maps engraved in America; it was
seen through the press by Benjamin Franklin and his New York partner,
James Parker; and it is a vital document in settling the long-standing
land disputes of colonial New Jersey.
Streeter calls it “one of the most remarkable documents of
colonial times.” The land disputes dealt with in this document had their origins in
overlapping Crown grants made by Charles II, which came to a head in
arguments over quitrents and surveys in the 1720s.
James Alexander, who had been surveyor-general of New Jersey before
becoming a lawyer and winning fame as the successful defender of Zenger,
undertook on behalf of the Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of
New Jersey to assemble the evidence for a Bill in Chancery to settle the
matter. He assembled the
material published here in the 1740s, arguing the proprietor’s case with
“great subtlety and complexity,” according to Streeter. Alexander consulted Benjamin Franklin concerning publication, and the
printing work of the letterpress was executed by James Parker of New York,
a partner of Franklin. However,
Franklin advised that proper map engraving could not be accomplished in
Philadelphia or New York, and work on the three maps was farmed out to
James Turner of Boston. The
now-famed cartographer, Lewis Evans, drew the maps, the first showing
North America from Cape Hatteras to Boston; the second showing early
survey and boundary lines, Indian paths, and major roads; and the third
showing surveys and purchases in East New Jersey.
The maps were available to purchasers in both colored and uncolored
format. Those present here are
in the uncolored state. These
are some of the earliest maps drawn and engraved in the colonies, and as
such are of tremendous importance. Additional information on the history of A Bill in Chancery... can
be found in Joseph Felcone’s bibliography, cited below. John Fleming paid $900 for the Streeter copy. |
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Papers
on Book Collecting by William S. Reese
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Questions or comments?Write us at amorder@reeseco.com |
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