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Catalogue
74
America
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16.
BIRKBECK, MORRIS. Notes on a Journey in America, from the
Coast of Virginia to the Territory of Illinois. London, Ridgway
and Sons, 1818. First English edition. $200
8vo; f, pp.[-iii]-iv, 144, 2 ff; original boards rebacked, lightly
age-browned throughout, without the map, as issued; complete with
adverts.
Howes B468; Sabin 5566. This edition was issued both with and without
the map. Birkbeck, an English gentleman- farmer, emigrated to America
with the intention of settling there. This account, by a perceptive
man, describes his journey from Virginia to the Illinois Territory,
which was at that time a frontier settlement.
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17.
BOSSU, [JEAN-BERNARD]. Nouveaux Voyages dans L'Amérique
Septentrionale, contenant Une collection de Lettres écrites
sur les lieux, par l'Auteur, à son ami, M. Douin, Chevalier,
Capitaine dans les troupes du Roi, ci-devant son camarade dans le
nouveau monde. Amsterdam, [but printed at Paris], Changuion, 1777.
First edition. $2,500
8vo; pp. xvi, 392; 4 engraved plates (1 folding); engraved coat-of-arms
at p. [v]; original quarter-calf and continental sprinkled paper
over boards; armorial bookplate; covers rubbed; text and plates
in pristine condition.
Howes B618; Sabin 6470; Field 158; Graff 362; Monaghan 267; Siebert
Sale 679; Streeter Sale III: 1520: "This is the account of
Bossu's third voyage to Louisiana country made early in 1770. He
revisited his old friends, the Arkansas Indians, and on their behalf
made a mission to the Caddos and Attakapas, and then returned to
France in 1771. Most of the letters are dated from the Arkansas
post." This account of Bossu's third tour through the Louisiana
country is remarkably scarce, and of it "there is no English
translation." -(Howes) This work, not to be confused with the
author's earlier trips to Louisiana, is much scarcer than is the
earlier work.
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18.
BRACKENRIDGE, H[ENRY] M[ARIE]. Views of Louisiana; together
with a Journal of a Voyage up the Missouri River, in 1811. Pittsburgh:
Cramer, Spear and Eichbaum, 1814. First edition. $1,850
8vo; pp. 304. Contemporary half calf and marbled paper over boards;
marbled endpapers and fore-edges; spine tooled in gilt; sporadic
foxing on fly-leaves.
Sabin 7176; Howes B682; Wagner-Camp-Becker 12:1; Graff 379; Streeter
III: 1776: "The "Journal" gives Brackenridge's account
of his accompanying Manuel Lisa, the moving spirit of the Missouri
Fur Company, on the latter's 1811 expedition up the Missouri to
the fort of the company located just above the Mandan villages."
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Gentleman Johnny's Defence!
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19. BURGOYNE, Lieut-General [JOHN]. A State of the Expedition
from Canada, as laid before the House of Commons. ..and verified
by evidence; with a Collection of Authentic Documents... London,
J. Almon, 1780. First edition. $11,000
4to; pp. viii, 140, lxii (Appendix); 6 folding maps and plans; contemporary
full calf, edged in gilt; worn at edges; rebacked, with original
morocco label laid down; sporadic light foxing and age-browning;
maps are wide-margined; and are complete with requisite onlays on
two of them, and with routes and encampments shown in colour. A
very good, large, copy of this fine work, with armorial bookplate
of Sir Gilbert Stirling, Bart.
Howes B968 (calling for 5 maps only); JCB 2620; Sabin 9255; Streeter
II:794; Lande 69; Vlach 125; Gephart 6179; vide TPL 503, Melzack
0465 and Gagnon I:61 (2nd ed.). Following the disastrous northern
campaign of 1777, which led to Burgoyne's capitulation at Saratoga,
the author was forced to defend his actions against severe and mounting
criticism. He claims, in this work, that his army was too small
and that it was poorly provided for. "The work is one of the
best sources on the campaign." -(Streeter). The maps, which
give exact and detailed information about the campaign, are by William
Faden.
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20.
CALVET, PIERRE du. Appel à la Justice de l'Etat; ou
Recueil de Lettres, au Roi, au Prince de Galles, et aux Ministres;
avec une lettre à messieurs les Canadiens, Où sont
fidèlement exposés les actes horribles de la violence
arbitraire qui a régné dans la Colonie, durant les
derniers troubles, & les vrais sentimens du Canada sur le Bill
de Quebec, & sur la forme de Gouvernement la plus propre à
y faire renaître la paix & le bonheur public. Une Lettre
au Général Haldimand lui-même. Enfin une Dernière
Lettre à Milord Sidney... Londres, Juin & Juillet 1784.
$1,925
8vo; 2 ff, pp. xiv, 320, viii; b[4] (blank) lacking; Gg2 mis-signed
Gg3; final gathering (4 leaves) unsigned; original marbled paper
over cardboard; paper spine perished; minimal light foxing; a very
good, totally uncut copy of this scarce work, in a protective chemise
and slipcase.
TPL 569; Sabin 21044; Gagnon I:1190. Pierre du Calvet (1735-1786)
was a Huguenot merchant, justice of the peace and seigneur who was
born in France and died at sea. He was sent to Canada and was given
the job of taking a census of the number of Acadian refugees following
the policy of deportation begun in 1755. Following the conquest
of Canada by the British, du Calvet set up a very successful export
business. As justice of the peace he submitted to Governor Guy Carleton
in 1769 a plan to standardise the administration of justice throughout
the province. Du Calvet was impulsive, impatient and vindictive.
He embroiled himself in a feud with John Fraser, a judge, and as
a consequence, was arrested and imprisoned (1780-83) by Governnor
Haldimand on the grounds that he had assisted the Americans during
the invasion of Canada in 1775-76. Following his release he went
to London where he wrote this work, in which he vehemently attacks
the Quebec Act, the system of justice, and what he saw as abuses
of power. The work had a great impact on his contemporaries. "He
was one of the men who contributed the most to making them aware
of the necessity and urgency of constitutional reforms and to prompting
them to ally themselves with the British residents in the colony
to win their case." -(DCB) He died in a shipwreck during a
gale in 1786.
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