antiquarian bookseller - Peter Harrington

Peter Harrington Antiquarian Bookseller Catalogue 57: Travel Section 3: The Americas, Greenland and the Arctic
119.HERIOT, George.
Travels through The Canadas,
containing a description of the
picturesque scenery on some
of the rivers and lakes; with
an account of the productions,
commerce, and inhabitants of those
provinces. To which is subjoined a
comparative view of the manners
and customs of several of the
Indian nations of North and South
America … Illustrated with a map
and numerous engravings, from
drawings made at the several places
by the author.
London: for Richard Phillips, by T. Gillet, 1807 [16851] £2500
4to. Contemporary tree calf, lately rebacked with gilt spine
and black morocco label, and relined. Folding frontispiece,
26 engraved plates (5 folding), folding coloured chart at end.
Some offsetting from plates, a little wear to edges of boards
and a few scuffs to boards, otherwise a very good copy.
FIRST EDITION. “Illustrated books on North America are
curiously few in the period with which we deal. By far the
most interesting is Heriot’s Travels through the Canadas”
(Prideaux). “[O]ne of the most complete descriptive
accounts of British America printed to that date and
contains many fine illustrations based on Heriot’s own
sketches” (Howgego).
Howgego H23; Sabin B31489.
120.JEFFERYS, Thomas.
The Natural and Civil History of
the French Dominions in North
and South America. Giving a
Particular Account of the Climate,
Soil, Minerals, Animals, Vegetables,
Manufactures, Trade, Commerce,
and Languages, together with The
Religion, Government, Genius,
Character, Manners and Customs of
the Indians and other Inhabitants.
Illustrated By Maps and Plans of the
principal Places, Collected from the
best Authorities …
London, for Thomas Jefferys, 1760 [17700] SOLD
Large folio (354 × 225 mm), in two parts, with separate titles.
Contemporary sprinkled calf, front cover with Hanoverian
royal arms gilt in centre, rebacked retaining original red
morocco label, gilt floral motifs and double gilt rules added,
red sprinkled edges. 18 folding maps and plans, title-pages
printed in red and black. Armorial bookplate of the Right
Honourable Sir George Warrender, Baronet. A little bumping
to corners, very light offsetting to a few maps as usual, inner
hinges restored, overall an unusually fine copy, internally
bright and crisp.
FIRST EDITION, improved second issue of this rare work,
containing the seven inserted leaves on the French
attempted retake of Quebec in 1760 which is often
lacking, and the pasted section on page 80 of part 2.
Streeter describes this as “A monumental geographical
work important equally for its text as well as its maps”.
121.KANE, Elisha Kent.
Arctic Explorations: The Second
Grinnell Expedition in search of
Sir John Franklin, 1853, ’54, ’55.
Illustrated by upwards of three
hundred engravings from Sketches
by the Author. The steel plates
executed under the superintendence
of J. M. Butler, the wood engravings
by Van Ingen & Snyder.
Philadelphia, Childs & Peterson, 1856 [32158] £450
2 volumes, 8vo. Lately rebound in full olive green morocco gilt,
marbled endpapers. With engraved vignette titles, engraved
portrait frontispieces of Kane and Grinnell, 18 engraved plates
after J. Hamilton, 2 maps (one folding), folding isothermal
chart, and numerous wood engravings in the text. A few
marks internally, a very good copy in a fine binding.
FIRST EDITION. Elisha Kent Kane (1820–1857) was a U.S.
naval surgeon and had accompanied Grinnell on his first
arctic expedition that set out in 1850. During this second
expedition the party reached 80°10’N, then a “farthest
north” record. The rigour of the journey caused his death
soon after publication.
Sabin 37001; NMM, Voyages & Travel, 924.
“A monumental
geographical
work”