Three Years Travels through the Interior Parts of North-America

Jonathan CARVER

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Three Years Travels through the Interior Parts of North-America
Three Years Travels through the Interior Parts of North-America

CARVER’S THREE YEARS TRAVELS THROUGH THE INTERIOR PARTS OF NORTH-AMERICA IN AN EARLY ATTEMPT TO DISCOVER THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE, TRAVELING “FARTHER INTO THE WEST THAN ANY OTHER ENGLISH EXPLORER BEFORE THE REVOLUTION”

CARVER, Jonathan. Three Years Travels through the Interior Parts of North-America, For More than Five Thousand Miles… Together with a Concise History of the Genius, Manners, and Customs of the Indians. Philadelphia: Joseph Crukshank, 1789. Small octavo (measures 4 by 6-3/4 inches), contemporary full brown sheep early rebacked with original spine laid down, original red morocco spine label; pp. (iii), iv-xvi, (i), ii-vii, (8-9), 10-282.

Very scarce second American edition of Carver's bold attempt to discover the north-west passage, a detailed account that sparked “curiosity concerning routes to the Pacific, later satisfied by Mackenzie and Lewis and Clark" (Howes), of keen interest to Franklin and Jefferson as well for its early record of the culture of Native Americans in the western frontier—“an admirable work, full of novel information” (Sabin), highly desirable in contemporary sheep.

Born in New England, Carver was serving with Major Rogers in Michigan when he became involved with Rogers' attempt "to discover the elusive north-west passage, a west-flowing river that emptied into the Pacific Ocean" (ODNB). In 1766 Carver was sent "to map the rivers of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Traveling via Green Bay, the Fox-Wisconsin rivers, and the Mississippi, Carver spent the winter of 1766-7 near the Falls of St. Anthony (St. Paul, Minnesota) and the next summer went to Grand Portage on the north shore of Lake Superior" (Lamar, 169). "During the winter of 1766–7 Carver had been separated from the rest of the expedition and resided with the Dakota Sioux Amerindians. He closely recorded their customs and culture in great detail in his journals, which he revised during the winter of 1767–8 and later in London… His account was a vivid, well-illustrated, and insightful description of peoples who were known in the English-speaking world through the decades-old translated works of French Jesuits. The work was the most popular substantial account of any Amerindians originally written in English… Carver's travels in search of the north-west passage gained the interest of Benjamin Franklin" and Jefferson had a copy of the 1797 Boston edition in his library (ODNB).

"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… his book… stimulated curiosity concerning routes to the Pacific, later satisfied by Mackenzie and Lewis and Clark" (Howes C215). "This valuable work attracted much attention from its description of parts near to the North West Passage" (Lowndes, 383). Carver explored "beyond the 97th degree of west longitude, and gives most interesting details of the Indian tribes inhabiting that (at the time) remote region. [In the first edition] will be found the earliest mention of the name Oregon" (Stevens 1638). Carver's "admirable work, full of novel information respecting the interior of North America" (Sabin 11184) "gives the results of his personal experiences among the Indians he visited, or warred with. Not the least interesting is the author's account of the dreadful massacre at Fort William Henry; and of his narrow escape from the Indians at the time" (Field 251). Preceded by the 1784 first American edition issued by the same publisher. Containing the dedication to Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society, who aided Carver in publication of the first edition, issued in London in 1778 under the title, Travels through the Interior Parts of North America in the Years 1766, 1767 and 1768. Included are chapters on beasts, birds, lizards, fruit trees, herbs, roots and a section in the appendix entitled, "The probability of the interior parts of North-America becoming commercial colonies." Occasional mispagination as issued without loss of text. ESTC W28307. Howes C215. Sabin 11184. Evans 21728. See Sowerby 3994. Small owner inscription.

Text generally fresh with light scattered foxing, mild marginal dampstaining, expert paper repairs to a few leaves in contents, expert restoration to contemporary sheep. An extremely good copy, very scarce in contemporary boards.

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