Charlevoix's Voyage to North America, 1761

Charlevoix, Pierre Francis-Xavier de. JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO NORTH-AMERICA. UNDERTAKEN BY ORDER OF THE FRENCH KING. London: R. and J. Dodsley, 1761. 2 vols, 8vo. Folding map frontis, viii, 382; viii, 380, [4], [22] pp., with the half-title leaves, final blanks, and the two rare ad leaves bound before the index. Printer's errors in pagination (vol 1) but text and register continuous. Bound in period calf boards, nicely rebacked with spine ruled and lettered in gilt. ******* THE FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH OF THE FIRST GENERAL HISTORY OF CANADA. While primarily concerned with French territories in the upper regions of North America, the work also includes descriptions of New Orleans and Louisiana, as he explored the Mississippi. Also of particular interest are Charlevoix's notes on the Indians of Canada; he provide vivid details of the habits, rites, and customs of those native inhabitants.It's no coincidence that this English edition appeared in the middle of the French and Indian War, when British interest in North America was especially heightened; in 1763, the French ceded its colonies east of the Mississippi to the British. Graff 651; Howes C-308; Sabin 12139.
Condition Report: Boards with worn corners and some tiny nicks or scuffs. 1" closed tear near stub of frontis map and map with light offsetting, contents with some light foxing else clean overall. Very Good.