Histoire et Description Generale de la Nouvelle France, avec Le Journal Historique d'un Voyage fait par ordre du Roi dans 1'Amerique Septentrionale

Paris, chez Rolin Fils. 1744. 4to, 25.5cm, The First Edition, in 3 volumes. viii,xxvi,664 & lxi, (3);2 ff,pp. xv, (1), 582, & 56; 2ff, pp. xix, (1), xiv, 543pp., with 28 maps and plans (26 folding), and 44 engraved plates on 22 folding sheets; titles in red and black, each with vignette, in fine speckled half calf, raised bands, full gilt decorations and borders in the panels, double dark crimson and black crushed morocco labels, marbled bards, an attractive example of antique style fine binding, complete with half titles, text is tight and clean, a fine attractively bound set. (cgc). Provenance: The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, with their stamp on the title pages.It was the first scholarly, or learned, society in Canada; founded in 1824 by George Ramsay, Earl of Dalhousie and governor of British North America. Its headquarters are still located in Quebec City. There are no institutional markings on any of the plates or maps, which are quite clean and crisp. T.P.L. 4697. Lande 125. Howes C-307. Sabin 12135. Streeter. 1-123. Dionne 11-439. Vlach 143. Gagnon 1-793. Field 282. Charlevoix was sent by his order to Canada in 1705 and again in 1720 to report on the Jesuit missions in that country. Notwithstanding the fact that his travels were church-oriented, this work is full of valuable information and is of the greatest importance. Attempting to verify Indian reports of ways to the Western Ocean and to fnd, if possible, a feasible route, Charlevoix gives very detailed and observant accounts of the Indian tribes and settlements which he visited The maps, dated 1743 and 1744, are by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, the vignettes by A. Humblot, and the ornate headpieces by Humblot and J. P. Fournier. The chronological events and the extremely important (and first) elaborated liste et examendes auteurs (i. e. bibliography) of New France are contained in Vol. 1; Vol. 11 contains the extensive natural history and fine engravings; Vol. 111 is the Journal d'un Voyage, commencing with the remarks of Bellin on the accuracy of his maps. The laborious accuracy with which this work was executed can be estimated by the fact that the maps are marked with the latest discoveries, in 1742, in the extreme north of America. (Lande). This, as described by Sabin in his collation, is a perfect copy.