LEWIS, Meriwether (1774-1809) and William CLARK (1770-1838)

Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. Performed by order of the Government of the United States, in the years 1804, 1805, and 1806. By Captains Lewis and Clarke [sic]. Published from the official report

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1814. 4to. (11 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches). xxiv, 663, [1] (ads) pp. Illustrated with a large folding map and five additional engraved maps on three plates, each bearing a publication date of April 28, 1814, and engraved after those in the American edition by Samuel John Neele.

Contemporary grey paper boards, neatly rebacked with a printed paper spine label, custom red morocco-backed cloth box

The first English edition of the great landmark of western exploration: a very rare example in original boards.

First English and first quarto edition of the definitive account of the most important exploration of the North American continent. The book describes the U.S. government-backed expedition to explore the newly-acquired Louisiana Purchase, undertaken from 1804 to 1806 by ascending the Missouri to its source, crossing the Rocky Mountains, and reaching the Pacific Ocean. In total, the expedition covered some 8,000 miles in slightly more than 28 months. Lewis and Clark brought back the first reliable information about much of the area they traversed, made contact with Indigenous inhabitants as a prelude to the expansion of the fur trade, and advanced the geographical knowledge of the continent. The narrative was first published in Philadelphia in two octavo volumes in the same year as the present edition. Edited for the English market by Thomas Rees, this edition omits the American preface, appendix, and Jefferson's "Life of Capt. Lewis" but includes Rees's new preface, Jefferson's Message to Congress of 19 February 1806, and Lewis's "Fort Mandan Letter" describing natural specimens. The large folding map of the West, engraved by Samuel John Neele after the Philadelphia map, recalls an extraordinary feat of cartography, accurately revealing much of the trans-Mississippi for the first time. Wheat notes it is almost identical to the American version, "except for a few minor variations." The observations in the text make this an essential work of American natural history, ethnography, and science, and it remains a foundational document of American exploration. In terms of typography and paper quality, the English edition is notably more refined than its American counterpart. This example, preserved in its original publisher's boards, is particularly rare in such excellent condition.

Field 929; Graff 2480; Hill 1018; Howes L317, "b."; Literature of Lewis & Clark 5A.2; Sabin 40829; Streeter Sale 3128; Wagner-Camp 13:2; Wheat, Transmississippi 317.

Item #42465

Price: $21,000.00