CAESAR CASCABEL

1890. Translated from the French by A. Estoclet. Illustrated by George Roux. New York: Cassell Publishing Company, n.d. [1890]. Original light blue cloth pictorially decorated in black.

First American Edition (also the first edition in English). Quoting from a contemporary review (cited in T&M) -- Like most of M. Jules Verne's books, it is the story of a journey. Some acrobats wish to travel from California to their native France, and having no money they determine to go in their caravan northward to Bering's Straits, crossing on the ice, and make their way through Siberia into Europe. M. Jules Verne's travellers are generally successful: in spite of robbers, icebergs, and the Russian police, the bold Frenchmen triumphantly reach their goal. Pictured on the front cover is the troupe with their horse-drawn wagon climbing into the Sierras, while the spine shows one of them fleeing a grizzly bear. This undated American edition (CAESAR) was published sometime in the autumn of 1890, probably late September; Sampson Low's London edition (CESAR) was not published until over a year later, in November 1891. This copy is in light blue cloth; we have also had copies in olive green and in mint green (no priority). It is a near-fine copy (light foxing on the leaves within, but the light-colored cloth is remarkably clean and bright, and there is scarcely any wear. There is a Christmas 1890 ownership inscription on the front flyleaf. Taves & Michaluk V037; Myers 7.