Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, through the Continent by MACKENZIE, Alexander - 1801

"First And Finest Edition Of One Of The Most Important Canadian Books" MACKENZIE, Alexander. Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, through the Continent. of North America, to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans; in the Years 1789 and 1793. With a Preliminary Account of the Rise, Progress and Present State of the Fur Trade in That Country. London: T. Cadell, 1801. First edition. Quarto (10 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches). [4], viii, cxxxii, 412, [2, errata] pp. With frontispiece portrait of Alexander Mackenzie and three folding maps, the first of which is hand colored in outline. Contemporary full mottled calf, boards decoratively ruled in gilt, spine decoratively stamped in gilt with five raised bands, red morocco spine label lettered in gilt. Previous owner's bookplate and small location sticker on front pastedown. Some offsetting from frontispiece portrait, as usual. Rear board has a hairline crack along outer spine, otherwise a very good copy. Housed in a cloth chemise and quarter brown morocco slipcase. "This is a fascinating account of the descent of the river now named after this intrepid explorer, who was the first white man to navigate its length from its source in the Great Slave Lake to its mouth at the Arctic Ocean, and the first European to see the Arctic Ocean from Canada. He completed his journey of 2,990 miles in 120 days. Having resolved to continue exploration to the west, he returned to England to purchase instruments in preparation for the journey. Leaving from Fort Chipewyan, he reached the Pacific Ocean by way of Bella Coola River, and thus accomplished the first crossing of the American continent to the north of Mexico. The vast region of the Rocky Mountains and the central coastal zone was thus opened up at last, and Mackenzie rose to the top rank of explorers in the American continent. His expedition was undertaken on behalf of the North West Fur Company, which was attempting to break through the monopoly of the Hudson's Bay Company. Mackenzie's investigations, although pursued at so early a period of Arctic exploration, were remarkable for their accuracy; Sir John Franklin more than once expressed his surprise at being able to corroborate their correctness in his own explorations several decades later. This is the first and finest edition of one of the most important Canadian books." (Hill, 1063). Graff 2630. Hill p. 187. Howes M-133. Sabin 43414. Streeter 3653. Wagner-Camp 1;1. HBS 67204. $8,500