Beschreibung:

HERIOT, George (1766-1844). Travels through the Canadas. London: T. Gillet for Richard Phillips 1807. 4° (262 x 212mm). Tinted aquatint folding frontispiece of Quebec by J. C. Stadler after Heriot, 25 tinted aquatint plates by F. C. Lewis, Cartwright, and J. C. Stadler after Heriot, 5 folding, one etched plate by Warner, and one hand-coloured engraved folding map of the St Lawrence river by Neele, retaining final instructions to the binder/advertisement leaf 4H2 (some light browning and offsetting affecting text, small paper flaw affecting 2X3, tears on 3A3 and 3I2, frontispiece a little creased and trimmed at margin affecting caption, one plate frayed at lower margin, ?lacking advertisment leaves 4H3-4). Modern half calf over marbled boards by Brian Frost and Company, Bath. FIRST EDITION. HERIOT'S IMPORTANT AND COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNT OF CANADA. In his position as postmaster-general of British North America (which he held from 1799 until 1816), Heriot travelled extensively through Canada and the United States. The text gives interesting accounts of the fur trade, loyalist settlements, northern travels, the cod fisheries and detailed descriptions of Indian cultures, including Father Rasles's vocabulary of the Algonquin languages, and, due the range and interest of the material contained, the work has been judged 'the most complete description of British America which has ever been published' (Hill). A student of Paul Sandby Heriot was an accomplished artist and the watercolour sketches which he made on these journeys form the basis for this work's illustrations: indeed, 'this is the earliest and most important aquatint book published on Canada' (Hill). Brunet III, col. 114; Cox II, p. 179; Hill 801; Lowndes p. 1051; Sabin 31489.