Beschreibung:

Title: Narrative of a Journey Across the Rocky Mountains, to the Columbia River, and a Visit to the Sandwich Islands, Chile, &c. With a Scientific Appendix Author: Townsend, John K[irk]. Place: Philadelphia Publisher: Henry Perkins Date: 1839 Description: 352 pp. 9¼x5½, original blindstamped cloth, rebacked employing the original gilt-lettered spine strip. First Edition. Townsend traveled with naturalist Thomas Nutall and Jason Lee in Nathaniel Wyeth's second expedition to Oregon in 1834; leaving Independence at the end of April, 1834, the party stopped en route at the unfinished Fort Hall, and reached Fort Vancouver in the middle of September. Streeter calls his narrative "one of the best early ones." Hill remarks that "Townsend also gives in-depth observations of the manners and customs of the Indians and of the lives of the fur traders in the Columbia region." On the return trip, Tahiti and Juan Fernandez Island were visited" Townsend was an ornithologist, and his notes on the natural history of the region, along with Nuttall's, were made available to John James Audubon for Birds of America. Forbes 1183; Graff 4173; Hill 1211; Howes T139; Sabin 96381; Streeter 2094; Smith 10282; Tweney 77; Wagner-Camp 79:1. Lot Amendments Condition: Spine and portions of covers faded, some rubbing and wear; light foxing within, ink signature of B. Franklin Mendenhall to Advertisement leaf, his pencil signature, dated Philadelphia, 1840 to top of title-page, else very good. Item number: 190991