New Voyages to North-America. Containing an account of the several nations of that vast continent; their customs, commerce, and way of navigation upon the lakes and rivers; the several attempts of the English and French to dispossess one another; with the reasons of the miscarriage of the former; and the various adventures between the French, and the Iroquese Confederates of England, from 1683 to 1694

Book Description

London: Printed for J. Osborn [vol I]; Printed for J. Walthoe, R. Wilkin, J. and J. Bonwicke, J. Osborn, S. Birt, T. Ward and E. Wicksteed [vol II], 1735. 2 volumes, 8vo. (8 x 5 inches). 20 engraved maps and plates (8 folding), as issued, and EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED with 3 engraved plates from the 1703 first edition. Later mottled calf by Morrell, gilt triple-fillet borders with circular floral corner designs on the covers, spine with raised bands in six compartments, decoratively tooled in gilt, morocco gilt lettering pieces in the second and third compartments, all edges gilt. The principal early-18th century description of Canada: this beautiful copy of the second edition extra-illustrated with three additional plates from the first. Lahontan's narrative is of considerable value for his travels in the Lake region. There is much accurate information about the region, including an Algonquin dictionary at the rear of the second volume. The additional Letter XVI, which details a fictional journey west of the Mississippi, has often placed this work in a poor light. Historian Reuben Gold Thwaites suggests, however, that it can be read as "an anticipation of Swift;" that is, that the chapter was an intentional parody. "In simple sentences, easily read and comprehended by the masses, Lahontan recounted not only his own adventures and the important events that occurred beneath his eyes in the much-talked-of region of New France, but drew a picture of the simple delights of life in the wilderness, more graphic than had yet been presented to the European world. His idyllic account of manners and customs among the savages in the heart of the American forest ... was a picture which fascinated the 'average reader' in that romantic age, eager to learn of new lands and strange peoples" (Thwaites, "Introduction" in his 1905 edition of Lahontan's New Voyages). Although the title describes the work as complete with 23 engraved "maps and cuts," this second edition of Lahontan's New Voyages was only issued with 20 (the title statement being a holdover from the first edition). This copy, however, contains the three plates supplied from a copy of the first edition. All three plates appear in the first volume, facing pages 55, 161 and 185 respectively. Howes L25; Sabin 38645; Pilling 2184.

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