Rambles in the United States and Canada during the year 1845, with a short account of Oregon

London: Samuel Clarke, 1846. Hardcover. Sm 8vo (8" x 5.25"), later red cloth, gilt leather lettering piece at spine, deckled edges. viii, 259 pp., early inscription in ink on title reading "With the publisher's compts." CONDITION: Very good, occasional very light foxing, rubbing at fore-edge. First edition of a venomous critique of early 19th century American culture, written by a traveling English-born Australian.

Writing the Rambles after traveling through New England, New York, the Great Lakes region, Western United States, and Eastern Canada, James was "very severe on the Americans" (Sabin), expressing his dislike of American culture as the "plain sentiments of a practical man" condemning Americans' "vulgarity, hypocrisy, ignorance, and dishonesty, along with their constant sordid...pursuit of dollars and cents." Despite his disdain of American manners, customs, and politics, the nation is redeemed through "her rivers, mountains, lakes, cataracts, forests...are all astounding and calculated to inspire us with awe."

Thomas Horton James (1792-1867) was a notable English settler of Australia who founded the colony's first successful tobacco manufacturing plant. He contributed to Australia's early political life, becoming the foreman to its first Grand Jury and helping to established its print culture by financing the "Sydney Times" and "Commercial Journal and Advertiser." He is best remembered for his written works, the X.Y.Z. Letters (also published pseudonymously) and Six Months in South Australia.

REFERENCES: Sabin 73859. Peter Symes, Thomas Horton James: The Life of X.Y.Z., Symes, 2018.