ROSS, Alexander

Fur Hunters of the Far West

Item #41789

ROSS, Alexander. Fur Hunters of the Far West; A Narrative of Adventures in the Oregon and Rocky Mountains. London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1855. Two volumes. xv, 333pp. plus folding map and [1]p. of ads; viii, 262, [2]pp. plus 16pp. of ads. Lithographed frontispiece in each volume. Very good in 3/4 calf with gilt-tooled spines. Howes R-449. Wagner-Camp 269. Smith 8785. Hill, p. 260. Field 1326. Sabin 73327. Tweney 89, 67 (note). Graff 3578. Pilling 3382. Streeter Sale 3719. Wheat Transmississippi 859. The very scarce first edition of the work which Streeter describes as "a principal source for all writing on the fur trade in the Pacific Northwest during the period of activity of the North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company." Ross was with the Astor Company but joined the North West Company when the former broke up. In 1825, he travelled from the Pacific to Red River to take possession of a grant of 100 acres alotted him by Gov. Simpson. Herein he gives an excellent account of his trip. Rich in data about the Indians Ross encountered, this work is praised by Field, who states: "in all the qualities which should attract and hold our attention, it is rare to find the superior of Mr. Ross." The "Map of the Oregon" covers the area from north of Vancouver to Mount Shasty. The appendix contains a Nez Perce vocabulary.

Price: $2,500.00