Beschreibung:

Title: Notes of a Military Reconnaissance, from Fort Leavenworth, in Missouri, to San Diego, in California, Including Part of the Arkansas, Del Norte, and Gila Rivers Author: Emory, Lieut. Col. W[illiam] H. Place: Washington Publisher: Wendell and Van Benthuysen Date: 1848 Description: 416 pp. Illustrated with 42 plates, mostly lithograph views or Native American portraits, and including 14 botanical plates and 3 battle plans; separate large folding map (76x165 cm) titled "Military Reconnaissance of the Arkansas Rio Del Norte and Rio Gila." (8vo) 22.3x13.8 cm (8¾x5½"), original cloth, paper spine label. Map in a custom cloth folder, the pair housed in a custom slipcase. Senate Executive No. 7, 30th Congress, 1st Session. This is the second Senate issue of the book, with Emory's rank given as Brevet Major, and with slight changes in the spelling of the captions. With the large folding map, which Wagner-Camp does not call for with this issue. The large map is called by Wheat "a document of towering significance in the cartographic history of the West," and "epoch-making." The book itself is a superb study by topographical engineer and scientist Emory of the lands newly wrested from the Mexican government. As Wagner-Camp notes, "his report was a major contribution to the geographical knowledge of North America… the report includes sections on the plants and animals, as well as on the geology and the prehistoric town sites and other archeological remains. Emory's descriptions of the various Indian tribes that he encountered were steps toward the newly-forming discipline -Anthropology- concerned with primitive man." Cowan p.195; Graff 1249; Howes E145; Wagner-Camp 148:2; Wheat Transmississippi 544; Zamorano Eighty 33. Lot Amendments Condition: Some wear and soiling to binding, spine label chipped, early owner names and bookplate; foxing throughout; map with restorations and repairs; very good. Item number: 280710