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#RH-14 - "Narrative of a Voyage to the NW Coast of America" by Gabriel Franchere - First Edition in English - Publ. by Redfield, NY, 1854 - $285.00 Hardbound in dark green cloth, this historically important book measures approx. 5.25" x 7.5", with 376 pages + 8 unnumbered pages advertising other publications by Redfield. Originally published in French in 1819, this is the first edition in the English language. The author, a Canadian of 18 years of age, was a clerk with the party sent by John Jacob Astor in September of 1811 from New York, to sail around Cape Horn and found a fur trading post and colony at the mouth of the Columbia River. This post was named Astoria (the present city on that site still retaining the name) and the book is a detailed and straight-forward account of the journeys, adventures, misadventures and ultimate return of Mr. Franchere and the survivors of that venture in 1815. Though the British took over the post by conquest during the War of 1812, it was this narrative which largely helped to re-establish America's claim to the Oregon Territory, after we defeated the British in that conflict. There are 3 wood engravings, showing the post and its surrounding area, and scenes of ships crossing the dangerous bar of the Columbia River. There is also a detailed list of all who sailed on the expedition in 1811, and their respective positions or titles. An amazing first-hand account of a little-known episode in American history, and very readable by virtually anyone. The condition is Good. There is the expected bumping and rubbing, with the boards just showing at the corners and one small spot at the bottom of the spine. The binding is tight, and the front hinge intact, though the back hinge is cracked at the interface between the last page and the adjacent free flyleaf. The most notable fault is foxing, ranging from faint to moderate, which affects some 30% of the pages. Though this necessarily affects the book's condition, and we have taken this into consideration in pricing, it does nothing to lessen the scarcity of this important historical document!