Three titles bound together in one volume, as issued. 136; [4], 184 pp. First title with the original map. 9x5¾, half black morocco and marbled boards, spine lettered in gilt. First Combined Edition and First Edition published in Paris (with English text).
Scarce combined edition, with three mid-nineteenth century travel titles towards the Americas. All three were originally published separately, this being the first time these were issued together; with the first two promoting travel and/or emigration to the gold country at the height of the Gold Rush, with continuous pagination. Brooks' book was originally released as Four Months Among the Gold-finders in Alta California in London in the same year. Brooks is a pseudonym and was actually written in just ten days by Henry Vizetelly with the assistance of the London publisher, David Bogue. It is a spurious account of mining for gold in California (Howes calls it "one of the most remarkable `imaginary voyages' since Defoe"). An imaginary voyage, based upon various publications and reports, the book was so convincing that it was accepted as fact well into the twentieth century. The map, The Gold Districts of Alta California, shows most of California and parts of Nevada, and has the northern mining districts outlined in gold. See Cowan p.75; Graff 4494; Howes V134; Kurutz 653a; Rocq 16125; Wheat Books 217; Wheat Maps 60. Bryant's book was originally published in 1848 as What I Saw in California. "Camp called the Bryant work `one of the most detailed and reliable of all the overland journals' and rated with with Clayton's and Schmolder's books as the three competent guides to be published in 1848. Moreover, Bryant's narrative is of further interest because of its description of the life and times of American Californians before the discovery of gold..." – See Wagner-Camp 146:1; Zamorano Eighty 12; Cowan p.81; Graff 457; Howes B903. Warburton’s book, originally published in London in 1852, is a novel based on the banker William Paterson, who wanted to establish a Scottish colony in 1698 on the Isthmus of Panama, known as the "Darien Scheme." It failed miserably after a year of tropical disasters and numerous attacks by the Spanish. Warburton, an experienced and avid traveler, died just after the publication of his novel in a fire aboard his ship, which was on its way to the Darien at the Isthmus of Panama. Wolff 7000; NCBEL III, 1404.
Condition:
Front board with front free endpaper separated (but present), rubbing, edge wear; contents remarkably clean, slight vertical fold to map; else very good to near fine in a fair to good binding - worthy of restoration.