PBA Galleries

2 volumes in 3. xvi, 258, viii, 174; [6], 270, 78; [2], 62, 33, 35, 85, [2] pp. Illustrated with three maps (two large folding, 1 of these hand-colored), folding profile, folding chart; numerous plates, including 25 hand-colored plates of birds & 12 color lithographs of Indians). (4to) Volume 1 in the original blindstamped black cloth; Volume 2, Parts 1 & 2 in modern brown cloth. First Edition.

Report on government explorations in the Southwest, noteworthy for the striking illustrations as well as the text, and with an important map. Wagner-Camp notes that "Emory's writing style and system of organization lacks the quality of John C. Fremont, but the scientific content of the Report is indeed comparable to Fremont's earlier Narrative, according to William H. Goetzmann. Although Emory had been a key member of the Commission ever since its beginning, his narrative of his own adventures is sketchy and inadequate, and reflects in it some of his animosity toward John Bartlett. Emory's own contribution to the Report is cartographic; as the Commission's chief astronomer, he had made most of the several thousand observations which were incorporated into the maps...." The large folding maps present in this volume are "Map of the United States and Their Territories Between the Mississippi and the Pacific Ocean and Part of Mexico Compiled from Surveys Made Under the Order of W.H. Emory," and "Map illustrating the General Geological Features of the Country West of the Mississippi River...compiled by the surveys of W.H. Emory and from the Pacific Railway Surveys...by James Hall," with distribution of rocks hand-colored. Howes E146; Wagner-Camp 291; Wheat Transmississippi 916. Volume 1 is the Senate issue, Volume 2, Parts 1 & 2 are the House issue.