PBA Galleries

xviii, 207 pp. Map as frontispiece with slight hand-coloring in outline. (8vo) 19x12 cm (7½x4¾"), rebound in later ¾ polished brown calf & marbled boards, spine tooled in gilt, raised bands, morocco lettering pieces, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. First Edition.

A spurious account of mining for gold in California (Howes calls it "one of the most remarkable `imaginary voyages' since Defoe"), apparently written in just ten days by Vizetelly with the assistance of David Bogue. 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. Cowan p.75; Graff 4494; Howes V134; Kurutz 653a; Rocq 16125; Wheat Books 217; Wheat Maps 60.

Provenance: PBA, 8/9/07

References: Cowan p.75; Graff 4494; Howes V134; Kurutz 653a; Norris 1024; Howell Cat 50, 783; Rocq 16125; Wheat Books 217; Wheat Maps 60; Zamorano 80 no. 32.