416 pp. Wood-engraved plate & folding cerographic map inserted at p. 289, as issued. 22x13 cm. (8¾x5¼") period half sheep & marbled boards, spine ruled & lettered in gilt. First Edition.
Experiences in California by the overland pioneer who traveled to Oregon in 1839, thence to California by way of Hawaii in 1840. About seventy pages are devoted to his stay in Monterey, Santa Barbara and San Blas. The Zamorano Eighty notes that the balance of his knowledge was derived from other sources, and cites Hall J. Kelley, the botanist David Douglas, Dr. John H. Lyman, and others as possibly those sources. Wagner-Camp describes the work as "providing a sketch of [California's] history and a garbled account of its resources, with anti-Mexican propaganda scattered throughout. The work was issued both as a one-volume cloth-bound edition, and in four wrapper-bound parts, paginated continuously. The present one-volume edition was undoubtedly bound half leather after having been stitched in the wrappers, with stab-holes along the gutter margins. There were a number of later printings, most notably the Pictorial Editions, which came out in 1849 and thereafter, taking advantage of the interest in California following the discovery of gold. The "Map of the Californias by T.J. Farnham," 35x27 cm., bears the copyright date of 1845, as noted by Wheat; it shows Upper and Lower California, to the Rocky Mountains, end depicts the overland routes of Farnham to the United States, and Dr. Lyman from it. Cowan p.203; Graff 1293; Howes F49; Streeter 2500; Wagner-Camp 107:1; Wheat Transmississippi 494. With old pencil notations on front pastedown, "Mount Airy, Dec. 1848," and on free endpaper, "Anne D. Woodson from her father Chs. F. Woodson." With the small bookplates of Kenneth M. Johnson and John C. Broome. With custom half morocco slipcase and chemise.