Travels through the interior parts of North America in the years 1766, 1767, and 1768

London: Printed for the Author, 1778. First edition. Bound in 3/4 calf with raised bands and gilt titles, decorative endpapers. Published London: Printed for the author, 1778. 8vo., 5 1/2" x 8 1/4", xvi, [17]-543, [1] pp. errata page, two folding, engraved maps that are fully hand-colored, plus four plates - Falls of St. Anthony on the Mississippi, An (Indian) Pipe of Peace, and two plates of native peoples. Includes a Chippewa vocabulary. Large bookplate of Otto Oren Fisher on front pastedown. Jonathan Carver (1710-1780) was an explorer, mapmaker, author, and one of the first white men to explore and map areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Part of a small expedition to map uncharted territory west of the Mississippi, he visited many of the Native American groups residing in the area. He "penetrated farther into the West than any other English explorer before the Revolution" (Howes). While French explorers had been in the area earlier, they did not leave behind detailed maps or journals as Carver did. He explored the headwaters of the Mississippi and wintered with a tribe of Dakota in the Great Lakes region, recording their customs. A classic of American travel, it is one of the earliest and best accounts of pre-Revolution exploration. A compelling narrative of travel and adventure, it was highly inspirational to post-Independence explorers, and has been published in more than 30 editions. In addition to his comments on the natural history and the Native Americans of the West, this work contains the first published mention of the word "Oregon." Wear at the tips, outer hinge starting, small tape repair to the stub of first map and free endpaper, some offsetting from plates and maps to facing page, else near fine, clean, text bright, unmarked. A very attractive example.. 1st. Hard. Very Good Plus/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo.