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In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh sent an expedition under the command of Sir Richard Grenville to found a colony, which Queen Elizabeth allowed to be named "Virginia" in her honor. The chief scientist in the expedition was Thomas Hariot who was instructed to study the Indian culture and the natural resources of the region. Hariot was accompanied by John White as surveyor and artist. The colonists settled on Roanoke Island in Pamlico Sound, where they built a fort. Grenville went back to England for supplies, leaving 107 men under the command of Ralph Lane. Relationships with the Indians deteriorated, and this combined with dwindling supplies led the colonists to return to England with Sir Francis Drake, who happened to call by after a raid in the West Indies. Ironically, a resupply ship turned up almost immediately thereafter, followed within two weeks by Grenville with more ships and supplies. Finding the colonists gone, Grenville left fifteen men to retain English possession of the region.
Raleigh did not give up with this failure, but put together a second expedition to settle further north on the Chesapeake. In 1587 these colonists, now under the command of John White, landed at Roanoke Island to look for the men left by Grenville the year before. No trace of these men was found, and the new colonists were unable to proceed north to the Chesapeake because of the refusal to do so by the master of the fleet, Simon Fernandes, who was more interested in hunting for the Spanish treasure ships. White spent only about a month at Roanoke before he was persuaded to head back to England to obtain more supplies. Through a series of misadventures, White was unable to return to Roanoke until 1590. When he finally arrived back in America, White discovered that the colonists were missing. The only clue left by the colonists was the word "CROATOAN" carved into a post, but White was unable to proceed to that island to look for them. Thus the fate of this "lost colony" has never been learned.
In 1588, Thomas Hariot issued A breife and true report of the new found land of Virginia, which was an account of the attempt to found the colony. Two years later, Theodor De Bry published this monumental volume which added to Hariot's account engravings based on John White's drawings. This work is the first account with images of a European colonization of North America and the images provide a unique and remarkable view of Native American culture in the mid-Atlantic region at the time of the first contacts between the Indians and Europeans. It was the first volume of De Bry's series Grand Voyages, which included accounts of sixteenth century exploration of the New World.
The text and views are thus of central importance in the documenting of American history, as is the map which accompanies the volume. The map is based on John White's rendering, updated with information from subsequent explorations by De Bry. It focuses on the Carolina region, extending north to the mouth of the Chesapeake and it is one of the foundation maps of the period of discovery in North America. Based on first-hand experience, Cummings says of this map that it was "the first printed map of this degree of detail and accuracy for any part of the present area of the United States," providing an excellent general picture of the Outer Banks and Pamlico Sound. The map was also the first to name the Chesapeake Bay, called "Chesepiooc Sinus," which is crudely shown as a large bay north of the Virginia colony. The map is as decorative as it is important. A large fleet of ships cruises the ocean off the banks, while some Indian canoes are depicted in the Sound. A few small Indian figures, based on other White drawings, are shown on the shore. A measuring compass, scale of miles, title cartouche, Royal coat-of-arms, windrose, and sea monster complete the decorative features.
Altogether an excellent example of a fundamental account of the early beginnings of the exploration and settlement of North America. Click to see other images of: front cover, back cover, Adam & Eve, Indian dance, Indian village. $70,000
James Adair. The History of the American Indians; Particularly Those Nations Adjoining to the Missisippi [sic], East and West Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia . . . Also an Appendix, containing a Description of the Floridas, and the Missisippi [sic] Lands . . . Georgiana . . . Civilizing the Indians . . . to make all the Colonies more valuable to the Mother Country. London: E. & C. Dilly, 1775. Quarto. 5l., 464pp. with half title. Folding map. Half leather with marbled boards. Ex libris with attractive bookplate in front and two unobtrusive internal ink stamps. Some transferring at title page and map and slight internal spotting, else a fine copy.
The author was actively trading with the Indians of the southeast, and his work included the Catawba, the Cherokee and the Chickasaw among others from 1735 to 1759. While trying to prove that the Indians were descended from a lost tribe of Israel, he recounted many customs. This is a valuable, first hand observation with a superb map. Ref.: Sabin, 155; Vail, 643; Howes, A-38, and Cumming/DeVorsey, 448. $3,800
John Burgoyne (General). A State of the Expedition from Canada....with a collection of Authentic Documents. London: J. Almon, 1780. 2nd. edition. 2 octavo volumes. Text in full leather, six maps (2 with overlays) folded into half leather. New facsimile bindings. Excellent. Sabin: 9255; Howes: 968.
After Burgoyne's defeat and surrender at Saratoga in 1777, accusations and recriminations filled the air of the British parliament and military establishment. Gentleman John Burgoyne entered the fray with vigor and produced this book in 1780 using two different editions. The first was a quarto volume containing, according to Howes, five maps, and this second edition of the same year contained six. The maps are handsome engravings by William Faden illustrating the events of Burgoyne's expedition, including the surrender at Saratoga. In this set, the maps are bound separately so that they can be consulted while reading the appropriate text. This is one of the most interesting publications on the American Revolution, complete with contemporary maps and an account by one of the major participants. $3,200
[Edward Langworthy]. Memoirs of the Life of the Late Charles Lee . . . second in command in the service of the United States . . . during the Revolution . . .. 12 mo. Second American edition. New York: T. Allen, 1793. Viii, 284. Top 1” of title page clipped, probably to remove name of previous owner, as often found. Engraved bookplate removed from front paste down end paper. Original full leather boards and spine rehinged. Original end pages. Collates complete with Sabin 38903 and Howes, L83. A lovely, early American imprint.
Edward Langworthy (ca. 1738-1802) was an early participant in revolutionary activities in Georgia, and in December of 1775 became secretary of the Council of Safety in his colony (soon to be state). He served in the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and signed the Articles of Confederation in November 1777. In 1780 he acquired the papers of the controversial Gen. Charles Lee (1731-1782) who by then had been court-martialed by the American Army. First editions in 1792 appeared in London, Dublin and New York, and this is the second New York edition. Howes states that the text was edited by Thomas Paine. Sympathetic to Lee, it is an early piece of biography from the American Revolution by its participants. $275
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