Travels into North America; Containing its Natural History, and a Circumstantial Account of its Plantations and Agriculture in General, with the Civil, Ecclesiastical and Commercial State of the Country, the Manners of the Inhabitants, and Several Curious by KALM, Peter

Warrington.Printed for William Eyres. 1770-1771.. Fine. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Book 8vo. 20.4cm, The First English Edition, Imprint for Vols. 2 and 3 reads: (London, Printed for the Editor and Sold by T. Lowndes, 1771.) in 3 volumes, xvi,400& [viii],[3]-352 & viii,310,[xiv]pp., list of subscribed, large folding map, 6 copper engraved plates, in full contemporary speckled calf rebacked, gilt ruled raised bands with the original leather labels, preserving original end-papers which have some border transfer at the edges, a fine set of the rare First English Edition. (cgc) Lande s1156. Gagnon I-1849. Dionne II-761. Howes5554. cf. T.P.L. 214. Story p397. Peter Kalm (1716-79). A Swedish botanist, he spent the years 1748-51 in North America studying the flora and collecting specimens for the Swedish Academy of Sciences.In July 1749 he travelled by the Richelieu River to Montreal and then went to Quebec where he visited the surrounding country before returning to the English colonies in October. In 1750 his research took him to Niagara Falls and Lake Ontario. Although these field trips were made for scientific purposes, Kalm was interested in the people and places he visited; he was delighted with Quebec where he said he had found the most cultivated society in North America. (Story). In addition to being an important early work of American natural history, these volumes contain the most trustworthy descriptions of Swedish settlements in eighteenth century Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The voyage was undertaken at the instigation of Linnaeus (Carl von Linne, Swedish botanist), for the purpose of discovering whether any North American plants could be advantageously introduced into Sweden. The author was immortalized by Linnaeus when the name Kalmia was given to a species of evergreen shrub, very common in America. Kalm,travelled in North America between 1748 and 1751, and settled his home base in Philadelphia and most of volume one deals with Pennsylvania. The second volume deals with New Jersey and the American Swedish settlements. The third volume gives an account of his travels to Canada, particularly to Montreal and Quebec City."One of the most important and reliable eighteenth century accounts of [North] American natural history, social organization, and political situation. Kahn gives an especially important account of the American Swedish settlements." (Streeter). "A valuable work, so far as regards the natural history, geography, and state of the country at the time it was visited by the author. His name has been immortalized by Linnaeus, in the beautiful genus Kalmia, several species of which are so common throughout the United States"(Rich). .