4to [28 x 23 cm]; xii, 602, [i, directions to place plates], [i, ads] pp, 27 plates, (sepia aquatints), 6 folding including frontis panorama, hand colored folding map showing Great Lakes to Gulf of St. Lawrence. nineteenth century half blue morocco, gilt spine title lettering & decorations, raised bands, top edge gilted, light offsetting from plates, interesting bookplate of Robert Wetherill, some plates with shorter margins as issued, near fine, nicely bound. A First edition of what some have called the first Canadian coffee table book which underestimates its value as an important and comprehensive account of Canada. Heriot at postmaster-general of British North America 1799-1816, travelled extensively in the area, describing the fur trade, cod fishery, conditions, one of the best accounts of the loyalists settlements in Canada, voyage to the north, as well as a scholarly study of the indigenous peoples of north and south America, with a vocabulary of the Algonquin language. Prideaux 254: 'Illustrated books on North America are curiously few in the period with which we deal. By far the most interesting is Heriot's Travels Through the Canadas, interesting for its aquatints by Stadler and Lewis after Heriot'. The attractive plates from Heriot's fine paintings include: views of Quebec, St. Paul's Bay, Falls of Montmorenci, Falls of ChaudiÞre, Falls of La Puce, Ruins of ChÔteau Richer, Lake St. Charles, River Etchemin, Bridge on the Jacques Cartier, Montreal, Fort of Niagara, Whirlpool of the Saint Lawrence, Falls of Niagara, French Canadian dancing, an Indian encampment, Indian costume, etc. Hill 142: 'the earliest and the most important aquatint book published on Canada'. Sabin 31489. TPL 805. Streeter 3658. Lande 433. Field 687. Abbey Travel 618.
