California: A History of Upper and Lower California by Alexander Forbes – 1839

California: A History of Upper and Lower California from the Discovery to the Present Time, Comprising an Account of the Climate, Soil, Natural Productions, Agriculture, Commerce &c. A Full View of the Missionary Establishments and Condition of the Free and Domesticated Indians,. With an Appendix relating to steam-navigation in the Pacific.

Forbes, Alexander (1778-1864)

“The First Book in English to Relate Exclusively to California” Streeter

“Long time resident of Mexico, British merchant Alexander Forbes completed the text for his book in October 1835 before sending it off to England for publication. Amazingly, Forbes had never set foot in California. The majority of this book consists of a history of both Baja and Alta California based on the works of Miguel Venegas, Francisco Palou and others. For more current affairs Forbes relied on correspondence with Californios like Jose Bandini and his agents.

As British vice-consul in Tepic, Mexico, Forbes was keenly interested in the future prospects of California, writing: “Taking every circumstance into account, perhaps no country whatever can excel or hardly vie with California in natural advantages” Forbes hoped that England (and not America) would acquire California in exchange for the millions of dollars owed to it by the Mexican government. He postulated that if an industrious people settled in California, it “would soon be one of the most interesting and prosperous places on earth.” Dorothy Sloan: Volkmann

London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1839, First Edition Octavo: 9 inches in height by 5.75 inches in width, original publisher’s blind stamped cloth, nice gilt title to spine, 352 pages including frontispiece portrait of Father Peyri, complete with 9 lithographic plates, near Fine folding map of California on original thin paper with outline coloring in red, green and yellow. First edition with errata slip at page 339. Possibly refreshed end papers, previous owner oval stamp professionally removed on first dedication page. Housed in a beautiful custom green cloth clamshell case.

First Edition in Publisher’s Original Cloth Presented in Clamshell Case

Dorothy Sloan: Volkmann, Howes F-242

Zamorano 80- Number 38

$2,500