Aenmerckelycke Historische Reys-Beschryvinge door Verscheyde Landen veel grooter als die van Geheel Europa Onlanghs Ontdeckt.

First Dutch edition. Engraved title-page, four engraved plates, and a folding map. Small 4to. Contemporary half calf and marbled boards, rebacked, with original spine laid down, spine gilt, leather label. Minor shelf wear & some repairs to verso of folding map, frontis trimmed close at lower edge just catching platemark. Very good.  [2, printed titlepage], [28], 142, [18]pp. Utrecht,

The first Dutch translation of Hennepin's 1698 Nouveau Voyage..., which is a continuation of his Nouvelle Decouverte... of the previous year.  In this work, he added new material drawn from contemporary sources on Indian manners and customs and various North American travels. The first eight chapters describe the adventures and murder of La Salle, while the last concern the British treatment of the Recollets after the taking of Quebec in 1629. Lengthy passages are taken from Le Clercq's Etablissement de la Foy of 1688.  Despite the fact that Hennepin has been severely and justly criticized for imposture and plagiarism, his works, according to Thwaites, still stand as "invaluable contributions to the sources of American history; they deserve study, and to this day furnish rare entertainment.  We can pardon much to our erratic friar, when he leaves to us such monuments as these."

No other narratives of French exploration in the interior of North America enjoyed as wide a popularity or stimulated as much controversy and criticism among later scholars as those of Hennepin.  A Recollet missionary, Father Hennepin went to New France in 1675, and in 1678 he set out with La Salle to explore the fertile basin of the Mississippi River.  While La Salle turned back to raise funds to continue the voyage, Hennepin went on to ascend the river from Fort Crevecoeur (Chicago) and penetrated farther northwest into the interior than any white man to that time.  He discovered St. Anthony's Falls near the present site of Minneapolis, and provided the first eyewitness account of Niagara Falls.

"Based on various contemporary sources, it is made up of information concerning the manners and customs of the Indians and of La Salle's extraordinary labors in the far reaches of Canada's new frontier" (Howes).

The map is titled:  "Carte d'un Nouveau monde entre le Nouveau Mexique et la Mer Glaciale. Gasp. Bouttats fecit."  The four finely engraved plates illustrate two views of La Salle, an Iroquois battle scene, and the taking of the city of Quebec by the English.

A rare Dutch translation, with excellent and sought-after engravings. Bell, p.263; Decker 50:121; Field, 168; Howes, H417 "b"; Sabin, 31358.

Stock Code: 224099