David Spilman Fine Books

Notes of a Twenty-Five Years' Service in the Hudson Bay Territory; [In Two Volumes]

M'Lean, John

London: Richard Bentley, 1849. Very Good Plus. First Edition. [7.75x5in] Vol. I - xii, 308 pp., Vol. II - vii, 328 pp., vocabulary; Dark brown cloth covers with black lettering and rules on paper label on spine, light brown end papers, top edge gilt, all other edges untrimmed; Minor shelf wear to covers edges, and corners, some darkening to spine and covers, labels darken, gilt worn, light age toning to text, light staining to fore and bottom edges of volume I. [Wagner 169, Lande 1322, Graff 2640, Smith 6418,Streeter 3712, Whale 945]. Item #14465

John McLean [also spelled M'Lean] (1799-1890) was a Scotsman who emigrated to British North America, where he became a fur-trapper, trader, explorer, grocer, banker, newspaperman, clerk, and author. He traveled by foot and canoe from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back, becoming one of the chief traders of the Hudson's Bay Company in Labrador, Ungava, the Pacific Northwest and the Mackenzie district during the years from 1821-45. M'Lean provides valuable information about the native inhabitants their manners and customs and their relationship with the HBC Company.

From Lande, “One of the chief designs of the writer was to draw a faithful picture of the Indian trader’s life with it toils, annoyances, privations, and perils, when on actual service or in a trading or exploring expedition. Most of the work is devoted to the narration of incidents of travel amount the Indians of the territory, descriptions of their life, habits and character, and their relationship with the Hudson’s Bay Company.”.

Price: $675.00