John Lawson. A NEW VOYAGE TO CAROLINA; CONTAINING THE EXACT DESCRIPTION AND NATURAL HISTORY OF THAT COUNTRY: TOGETHER WITH THE PRESENT STATE THEREOF. AND A JOURNAL OF A THOUSAND MILES, TRAVEL'D THRO' SEVERAL NATIONS OF INDIANS. GIVING A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THEIR CUSTOMS, MANNERS, &C. London: [s.n.], 1709. First edition. Rebound in brick red calf with gilt border on upper board and gilt-stamped black morocco label on the spine, all edges marbled, with fresh endpapers. 4to; A3 B-H4 I2 K-2L4; [6], 258, [2]pp. With title and blank verso, dedication leaf, preface leaf, introduction, journal, description of N.C., "An Account of the Indians of North-Carolina," charter, and final advertisement leaf (matching the collation in Field, although unfortunately lacking the map and plate of animals). With decorated initials. Howes L155; Sabin 39451; Lawson 896; Field p. 228; ESTC T133233.

9 1/4 x 7 1/4 in.

This is the first edition of the "first history of the Carolinas" (Field, p. 229). John Lawson (England, 1674-1711) and his traveling companions set out from South Carolina beginning in 1700 and by the following year they made their way into North Carolina, traveling through today's Hillsborough and moving further east toward the coast. On his travels, Lawson wrote about the Native Americans he met, the land, the climate, and more. After settling in eastern North Carolina for several years, he traveled back to London where his notes from his travels were first published. The North Carolina History Project calls this book "one of the most valuable early volumes on North Carolina, and...one of the best travel accounts of the early eighteenth-century American colonies" (https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/john-lawson-1674-1711/).

Light scuffing and edgewear to boards, with mild rubbing at corners and spine ends; title page restored with large repair to upper half; dedication and preface leaves thinned with small tear, dedication extended with title and dedication with small separation at tail; interior with light to moderate toning, damp staining at upper corner, light to moderate scattered foxing and grime, and occasional small stain, tiny holes not impacting text, and small edge tear, chip, or loss; modern pencil writing on p. 34 and old signature on p. 50; lacking plate and map (as is common for the first three editions, per Field). Quite good for its age with most pages crisp. Rare outside of institutions.