[Americana]. DUFLOT DE MOFRAS (Eugène). Exploration du terri - Lot 45

[Americana]. DUFLOT DE MOFRAS (Eugène). Exploration du territoire de l'Orégon, des Californies et de la mer Vermeille, executed during the years 1840, 1841 and 1842. Paris, Arthus Bertrand, 1844. Two volumes in-8, XII p., [2] f., 524 p., 4 pl. + [2] f., 514 p., 4 pl., maroon glazed half calf, smooth spine, gilt title, fillets and tomaison (qq light spotting and foxing, pp. 425-440 bound out of order). First edition. Text only, without atlas. Important account of French diplomat and explorer Eugène Duflot de Mofras's exploration of North America. Produced between 1840 and 1842, it documents in detail the territories of Oregon, California and Baja California, at a time when these regions were disputed by several imperial powers (United States, Great Britain, Russia and Mexico). Duflot de Mofras describes the landscapes, colonial infrastructures, Catholic missions, native populations and natural resources. The work offers a European perspective on colonization and the geopolitical stakes of the North American Pacific coast. Provenance: Baron Armand-Charles-Marie d'André (1851 - ?; armorial bookplate). (Sabin 21144; Leclerc, 479).