16mo. xiv, 284, [1]. Illustrated with 12, colour lithographs, including the frontispiece. Full green leather with a blind-stamped compartment encased in gilt borders. Gilt decorated spine with gold tooled title. All gilt detailing is in very good condition. Some rubbing to edges. Previous owner’s signature on front endpaper. Rear hinge slightly exposed, though binding is still very firm. Slight foxing throughout, the majority being focused on the preliminaries. Library stamp to reverse of title page. Translated from the original French into Italian by Luigi Previte. De Smet (1801-1873), a Belgian Jesuit missionary, traveled extensively in the United States in the middle of teh 19th century. Setting out west from St. Louis in 1840, he formed missions in Wyoming and Washington, and traveled extensively throughout the Rocky Mountains. This work is especially important for its descriptions of the Salish and Siksika Indians. A rare edition of an important work of early western Americana.
