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Travels in North America by Captain Basil Hall

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:150.00 - 300.00 USD
Travels in North America by Captain Basil Hall
Included in this lot is "Travels in North America" Vol. II by Captain Basil Hall. This book is a first edition and was published in 1829 by Ballantyne and Company in Edinburgh. Captain Basil Hall (1788-1844) was a Scottish seaman and travel writer. After attending the Royal High School in Edinburgh, he joined the Navy in 1802 and was appointed captain in 1814. He served on many diplomatic and scientific naval missions and, upon his retirement from the Navy, began to publish accounts of his experiences, based on his journals. These volumes, first published in 1829, contain his detailed and controversial account of his journey across America and Canada between 1827 and 1828. Hall provides a fascinating and engaging description of social conditions, political structures, and political tensions in Canada and America in the period, while also illustrating contemporary English prejudices concerning American society. Volume I contains his descriptions of New York, including his visits to prisons and hospitals of the city, and Massachusetts, together with an analysis of Canadian maritime defenses and the settlements of Montreal and Quebec. The book is in fair condition, with some wear to the binding. The book measures 5" by 7 3/4".