Discovery and exploration of the Mississipi Valley : with the original narratives of Marquette, Allouez, Membré, Hennepin, and Anastase Douay. With a facsimile of the newly-discovered map of Marquette

Illustrated with a facsimile letter as frontispiece and a folding map at the end of the volume (cf. Sabin, 80002 and 25852).

Only one copy listed in the CCF (BnF).

Contemporary binding in red half shagreen, spine with five raised bands framed by gilt dotted rules, gilt triple compartments, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns.

Traces of damp to the beginning of the volume, with clumsily restored paper margins to the upper right corners of some leaves, occasional foxing.

Previously published as the fourth volume in French’s major series, Historical collection of Louisiana, this compilation concerning the exploration of the Mississippi Valley gathers several independent narratives. Their titles read: Relation of the voyages, discoveries and death of F. James Marquette, and the subsequent voyages of F. Claudius Allouez by F. Claudius Dablon. – Narrative of a voyage made to the Ilinois by F. Claude Allouez. – Narrative of the 1st attempt by M. Cavelier de La Salle, to explore the Mississipi, drawn up from the Mss. of F. Zenobius Membré by F. Chretien Leclercq. – Narrative of the voyage to the upper Mississipi by F. Louis Hennepin... – Narrative of the adventures of La Salle's party at Fort Crevecoeur in Ilinois... by F. Zenobius Membré. – Narrative of La Salle's voyage down the Mississipi by F. Zenobius Membré. – Account of La Salle's attempt to rearch the Mississipi by sea... by F. Christian Le Clercq. – Narrative of La Salle's attempt to ascend the Mississipi in 1687 by F. Anastasius Douay. – Récit des voyages et des découvertes du P. Jacques Marquette... en 1673... – Unfinished letter of F. Marquette containing a jal of his last visit to the Ilinois.

Former Jesuit John Dawson Gilmary Shea (1824–1892) was a noted historian of Catholicism in America and of Native American nations.