COMMERCE OF THE PRAIRIES: or the Journal of a Santa Fé Trader, During Eight Expedition Across the Great Western Prairies, and a Residence of Nearly Nine Years in Northern Mexico by GREGG, Josiah (1806-50) - 1844

New York & London: Henry G. Langley / Wiley and Putnam. 1844. First Edition. Hardcover.. Second issue, with the dual title page imprint. Two volumes, original dark brown pictorial cloth stamped in gilt (vaquero on front covers, Indian with bow and arrow on spines), decorated in blind, fore and top page edges untrimmed. Vol I: pp [2], (xvi), (17)-320, [2] + frontispiece with tissue guard + 2 plates + 1 folding map; 2 illustrations in text. Vol II: pp viii, (9)-318, [4] + frontispiece with tissue guard + 1 map ("Map of the Interior of Northern Mexico") + 2 plates; two vignettes in text. Rebacked, with original spines laid down (some original cloth loss at ends, but lettering intact). Vol I has damp staining to covers, with damp mark to upper half of text throughout, "Commerce" on spine a little rubbed, small hole to front free endpaper, some foxing, occasional mildew spots to upper margins of late leaves, corner tear to pp 207-08 with loss of only a few letters (but not sense), two margin tears neatly repaired. Vol II has endpapers renewed with period paper, some foxing but not staining, lacking first blank leaf?. The plates and tissue guards in both have tanning.The green coloured folding map (" A Map of the Indian Territory, Northern Texas and New Mexico Showing the Great Western Prairies") has a two inch closed tear to lower inner corner very neatly repaired and one misfold, but is otherwise nice and clean. In all, a good solid pair, no owner names, all plates & maps present. One of the landmark books of Western Americana, considered by some authorities as one of the 10 most important. "The Santa Fe Trail ranks with the Chisholm Trail in its historical importance as a place in the West, and Gregg is the classic of that trail and the commerce on it. It was written by a man who spent nine years as a Santa Fe trader and who knew the trail, the varmints and plants along it, the Indians, and his Mexican customers. He kept a diary, and his carefully recorded notes were before him as he wrote the book. It has been source material for all the other books on the Santa Fe Trail and trade." - Jeff Dykes The map, called a "cartographical landmark" by Wheat, is one of the most important of the early Southwest. Flake 3716. Howes G401. Sabin 28712.; 12mo .