Ciphering Book of a Colonial Schoolboy. de EVANS, CADWALLADER (sic) - 6 April – 26 July 1763

[Philadelphia, PA], 6 April – 26 July 1763. Cardboard covers. Good +. Sm. Folio. Original red linen cover on boards with author’s initials ‘C.E.’ in black on front cover; wear and minor loss along edges; ink stains on worn covers. Collation: [37] leaves of brown and black ink manuscript text and diagrams with numerous exercises. These include Geometry and Trigonometry (leaves 1-6); land surveying (leaves 7-19); and plain, traverse, oblique, Mercator sailing (leaves 20-37). Abundant with many rather sophisticated and detailed drawings in ink and watercolor, including caricatures, peacocks and various other fowls, and mariners' compasses; also includes one fold-map in ink and watercolor depicting an imagined topography. Attractively toned throughout, with some original ink bleed-through, text block shaken, final three leaves loose with some chipping and minor loss of text. Inscribed by the (presumed) teenaged author on front pastedown. 

The Cadwalader family had a number of prominent members some politicians and others physicians and surgeons. Dr. Evans Cadwalader (1716-1773), presumably father of the writer of this manuscript was a Philadelphia physician and friend of Benjamin Franklin.