Rambles in the Rocky Mountains; With a Visit to the Gold Fields of Colorado

London: Smith, Elder and Co, 1864. First Edition. Near Fine. 8vo [8x5.5in]; viii, 264 pp.; Forest green pebble cloth covers with gilt lettering and design on spine, blind stamped borders and designs on front and back, all edges untrimmed, brick colored coated end papers; A bright book with only minor shelf wear to edges and corners, prior owner pencil writing on front end paper, French bookseller stamp on lower rear end paper; Acquisition bookplate of Maggs Bros. Ltd (London) on verso of front end paper from the Library of Comte De Chambord (Henri V of France, Duke of Bordeaux). [Wagner-Camp 404, Graff 2890]. From Wagner-Camp, "Morris's entertaining journal takes the reader from Saint Louis to the Colorado Rockies in the summer of 1863." He intended to go to the Montana gold fields, but changed to Denver and the Colorado gold fields due to a breakdown in the steamer at Saint Louis. Gold had been discovered in Montana in 1862 and was the "new gold rush" during the 1860's and 70's. The Colorado gold fields were discovered earlier in 1859 at Pike's Peak and the front range of the Rockies. The 100,000 or so that participated were know as "Fifty-Niners" and the rapid population growth led to the Colorado Territory created in 1861 and the State in 1876.

Henri, Comte De Chambord (1820-1883) was a disputed King of France for seven days from August 2nd to the 9th in 1830. He was exiled and, with the support of some of the French nobility, continued to proclaim his right to the throne from 1844 to his death in 1883.