Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, through the Continent of North America, to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans; in the Years 1789 and 1793. With A Preliminary Account of the Rise, Progress, and Present State of the Fur Trade of that Country

Frontis portrait and 3 large folding maps, (1 with colour outlines) "This is a fascinating account of the descent of the river named after this intrepid explorer, who was the first white man to navigate its length from its source in the Great Slave Lake to its mouth. On the way back he heard reports of the western sea and of another great river, likely the Yukon, and of white traders, who may have been those exploring the coast. His trip from Fort Chipewyan to the Arctic and return lasted about three months and a half. Having resolved to continue exploration to the west, he returned to England to purchase instruments in preparation for the difficult task ahead of him. He left Fort Chipewyan on October 12, 1792. Working his way up the Peace River he finally established winter quarters. In the spring he continued up across the Rocky Mountain Divide, and after many hazardous experiences reached the Pacific Ocean by way of the Bella Coola river. The vast region of the Rocky Mountains and the coastal zone was thus opened up at last and Mackenzie won to the top rank of explorers on the American continent" (Cox Travel II, p.178). "First and finest edition of the earliest expedition made by a white man in this direction. His investigations, although pursued at so early a period of Arctic exploration, were remarkable for their accuracy; Sir John Franklin more than once expressed his surprise at being able to corroborate their correctness in his own exploration. Some Indian vocabularies are included" (Sabin 43414).