MINTURN, William. Travels West. London, Samuel Tinsley, 1877.
8vo. Original brick red cloth, spine ornamented and lettered in gilt, covers ornamented in black; pp. [iv], 396, 16, (advertisements), [4, advertisements]; light wear to extremities only, a little offsetting from endpapers; a very good copy.
First edition, signed presentation copy, inscribed by the author to his sister Susan Baring on half-title. This is the account of travelling from New York City to the old West, including a visit of Salt Lake City and the author's thoughts about the future of Mormonism. Of course, Texas, Nevada and California are covered as well. In the latter state Minturn reports on the Chinese communities, were he observes that the exploitation of labourers is worse than slavery in the old South. William Minturn was a member of the eminent New York merchant and shipping company founded by Robert Browne Minturn.
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