[Rarebooks] FS: 19th c. Russian-Americana: Alaska Canoe Exploration

[Kaaterskill Books]

We offer for Sale:

Kashevarov, A.F. (Alexsandr Filippovich). "ZHURNAL VEDENNYI PRI 
BAIDARNOI EKSPEDITSII, NAZNACHENNY I DLIA OPISI SIEVERNAGO BEREGA 
AMERIKI, 1838," [IN] ZAPISKI IMPERATORSKAGO RUSSKAGO GEOGRAFICHESKAGO 
OBSHCHESTVA PO OBSHCHEI GEOGRAFII. TOM. VIII. VYP. 2. Sanktpeterburg 
[St. Petersburg]: Tip. Imp. Akademii nauk, 1879 [221- 416 pp]. Illus. 
with 2 folding charts. Sm. 4to. Paper wrappers. First edition. 
"JOURNAL OF THE CANOE EXPEDITION, SENT FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE NORTH 
SHORE OF AMERICA, 1838 FROM 5 JULY TO SEPTEMBER 6 OF THE SAME YEAR, 
MADE BY THE COMMANDER OF THE  EXPEDITION OF THE CORPS OF NAVIGATORS, 
THE SECOND LIEUTENANT KOSHEVAROV;" [IN] NOTES OF THE  IMPERIAL 
RUSSIAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY: ON GENERAL GEOGRAPHY.

Alexsandr Filippovich  Kashevarov (1809-1870) undertook his 
expedition to the Arctic Coast of Alaska with several kayaks, one 
umiak, and an interpreter to map the coast for the Russian-American 
company in this much "neglected event in the history of Russian 
America," (David Kraus, Preface to his translation). The neglect may 
stem from the relative obscurity of the publication of portions of 
the data (in Russian journals) and in late publication of the 
complete Journal, only in 1879, nearly a decade after Kashevarov's 
death and 40 years after the event. The first English language 
translation did not appear until 1977 (See Fieldiana, Vol. 69: A.F. 
Kashevarov's Coastal  Explorations of Northeast Alaska, 1838) a copy 
of which is included with this offering of the original. Kashevarov 
was much more than just a fur trading agent; in fact there is little 
in his report about trading. The goal was political and for the honor 
of being the first to complete the  exploration of the coast, but 
Kashevarov and his Russian sponsors were unaware that Thomas  Simpson 
had already accomplished that task. What is exceptional about 
Kashevarov's journals is their ethnographical contributions, his 
detailed questioning of the Eskimos he met (his was the  first 
expedition to have a Inupik interpreter), his information on 
settlements, on names of physical features, and his identification of 
tribal groupings. "It is rare in nineteenth-century accounts of 
exploration in Alaska to read anything about social organization or 
other less obvious aspects of culture. Kashevarov, however, writes 
with obvious interest and sensitivity with reference to such matters 
as polygyny, child rearing, leadership, and respect for the aged. 
Similarly, he is  concerned about the hazards of impending culture 
change and the unhappy fate which he believes awaits the Eskimos of 
northwest Alaska if they are cut off from their traditional way of 
life," (James W. Vanstone, Intro, Fieldiana 69, p.16.)

A scarce and important document. We could find no copies offered at 
auction in America or Europe in the last forty years. OCLC shows only 
seven copies: Univ. of Alaska and the Alaska State Lib with separate 
copies; Princeton, NYPL, Stanford, U.Wash, and Dalhousie have 
holdings of the specific volume; there are also copies at the Royal 
Geographical Society and the Lib. of Polar Commission, St. 
Petersburg. (Other articles include: Historical essay on the Usuriisk 
Region, related to the history of Manchuria by S.A. Paladia; 
Observation of icing of the salty pond near the town of Iletsk, 
Orenburg Province., by IU. Listova; Short topographical description 
of the  travel made by the Russian expedition in China in 1875, from 
Khan-Kou to Zaisansk Post by Z. Matusovski; Regarding the view of 
Earth and the level of the oceans, R.E. Lents; Supplement to  the 
explanatory note to the map of Persia by Stebnitski. In Russian. 
Lacking the wrappers else a very good unopened (uncut) copy, some 
slight browning at edges, foxing mainly to preliminaries, untrimmed 
thus edges somewhat ragged.    [30552] $1200.00

Regards,

Charles Kutcher
Kaaterskill Books
P.O. Box 122
East Jewett, NY 12424.
Phone: 518-589-0555.
Email: books at kaaterskillbooks.com
Member of I. O. B. A.


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