This is a great pair of maps and comprehensive report based upon Stansbury's famous explorations in Utah. The report documents Stansbury's trek from Fort Leavenworth to the Great Salt Lake and his circumnavigation around the entire Great Salt Lake. Stansbury's accounts included the study of the Indian tribes, the Mormons, and an extensive appendix on Geology, Botany and Zoology. The report also includes numerous plates of views (with several very long folding views), reptiles, insects, and plants. The four palaeontological plate are missing. The maps included are:

A. Map of the Great Salt Lake and Adjacent Country in the Territory of Utah, hand color, (30 x 42.3"). This map details Stansbury's important exploration of the Great Salt Lake Basin that permanently established much topography and many of the place names of northwestern Utah. It extends from the 42nd parallel and includes the Wasatch Mountains, Cache Valley and Ogden's Hole, and south to include Lake Utah and the Youab Valley. Indian, as well as Mormon, names are given for the creeks. A wonderful notation in The Desert west of the lake provides important information for travelers, "This desert consists of clay and sand impregnated with salt. When wet, it has the consistency of mortar. Lightly loaded wagons can pass between Spring Valley and Pilot Peak in the driest part of the season. Forage and water must be carried for cattle, and the journey begun in the P. M. and continued through the night. Distance between springs 70 ms." Lithographed by Ackerman.

B. Map of a Reconnaissance between Fort Leavenworth on the Missouri River, and the Great Salt Lake in the Territory of Utah, hand color, (65.5 x 28"). Made under the orders of Col. J.J. Albert, chief of the Topographical Bureau, by Capt. Howard Stansbury of the Corps of Topographical Engineers, aided by Lieut. J.W. Gunnison and Albert Carrington. Drawn by Lieut. Gunnison and Charles Preuss. Thus bringing together some of the most important names in Western cartography. This immense map covers the Great Plains, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah in considerable detail on a scale of 1" to about 16 miles. The detail is particularly evident in present-day Colorado, the Laramie Mountains (here labeled Black Hills), and in the vicinity of Salt Lake. Wheat devotes more than eight pages of text to this map, calling it "one of the most important [maps] of its decade, bringing permanently into Western cartography a number of outstanding details." Lithographed by Ackerman. On two sheets joined together.

Published as Senate Doc. 3, 32nd Congress, Special Session. Octavo, 487 pp. Hardbound with original brown leather-covered boards and new faux-leather spine with original leather labels with gilt titling.

References: Wagner-Camp #219:2; Wheat (TMW) #765 & #764; Howes #S-884.

Condition: B+

The maps are clean and bright with lovely hand wash color, which is quite unusual for these maps. The Fort Leavenworth map has two small holes near the joint in unengraved areas at the top and bottom of the map, as well as a 4" tear at top left. The plates have excellent dark impressions and light to moderate foxing. The text is clean and bright. The professionally restored covers and spine are in excellent condition.