This memoir was written by Charles William Janson, an Englishman who spent 13 years in the United States from 1793-1805 and returned to England with a "petulant view" (according to Howes) of this new country. As explained in the preface, Janson's goal in publishing the memoir was to prevent his fellow British citizens from "quitting the substantial blessings he enjoys at home, in order to seek imaginary comfort, happiness and wealth amidst the unproductive wastes and unsociable inhabitants of another hemisphere." Janson covers a wide variety of topics, including slavery, the lack of proper architecture or arts, bear attacks, bedbugs, the American church, law, land speculating, Native Americans, and much more. His memoir is significant because of the breadth of subject matter, as well as for the engraved plates included in the volume. The title page includes the earliest known published image of the White House, and the tinted plate of Mount Vernon is also one of the earliest views of Washington's home. Additional plates show a bird's-eye plan of Philadelphia and views of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. The appendix features Thomas Jefferson's December 1806 message to Congress, which announced the completion of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and is believed to be the first British printing of this address.

Quarto; 22 pp., 499 pp., engraved title page, nine sepia aquatint plates, and plan of Philadelphia. Hardbound in quarter leather with tips over marbled paper-covered boards; raised bands, embossing and gilt titling on spine; original green ribbon page marker.

References: Howes #J-59; Sabin #35770.

Condition:

The plates are mostly very good (B+) with light toning and minor foxing. The plan of Philadelphia is in good condition (B) with moderate toning and foxing. The first third of the text has moderate toning and foxing, while the latter two-thirds is bright with light foxing. There is soiling on the Errata page, which precedes the list of contents, and the title page has soiling and offsetting from the frontispiece. Covers are worn, stained, and scuffed with bumped corners. The spine is cracked along the sides with some abrasions.