2 parts in one, 12mo (159 x 92 mm). Woodcut printer's device on title, decorative woodcut head-pieces, folding engraved map "Carte de la nouelle France et de la Louisiane" (311 x 487 mm) drawn by N. Guerard after Hennepin and engraved by Roussel (several folds and edges tissue repaired on verso, reinserted on new stub). (Some spotting and toning in margins, foot of text block dampstained, affecting several margins, small wormhole to margin of title-page and a few subsequent leaves.) Contemporary French mottled calf, covers with a central gilt royal supralibros, red speckled edges (neatly rebacked preserving original spine and endpapers, some worming near edges of covers, affecting pastedowns, upper cover stained).

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, OF HENNEPIN'S FIRST WORK, GIVING THE EARLIEST PRINTED ACCOUNT OF LOUISIANA, AND INCLUDING THE FIRST DESCRIPTION OF NIAGARA FALLS. In 1675, Hennepin sailed to New France with a Recollect mission in the same ship as Rene Robert Cavelier de la Salle. From Quebec, he carried out missionary work among the Iroquois and then in 1678 joined La Salle as his expedition's chaplain. Hennepin founded Fort Tonti on the Niagara River near present-day Buffalo as part of the advance party and it was here he wrote the first description of Niagara Falls. With La Salle, Hennepin continued by way of Lake Huron, Green Bay, Lake Michigan and the River St. Joseph to the River Illinois and helped establish Fort Crevecoeur (opposite present day Peoria, Illinois). Hennepin descended the Illinois to its confluence with the Mississippi, then ascended the Mississippi as far as present-day Minneapolis. He and two others in the party were captured by the Sioux in 1680 and accompanied them on several hunting expeditions. During one, he became the first European to encounter the Falls of St. Anthony. Daniel Greysolon Dulhut helped secure his release, and he returned to the mission of St. Francis Xavier on Green Bay. He returned to France in 1682 and published this work the following year. A later edition of 1697 tried to discredit his claims about reaching the mouth of the Mississippi and other suspicions caused him to die in obscurity sometime after 1701.

The work is considered "A PRIMARY WORK OF NEW YORK EXPLORATION, AND A FOUNDATIONAL MAP OF AMERICAN CARTOGRAPHY. The first book by the famous Recollect missionary and explorer, Father Louis Hennepin, and a foundational work of Canadiana and Americana, particularly for the Great Lakes region. Unlike some of Hennepin's later works, the truthfulness of his narrative herein is fully accepted by historians" (Reese).

VERY RARE WITH THE MAP IN THE FIRST STATE, entitled "Carte de la Nouuelle France" showing the Mississippi River not fully extending to the Gulf of Mexico but with a faint dotted line indicating the surmised course of the lower Mississippi. In the 1698 edition, "France" is replaced with "Monde" in the title, and the Mississippi River fully extends to the Gulf. IN THE FIRST ISSUE TEXT, comprising the printer's license [xii] reading "Achevé d'imprimer pour la premiere fois, le 5 Janvier 1683" and signature C misigned B1-2.

Alden & Landis 683/96; Ayer 127; Bell H-114; Clements One Hundred Michigan Rarities 5; Graff 1858 (first issue); Greenly 8; Harrisse NF 150; Howes H-415; Howgego H-62; Jones 330; Reese, Celebration of My Country 16; Sabin 31347; Schwartz & Ehrenberg p.130; Staton & Tremaine/TPL 81; Streeter sale I:102; Streit II:2721; Vail 222; Wheat Mapping the Transmississippi West 62. Not in Lande.