CORNWALLIS, Kinahan

The New El Dorado; or British Columbia. [stated] Second Edition, with a Map and Illustration by the Author.

London. Thomas Cautley Newby, Publisher. 1858. 12mo., 19.5cm, (in12’s), xxviii,405,[3]p., ads., with 1 colour tinted lithographed frontis “Noon On The Fraser, Our Bivouac Beyond the “Forks”; and one hand colour folded map, “Map of British Columbia and Vancouver Island, denoting the Gold and Coal Districts”., the map has 1 clean clear cut (app. 3.5”) with archival expertly repaired on the verso, not visible on the hand-coloured side,
in the original blind decorated reddish brown wavy grain cloth, ornamented gilt title and blind decoration on the spine which is slightly faded and elaborate blind decorations and borders on the boards, expertly restored with new endpapers but with the original light yellow endpapers bound in, probably contemporary clean ink stain across the (1.5”) of the front cover, booksellers ticket, “The Torch Press Book Shop, Cedar Rapids, Idaho”. very rare, in all an attractive antique copy. Rare. Item #44100

Our only copy since 1969. The second edition applanation is very lightly the first edition. Christie’s Montreal Book Auction had a copy CM-10, 1970. Not other records located.
Lowther 61 “states A glowing description of the early history and development of British Columbia. The author arrived in Victoria in June of 1858 to prospect for gold on the Fraser River. It seems there has been no first edition of the book issued. The folding map must be one of the earliest maps showing the gold fields or where they were thought to be. Rare. This is the only copy of the book I have ever seen! Prime British Columbia history”.
Cornwallis was an English lawyer, historian, editor, novelist and poet who travelled to the Northwest Coast in search of gold. He was particularly impressed by Vancouver Island and British Columbia. “The New El Dorado”, published in the same year British Columbia was proclaimed a Crown Colony, is a narrative designed to encourage emigration among the educated classes of Great Britain. Cornwallis felt that British Columbia afforded the highest promise of becoming an important and flourishing colony after the gold rush. Immigration during the rush would serve imperial, social and individual interests. Because of its intent, Cornwallis’ book is both intelligent and diverse. It affords a good picture of life in gold-rush British Columbia and underlines the awkward transition from Hudson’s Bay Company to Imperial rule occurring as the book was written. The appendix reprints a number of letter and legislative documents including “An Act to Provide for the Government of British Columbia, 2nd August, 1858”. - Cuddy & Scott. British Columbia in Books, 1974. p20.

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