An Account of Six Years Residence in Hudson's Bay, From 1733 to 1736, and 1744 to 1747

Author: Robson, Joseph

Published: London; Printed for J. Payne and J. Bouquet , 1752

Description: 8vo, pp vi + 84, 95, with 3 folding maps. Bound in full mottled calf with gilt rules. Small bookplate ("Lavington") on front pastedown and one "From the Wilberforce Library Backsettown" on front free endpaper. Frontis map slightly misfolded, but overall a near fine copy. Robson was a former employee of the Hudson's Bay Company who had worked as a surveyor and "Supervisor of the Buildings" (i.e., construction superintendent). His experiences convinced him that the Company was mismanaging its holdings so badly that all of northern North America would soon be taken over by the French. Hill (1477) describes this account as one of the earliest and certainly the fullest of works that had hitherto been published on the Hudson Bay Territory," and explains that "Robson, with a sound knowledge of the locale and of the personnel of the Hudson's Bay Company, condemned the company for its failure to promote enterprise and development in its lands." The first 84 pages are the narrative, the remaining portion of the book is an appendix giving an account of the discovery of Hudson's Bay and English activities there. The maps are: "A Draught of Nelson & Hayes's Rivers" (Plate I), "A Draught of Churchill River," (Plate II), and "Plans of York and Prince of Wales's Fort," (Plate III, which also includes an illustration of two snowshoe designs). Field 1312; Graff 3532; Sabin 72259; Smith 8728; Streeter VI, 3648, TPL 217, Lande 1418.

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