Damon, Samuel C.

A Trip from the Sandwich Islands to Lower Oregon and Upper California; or, Thirty Leaves Selected from "Our Log-Book." Honolulu: Printed at the Polynesian Office, 1849



4to (12 1/8 x 10 in.; 308 x 255 mm, partially uncut and unopened). Scattered foxing. Original printed wrappers; some marginal spotting, small chips to spine, sewing lost. Green cloth portfolio, red morocco label on front cover.

Henry E. Huntington Library (duplicate stamp on portfolio)

Cowan, p. 315; Forbes, Hawaiian National Bibliography 1726; Graff 994; Kurutz, Gold Rush 168a; see Streeter sale 4:2564 for journal issue

First separate edition, consisting of original sheets from the Honolulu newspaper The Friend (vol. 7, nos. 6–12,1 Sept.–20 Dec. 1849) issued within printed wrappers; evidently the wrappers seldom survive as issued and the front wrapper is typically described as a separately issued title-page. Damon was the editor of The Friend, but he suspended publication and set out for San Francisco via Oregon on 16 April 1849. Upon his return to Honolulu, he resumed publication, with his narrative taking pride of place in six successive issues.

"Damon's well-written narrative is a classic, and provides an early account of life in the gold mines. He describes the primitive social conditions at the mines, and the racial tensions extant between the various groups of gold seekers. Attention is paid to mining camps and other settlements where he found native Hawaiians living and working" (Forbes). Uncommon and virtually unknown in the original wrappers.