A Tour of Duty in California:; Including a Description of the Gold Region: and an account of a Voyage around Cape Horn; with notices of Lower California, the Gulf and Pacific Coasts, and the principal events attending the conquest of the Californias

New York: C. S. Francis & Co, 1849. First Edition. Very Good Plus. 12mo [7.5x5in]; [1], vi, [6], 305 pp., [6] advertisements (1-2, 6-7, 10-14), 6 lithographic plates, including frontispiece of illustrations by Revere, fold out map of Harbor of San Francisco by Revere (12x9.75in Neatline, from Beechey 1833 map), six pages of advertisements, illustration in text of proposed State coat of arms by Revere; Recased original publisher Dark brown cloth covers with blind stamp design and borders and gilt lettering on spine, original end papers, all edges trimmed; Minor shelf wear to covers, edges and corners with rubbing and spots to covers, corners slightly bumped, light age toning to edges, The Minnesota Historical Society bookplate with red ink withdrawal stamp on front paste down . Overall a very good scarce book with map and complete plates. [Kurutz 529a, Volkmann Zamorano80 63, Wheat Gold Rush Books 165, Harlow Maps 20, Graff 3474, Hill 1439, Reese West 111]. Joseph Warren Revere (1812-1880) was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy assigned to the Portsmouth in the Pacific squadron. At the start of the Mexican War in 1846, Revere took command the California Battalion in Sonoma, an important community in Northern California at the time. After securing the area, Revere spent time touring the countryside.

This book is an "... essential firsthand account of the takeover and life in California ... filled with thoughtful analysis and conjecture on the future of California ... " [Kurutz in Volkmann]. The book contains one of the best early descriptions of California and the Gold Rush. He left California before the gold discovery, but included Mason's report and extracts of letters from Thomas O. Larkin and comments on the impact of the discovery to California. Revere was the grandson of Paul Revere and was also a talented artist that provided the sketches for this book.