Narrative of A Voyage to California Ports in 1841-42; Together with Voyages to Sitka, the Sandwich Islands & Okhotsk | to which are added sketches of journeys across America, Asia, & Europe

San Francisco: The Private Press of Thomas C. Russell, 1930. First Edition. Near Fine. limited 250 copies, Unumbered, Unsigned, [10.25x7in]; [4], ii-iii [The Russell California Volumes], [facsimile of 1847 map of Simpson route], vi-vii [limitation, manuscript narrative, facsimile last page of 1821 manuscript of Simpson], xix-xxxii [illustration of author for London edition and facsimiles of London and Philadelphia editions title pages], 232 pp., [4], frontispiece illustration of Author, index; Quarter red cloth with dark blue paper covers, paper label on spine with black lettering, pale blue paper end papers, top and bottom edges trimmed; Minimal shelf wea with slight fading of spine. [Hill 1573, Howgego II S25]. George Simpson (c.1787-1860) was the Governor of the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) in North America from 1826 to 1860. He was an administrator and experienced in the Fur trade that managed the HBC affairs from Montreal. he was a strong leader and greatly influenced the development of Western Canada. In 1841, he embarked on a circumnavigation voyage to the including Hawaii, California and Pacific Northwest and wrote "Narrative of a Journey Round the World, During the Years 1841 and 1842". This book, edited by Thomas Russell, is an annotated excerpts of his book focusing on the California ports visited and other areas.

Russell was a long standing printer, publisher and author in San Francisco from the mid-1880's to his death in 1931. This book and his many other books are beautifully written, designed and printed. His research has added to the history of California and the exploration of the Pacific Northwest. The printing were always limited and the early books were numbered, signed with handwritten annotations by Russell. Later books were haphazardly numbered and/or signed by others that acquired his stock after his death.