[CALIFORNIANA]. VENEGAS, Miguel (1680-1764). A Natural and Civil History of California... London: Printed for James Rivington and James Fletcher, 1759. 8vos. Illustrated with four engraved plates, including both frontispieces, plus a folding map of Baja, California. Two volumes. [20], 455; [8], 387 pp. Bound in contemporary full tree calf, both rebacked to style, preserving the original redand green spine labels, spine stamped in gilt with five raised bands. FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH OF THE FIRST HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH GAVE "THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD ITS EARLIEST THOROUGH ACCOUNT OF THE LITTLE-KNOWN AREAS OF THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA..." (Hill). The Spanish edition was published in 1757. 

"First attempt at a history of California. Based, by the anonymous editor, Father Andrés Marcos Burriel, on Venegas' 1739 MS., but incorporating information from other sources..." (Cowan). This book "... contains more on Lower California than almost any other book that had been published in one hundred and fifty years..." (Wagner). "... the foundation of a library of Californiana..." (Cowan).

Some wear to bindings, some occasional scuffing with color correction, rear board of volume II is chipped, two small contemporary ink signatures on each title-page, another signature on first blank of volume I, some toning, light foxing to text, folding map creased at lower edge due to the fact it extends past the lower boards, with a few short tears. Very good.