I love reading about life in the 18th century in North America, so when I came across this book, recommended by the wonderful people at Townsends on YouTube, I snatched it up to read. It’s the journal of the author J. Carver and his Travels through the Interior Parts of North America.
Title: Travels through the Interior Parts of North America
Series: N/A
Author: J. Carver
Genre: Non-Fiction, Historical
Length: 248 pages
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Publisher: First Rate Publishers
Blurb: The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Rich in titles on English life and social history, this collection spans the world as it was known to eighteenth-century historians and explorers. Titles include a wealth of travel accounts and diaries, histories of nations from throughout the world, and maps and charts of a world that was still being discovered. Students of the War of American Independence will find fascinating accounts from the British side of conflict.
****
Being a huge fan of the Townsends’ YouTube channel, when I came across this book on their website, I purchased it immediately since I enjoy reading about life in eighteenth-century North America.
The author covers everything, from the continent’s first people and their culture to the land and plants, along with the villages he visited.
He goes into great detail about his travels through the interior, leaving no stone unturned. As I read, I could visualize the area he described in great detail and what it must have been like at that time.
The first part of the book is all about the land. He gives vivid descriptions of each area and the many forts. I will admit the detail gets long-winded, and I found myself having to push on. However, my ears perked up when he came to the western part of Lake Superior, Lake of the Woods, and Rainy Lake, my stomping grounds. He gave great accounts about the mighty Great Lake, but skimmed over Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake, much to my disappointment. Still, it was interesting to know he travelled this area at one time. I got to see the area through his eyes.
As for the First People, he was closest with the Dakota, whom he referred to as the Naudowessie (an old term used by the English), along with my people, the Ojibway (whom he referred to as Chipeway, which is a very common term in the US). He gives many descriptions about both cultures, and even does his best to translate many of the words they used. I must say I really enjoyed this part and devoured every detail.
Near the end, he went into detail about the animals in the area at the time, along with the many plants and trees.
His journal was very interesting, something I enjoyed reading. I especially loved that old school style he wrote in, giving me an idea of how they must have spoken at the time. Mind you, these are journals, so his writing was probably more formal than how he spoke on a day-to-day basis.
I highly recommend this read. Do yourself a favour and get a copy. It’s a true account told by one who travelled the land and documented his experiences.
Maggie Blackbird 