—— _Notes on a Journey in America from the Coast of Virginia to the Territory of Illinois. Philadelphia: Richardson_, 1817. Passed through several editions in England. A graphic account of the journey of Birkbeck from 500 miles east of Cape Henry, Va. (April 26, 1817), to Shawneetown, Ill., where on August 2, 1817, he bought 1440 acres of land as a site for his English settlement. Very valuable for information concerning transportation and western conditions. BLANEY, Capt. _An Excursion through the United States and __ Canada during the years 1822-23. By an English Gentleman. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy_, 1824. 16mo. 511 pp. Pages 156-92 tell of the author’s trip across Illinois. He visited Albion and then went to St. Louis overland. The descriptions of Birkbeck’s settlement, the difficulties of prairie travel, and of the frontier life encountered are much above the average of travelers’ reports. BONNER, T. D. _Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth, Mountaineer, Scout, and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation of Indians. Written from his own Dictation. New York: Harper & Bros._, 1858. 16mo. 535 pp. The book deals almost entirely with the region west of the Mississippi, but in 1820 Beckwourth visited Galena. He went from St. Louis with a party led by Col. R. M. Johnson, the object of the party being to gain a mining concession from the Sauk Indians. BRANNAN, JOHN (_Editor_). _Official Letters of the military and naval Officers of the United States, during the War with Great Britain in the Years 1812, 13, 14, & 15. Washington: Way & Gideon, 1823._ 510 pp. A valuable collection. Printed without comment. Pages 84-5 give Capt. Heald’s official report of the massacre at Fort Dearborn, August 15, 1812. The report is in a letter to Thos. H. Cushing, Adjutant General, written from Pittsburg, October 23, 1812. BRODHEAD, Col. DANIEL. _A Letter from Brodhead to Gen. Washington referring to La Balme’s Expedition._ In _The olden Time_, II., 390-91. BUTRICKE, GEORGE. _Affairs at Fort Chartres, 1768-1781. Albany: J. Munsell_, 1864. 10 pp. Reprinted from _Historical Magazine_, VIII., No, 8. Valuable. Several letters written by Geo. Butricke, then stationed at Fort Chartres. Contains interesting notes on Indians, Spaniards, and British. Tells of epidemic. _Calendar of Virginia State Papers and other Manuscripts. Richmond, Va._, 1875-1900. 9 vols. The early volumes have documents of great value concerning the period when Illinois was a part of Virginia. CARTWRIGHT, PETER, _Autobiography of Peter Cartwright, the __ backwoods Preacher. Ed. by W. P. Strickland. New York: Carlton & Porter_, 1857, 16mo. 525 pp. The author was from 1803 to the time of writing his book (1856) one of the most famous circuit riders. His first work was in Kentucky. He came to Illinois in 1823. His views on slavery, which caused his removal, are interesting. A valuable work, especially for giving an insight into the social life of the time.