Surveying the Canadian Pacific: Memoir of a Railroad Pioneer

Book details

Details for Surveying the Canadian Pacific: Memoir of a Railroad Pioneer
AuthorRylatt, R.M.
PublisherUniv of Utah Pr
Bindinghardcover
PublishedSeptember 28, 1991
EditionFirst Edition
LanguageEnglish
Pages546
ISBN-100874803616
ISBN-139780874803617
Weight1.8 lb
Dimensions
H × W × L
0.9 in × 6.0 in × 8.9 in

Surveying the Canadian Pacific: Memoir of a Railroad Pioneer

$6.24 $23.89
Availability:
In stock
SKU:
0874803616-4
Condition
Condition notes

Used book in good condition. Pages and cover are intact, with signs of use. Notes or highlighting are possible. CDs and access codes may be missing.

About this book

In 1871 R. M. Rylatt, a former sergeant of His Majesty's Royal Engineers, embarked on a new career as an agent of the Canadian Pacific Railroad Survey, searching for a route that would join British Columbia to the rest of Canada. He kept notes of his two years of expeditionary work, which he later revised and expanded, adding numerous colour sketches and line drawings. These memoirs were compiled in a handsome leatherbound journal, which remained in the family for more...

Read the full description

In 1871 R. M. Rylatt, a former sergeant of His Majesty's Royal Engineers, embarked on a new career as an agent of the Canadian Pacific Railroad Survey, searching for a route that would join British Columbia to the rest of Canada. He kept notes of his two years of expeditionary work, which he later revised and expanded, adding numerous colour sketches and line drawings. These memoirs were compiled in a handsome leatherbound journal, which remained in the family for more than a hundred years before being discovered and subsequently published by the University of Utah Press in 1991. Rylatt's journal provides a valuable first-hand account of the race to mount a transcontinental railway across largely unmapped territory. It is also a great adventure story, full of the trials and tribulations that were so much a part of everyday existence. In one dramatic encounter, Rylatt graphically describes using an axe to cut off three fingers of a troublemaker in camp. Especially gripping, and the most vivid pure adventure, is the last fifth of the diary describing the trip homeward in May of 1873 when, with three horses and a companion, he travels from Jasper across the Continental Divide and down the Thompson River to Kamloops. Readers will be captivated by Rylatt's jaunty but dangerous adventures, told with sly humour and a canny eye for detail. The compelling text and exceptional colour illustrations give life to the efforts of one individual engaged in a grand enterprise to span a nation.


Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the 'Complete Orders' link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.