King (Samuel William). The Italian Valleys of the Pennine Alps: a tour through all the romantic and less-frequented "vals" of the northern Piedmont, from the Tarentaise to the Gries. London, John Murray, 1858. In-8°, publisher's cloth binding; first cover illustrated with a gilt ibex head, spine decorated with gilt title. Discreet stains on the front cover. First edition, illustrated with 6 engraved vignettes in the text, 10 wood-engraved hors-texte plates, a hors-texte plan and 3 fold-out maps. An account of King's 1855 trip to the Pennine Alps, where he and his wife crossed many passes and climbed the main classic lookouts. The work includes numerous historical and archaeological observations, considerations on flora and fauna, geology, etc., and addresses the debate on Hannibal's crossing of the Alps. Ex-libris Peter Obergfell. Old annotations in pencil on the title page and on some inside pages. Some scattered foxing. A good copy of this interesting work; characteristic of the uncommon "pre-golden-age". The Reverend Samuel William King (1821-1868) was a member of the Alpine Club, but his alpine career was brief and limited to a trip to Piedmont and Valais in 1855. He explored the famous Aurignac cave in France in 1865, where he discovered numerous prehistoric remains. In poor health, he died in Pontresina at the age of 47. Perret, 2437 - Neate K23 - ACL p. 176