at this lobbying endeavor, he wrote his Travels ... book, published in 1778. He set up a household with a woman and started a second family in London. The book Carver's book, Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America in the Years 1766, 1767, and 1768, was an immediate success when first published in 1778. A second edition was published in Dublin followed the next year; over thirty editions and versions have been published since in several languages. The publication of this book was a significant event in the history of the exploration of the American West: Carver was the first English-speaking explorer to venture west of the upper Mississippi River. He anticipated the idea of a continental divide. He was the first to mention a large mountain range to the west (presumably the Rocky Mountains) that blocks the westward passage and serves as a continental divide. The name 'Oregon' appears in print in his book for the first time, both in the text, and on one of the maps. Carver penetrated farther into the West than any other English explorer before the American Revolution. He stimulated curiosity concerning routes to the Pacific, with questions later satisfied by Alexander Mackenzie and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The book became immensely popular but the profits did not come soon enough for Carver. He died in poverty on January 31, 1780, in London. In the 20th century, the reliability of Carver's narrative has been debated by scholars; examination of Carver's manuscript journal establishes that it differs in important respects from the published version. More recent research suggests that, while Carver carried out the tour he describes, he suppressed the fact that he performed it as a hired agent of Royal Governor Major Robert Rogers, rather than on his own responsibility. In a 1906 essay published in the American Historical Review, E.G. Bourne summarized his view of Carver's book: "Scholars are in general agreement that much of the work in this volume is an abridgement or adaptation of historical writings by Charlevoix, Adair, and La Hontan. Entire chapters read as near verbatim text from one or more of these other authors." Carver's grant After Carver's death, Dr. John Coakley Lettsom purchased the copyrights to the book. He published a third edition in 1781, "for the relief of the widow and children", Carver's family. Lettsom claimed he had in his possession a deed,