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800 €

Réf : 64988

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François LE VAILLANT

Voyage de Monsieur Le Vaillant dans l'intérieur de l'Afrique, par le Cap de Bonne-Espérance

Chez Les libraires associés, à La Haye 1791, In-8 (12x19,5cm), xx, 274pp. et (2) 287pp. (1), 2 volumes reliés.

Second edition, after the first made in Paris in 1790. It is similarly illustrated with 12 boards including some unfolding and the famous board of the Hottentote apron.
Relliures full sheepskin marbled vintage. Smooth back decorated with 2 florets and 2 boxed urns, wheels. Title pieces in red morocco and tomaison in black morocco. Friction. Upper joint of the volume I opened in tail. Three holes on the back. 7 blunt corners. Some leaflets a little yellow. Good copy.
François Levaillant (1753-1824) is a French explorer and ornithologist. In 1781, the treasurer of the Dutch East India Company sent him to Cape Province, South Africa. He collected numerous copys in the region, yielding more than 2,000 bird skins in France. All his books were a great success across Europe. Its ornithological collection will join the museum of Leiden, France not being purchaser. Some bird names he imagined are still in use. Some time later, species will bear his name, like Levaillant's Cuckoo. In the preface, the author tells of his childhood in Suriname and his first passions as a collector. The book contains interesting descriptions of the Hotentots and Gonaquais, their habits and customs. The book was a great success, probably due to the colorful and adventurous narrative of the author.

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