Jean-Baptiste DEPERTHES

First edition.
Half red Russia morocco binding with small corners, spine with four raised bands set with black and gilt fillets decorated with black typographic motifs and a gilt allegory in the center, gilt friezes at head and foot, light scratches of no consequence to joints, marbled boards marginally discolored, pebbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, all edges marbled, contemporary binding.
Ink gift inscription in blue on endpaper, bookplate pasted on facing page.
Handsome copy despite visible adhesive paper offsetting on pastedowns.

New edition after the first published in 1781 by Deperthes in one volume, it is expanded in this edition of 2 volumes. 3 frontispieces and 3 figures by Gossec and engraved by de Lignon.
Half black sheep binding ca 1840. Spine with false raised bands decorated with compartments, roulettes and gilt fillets. Fine copy, particularly fresh.
The work contains accounts of 38 shipwrecks, notably the wreck of the Méduse in 1816, or of L'Alceste in the Gaspar strait in 1817. The first voyage related dating back to 1431, that of Pierre Quirini, on the coast of Norway.