Jean-François de Galaup LA PÉROUSE

First octavo edition, the second issue following the original quarto published in 1797. Without the atlas. At the end of volume III, tables (68 leaves) of the routes of the Astrolabe and the Boussole.
Contemporary full mottled calf binding. Smooth spine decorated in a grotesque style with lozenges, with roll tooling at head and tail framing the title label. Title and volume labels in black Russia leather. Decorative roll border to the covers. Small loss at the head of volume I, and another at the head of volume IV. Narrow split at the head of volume IV along the upper joint, and at the lower joint of volume I. Upper joints of volumes I and III slightly sunken and somewhat rubbed. Scatt

Very rare first edition (cf Dunmore, p. 16. Ferguson, 225. Forbes, Hawaiian National Bibliography, 285. Gove, The Imaginary Voyage in Prose Fiction, pp. 397-8. Kroepelien, 283. McLaren, 269. Sabin, 38958. Missing from Negley, Utopian literature, and the Dictionary of literary utopias.)

Binding in full marbled calf, smooth spine adorned with compartments and floral gilt motifs, red morocco title label, gilt roulettes on the headbands (partially faded) and on the edges, binding of the period.

A tear with loss on the spine, small crack at the foot of one joint, rubbing on the joints, some foxing, a moisture stain on the first endpaper fading on the following pages, light halos at