Illustrated edition featuring a frontispiece, three plates, and ten engraved maps (cf. Sabin 38397. Borba de Moraes I, 376. Chadenat 115 & 619. Ryckebusch 4986).
Contemporary full mottled calf bindings, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt floral tooling, red morocco title labels and black volume labels (some minor losses), marbled endpapers and pastedowns, red edges, corners worn, gilt fillets on board edges.
Minor defects and worming to the boards, occasional foxing.
Little-known travel narrative, the first to recount a circumnavigation completed by a Frenchman, whose first edition appeared in 1725–1727.
The illustrations include: one frontispiece, three plates, and ten folding maps depicting the bays of Concepción, Valparaíso, Coquimbo, Arica, Ylo, Pisco, and Guacho; the island of Guahan or Mariana; the islands between Manila and Formosa; the Strait of Sunda; a Chinese funeral procession; a large pagoda on the island of Emouy; and Midnight Mass in a convent of nuns.
Likely a native of Saint-Malo and intent on seeking his fortune, Le Gentil set sail from Cherbourg in August 1714 bound for South America. Arriving in Concepción (Chile) in March 1715, he travelled along the coast, engaging in trade in various cities.
He later chose to continue his commercial activities in China. In March 1716, he departed from Guacho near Lima (Peru) and reached Guam (the main island of the Marianas), where he was welcomed by the local populations and observed their ceremonies. In June 1716, he arrived in Emouy (Hia Meng), in Fujian province, southern China—at the time, the only port open to European trade. He remained there for eight months, developed a close relationship with the chief of the Buddhist monks, and received many curious and detailed accounts from Father Laurenti, an Italian missionary.
On his return journey, he stopped on the island of Mascarin (Île Bourbon) from February to July 1717, then at San Salvador (Brazil), before returning to France via Spain in 1718. Cf. Hoefer, XXVIII, 322. Though he returned no wealthier than he had departed, “the conscientious and engaging publication of his travels at least earned him modest comfort” (Larousse du XIXe siècle). His account, composed as a series of letters to the Count of Morville, Secretary of State, is rich in detail and observations.
A good copy in a contemporary binding.
Provenance: manuscript ex-libris “Monnet” on the title-pages; printed bookplates of Robert J. Hayhurst on the front pastedowns.