Essais historiques sur l'Inde, précédés d'un Journal de voyages et d'une description géographique de la côte de Coromandel

First edition illustrated with 3 plates (Cf. Rodrigues 1357; Borba de Moraes I, 381; see INED 2496 for the 1774 edition).

Modern binding in brown mottled half calf, spine with four raised bands, gilt rules at head and foot, gilt initials at foot, red calf lettering-piece, marbled paper boards, sprinkled edges.

Stamp of a religious institution on the title page; old bookseller’s label pasted to the facing page.

The Coromandel Coast, European trading settlements, military strongholds, Indian religion, medicine, anatomy, the caste system, Indian manners, clothing, dwellings, gardens, food (and temperance), marriage rites, funerary customs, morality, fauna, flora, etc.

The plates depict: Brahma, god of the Indians. – View of a pagoda tower. – A snake charmer.

Pages 3 to 21 concern Brazil. The author also called at Bourbon Island (pp. 25–27).

"The author travelled in India with the fleet of Count d'Aché and General Count de Lally-Tollendal, who were sent there to reinforce the French position. They called at Rio de janeiro in 1757 and remained there for two months. La Flotte (…) gives a critical and pessimistic account of the manners and customs of the Portuguese in Brazil". Cf. Borba de Moraes.