Voyages de Jean Ovington, faits à Surate, & en d'autres lieux de l'Asie & de l'Afrique

First French edition, after the first English edition of 1696. This edition is much rarer than the English original.
Contemporary full marbled blonde sheepskin binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Beige morocco title label, black wax volume label. Traces of rubbing. Gilt faded on volume labels. Worming to upper board of volume II, also to lower joint at head with losses. Some scattered foxing. Good copy.
18th-century armorial bookplate, Morel Depeisses.
Ovington joined the East India Company and was assigned to a voyage as chaplain in 1689. His voyage made a first stop at Madeira, Ovington already displaying his interest in the religious customs of the Portuguese. After several stops at different islands off the African coast, notably Saint Helena, the ship stopped briefly at Bombay, which the author describes in rather unflattering terms (a place for drunkards and alcoholics). Finally Ovington settled for more than two years in Surat. There he extensively comments on Moghul influence and Muslim and Hindu religions and customs, notably tea drinking and fakirs. His descriptions of English manufactories in Surat are of the greatest interest. One will also find a description of the kingdom of Golconda in India, as well as the Cape of Good Hope.