First edition of this important and highly valuable collection, containing numerous official papers and documents (cf. Sabin 47547. Leclerc 763).
Bound in full marbled tan calf, spines with five raised bands, gilt garlands and richly gilt compartments, red shagreen title-pieces, brown shagreen volume labels, gilt tooling (now slightly faded) to the headcaps, panels framed with double blind fillets, gilt double fillets on the board edges, red edges, contemporary bindings.
Headcaps of volumes two and three shaved, corners bumped and worn, small holes and losses to the leather along the margins of the volumes.
Scattered light foxing, otherwise clean and fresh throughout.
Volume I contains the memoirs on Acadia and the island of Saint Lucia, with a large folding map inserted.
Volume II includes treaties and public acts relating to America in general, and supporting documents for the memoirs concerning the boundaries of Acadia.
Volume III is devoted to supporting documents relating to the ownership of the island of Saint Lucia.
As is often the case, the set lacks volume IV, which was published only in 1757.
The French negotiators were Mssrs. de Silhouette and de La Galissonnière, and for Britain, Mssrs. V. Shirlet and Wm. Mildmay; the failure of the negotiations was one of the contributing factors to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War.