L'étoile du sud. Le pays des diamants

First illustrated edition. 63 engravings and one map after Benett. CH catalogue in fine.
Publisher's binding called "Aux initiales" in dark green signed Magnier at tail. Second board with blind rosette. Handsome first plate with particularly brilliant gilt. Corners rubbed, and the 2 of the pastedown slightly turned in. Spine with faded gilt. Headcaps rubbed. Traces of rubbing on joints. Blue stamp in the form of a label on half-title. Lescude bookshop label, Pau on pastedown.
Paper overall very fresh, with some pale foxing on title page and on first leaf of catalogue.
Handsome copy.
L'Étoile du Sud is an adventure novel by Paschal Grousset, sold to publisher Hetzel, then reworked and signed by Jules Verne. The action takes place in Griqualand in South Africa where mining engineer Cyprien Méré conducts organic chemistry studies on diamond deposits. He succeeds in creating a synthetic diamond, the black star, which many will seek to appropriate.