World tours and great maritime and terrestrial expeditions: atlases, navigation and exploration accounts, distant travels and civilization discoveries

First English edition – printed after the first edition published in Milan in 1959 and the American edition published that same year – on ordinary paper, complete with its original dust jacket.
Publisher's red cloth binding, title and names of author and publisher to spine in gilt. Manuscript inscription, dated February 1964, on the front free endpaper.
Spine of the dust jacket sunned as is often the case, joints of the front board very slightly split, small tears at the head of the front board and a few minute red offsetting to that same board.
Scattered foxing and light browning to the pastedowns and endpapers.

First edition, one of 16 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the deluxe issue.
A very good copy despite a tiny stain on the upper cover beneath the printed title.

Stated fifth edition, illustrated with 316 wood engravings, including numerous plates. This fifth edition is the only one issued in the publisher’s cloth.
Publisher’s binding by Souze. Half red shagreen. Spine richly tooled with a bouquet of flowers, various large tools and special rolls. Boards elaborately decorated with a central gilt panel bearing the American eagle and the motto: E pluribus unum. Broad red and black border with several red and gilt medallions on a black ground. Gilt edges. A few scattered marginal foxmarks. Some rubbing, notably to the headcaps. Corners softened.

A handsome copy in its publisher’s binding.

First edition of the French translation, of which no deluxe copies were printed.

Crease to the upper left corner of the lower cover and the last leaves.

Illustrations.

Precious inscribed copy to Bernard Kouchner: "To my dear friend Bernard always true to his beliefs and a great partner. With deep admiration and affection. Madeleine 15/11/03."

Third edition, the second issued under this title, partly original as it includes several new memoirs and the general tariff of Holland.

See Sabin 47557. Cioranescu 35613. Kress 3019. Not in Goldsmiths or Einaudi. See INED 2306 for the "Grand trésor historique et politique du florissant commerce des Hollandois" (1712).

Amsterdam, Du Villard, Changuion, 1718, 8vo,

Full mottled tan calf, spine with raised bands decorated with gilt fillets, garlands and floral tools (partly faded), red morocco title label, gilt rolls at the head and tail, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillet on board edges, red edges, one lower corner bumped, others slightly rubbed, contemporary binding.

First edition.

Each booklet is richly illustrated with in-text and full-page figures or photographs.

Expeditions in the Mediterranean (1952–1964), including the study of the islet of Grand Congloué, campaigns in the northeastern Mediterranean, along the coast of Provence, and in the Gulf of Genoa.

Campaigns in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean (1951–1954), and in the tropical Atlantic (1956–1962), including missions in the Gulf of Guinea, the Cape Verde Islands, and off the Atlantic coasts of South America. General index for volumes I to XI.

Back cover of the first volume soiled; small tear at the top of the front cover of the third booklet.

A rare and appealing complete set in 11 volumes.

Very rare first run of this fascinating maritime periodical, whose publication, under the direction of the renowned Edouard Corbière (1793-1875), continued until 1838 (a total of 18 issues), before the title was absorbed into the Journal de la marine (see Polak, 6955, who only records and knew of the first volume).

The set is illustrated with 15 plates: 4 lithographed plates hors texte, including one folding plate, for the first volume; 2 hors texte plates, one of them lithographed, for the second; 3 lithographed plates for the third volume; a lithographed frontispiece in each of the following volumes: 4, 5, 6 and 7; and 3 lithographed plates, including a frontispiece, for the eighth volume.

Half olive-green calf with corners, spines slightly darkened, with five raised bands tooled in gilt with floral ornaments in blind and gilt fillets, blind rolls along the edges of the marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns in marbled paper, sprinkled edges, romantic bindings of the period.

Joints cracked and fragile, some head- and tailcaps rubbed or trimmed, occasional foxing.

First and only Castilian edition of these navigation tables, which were nonetheless translated into English as early as 1801.

No copy recorded in the CCF.

Contemporary half vellum with corners, smooth spine tooled in blind with Greek key rolls, rubbed cherry shagreen label with losses, marbled paper boards with scratches and losses, sprinkled edges, period binding.

José de Mendoza y Ríos (1761-1816) was a mathematician and astronomer; he specialised in the field of nautical astronomy.

First edition illustrated with 62 figures in the text or full-page, included in the pagination.

Half green oasis morocco, spine with five raised bands, marbled paper sides, endpapers and pastedowns of marbled paper, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, modern binding signed Laurenchet.

A few small spots of foxing, manuscript ex-dono at the head of the front wrapper.

A pleasing copy.

Second edition of the French translation (Sabin 98442).

Bound in modern pastiche half beige calf, smooth spines ruled in gilt with double fillets, red morocco title labels and brown morocco volume labels, marbled paper boards.

The final two leaves of volume two have been restored, with loss of text: a few letters are missing from page 381, and there is a loss of text on pages 383–384, which comprise the table of contents; occasional light spotting, blind stamps to the lower right corner of title-pages.

Complete set including the atlas, sixth and final volume, illustrated with 17 plates and 9 maps.

A handsome copy of this celebrated voyage of exploration through the Pacific and along the west coast of America.

First edition of this significant publication issued by the Commission of Inquiry tasked with collecting all available data and documentation on the cultivation, production, and sale of tobacco.

Illustrated with numerous folding tables and a folding map of France, printed in lithography by A. Cabassol and bound out of text.

Apparently not recorded in the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Contemporary half calf binding, flat spine rebacked and decorated with gilt fillets, morocco labels in light brown, some rubbing to the spine, marbled paper boards with minor marginal flaws, marbled endpapers, sprinkled edges.

Some spotting to top edge; an embossed ownership stamp appears on the first leaf, with the initials CA in a medallion (possibly Caroline Augusta of the Two Sicilies, Duchess of Aumale?).

Comprehensive alphabetical index at the end of the volume.

First edition of this significant travel account, which retraces a major circumnavigation with key stopovers including Île Bourbon, Pondicherry, Singapore, Manila, Macao, Tourane, the Anambas Islands, Java, Surabaya, Port Jackson, Santiago, Valparaíso, and Rio de Janeiro.

The atlas volume contains 56 plates and maps, 13 of which are hand-colored (cf. Sabin 6875; Borba de Moraes I, 115; Ferguson 2236; Nissen ZBI, 483; British Museum (Natural History) II, 605).

The text volumes are bound in contemporary navy blue half calf, flat spines faded and decorated with gilt and blind-ruled fillets, gilt roll-tooled head- and tailpieces, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, some rubbing to joints, edges and corners. Contemporary bindings.

The atlas volume is bound in contemporary violet half calf over marbled boards, flat spine with gilt and blind fillets, joints split at head and foot, gilt roll-tooled head- and tailpieces, marbled endpapers and pastedowns. Contemporary binding.

Some foxing, mainly affecting the text volumes; corners of the atlas worn; small tear without loss on p. 81 of vol. I.

First edition.

Bound in full cherry red morocco, smooth spine richly gilt with romantic typographic ornaments, gilt roll tooling on the caps, boards framed with double gilt fillets and interlaced motifs with gilt corner fleurons, gilt AO monogram stamped at the center of the boards, gilt garland border on the pastedowns, moiré sky-blue silk endpapers and pastedowns, trace of a removed bookplate on one pastedown, gilt fillets on the edges, all edges gilt, contemporary binding.

The sections relating to the colonies are as follows: Martinique, pp. 199–203; Guadeloupe and dependencies, pp. 204–209; French Guiana, pp. 210–212; Bourbon, pp. 216–220; French settlements in Oceania, pp. 223–224.

Copy from the library of Antoine-Marie-Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1824–1890), youngest son of Louis-Philippe, with his gilt AO monogram stamped at the center of the boards. OHR 2590 (tool not listed).

A very handsome copy, finely bound in a period romantic binding with the Duke of Montpensier's monogram.

Extremely rare volume illustrated with 12 fine full-page lithographs by Ferdinand Perrot.

Contemporary binding in aubergine half shagreen, flat spine decorated with gilt fillets and dotted lines, some rubbing to the spine, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, corners slightly bumped.

Scattered foxing, some leaves toned due to paper acidity, author's name handwritten in white ink at the head of the spine.

Bookplate of A. Hennique mounted on a blank endpaper, with the motto "la vie est un voyage".

Second edition illustrated with two folding plates (cf. Polak 1048).

The first edition was published in 1729.

A hydrographer and mathematician, son of Jean Bouguer, Pierre Bouguer (1698–1758) would later gain recognition for his work on light and geodesy.

Disbound copy.

Complete manuscript of the unpublished French translation by J. Brunet of the monumental « Giurisprudenza marittima-commerciale antica e moderna » by the Milanese lawyer Luigi Piantanida, originally published in four volumes between 1806 and 1808.

Contemporary-style pastiche binding in marbled tan half calf with vellum tips, smooth spine lavishly gilt with decorative panels and gilt Greek key friezes, red morocco title label, marbled paper boards showing minor scuffs.

In the preface, the author traces the history of maritime regulation from its origins, then reviews the various maritime codes, the rights and duties of consuls, the admiralty, captains and crew members, and explains the role of existing jurisdictions, maritime courts and judgments.

At the front, two fine engraved portraits: one of the author, the other of Napoleon I, engraved by Domenico Cavalli.

Inserted is a printed bifolium (8vo, 3 pp.), containing the speech delivered by M. Penieres in response to the presentation made by L. Piantanida of his work to the Legislative Body, Session of November 4, 1808, Paris, Hacquart, (1808).

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece by Ozanne depicting the frigate *L’Aurore*, engraved by Haussard, four plates of instruments, and one folding map at the end of the volume (cf. Polak 2098).

Contemporary-style binding in bronze half calf, flat spine decorated with double gilt fillets, bronze morocco title label with some rubbing, marbled paper boards, modern binding.

In 1767, Coutanvaux was commissioned by the Académie des Sciences to undertake a voyage to the North to test various marine timekeeping systems.

Some light foxing, not affecting the text.

First and unique edition of this work, illustrated with 9 plates engraved by Benard after drawings by Penevert (cf Polak 8371).

Binding in half mottled tawny basane with vellum corners, smooth spine decorated with gilt friezes, black basane title piece partially torn, some rubbing and small holes on the spine, marbled paper boards with small paper losses, contemporary binding.

Some restorations on the spine, corners rubbed.

This work is one of the volumes of the *Description des Arts et Métiers* published at the initiative of the Académie des Sciences.

Author of numerous works on navigation and ships, Romme was a professor of mathematics at the School of Marine Guards of Rochefort. He developed a new method for measuring longitudes at sea, which earned him election as a corresponding member of the Académie des Sciences in 1775.

The plates depict ships with their rigging, as well as various types of sails with the pieces that allow them to be maneuvered: ropes, pulleys, shrouds, etc.

The text is accompanied by numerous tables detailing the technical characteristics of the sails and ends with an explanation of the nautical terms used in this work.

Pleasant interior condition.

First edition, illustrated with 59 drawings by L. Bennet and P. Philippoteaux, 35 facsimiles of antique engravings, and 20 maps or plans. Double volume, AB catalogue for 1880.
Publisher's brick-red cloth binding known as "à La sphère ptolémaïque" (one of the most harmonious designs among Souze's publisher's bindings), bound by Engel. Specially designed cover plaque by Souze. Striking front board with bright gilt. Minor splits at headcaps and rubbed spine ends. Spine in very good condition, with well-preserved gilt lettering.
Rear board of type b, with a central rosette and darkened corner palmettes. Brown endpapers characteristic of the first edition. Foxing on the title page due to the tissue guard, otherwise scattered foxing.
A very attractive copy overall.

First edition, illustrated with 18 copper-engraved plates in the first volume and 22 copper-engraved plates in the second.

Contemporary bindings in green half shagreen, spines with four raised bands, decorated with blind-ruled fillets and double gilt panels with ornamental cornerpieces; minor rubbing to the spines, boards in green paper-covered cardboard with blind-stamped frames and a few minor surface abrasions, heavily bumped corners. Endpapers and pastedowns of white moiré silk slightly soiled at margins as often, all edges gilt.

Foxing.

A compilation of selected excerpts from the most celebrated travel narratives.

Jacques-Bernard Hombron (1798–1852), a naval surgeon, was a close companion of Dumont d’Urville, with whom he circumnavigated the globe aboard the Astrolabe.

First edition, illustrated with 6 photographic plates and 2 folding maps.

This is the text of a lecture given at the Norwegian Geographical Society on 22 September 1937.

A very good copy.

Rare work illustrated with 199 in-text full-page costume plates, as stated in the table (not recorded by Colas. Hilaire p. 14).

Contemporary binding in red half shagreen, spine with four raised bands, triple panels ruled in blind and decorated with gilt central floral tools, some rubbing to the spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, a few small tears to the edges; period binding.

Two leaves have been restored (pages 51 and 147), one marginal tear, otherwise clean and fresh throughout.

A sweeping illustrated survey of the peoples of the world, featuring a substantial section on Oceania.

Among others, it depicts Russians from the Tver region, inhabitants of Siberia, Native Americans, Eskimos, and natives of various Oceanic islands, with their hunting or war weapons, ritual objects, and, for some, their tattoos.

Notable illustrations include a striking plate of a Sandwich Islands warrior and one of a tattooed man from Noukahiwa.

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with a portrait of the author and 29 engraved plates depicting objects, ornaments, coins, plants, and animals (cf. Cordier, Bibl. Japonica, 447. Gay, 3151. Brunet, V, 850).

Contemporary full marbled calf bindings, flat spines richly decorated with gilt typographic tools, gilt roll tooling at head and tail, brown morocco title-pieces, dark green morocco volume labels, gilt roll-tooled borders on boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillets on board edges, yellow edges.

A Swedish botanist and naturalist, Carl Peter Thunberg (1743–1828) studied medicine and natural history at Uppsala and became one of Linnaeus’s most brilliant pupils.

In 1771, he sailed as a surgeon aboard a ship of the Dutch East India Company. Upon arrival at the Cape, he remained in the colony for three years, exploring regions inhabited by the Hottentots and the Kaffirs while collecting specimens of plants and animals. In 1775, he traveled to Java, stayed in Batavia, and eventually reached Japan. He settled on the island of Deshima, in Nagasaki Bay, where the Dutch trading post of the Company was located. There he worked as a physician and obtained permission to botanize in the nearby mountains, where he collected a large number of rare and previously unknown plants, along with many natural history specimens. In 1776, he accompanied the Dutch Company’s director on a visit to the shogun in Edo (Tokyo), allowing him to explore further and gather more botanical samples. He returned to Sweden in 1779. The first volume recounts the voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, his stays at the Cape, and his first journey inland; the second volume describes his second trip along the Kaffir coast, return to the Cape, journey to Java, and arrival in Nagasaki; the third is entirely devoted to Japan: trade with the Dutch and Chinese, government, administration, religion, language, character and portrait of the Japanese, zoological observations, minerals, etc. The final volume continues with Japan: food, festivals, weaponry, agriculture, calendar, etc., followed by the account of the return voyage via Ceylon. It also includes Lamarck’s explanations of the eight natural history plates.

A rare copy of this important travel account.

Provenance: From the library of the Château de Menneval, with armorial bookplates on the pastedowns of each volume.

First edition, comprising the original narrative of the discovery of the Kerguelen Islands, together with a memoir on Madagascar (pp. 154-169), and the portion headed “Observations sur la guerre de l’Amérique” (pp. 121-133, Sabin 3718).

Work illustrated with a folding map bound out of text (“Terres Australes ou partie septentrionale de l’Isle de Kerguelen”), bordered by eight smaller coastal charts or views.

Contemporary full marbled fawn calf, spine tooled in gilt with sawtooth motifs and floral devices; red calf title label with a minor loss at the foot; joints showing rubbing; boards framed in black along the leather edges; gilt fillets on the leading edges, partly faded; red edges.

Spine restored; a scattering of insignificant foxing; faint waterstaining at the top edge towards the close of the volume; a corner loss at the head of leaves 241-42, with the text entirely unaffected.

Seized under the ruling of 28 May 1783 for its dedication “à la Patrie”, the work saw many of its copies eliminated in the aftermath.

Born in Trémarec on 13 February 1734, Kerguelen died in Paris on 4 March 1797. “En mai 1771, il partait pour l'Océan Indien sur le Berryer et arriva en août à l'île de France. Avec la Fortune et le Gros Ventre, il vérifia la nouvelle route des Indes découverte par Grenier puis descendit vers le sud, découvrit en février 1772 les îles de la Fortune, prit possession des terres qui portent depuis son nom et rentra à Brest en juillet 1772. Promu capitaine de vaisseau, il repartit en mars 1773 avec le Roland et l'Oiseau. Arrivé en vue des terres australes en décembre, gêné par le mauvais temps, il dut remonter vers le nord, fit escale à Antongil (Madagascar) et rentra à Brest en septembre 1774 pour être accusé de commerce frauduleux et d'embarquement clandestin d'une jeune fille à son bord. Condamné en mai 1775 à être rayé du corps et emprisonné à Saumur, il fut libéré en août 1778 et arma aussitôt la Comtesse de Brionne à Rochefort avec laquelle il fit la course en mer du Nord” [Taillemite]. 

["In May 1771, he departed for the Indian Ocean on the Berryer and reached the Isle of France in August. With the Fortune and the Gros Ventre, he confirmed the new route to the Indies discovered by Grenier, then sailed south, discovering the Isles of Fortune in February 1772, taking possession of the lands that now bear his name, and returning to Brest in July 1772. Promoted to ship’s captain, he departed again in March 1773 with the Roland and the Oiseau. Upon sighting the southern lands in December, hampered by bad weather, he was compelled to return north, stopping at Antongil (Madagascar), and returned to Brest in September 1774, only to be accused of fraudulent trading and of clandestinely taking a young girl aboard. Condemned in May 1775 to be struck from the service and imprisoned at Saumur, he was released in August 1778 and immediately outfitted the Comtesse de Brionne at Rochefort, with which he cruised in the North Sea."] 

Very rare first edition illustrated with 4 maps and 2 plates out of text: map of Amsterdam Island, map of part of the northwest coast of America, of the northern mouth of Queen Charlotte Sound, plan of Bokerelle port on the northwest coast of America, sea wolves and sea lions (cf. Sabin 61001. Howes 7897. F. Monaghan 1174. Lada Mocarski 89. Gay 272. Ferguson 980. Hill 230. Borba de Moraes II, 663: "A description of Bahia appears in Vol. I").

Scattered foxing. Minor losses and rubbing to joints.

Contemporary full khaki green calf bindings, spines faded and decorated with raised false bands adorned with gilt garlands, dotted lines, and gilt rules, along with blind-stamped typographic motifs, cherry calf labels for title and volume numbers, joints restored, gilt roulettes on caps, gilt and blind garland borders on covers, gilt fillets on edges, marbled edges.

A naval officer, Pierre-François Péron was long involved in the fur trade between the northwest coast of America and China. He notably described parts of California (a journey to Monterey in 1796), Tasmania, New South Wales, Hawaii, and Sumatra. He provides highly valuable information on British Columbia and the Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands. According to Henry R. Wagner, Péron's full name (1769–1840) was Pierre François. He should not be confused with the explorer François-Auguste Péron (1775–1810).

A handsome copy preserved in a charming period romantic binding signed by Duplanil.

First French edition published simultaneously with the octavo edition (more common), by the same publisher. Illustrated with a folding frontispiece, a large folding map of the Cape and 15 plates, some folding. All plates have been bound at the end of volumes I and II.

Contemporary full speckled brown sheep binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label, black morocco volume labels. Double blind fillet to boards. Lacks to joints at head of volume I. Upper joint narrowly split at head and tail of tome I. In tome II upper joint rubbed. Corners restored with leather strips. At the end of the second volume, some leaves browned, otherwise scattered light foxing. Plate 2 of tome 2 poorly folded. Some plates are erroneously captioned tome 3, which would suggest that the octavo edition preceded the quarto edition, the latter being longer to produce.

Illustrated edition with 150 drawings by Riou.

Publisher's catalogue by FN bound in at the rear.

Hetzel publisher's binding "aux deux éléphants" type 3, full red percaline binding signed A. Lenègre, rear board type "e" as identified by Jauzac, original blue endpapers, all edges gilt. Manuscript inscription on the title page, upper right.

Spine lightly faded as is common, headbands slightly collapsed and very lightly split at the extremities, lower corners restored.

Scattered foxing.

The Adventures of Captain Hatteras is an adventure novel recounting an expedition to the North Pole, exploring such themes as the ethnographic study of Hyperborean peoples (the Eskimos) and the harsh struggle for survival in an extreme environment.

First edition, never translated into english, and first issue of the fine steel engravings by Sainson.

The illustrations are distributed as follows:

• for the first volume: 141 plates hors-texte including a frontispiece, and 3 folding maps (Hawaii, Tahiti, and a general map of the voyages).
• for the second volume: 136 plates hors-texte, including a frontispiece, and 4 folding maps (Tonga Islands, Hawaii, Pacific Ocean, general map).
• Bindings in emerald green half polished sheep. Spines with four raised bands, decorated with rocaille tools. Red morocco title labels. Spines uniformly lightened. Minor rubbing.
• The steel-engraved plates, after drawings by M. de Sainson, draughtsman of the Voyage of the Astrolabe, depict various peoples from around the world, means of transport by land and sea, animals and plants, landscapes, etc.
• None of the bibliographies specifies the exact number of engravings. The table at the end of volume II clarifies the matter: the plates appear either as double-page plates (72 and 70 respectively, not counting the portrait frontispieces), or as single-page plates, numbering 144 and 140, as in the present copy.
• Moreover, many copies contain duplicates, which accounts for the considerable discrepancies encountered in collation.
• Some foxing. Title page of volume I with yellowing along the inner margin caused by the presence of restoration adhesives on the verso of the leaf.

Very rare first edition (cf. Ryckebusch 7452).

Four copies are recorded in the CCFr, all in Paris at the BnF: Tolbiac (2), Arsenal and Richelieu.

Spine and boards restored and reattached, with losses to the corners,

A refutation of the memorandum by Baron de Lareinty, former delegate of Martinique, urging the National Assembly to reject the bill establishing trial by jury in the colonies.

Denouncing judicial practices prejudicial to men of colour, this memorandum is jointly signed by four liberal deputies: Victor Schoelcher, Alexandre Laserve and J. François de Mahy, representatives of the island of Réunion in the Assembly, and Philippe Pory-Papy, deputy for Martinique.

Rare, though in worn condition.

First edition.

Contemporary full mottled fawn calf, smooth spine gilt with floral tools and gilt geometric tooling, tan calf lettering-piece, gilt rolls to the headcaps now largely faded, a small loss to the upper headcap, some rubbing to the joints, single blind fillet framing the covers, marbled endpapers, gilt fillets to the edges of the boards mostly worn away, yellow sprinkled edges, corners just a little softened; a period binding.

Sole edition of this history of travel since Antiquity, considered from the standpoint of its benefits to trade and commerce.

The work is nominally presented as a translation, though it is in fact by the Marseille man of letters Marc-Antoine Eidous (1724–1790), one of the industrious but somewhat pedestrian contributors to the Encyclopédie.

Rare first edition, illustrated with a large folding plate containing a hand-coloured map.

Cf. Ferguson I, 814 ("Section 12 deals with Australia and New Zealand"). Not recorded by Sabin and by most other bibliographers.

Bradel case binding in paper-covered boards, beige wrappers, smooth spine with some rubbing, blind title to the spine, original plain wrappers preserved; modern binding.

Small marginal losses to the corners of the first few leaves, not affecting the text.

The plate outside the text offers a world map in which the Protestant areas are shown in pink, together with a detailed list of the various missionary societies by region or city.

Numerous regions are covered: West Africa (especially Sierra Leone), Southern and Eastern Africa (with references to Madagascar and Mauritius), the Black Sea (Constantinople, Odessa and the Edinburgh Society for the Jews), Tibet, China, India, Ceylon; a whole chapter is devoted to Australasia (New Holland (Australia) and New Zealand), and another to Polynesia, with "les 4 grandes îles de George [Otahiti (Tahiti), Eiméo, Tetaroa, et Tapuamanu]; les 5 grandes îles de la Société [Huaheine, Raiatea, Teha, Borabora, et Marua] ; les 11 grandes îles Sandwich, dont la principale est Owhihée", British and Dutch Guiana, the West Indies (Tobago, Grenada, Saint Vincent, Barbados, Dominica, Antigua, Saint-Barthélemy, Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda), the tribes of North America, Greenland, Siberia, etc.

The names of the missionaries in the field are given, together with fascinating details on local conditions around 1820.

The author of this work may be the Swiss pastor and theologian François Samuel Robert Louis Gaussen (1790–1863), born in Geneva to a family originally from Languedoc.

Manuscript ex-libris "Dr Karl J. Lüthi, Bern" on a pastedown.

New edition illustrated with 66 plates and maps printed outside the text, most of them folding: 3 frontispieces, 39 plates and 24 maps, including a world map and charts of the various islands, some printed with coastal profiles, as well as views of ports (Manila, Bahia, Scio), of islands (the Canaries, Cape Verde), monuments, a shipwreck, battle scenes, indigenous peoples, flora (apricot, cocoa), and fauna (birds, fish), together with a curious depiction of the “hippopotamus or sea-horse” (vol. 3, p. 361).

Cf. Sabin, 18382. Borba de Moraes, I, 243-244. Leclerc (1867), 416. Cordier, Bibl. Indosinica, 1459-1460. Boucher de La Richarderie, I, 121-122. Hoefer, XII, 881-885.

Contemporary full blond calf, spines with five raised bands ruled in gilt and richly decorated gilt panels, red morocco lettering-pieces and morocco volume labels in bronze or brown, gilt rolls to the caps, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillets to board edges.

Some restorations to the spines, which show slight differences in their tooling; a few scuffs to the boards and two softened corners.

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with 40 plates outside the text (35 finely hand-coloured), together with 90 wood-engraved vignettes in the text (cf. Sabin 65478. See Printing and the Mind of Man, no. 303, for the third English edition in five volumes.)

Some light spotting; small loss to the first leaf of volume II, affecting the text with the loss of a few words; library shelf labels covering the publisher’s name, printed bookplates and library shelf numbers to the title-pages.

Contemporary half calf, the smooth spines decorated with gilt and blind fillets, black morocco lettering- and volume-pieces; joints cracked and restored, some rubbing to the spines; marbled paper sides, marbled endpapers.

The plates depict human physiognomies from across the globe, the second volume being wholly devoted to the peoples of Africa and of North and South America. A seminal work in the history of historical anthropology: "Prichard's vast researches were directed to 'the physical diversities which characterise different races of men'. They began with his M.D. thesis at Edinburgh, entitled De Humani Generis Varietate, which he expanded in 1813 into the first Édition of the Researches. He concluded that the human race was originally dark-skinned and that the whiteness of the white man developed under the influence of civilization. His conclusion that 'all human races are of one species and one family' was added to the greatly enlarged second Édition of the Researches, 1836, in which the original emphasis on the development of white races from a dark-skinned ancestor was rather played down (…) Prichard spent most of his life as a physician in Bristol. In 1835 he published his Treatise on Insanity, describing for the first time 'moral' insanity as now recognized in English law ; for half a century it remained the standard work on the subject" [PMM].

First edition (cf. Pritzel 6493; Vicaire, Bibliographie gastronomique, 610.)

Some foxing.

Contemporary half green sheep, the spine darkened and decorated with quadruple gilt fillets, red shagreen lettering-piece, joints rubbed, a gilt name at foot of spine, marbled boards, a few small defects to the edges, mottled edges.

An interesting study listing more than a thousand edible plants, including several little-known species that could, to advantage, be more widely used.

An alphabetical index provides the French names with cross-references to their Latin equivalents.

Some ten pages are devoted to coffee and more than twenty to tea; one also notes entries on the opium poppy, banana, avocado, cacao, the West Indian cherry, cassava, mango, Japanese medlar, the Saint-Domingue hazel, “pain de cassave”, pigeon pea, saffron, New Zealand pine, tamarind, the Chinese vampi, etc.

Provenance: "A. Chevalier" lettered in gilt at the foot of the spine.