Voyage autour du monde Principalement à la Californie et aux îles Sandwich, pendant les années 1826, 1827, 1828 et 1829

Voyage autour du monde principalement à la Californie et aux îles Sandwich, pendant les années 1826, 1827, 1828 et 1829 [A Voyage to California, the Sandwich Islands & Around the World]
Chez Arthus Bertrand & Chez D. Lemarchand | Paris & Saint-Servan 1834-1835 | 13,5 x 20,5 cm | contemporary sheep
Rare first edition illustrated with 4 lithographed views from the author's drawings, of which two are frontispieces, representing Monterey in California, the San Luis Rey de Francia mission, the Russian establishment, the Bodega, on the New Albion coast and the Anaroura valley port on the island of Waho [Oahu], which today is the port of Honolulu. This edition also contains 5 tables, one of which is folded.
Bound in half black sheep, covers preserved for the second volume, co.ntemporary binding.
First edition, extremely rare and sought after, of this important trip to California and Hawaii.
Auguste Duhaut-Cilly (1790-1849), initially in the navy under the command of Robert Surcouf, moved to the merchant navy in 1815. As ship captain, he was charged by the group of Parisian bankers, the «Javal Frères» on a commercial expedition to the coasts of Latin America. A second part of this same mission was to repatriate the former King of Hawaii's body, who died of small pox in London, to the Sandwich Islands. At the command of the Héros, a huge 370-ton sailing ship, Duhaut-Cilly left Le Havre in April 1826. After several stops in the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde Islands and Cabo Frio (Brazil), he left for Valparaiso via Cape Horn. At the end of December, he reached Alta California and the latitude of San Francisco where he made a profitable trade. He then went to Monterey where he settled for a while before returning to Peru in 1827 and finally deciding to return to California. From there, he sold all of this merchandise before spending several months in Honolulu. On his return to Le Havre, Duhaut-Cilly published this trip, most of which was written on board the Héros.
«A rare and important work by the captain of a French trading vessel, particularly important for its detailed examination of California during the last phase of its Spanish period» (Forbes, Hawaiian National Bibliography, t. II, n° 882).
«No other traveler had visited so many of the Californian establishments, and his is the best contemporary account of the region. He also describes at some length his 1828 visit to the Hawaiian Islands and includes a vocabulary of the Hawaiian language. The book is a primary source on Mexican California» (Parsons).