Sub-Saharan Africa

First edition of this paper on cassava and the cultivation of peanuts, read before the General Assembly of the Royal Aragonese Society on 22 August 1800.

Our copy is preserved in modern plain beige wrappers, with a few insignificant spots of foxing.

From the library of the comte de Lasteyrie du Saillant, the renowned agronomist, with his red printed stamp on the title-page.

First edition, illustrated with 39 double-page colour maps.

Publisher’s binding of brown textured cloth backed with matching corners, smooth spine without lettering, showing rubbing with some fraying to the cloth; title stamped to the upper board; marbled endpapers; corners worn. Publisher’s binding.

Scattered, insignificant foxing; the table of contents leaf is creased; a dampstain with discoloration and paper loss to the foot of the rear board.

This is the last of the major general atlases of the French colonies to appear before the upheavals of the Second World War. Through both text and cartography, it offers an exceptionally comprehensive survey of France’s overseas possessions, each geographical area being treated in a separate section (North Africa, French West Africa, French Equatorial Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarenes, Indochina, Oceania, the Antilles, the French Mandate in the Levant), concluding with a substantial index.

The son of the explorer Maurice Grandidier, Guillaume Grandidier (1873–1957) was above all a geographer, and — like his father — a specialist on Madagascar.

Laid in: Study map of the principal transport routes of Central-West Africa (southern Sahara), a large folding map (with significant paper loss along one fold).

Second edition, partly original as it was revised and enlarged, and the most complete form of this celebrated manual of local law for the island of Réunion (cf. Ryckebusch 2407; Toussaint & Adolphe D439).

The work is illustrated with three folding tables inserted out of text (two in the fifth volume, one in the last).

Contemporary half-sheep bindings in dark green, smooth spines gilt-tooled with dotted ornaments, fillets and garlands, gilt rolls at head and foot, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges.

Some rubbing to a few headcaps and spines, the upper headcap of the sixth volume torn, restorations to several spines.

New edition and the first printing of Jacques Tardi’s illustrations.
Publisher’s full white boards, smooth spine.
A handsome copy.
Presentation inscription, dated and signed by Jacques Tardi to Joëlle Passani, enriched with an original black-felt drawing depicting, in a small vignette, a sorrowful-faced Bardamu.
 

First edition published anonymously, the work of the Bayonne man of letters Coste d'Arnobat (1732–1808), probably based on accounts provided by English merchants (cf. Barbier IV 1060).

Contemporary half sheep in dark brown, smooth spine tooled with gilt floral motifs, gilt initial “V” at the foot, some rubbing to spine and joints, a small marginal loss at the head of the spine, marbled paper boards, yellow sprinkled edges.

A dampstain affecting the folds of the final ten leaves.

An account of Bambouc, a region of Upper Senegal particularly noted for its gold mines and inhabited by the Mandinka people.

This narrative, later translated into German, offers highly valuable information on the activities and customs of the Malinké of Upper Senegal. Coste appended to it an essay on the Indian castes (pp. 65–113), “d’après les mémoires d’un savant observateur qui a vécu trente ans dans l’intérieur de l’Inde,” followed by two further dissertations on Holland (pp. 117–312) and on England (pp. 315–358), countries he visited in 1774.

Uncommon first edition.

An early controversy over the skin color of the first known anthropoids, marked by sharply divided opinions rooted as much in common preconceptions as in anthropological analysis.

All participants in the debate were recognized authorities in their respective fields: Pierre-Toussaint Marcel de Serres de Mesplès (1780–1862) in geology; Pierre Lacour (1778–1859) in art history and techniques; and Charles Des Moulins (1798–1875) in botany.

Minor tears and slight losses at the corners of the wrappers, without affecting integrity.

Manuscript ex-libris “La Neufville” at the head of the front cover.

Rare first edition.

Only two copies recorded in the CCFr (BnF and Lyon).

Modern full grey paper Bradel binding, smooth spine, long paper spine label, sprinkled edges.

At the time of publication, this pamphlet stood far ahead of contemporary thinking and anticipated the formation of the Second French Colonial Empire in Africa: assuming that France would retain and expand its recent conquest of Algiers, the author advances the notion of a French civilising mission among the Black populations of Africa, whom he considers with notable intelligence and openness.

Jean-François-Aimé Peyré (1792–1868) served as a judge at the civil court of Villefranche-sur-Saône.

First edition of this collection of political speeches.

Full red percaline binding, smooth spine without lettering showing slight rubbing, gilt inscription stamped to the upper cover: "République de Guinée R.D.A. à S.E. Jean Paul Sartre. N°30"; endpapers partly toned, a contemporary presentation binding offered to Jean-Paul Sartre.

Frontispiece photographic portrait bearing the autograph signature of President Ahmed Sékou Touré: Secretary General of the Parti Démocratique de Guinée, Supreme Leader of the Revolution.

Manuscript of 83 leaves of this French–Bunda dictionary, probably unpublished and unsigned.

This manuscript is certainly the first French–Bunda vocabulary (cf. Gay 3068 and Brunet I-1544).

Half red shagreen binding, spine with four raised bands ruled in black, gilt date at foot, minor rubbing to spine, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, contemporary binding.

First edition of the French translation (cf. Gay 368).

Rare copy preserved in its original wrappers, complete with the accompanying atlas volume containing 7 maps, including 2 large folding ones.

Some light foxing, a few marginal tears to the wrappers of the atlas volume.

The English geographer Hugh Murray [1779-1846] devoted many years to enlarging and completing this work begun by the English orientalist John Leyden [1775-1811].

Rare first edition of three scientific reports from the zoological exploration mission of Guy-René Babault (1883-1963), corresponding member of the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, carried out in present-day Kenya and Uganda in 1913. 

The set comprises: Volume 1: Insectes coléoptères. Cicindelidae, by Guy Babault. – Volume 2: Insectes coléoptères. Fam. Carabidae. Subf. Anthiinae, by G. Bénard. – Volume 3: Étude d'une collection d'oiseaux de l'Afrique orientale anglaise et de l'Ouganda, by A. Menegaux, with field notes by Guy Babault. 

The first volume includes illustrations in the text and one hand-colored entomological plate with tissue guard and facing leaf of legends; the second volume contains one hand-colored entomological plate with tissue guard and facing legends; the third and final volume features six hand-colored ornithological plates with tissue guards, together with a large folding colored map bound at the end. 

Spine and boards marginally faded or sunned, internally well preserved. 

Rare first edition (cf. Sabin 28075).

The CCFr records only 2 copies: Paris (BnF) and Saint-Geniez-d'Olt (Aveyron).

Spine discreetly restored, small corner losses to soiled boards, author's name crossed out in ink on the title page, some foxing.

This study, intended to reconcile the interests of France, the Black population, and the planters in the question of the emancipation of slaves, comprises the following sections: I. Usefulness of the colonies. – II. Opposing influences on the colonies. – III. Systems [of emancipation]. – IV. Compensation. – V. Religious means. – VI. Present moral state of the colonies. – VII. Free labor. – VIII. The mulattoes. – IX. Comparison between various forms of slavery.

Opposed to the immediate abolition of slavery, the author emphasizes the role of religion in achieving the emancipation of Black people. A journalist and polemicist writer, Gougenot des Mousseaux (Coulommiers, 1805 – ibid. 1876) is known for his works on magic, esotericism, and secret societies.

An ultramontane Catholic, antisemitic and legitimist, he opposed political and dynastic Orléanism.

Edition decorated with a portrait frontispiece, 24 plates, and a folding map at the end of the volume.

Publisher’s full blue cloth binding, blind-stamped, smooth spine gilt-tooled, blind-stamped illustrations on the front cover, gilt dentelle framing on the pastedowns, gilt edges. A handsome copy in its publisher’s binding.

First edition, large octavo, illustrated with 78 engravings together with 12 chromotypographic plates by George Roux and 2 coloured maps.
Publisher’s binding by Hetzel in full red cloth signed A. Lenègre, with the "portrait collé" design: the upper cover signed Souze, polychrome, depicting various means of transport (balloon, locomotive, ships), with a sepia-toned portrait of the author mounted at the centre, and various navigational instruments highlighted in gilt in the foreground; lower cover of type "e" as recorded by Jauzac; spine decorated with several gilt and coloured illustrations; original blue endpapers; one upper corner slightly crimped; all edges gilt. HF catalogue at the end.
Some light scattered foxing.
A maritime adventure recounting a treasure hunt, leading the hero from Tunisia to the Gulf of Guinea, then to Scotland, the island of Spitzbergen, and finally to Sicily.

First edition of one of the most important revolutionary publications against the African slave trade and the first manifesto of the Society of the Friends of the Blacks, founded in February 1788 by Jacques-Pierre Brissot, Étienne Clavière, and Mirabeau, barely nine months after the London Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, which served as their model.
 

 

Subscription prospectus issued in the format of the work, with 2 black-and-white reproductions in the text and 2 colour plates hors texte.

A fine copy.

Illustrated edition with a frontispiece and 60 in-text engravings.

No copy listed in the CCF.

Publisher's brown cloth binding, flat spine, spine and covers decorated with gilt African-inspired motifs, blind-stamped border on covers, marbled edges, minor bumping to lower corners.

A pleasing copy.

This work is a popular biography of David Livingstone, focused solely on his African expeditions, intended for a German-speaking readership.

First edition on ordinary paper.

A moving and appealing copy.

Fine signed autograph presentation inscription from Dominique de Roux to his brother: "Pour mon cher Xavier père et maître des circonvolutions de ce récit. Et sans qui la vie n'aurait aucun sens. Affection fraternelle. Dominique."

First edition illustrated with a large folding map of Algeria outside the text, together with a portrait frontispiece.

Gay 938: "le fait capital du volume est la prise de Constantine."

Pleasing copy.

First edition, printed in a very small number of copies of this offprint from the Journal de l'agriculture et des pays chauds, 1865-1866; cf. Berger & Rey, p. 232. Not cited by Pritzel.

Bradel binding in full green boards, smooth spine, black shagreen lettering piece, modern binding.

Dr. Victor Pérez was a physician in Laguna (Tenerife) and Dr. Sagot (1821-1888) was a former surgeon in the Imperial Navy.

Pleasant and rare copy.

First edition (a second edition appeared in 1896) illustrated with 6 facsimiles and a large folding map.

Not in Tailliart.

Foxing, spine cracked with small losses, a few corner defects to the boards, also lightly soiled at the margins.

Adolphe Hanoteau (1814-1897) pursued his entire military career in Algeria, attaining the rank of brigadier general; he devoted most of his work to the study of the Kabyle language, customs, and institutions. Tamasheq is a Tuareg language spoken primarily by the Tuaregs of Mali.

First edition, no copies printed on deluxe paper.
Illustrated, a pleasant copy

Precious and very fine autograph inscription, dated and signed by Samuel Mbajum: "Paris, 30 June 2014, au ministre Bernard Kouchner, avec ma sympathie pour votre combat humanitaire, en espérant que vous m'aiderez à plaider le plus largement possible la cause de ces oubliés de l'histoire franco-africaine, et aussi des débats sur la commémoration de la Grande Guerre."

Rare first edition of the French translation established by P.-F. Henry. (Gay 2683.)

Some occasional light foxing.

The work also includes an oblong quarto atlas, in which map no. 6 has been bound upside down, containing 33 engraved plates and maps (1 to 32 plus 1bis) based on the author's original drawings.

The illustrations comprise 8 maps or plans and 25 plates depicting a variety of subjects: views, portraits, inscriptions, buildings, hunting scenes, animals, etc.

As is frequently the case, our copy lacks the out-of-text plate in volume 2 showing ancient inscriptions.

In 1809, Henry Salt was sent on a diplomatic mission to Abyssinia to establish trade relations with England. During this, his second journey to the region, he traveled along the eastern coast of Africa, visited Portuguese colonies, and collected extensive data on the hydrography of the coastal areas. In addition to the travel narrative, the work includes several vocabularies of African tribes ranging from Mozambique to Egypt: Makua, Monjour, Somali, Hurrur, Galla, Darfur, Amharic, Tigrinya, etc.; it also contains notes on Abyssinian birdlife and rare plants.

A handsome copy preserved in its original publisher’s wrappers, with plain covers and title labels pasted at the heads of the spines (minor marginal flaws to the plain covers, without significance).

First edition, illustrated with 27 engraved plates (13 in the first volume and 14 in the second – plates 1–7 mistakenly bound after plates 8–14), cf. Ryckebusch 4989. Toussaint et Adolphe D 903. Gay 3239. Robertson 129.

Full mottled fawn calf bindings, flat spines gilt with triple fillets and floral tools (gilding partly faded), gilt roll tooling to headcaps, cherry morocco title and volume labels, plain endpapers with some usual marginal soiling, marbled edges. 19th-century bindings presented in two modern custom slipcases.

Joints restored, internally clean and well-preserved.

The astronomer Guillaume Joseph Hyacinthe Jean-Baptiste Le Gentil de La Galaisière (1725–1792), a student of Jean-Dominique Cassini, spent nearly ten years in India and travelling through the Indian Ocean region.

"His work contains valuable information on currents, tides, monsoons, etc. He introduced knowledge of the Hindu zodiac and Brahmanic astronomy, and noted its concordance with Chaldean science" (Hoefer).

The second volume is entirely devoted to the Philippines (pp. 1–366, plates 1–5), Madagascar (pp. 367–628, plates 6–10), and the islands of France and Bourbon (pp. 629–844, plates 11–14).

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.

First edition of the French translation of this celebrated travel account.

Our copy is complete with the accompanying atlas volume, which includes 19 plates and maps.

The three text volumes are bound in bottle-green half shagreen, smooth spines with gilt fillets and broad black rules, gilt ornamental rolls at head and foot of spines, minor rubbing to the spine of the first volume, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, original wrappers preserved, edges untrimmed.

The atlas volume, also preserving its original wrappers, is bound in a modern pastiche binding in the style of the text volumes.

Some foxing; joints of the first volume are split at head and tail of upper board.

The plates depict indigenous peoples, landscapes, weapons, utensils, and more.

First edition, illustrated with 69 full-page color plates.

Published under the authority of the Governor General of French West Africa, Mr. W. Ponty.

Includes a double-page general map of the buoyed section of the Senegal River, plans of the ports of Saint-Louis and Kayes, four signaling plates, examples of river marking, a flood gauge, and a detailed chart of the buoyage system across 57 plates, all in color.

Spine warped with black stains at midsection, a few small spots of foxing, black stains along the left margin of the lower cover with minor corner losses.

First edition of this work, primarily focused on Dieppe sailors and trade, which includes particularly compelling passages on the discovery of the Canary Islands, the exploration of the West African coasts, and expeditions to Sumatra (see Frère I, 436).

Contemporary-style binding in half tan shagreen, smooth spine gilt-tooled with double fillets, decorative rolls and black fillets, pebble-grain paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, modern binding.

Some foxing, mostly at the beginning and end of the volume.

Born in Eu, Louis Estancelin (1777–1858) served as deputy for the Somme from 1830 to 1846.

First edition and rare collection of the first 12 issues of La Revue de Madagascar, preserved in unusual bindings of incised and stained leather, decorated with Malagasy landscapes and views.

The issues are illustrated with numerous photographic reproductions.

Contemporary full mahogany-stained and incised sheep bindings, spines faded, with four raised bands and tooled decorative motifs, cold-stamped dates and volume numbers, the last volume unlettered; large African-style ornamental designs on the covers (each of the three covers is different) with incised titles; original wrappers bound in. Period bindings dated and signed by Ramanakanja, 1935.

A slip inserted in the first issue states: “La Revue de Madagascar remplace le Bulletin économique trimestriel (partie documentation).” “La Revue de Madagascar, publication officielle et luxueuse du Gouvernement Général, se plaît aussi à publier des textes littéraires” (Jean-Louis JOUBERT, Littératures de l’Océan indien).

Some rubbing to the spines; the decorative designs on the third and final volume are partially faded.

Rare early run of this scarce journal, bound in a striking African-inspired incised leather binding.

First edition illustrated with 4 engraved plates by Ambroise Tardieu (portrait of Diai-Boukari in marabout attire from Foutatoro, view of the Foutatoro army on the march, view of the sources of the Rio Grande and the Gambia, view of Timbo); and a large folding map at the end of the first volume, copy signed by the author on the verso of the title page of vol. I.
Contemporary half calf bindings, spines decorated with gilt roll tooling in place of raised bands, title and volume labels in red calf, paper covered boards, speckled blue edges, small wormhole to the lower hinge of the first volume.
Shortly after the Treaty of Paris returned Senegal to France, Mollien—a mere naval clerk and survivor of the Medusa shipwreck—was sent to Africa by the French government on a geographical and political mission Sent to explore the sources of the Senegal and Gambia rivers, Mollien was also tasked with countering British expansion in the region. At the end of volume 2 are found an itinerary and glossaries of the Iolof (Wolof), Poule (Peul), and Serer languages, along with geographical observations on Mollien's discoveries by Eyries.

Rare first edition including a general map of Africa, compiled from the most reliable observations and the latest discoveries, as well as 8 finely engraved plates (cf. Clozel 505; Gay 2897).

The 8 illustrations comprise: one folding view, three folding maps and plans, a key chart for the plan of Gorée, and three portraits of indigenous figures.

Some restorations and water stains affecting a few leaves.

Contemporary half calf binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt garlands, floral tools, and urns; red morocco title and volume labels, marbled edges.

Born in Colmar, Sylvain-Meinrad-Xavier de Golbéry (1742–1822) spent his entire military career in the Corps of Engineers.

The journey he recounts here—published belatedly—was commissioned by Louis XVI and took him through regions corresponding to present-day Senegal and The Gambia.

First edition of the French translation established by Lallemant, illustrated with 3 folding maps with hand-colored outlines (cf. Gay 2788).

Bradel binding in full pink paper boards, smooth spine with laterally mounted paper title labels, contemporary binding.

Headcaps trimmed, some wear to the edges, marginal soiling on the lower cover, occasional foxing throughout.

Scottish surgeon and explorer Mungo Park (1771–1806) reached Pisania (Gambia) during a first expedition to Africa (1795–1797), where he stayed for a time to gather information on the Mandingo people and language. He then continued his journey to the Niger River, ascending it as far as upstream from Ségou; however, hostility from the Moors forced him to turn back. Irish explorer Daniel Houghton (1740–1791) undertook an expedition in 1790, commissioned by the African Society of London, aiming to reach Timbuktu via the Niger. He only got as far as the Falémé River and was likely killed by the Bambara people. Determined to reach Timbuktu after Houghton's failure, Mungo Park embarked on a second journey (1805), during which he died on the Niger.

First edition, illustrated with 6 maps and 89 engravings after the author's drawings.

Contemporary navy blue half shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands ruled in gilt, small tear at head of spine and minor rubbing, gilt stamp of the Join-Lambert institution in Rouen to the centre of the upper board, cold-stamped fillet frame on navy blue paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges.

Some light foxing, mainly at the beginning and end of the volume; school price label affixed to one pastedown.

A well-preserved copy.

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece, 6 folding maps, 24 plates out of text, and 95 in-text reproductions.

Bradel binding in full blue cloth, cherry shagreen title label, original wrappers and spine preserved.

The botanist and biologist Auguste Chevalier (1873–1956) undertook numerous expeditions to Africa, Asia, and South America after earning his doctorate in 1901.

A handsome copy.

Inscribed and signed by Auguste-Jean-Baptiste Chevalier to Madame P. Lemoine at the head of the title page.

Rare first edition (cf. Quérard IV, 457. Not listed in Gay.)

Bradel binding in full paper-covered boards marbled by hand, smooth spine, red morocco title label, minor stains in the lower margins of the first two pages.

The renowned astronomer explores the Niger and the feasibility of crossing Africa from Senegal to the Red Sea.

New edition of the French translation, illustrated in the first volume with a folding map of India with hand-colored borders, printed on bluish paper; and in the second volume with a folding map of Arabia, also printed on bluish paper (see Gay 83 and Lorin 2065 for the first edition of 1786).

Contemporary full speckled calf bindings, spine with five raised bands, gilt-tooled compartments with floral motifs, red morocco title and volume labels, gilt roll tooling at head and foot of spine, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges.

Library stamps to title pages, shelf labels at foot of spines, some rubbing to spines and covers with minor surface losses, internally clean and fresh.

Pages [283] to 414 of Volume II contain Capper’s account of the journey to India via Egypt and Arabia. "Capper was in the East India Company service from an early age. The text of his work is in two parts - a letter describing the voyage from India via the Red Sea, Suez and Egypt, and a journal of the route from India through the Arabian desert via Mesopotamia to Aleppo. At this time there was unofficial interest in opening a new route to India through Egypt - the two standard routes being via the Cape of Good Hope or through the Euphrates Valley - and some attempts were made to use this route. Irwin was forced to use the Egypt-Suez route ; Capper is advocating it" [Leonora Navari].

First edition of the French translation by David Durand, illustrated with 5 plates (4 folding), including a genealogical chart (cf. Brunet IV, 1203. Hage Chahine, 3949).

Contemporary full stiff vellum, spine with five raised bands, lower joint split, black morocco lettering-piece, bumped corners.

Some inevitable soiling due to the binding, light foxing to initial and final leaves, ff. 107–108 and 109–110 restored and trimmed short.

The De Religione Mohammedica was first published in 1705, and reissued in 1717 in an expanded edition.

The Dutch orientalist Adriaan Reland (1676–1718) pursued a broad range of scholarly interests, but this presentation of the Muslim religion—based on authentic Islamic sources—is considered his most important work.

First edition, illustrated with a fine engraved frontispiece portrait of Cardinal Casanate, signed by Pet. Paul Bouché, an Antwerp engraver born around 1646 [cf. Bénézit].

Gay 1464.

This engraving is lacking in the copy held by the Bibliothèque nationale.

Contemporary full brown calf binding, spine with five raised bands, compartments decorated with gilt floral tools, gilt fillets on board edges, mottled edges.

Restorations to the spine, dampstain to the outer margins of the opening leaves, some leaves slightly yellowed.

“Another edition of this work by Emmanuel Schelstrate, published in Antwerp in the same year, is recorded.”

The author published this treatise to demonstrate that the Church of Africa and its most eminent pastors had always acknowledged the Pope as patriarch. This valuable history of the African Church, its heresies and its councils, also includes a list of bishops from the provinces of Numidia, Byzantium, Mauretania, Tripolitania, and Sardinia. Emanuel van Schelstrate [1645–1692], the Antwerp antiquarian and theologian, was a staunch defender of papal prerogative. A learned scholar, he served as canon and precentor of Antwerp Cathedral before being called to Rome, where Pope Innocent XI appointed him custodian of the Vatican Library and canon of St. John Lateran.

Library stamp to title page.

Autograph inscription signed by Edouard Imbenotte to Abbé Griselle (circa 1910) in black ink on the front pastedown.

To our knowledge unpublished autograph letter signed by Ernest Hemingway to Roberto Herrera Sotolongo, 2 pages in blue ink on both sides of a sheet, and envelope postmarked September 19, 1953 with his autograph return address ("E. Hemingway...") on the back.

The letter begins in Spanish and continues in English, before ending with a few Spanish words signed "Mister Papa".

A magnificent letter from Hemingway to his Cuban friend and secretary, recounting his 1953 safari in Kenya. Hemingway reveals the true outcome of the hunt for the black-maned lion, a central theme of his posthumous novel True at first light (1999) later published as Under Killimanjaro (2005).

The writer shares his encounters with a giraffe and an impala, as well as unpublished spear hunts with the Masai, reconnecting with the emotions of his first African adventure twenty years earlier which had inspired classic parts of the Hemingway canon – The Green Hills of Africa, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short happy life of Francis Macomber.

He also recalls a family tragedy: a rare attempt at reconciliation from his third child Gigi, who was suffering from gender dysphoria.

First edition of the French translation for volumes 2, 3 and 4; second edition of the French translation for volume 1. (Not listed by Gay).

A few occasional spots, not affecting the overall freshness of the copy.

Bound in uniform olive green half percaline, smooth spines with gilt floral device and double gilt rules at foot, boards covered with decorative patterned paper, mauve endpapers and pastedowns, inner hinges discreetly restored with adhesive or partly split, all edges red.

Illustrated with 53 black plates comprising 92 engravings, 4 chromolithographs, a fine folding map of Northern and Central Africa showing the explored areas and the route taken, and a frontispiece portrait of the author.

Illustrations distributed as follows:

Volume 1: a frontispiece portrait of the author and one colour plate.

Volume 2: (pagination jumps from 164 to 167 without loss), one colour plate and 18 black plates.

Volume 3: one colour plate.

Volume 4: one colour plate, 35 black plates, and a large folding colour map.

The four colour plates are titled: Taepe, point of confluence of the Benue and Faro rivers, 13 June 1851. – Herd of elephants near Lake Chad, 25 September 1851. – Arrival in Timbuktu, 7 September 1853. – Ashenoumma, 17 June 1855. Lithographed after the author's drawings and printed by J. Adam in Munich.

Note: the first black plate in volume 2 and the colour map in volume 4 need to be remounted.

Conducted between 1850 and 1855, Henri Barth's explorations "resteront à jamais célèbres dans les annales de la géographie": he provided accurate data on the entire region of Central Africa stretching from Bagirmi in the east to Timbuktu in the west, discovered the Benue River, and more.

A handsome, uniformly bound copy of this much sought-after work.

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, of this excerpt from the Magasin de zoologie, d'anatomie comparée et de paléontologie, published by M. Guérin-Méneville in October 1845.

Contemporary bottle green full shagreen binding, flat spine with gilt fillets and no lettering, single gilt fillet frame on covers, title gilt-stamped in the center of the upper cover.

Illustrated with 3 hand-colored plates numbered 59–61 at the end of the volume.

This is the last text published during the lifetime of the great naturalist Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent (who died on 22 December 1846); L'Exploration scientifique de l'Algérie appeared largely posthumously.

Some occasional light foxing.

First edition, one of 40 copies printed on pur fil paper, this one numbered 1, the only copies on deluxe paper.

Complete with the folding map at the end of the volume.

A handsome and rare copy, untrimmed, of this work dedicated "To the glory of those who fell and those who prevailed, workers, soldiers, and commanders."

Preface by Marshal Franchet d'Esperey.

Second edition of the French translation, complete with its folding map at the beginning of the volume.

Scattered light foxing, otherwise a well-preserved copy.

Preface by Édouard René Lefebvre de Laboulaye.

Bound in contemporary chocolate-brown half morocco, spine with five raised bands ruled in black, double blind fillets framing the marbled paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, red top edge, slightly rubbed corners, bookplate affixed to a pastedown.

French translation of The Lost Continent: or, Slavery and the Slave Trade in Africa by the Quaker abolitionist Joseph Cooper (1800–1881).

The work is of particular interest for its early recognition that indentured labour, which emerged in the wake of successive abolition movements, often perpetuated the logic and practices of slavery under new forms.

Provenance: from the library of Emmanuel Mancel, with his engraved bookplate by Trouchou pasted on a pastedown.

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, one of 15 copies printed on pure Arches wove paper, the deluxe issue.

A fine copy of this work dedicated by Paul Vialar to the President of Côte d'Ivoire, Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

Rare first edition illustrated with 10 splendid full-page colour plates by John Gerrard Keulemans, lithographed, hand-coloured and gum-finished (cf. Not in Gay. Nissen, Illustrierten Vogelbücher, 74. Anker, Bird Books, p. 69. Unrecorded by Ronsil, Bibliographie ornithologique française. Zimmer, p. 39).

Contemporary half brown morocco over marbled boards, spine with five raised bands, slightly faded, gilt lettering with date and place at foot, corners in morocco, orange endpapers and pastedowns. Minor rubbing to spine.

"Portugal too, has contibuted to the knowledge of african avifauna, for instance in the work 'Ornithologie d'Angola' […] an important monograph on the birds inhabiting the Portuguese possessions of Central and West Africa" (Anker, p. 69).

José Vincente Barboza du Bocage (1823–1907), Portuguese politician and zoologist, served as director of the National Museum of Zoology in Lisbon. He was unrelated to the French geographers of the Barbier du Bocage family.

John Gerrard Keulemans (1842–1912) was "one of the greatest foreign wildlife artists, illustrator of many of the finest English works" (Ronsil, L'Art français dans le livre d'oiseaux).

The title page of the first instalment (1877) has been preserved and bound in before the final title page (1881).

Autograph dedication by José Vincente Barboza du Bocage on the title page: "British Ornithologists' Union hommage de l'auteur". Old pencil annotations to the list of plates. A handsome copy.

First edition, illustrated with a folding map and 11 tinted lithographic plates (cf. Gay 3137).

Contemporary half aubergine sheep, smooth spine ruled and lettered in gilt, some rubbing to hinges, one joint fragile, marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers, speckled edges.

Some repairs to the spine, occasional foxing.

Arbousset, a Protestant missionary and explorer, recounts the discovery of the Mont des Sources and offers vivid descriptions of the peoples among whom he lived: Bastaards or mixed-race communities, Hottentots, Bushmen, Kaffirs, etc.

Rare.

First edition of the French translation based on the second English edition, with additions drawn from Robert Adams's narrative in Africa, 1810. (cf. Gay 2788.)

Illustrated with 10 plates, including a frontispiece portrait of Mungo Park and a map showing his route from Kayee on the Gambia to Boussa on the Niger.

Contemporary full marbled tan sheep, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets, garlands and fleurons, cream title labels, gilt dentelle and fillet frames on boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillets on board edges, speckled edges.

Some wear with minor losses at head and foot of one joint, a few scuffs to the covers, occasional foxing, otherwise a pleasant and sound copy.

This volume includes Mungo Park's journal up to 16 November 1805, as well as the narrative of Isaac, a Mandingo priest who accompanied him on his journey, which would be his last—Park having drowned near Boussa in the Niger River, which he had been one of the first Europeans to explore upstream.

French edition translated from the English by Charles Athanase Walcknaer, illustrated with 8 folding maps inserted out of text: 5 in the first volume, 3 in the second (see Gay 2996).

Contemporary half purple sheep bindings, flat spines faded and decorated with gilt garlands, joints with some repairs, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, printed stamps to endpapers, occasional light foxing.

First complete edition of this major work in Africanist literature (cf. Bibliography of Côte d'Ivoire, 286. Not listed in Bruel, Bibliography of French Equatorial Africa. Lorentz, XIV, 215.)

This book contains an overall map, numerous detailed sketches, and one hundred and seventy-six wood engravings based on the drawings of Riou. Bindings in half cherry morocco with corners, spine with five raised bands decorated with cold-tooling, a small tear at the top of one joint, paper-covered boards, some light rubbing to the boards, endpapers and pastedowns made of marbled paper, corners slightly bumped, gilt edges, period bindings.

This exploration mission ordered by Faidherbe left Bamako in August 1887, passed through the states of Samory and Tiéba, then made a wide loop from Kong between the Comoé and Volta rivers, passing through the previously unexplored Mossi country. Returning to Kong in January 1889, Binger met Treich-Laplène there and together they made their way back to the coast (Grand-Bassam). Côte d'Ivoire would officially become a French colony on March 10, 1893.

Louis-Gustave Binger (1856-1936, incidentally the grandfather of Roland Barthes) would become its first governor; Grand-Bassam was chosen as the capital. He negotiated border treaties with the United Kingdom and later began a campaign against Samory Touré, the Guinean Malinke warrior chief, which lasted until 1898. At that time, he was in favor of modern colonization, and concluded his book with this note: 'We believe that direct state intervention will always be detrimental...'

A fine copy.

First separate edition of this excerpt from the Nouvelles annales des voyages, September and October 1862 (cf. Gay 340).

Illustrated with a folding map.

Scattered foxing.

Contemporary navy half shagreen binding, spine with five raised bands and black ruling, spine restored, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges.

Originally from Goin in Moselle and son-in-law of Linant de Bellefonds, Dr. Charles Cuny (1811–1858) spent nearly his entire career in Egypt as a military surgeon, after being dismissed from Algeria.

Gustave Flaubert and Maxime Du Camp, who met him during their celebrated journey, mention him in their respective travel accounts. He died of dysentery during the expedition to Darfur that he had sponsored in 1857. Cf. Roy (Hippolyte): La Vie héroïque et romantique du Docteur Charles Cuny (Nancy, 1930).

Our copy is extra-illustrated with an autograph note signed by Jean-Baptiste Jomard (1780–1868), brother of Edme, addressed to Malte-Brun and dated 13 August 1867: "... c'est un vrai et grand service que vous avez rendu à l'histoire de la Recherche. Les Annales sont maintenant enrichies de ce morceau important... Il faut fairer une bonne mention de ce courageux, de cet intelligent voyageur..."

Rare first edition (cf. Gay 367; Leclerc 638).

The work is illustrated with a map of the port and harbor of Brest and five plates: How the beds of the Negroes are made [and] The house of the Negroes – How the Moors ride their Camels, Horses and Oxen with their merchandise – How the Negroes collect palm wine [sic] [and] How they climb the palm trees [and] How the Negroes make incisions to extract the palm wine [and] how they are dressed – Dress of lords and notable persons – How the women are dressed and how they carry their children on their backs [and] How the Negroes dance in a circle.

This account is considered a valuable narrative, offering noteworthy details on the trade of these regions.

Contemporary full mottled tan calf, spine with five raised bands framed with black fillets, bands renewed, hinges restored, corners worn, minor wear to edges, yellow edges sprinkled with red.

A surgeon at the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris, Le Maire was brought along by Dancourt, director general of the Company.

He left Paris in January 1682 and arrived in Gorée on May 20. It remains unclear why this contemporary of Louis XIV is regularly confused in bibliographies and public catalogues with the Dutch navigator Jacob Le Maire (1585–1616), with whom he shares no connection.

First edition, rare, illustrated with a large folding engraved map (cf. Gay 3082).

Contemporary full marbled calf, smooth spine gilt in compartments adorned with gilt floral tools, tan morocco title label, gilt roll tooling at head and foot of spine, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillets on board edges, red-speckled yellow edges.

Some restoration to spine and covers, occasional foxing and slight age-toning to a few gatherings.

Written from the memoirs of the missionaries Descourvières and Bellegarde. The first part offers a description of the country and the customs of its inhabitants, followed by notes on their language; the second part recounts the history of the French mission from 1766 to 1773. Originally from Goux-les-Usies, near Pontarlier, Jean-Joseph Descourvières (c. 1740–1804) "fit ses études à Besançon, entra dans les ordres, et fut nommé vicaire à Belfort. Il quitta cette position, vint à Paris, et entra dans la Compagnie de Jésus comme missionnaire. Il fut désigné pour le royaume de Loango, et partit de Nantes en mars 1768, avec un autre prêtre, l’abbé Joli. Ils arrivèrent à Cabinde à la fin d’août. Leurs collègues du Loango, découragés, venaient de retourner en Europe. Descourvières et Joli ne suivirent pas cet exemple ; ils s’établirent dans le Kacongo, et apprirent avec rapidité la langue du pays. Protégés par le roi du Kacongo, les missionnaires firent de nombreux prosélytes ; mais Descourvières ne put résister au climat, et revint en France en janvier 1770 ; son collègue l’y suivit bientôt. Dès qu’ils furent rétablis, ils reprirent leur entreprise, et s’embarquèrent à Paimboeuf, le 7 mars 1773, avec quatre autres missionnaires et six cultivateurs. Ils abordèrent le 28 juin sur la côte d’Afrique, et se rendirent aussitôt à Kacongo ; ils y furent très-bien accueillis, mais cette fois encore le climat les contraignit à renoncer à leur œuvre. Descourvières revint en France en 1775. En 1779, il fut nommé procureur général des missions françaises de Chine. Il se fixa à Macao : son séjour n’y fut qu’une longue suite d’avanies ; il fut enfin expulsé par les naturels, en 1786. De retour en France, il émigra en 1793, et alla terminer ses jours à Rome. Le père Descourvières avait recueilli de précieux documents sur les divers pays qu’il avait habités : ces travaux ont servi utilement à la composition de plusieurs bons ouvrages. Outre un Dictionaire et une Grammaire Kacongaise, il a laissé une volumineuse correspondance, dans laquelle Proyart a puisé son Histoire de Loango (…) Les volumes II, V et VI du Recueil des nouvelles Lettres édifiantes, Paris, 1818, 8 vol. in-12, contiennent de nombreux extraits des écrits de Descourvières". Cf. Hoefer.

A good copy in contemporary binding, with the bookplate of the Château de Laplagne library pasted on the front pastedown; an additional Château de Laplagne label has been affixed over it, with a small loss along the right margin.

First edition, illustrated with four plates including a map of the Sudan.

The plates depict human types and a map of Sudan, drawn "according to the Negro slaves in Bahia".

Modern Bradel binding in black half shagreen, smooth spine decorated with two gilt floral tools, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved (small hole on rear board).

A naturalist and explorer, Francis de Castelnau undertook, between 1843 and 1847, a major expedition across South America, notably visiting Peru and Brazil.

In 1848, he was appointed French consul in Bahia. Upon his arrival, he observed that several African-born slaves could read and write Arabic and Libyco-Berber. Through interviews, some of them spoke to him about the Niams-Niams, or tailed men, said to live in a region referred to here as "Sudan", corresponding to present-day Nigeria. In this work, Castelnau presents the information he gathered on the subject. He describes several tribes from the Sudan region represented among the Bahia slaves: Nagos, Gèges or Dahomeys, Gallinhas, Minas, Borgos or Bargous, Tapas, Angols or Congos, Hausas, Fulanis or Foullatahs. He then recounts the interrogations of Bahia slaves who claimed to have seen or heard of the Niams-Niams, thereby collecting a wealth of ethnographic and geographic information on that part of Africa. The volume ends with a vocabulary section in several Sudanese languages (Hausa, Fulani, Courami, Java).

A handsome and scarce copy.

Original edition printed in a limited number of copies of this excerpt from Bulletin of the Société de géographie (1882-1883).

This text was re-edited in 1885 by Hachette.

Work illustrated with figures in the text and a large folding map at the end (Route from Médine to Nango by the Gallieni mission).

Binding in black half-shagreen, spine with five raised bands decorated with cold fillets, boards of handmade paper, preserved original covers, modern binding signed by Boichot.

Covers restored with some stains, pleasant interior condition.

Work illustrated with figures in the text and a large folding map at the end (Route from Médine to Nango by the Gallieni mission).

Joseph Gallieni (1849-1916) was sent on a mission to the banks of the Niger in 1879. It was there that he negotiated a commercial agreement between the Sultanate of Ségou and France, granting our country trade rights on the Upper Niger.

Autograph letter signed by Joseph Gallieni to his cousin Henri Périssé, dated from Fort-de-France, November 23, 1884 (after this African mission, Gallieni had been assigned to Martinique).

First edition of this rare and sought-after work compiling, in a single volume, the main legislative and regulatory provisions from Year XIV to 1857, forming the specific legal code of the island (cf. Ryckebusch 6126).

Some light foxing, mostly at the beginning and end of the volume.

Contemporary full aubergine calf, spine with four raised bands decorated with gilt double fillets, slight rubbing to spine and boards, gilt roll-tooled head- and tailbands, boards framed with gilt triple and double fillets, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt dotted edges, marbled edges, contemporary binding.

Second edition, partially original (cf. Gay, 3227. Grandidier, I, 1776. Ryckebusch, 3188. Boucher de La Richarderie, IV, 269–271. Brunet, II, 1278).

Two volumes bound in one, illustrated with 15 engraved maps and plates: a map of the island of Madagascar, a plan of Fort Dauphin, maps of Sainte-Marie Island and Bourbon Island, depictions of inhabitants in traditional dress, genre scenes, flora and fauna.

The plates and maps have been mounted on thick paper; old repairs to pages 27 and 47.

Contemporary full calf binding, spine with five raised bands framed in gilt garlands, decorated with double gilt panels and floral ornaments, some rubbing to joints and boards; marbled endpapers and pastedowns, blind-ruled fillets to board edges.

Nephew of Jules de Loynes, Secretary General of the Navy and member of the Compagnie de l'Orient founded by Richelieu in 1642, Étienne de FLACOURT (1607–1660) was appointed Governor of Fort-Dauphin in Madagascar in 1648. He spent seven years on the island, seeking to exploit its resources and convert the local population to Christianity. He also explored nearby islands and took possession of the Mascarene Island, which he named Île Bourbon. Returning to France in 1655, he became the first traveller to provide a detailed description of Madagascar, with particularly notable ethnographic and botanical content: "Sa relation comprend deux parties. Dans la première, Flacourt fait une description générale de Madagascar, puis des descriptions particulières des provinces avec leurs rivières et les îles voisines : ces descriptions sont complètes et portent sur la religion, le langage, les usages et le gouvernement des habitants et aussi sur les plantes, les métaux et les animaux. La seconde partie est le récit des événements qui se sont passés depuis l'arrivée des Français dans l'île en 1642 : elle est complétée par la relation de quelques voyages qui ont été faits dans les îles voisines et dans les Mascareignes […] . Sans doute, il n'a pas tout vu et il ne peut pas tout rapporter : mais, après avoir bien étudié, il en arrive aux mêmes conclusions que son prédécesseur Cauche, dont il connaissait la relation, et, comme lui, il fait une peinture très enthousiaste des ressources végétales et minérales de Madagascar. Lorsque l'on a lu son livre, qui est le premier ouvrage sérieux sur la grande île, on comprend pourquoi la colonisation française n'a pas alors réussi malgré les grands avantages que l'on pouvait retirer de Madagascar. Dans l'édition de 1658 est une addition de 42 pages relative aux causes de l'insuccès que la Compagnie a eu : cette addition ne se trouve pas dans l'édition de 1661". Cf. Bourgeois & André, XI, 475.

This copy includes, bound at the end, a 17-page octavo pamphlet entitled "Cause pour laquelle les interessez de la Compagnie n'ont pas fait de grands profits à Madagascar". This text, extracted from the appendix of the original 1658 edition, has been inserted into the volume and is not part of the 1661 edition.

A handsome copy of this scarce work, complete with all its maps and plates.

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 edition, with no copies printed on deluxe paper.

A pleasing copy.

Signed autograph inscription from Yves Coppens to Emile Noël.

New edition, partly original as revised, of this study first published in 1858 in the Revue des Deux Mondes (Sabin 40127. Ryckebusch 5041).

Minor chips to the corners of the covers, some occasional foxing.

A member of one of the oldest families in Martinique, Romuald Le Pelletier de Saint-Rémy (1809–1882) served as president of the Central Agency of Colonial Banks; he wrote extensively on West Indian issues and colonial ventures in South America.

Inscribed by the author Romuald Le Pelletier de Saint-Rémy on the front free endpaper.

First edition of the French translation of this rare and significant travel account.

Illustrated with 16 folding and full-page plates featuring numerous figures: landscapes, natural history subjects, elephant hunting scenes, and more (cf. Gay 2808).

Contemporary full brown calf, spine with five raised bands, gilt tooled compartments with double gilt frames and decorations, gilt rolls on caps, gilt fillets on board edges.

Spine expertly rebacked to style, repairs to p. 1 and several plates, occasional foxing.

"De toutes les anciennes relations de la Guinée, celle-ci est la plus estimable : elle est aussi très recherchée. C'est sur la Côte d'Or, sur celle des Esclaves et sur le royaume de Benin, assez imparfaitement décrits avant et après Bosman, que ce voyageur s'est particulièrement étendu". Cf. Boucher de La Richarderie.

A Dutch traveller, Willem Bosman lived during the second half of the 17th century. He spent fourteen years in Africa, where he successively served the Dutch West India Company as a factor on the Guinea Coast, and as chief director of the Axim and Elmina trading posts on the Gold Coast. He visited in detail the most notable locations across these regions, commissioned drawings of local fauna, and had maps made of the territories east of Elmina. Upon his return to Europe, he published his observations under the title Naauwkeurige Beschryving van de Guinese goud, land en Slaven-Kust, Utrecht, 1704, followed by a French translation the following year (Hoefer).

Provenance: from the library of Joseph M. Cleason, with his bookplate pasted on the inside board.

Very rare first edition of this excellent grammar.

A few occasional spots, otherwise a pleasing copy.

Contemporary-style binding in half forest green morocco-grained shagreen, spine with five raised bands, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, binding signed by Laurenchet.

The third part contains fables, tales, and poems in both Wolof and French.

Abbé David Boilat (Saint-Louis, Senegal, 1814 – Nantouillet, 1901), a missionary in Senegal, left behind a significant body of work: this grammar, the Esquisses sénégalaises, and several unpublished manuscripts.

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.

« En ces jours périlleux "d'équilibre par la terreur", de massacres et de calculs savants sur le nombre d'humains qui survivront à un holocauste nucléaire, il n'est que trop naturel que mes pensées se tournent vers vous.
À mes yeux, monsieur et cher éléphant, vous représentez à la perfection tout ce qui est aujourd'hui menacé d'extinction au nom du progrès, de l'efficacité, du matérialisme intégral, d'une idéologie ou même de la raison car un certain usage abstrait et inhumain de la raison et de la logique se fait de plus en plus le complice de notre folie meurtrière.
Il semble évident aujourd'hui que nous nous sommes comportés tout simplement envers d'autres espèces, et la vôtre en particulier, comme nous sommes sur le point de le faire envers nous-mêmes. »

Chez Théodore Le Gras, à Paris 1728, 12° (9,5x17cm), (2 p.) xvij (7 p.) 346 pp.; (2 p.) ij 376 pp.; (2 p.) ij 387 pp.; (6 p.) 392 pp.; (6 p.) 404 pp., 5 volumes bound.
First edition of this famous description of West Africa.
78 full-page engraved plates:
- volume 1: 5 maps, 2 plates and 1 folding plan
- volume 2: 6 maps, 17 plates and 4 folding plans
- volume 3: 2 maps and 13 plates
- volume 4: 5 maps, 8 plates and 3 folding plans
- volume 5: 3 maps and 9 plates
First edition of this famous description of West Africa. Illustrated with 78 full-page engraved plates.
Contemporary beige calf, spine elaborately gilt, 19th century red leather title and volume pieces, all red edges. Joints and spine-ends very skillfully restored. An old strip of white paper hiding the name of a former owner on each volume.
Based on the memoirs of André Brue (director of the Senegal Royal Company), this study contains interesting details on commercial companies in Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia and Sierra Leone, customs of the inhabitants, religious beliefs, natural history, etc. Many passages concern the slave trade.
“Jean-Baptiste Labat (1663-1738), more commonly known as Father Labat, was a Dominican missionary, botanist, explorer, ethnographer, military man, landowner, engineer and writer.
A staunch defender of slavery, he played an important role in the sugar cane industry in the French West Indies. He is known for developing a type of brandy to cure fever, which after some improvements became rum.” (Museum of Art and History, Le Havre)