Author: LA PEROUSE, Jean Francois Galaup, Comte de.- 4to text.- Robinson reprints.-
Title: Voyage de la Pérouse autour du Monde, publié conformément au décret du 22 Avril 179, et rédigé par M. L. A. Milet - Mureau, Général de Brigade dans le Corps du Génie, Directeur des Fortifications, Ex - Constituant, Membre de plusieurs Sociétés de Paris. Tome Premier [Tome Second]. Textvols. ONLY!!
Description: Londres, De l'Imprimerie d'A.Hamilton: se vend chez G.G. et J. Robinson, Paternoster-Row; J. Edwards, Pall-Mall; et T.Payne, Mews-Gate, Castle-Street, 1799. Large in 4to. The 2 textvols. ONLY!! Vol. 1 w. engr. portr. front. (Foxed spots.). In the original half red-brown clf. over dull grey paper brds., spine gilt. (Top of spine vol. 2 recapped and original spine material laid down; corners where necessary restored and renewed.; a few imperfections to edges of covers and spine ends.). [Vol. I: a - f4, g2, A - Z4, 2A -2Z4, 3A - 3Y4, 3Z2; Vol. II: n4, B - Z4, 2A4 - 2P4, +*2P4, 2Q4, +*2Q4 - 2Z4, 3A - 3Y4, 3Z2]. (Collation complete, but erratic pagination as found in all copies w. the extra *quires *2P & *2Q, pp. 289 - 296 & 297 - 304 twice). (LII, 539, I (blank) pp.; VIII, 1 - 296, *289 - *296, 297 - 304, *297 - *304, 305 - 522, XVIII (Index) pp.). (All edges marbled; Large paper copy, partially unopened.). (Engr. portrait and title of vol. I foxed; Text in both vols. occasional light foxing; medium foxing at beginning and end of textvols.). The text in french in two large 4to vols. belonging to the highly esteemed Robinson reprint of 1799. Vol. 1 w. half title and engr. portrait. Du Rietz, Kroepelien Coll. [Bibliotheca Polynesiana, 1969], 921 comp. items 850 - 853 [under Milet-Mureau]: Jean Francois de la Pérouse, whose expedition sailed from France in 1785, La Pérouse in command of the 'Boussole' and the 'Astrolabe' captained by Paul Antoine Langle. Alta California was visited in 1786, 'La Pérouse Strait' was named [between Sakhalin and Hokkaido]. Hill Coll. of Pacific Voyages, item 975 for this exact reprint & comp. item 972 , for the original Pérouse expedition in which 'Accounts are given of Easter Island, Hawai, Macao, Formosa, The Aleutian Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Australia. ... The 2 ships set sail from Botany Bay in 1788 and were never heard from again. The mystery of their disappearance caused a world-wide sensation and led directly to the 1791 [- 1794] expedition under Captain d'Entrecasteaux [see Labillardiere J.J.H.de Voyage] ... the wrecks of the Boussole and Astrolabe were not discovered until 39 years later, on the reef of Vanikoro, one of the Santa Cruz Islands, by Peter Dillon...' [see: 'Narrative and succesful result of a voyage... to ascertain the actual fate of La Pérouse's expedition...', London, 1829]: Cat. Scheepvaartmuseum, vol. I, p. 141 [or. ed. 1797]: Cox, Literature of Travel, vol. I, p. 66 - 67: 'On the unexpected publication of this famous voyage at Paris in the previous year [1797], there was considerable competition among English publishers to bring out the English translation. Three different translations were made and published during 1798 - 1799, and different engravers were employed for making the plates. Stockdale's edition ... appeared first, in June 1798. ... Robinson's edition of 1799 is the most esteemed edition in English, later editions being usually based on it. "The narrative of the enterprising but ill-fated La Pérouse is full of interest in all portions, but his relations of the peculiarities he observed in the Natives of the North West Coast of America are especially valuable... The above account was transmitted from Botany Bay. After leaving this place for the South Sea Islands, the expedition was never heard of again." The expedition visited and gave accounts of Easter Island, Sandwich Islands, Navigator's or Somoan Islands, The Friendly or Tonga Islands, Norfolk Island, and Botany Bay. In December 1787, twelve members of the expedition were murdered in the Somoan Islands. ... ': Maggs cat. 491: James Ford Bell coll. L94 - L99: Eberstadt Americana, vol. II, 128:134 [1st ed 1797] 'Zamorano [Eighty], 49: "La Pérouse was the first visitor to arrive in California, after its founding in 1769. He left the best descriptions of the natural resources of the country until Duhaut-Cilly arrived in 1827. The atlas contains 69 charts and plates; among them the earliest printed sketch of San Francisco Bay".: Cowan, p. 135: Cowan II, p. 383: Streeter Collection [Auction 1969 Sotheby's Parke Bernet], comp. vol. 6, pp. 2456 - 2459, item 3494 [1st ed.]: Ferguson, Australia, 251, 288: Howes L93: Sabin vol. 10, 38960 [1st ed.] & idem, item 38961 for this edition: Cordier Japan, 451: A. Allen "La Perouse: A Check List" [California Hist. Quarterly 20 (1941) p. 50: Monaghan / Marino, French travellers in the US, item 1479: Anker, Bird Books and Bird Art, item 276, p. 152: 3 bird plates [22, 36, 37]. 'Prevost oncle and Prevost le Jeune were the natural historical draughtsmen of the expedition, and Duché de Vancy was the landscape-painter and figure druaghtsman...': Original textvols. belonging to Robinson's reprint of 1799 of La Pérouse's famous expedition to the Pacific Ocean and the west coast of North America, concentrating [as ordered] on those parts of the region not already explored by Captain James Cook and making scientific observations, gathering information on trade opportunities, Spanish settlements in California, and the advancement of knowledge in general on countries, peoples and products.

Keywords: exploration usa