Travel
SONNERAT, [Pierre].
Voyage aux Indes Orientales et a la Chine, fait par ordre du roi, depuis 1774 jusqu'en 1781: dans lequel on traite des moeurs, de la religion, des sciences & des arts des Indiens, des Chinois, des Pegouins & des Madegasses; suivi d'observations sur le Cap de Bonne-Esperance, les Isles de France & de Bourbon, les Maldives, Ceylan, Malacca, les Philippines & les Moluques, & de recherches sur l'histoire naturelle de ces Pays.
Froule, Paris 1782. Second edition. 3 vols, 8vo, (22.5 x 15 cms),pp. xxii, 340, 376, 362, 7 engraved folding plates engraved by Poisson after drawings by the author, including one plan of Pondicherry, bookplate of George Charles Bright on front paste down, marbled end papers and all edges marbled, bound in full contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt decorated, red morocco labels, gilt lettered, slightly worn; otherwise a very attractive set. Provenance: bookplate of Dr George Charles Bright ( son of Dr Richard Bright - well known for his research on "Bright's disease").
The French naturalist Sonnerat (1746 -1814) came from a family of merchants and spent almost seven years exploring India, Malacca, Philippines, Ceylon and China. The work originally published in two quarto volumes contains material on customs, religion and arts as well as natural history. This was his second expedition and on his return he handed over his best natural history specimens to the Cabinet du Jardin du Roi and was named Marine Commissioner. For some 70 years Sonnerat's account remained the most important contribution to the ornithology of China. (Stresemann). Cordier, Sinica, 2102; Hill 578; Nissen IV B 886; Nissen IVB, 473; Pritzel 8774; MacGill/Wood 577.
Price: £ 1100
US Dollar Price: $ 2190
Stock Number: 70187