LE GENTIL DE LA GALAISIERE (Guillaume). Voyage dans les Mers - Lot 78

LE GENTIL DE LA GALAISIERE (Guillaume). Voyage dans les Mers de l'Inde, fait par ordre du Roi, à l'occasion du passage de Vénus, sur le disque du Soleil, le 6 juin 1761 & le 3 du même mois 1769. A Paris, de l'Impr. royale, 1779. Two volumes in-4, XVI-707-XIII p., [1] f. (errata) + XVI-844-XVI p., [2] f., pl., half green basane with lightly post... corners, small velvet corners, smooth spine, gilt title, tomaison, fleurons and roulettes, yellow edges (light rubbing to spine and boards, worn paper at edges, sporadic foxing, dust on title, a few ff. slightly browned, paper smudge in margin on p. 37 of vol. 1, light soiling to title of vol. 2). First edition of the account of this important scientific voyage to the East Indies and the Indian Ocean, in which the author recounts the history of this voyage, reports on his astronomical observations, and also deals with the history of Brames astronomy, the various routes to India, meteorology, etc., with interesting details on India, China, the Philippines, Bourbon, Mauritius, Madagascar, etc. The work is illustrated with 27 illustrations. The work is illustrated with 27 copper-engraved folding plates (divinities, constellations, monuments, plants, animals, views (including Vue d'une partie des ruines de Pondichéry en 1769), and maps: Map of the surroundings of Pondicherry - Map of Mr Legentil's route from Manila to Pondicherry Map of the eastern part of the Strait of Malacca Map of the western part of the Strait of Malacca Map for the inclination of the Aiguille aimantée - Map of the eastern part of the Philippines Map of the western part of the Philippines Map of the various ports in the Philippines Map of the city of Manila and its fortifications Map of the coasts of Madagascar Map of the Baye d'Antongyl and Isle Marotte Quartier St Denis Isle de Bourbon 1762 Maps of Isle de France and Bourbon, etc.. A student of astronomer Joseph Nicolas Delisle (brother of geographer Guillaume Delisle) at the Collège de France, Guillaume Joseph Le Gentil De La Galaisière (1725-1792) was also assistant to astronomer Jacques Cassini at the Paris Observatory in 1750. His work opened the doors of the Académie in 1753. At Cassini's request, and with the aim of accurately determining the distance between the Earth and the Sun, Le Gentil set sail from Brest in March 1760 on the Berryer, a Compagnie des Indes vessel, for Pondicherry, where he hoped to observe the passage of Venus across the Sun's disc, scheduled for June 6, 1761. Unable to dock, war broke out between France and the United Kingdom (Seven Years' War), so he decided to stay and wait for the next transit, scheduled for June 3, 1769. During these eight years, Le Gentil travelled throughout India and the Indian Ocean, mapping, studying Indian astronomy and flora. He settled in Pondicherry in 1768, where he had an observatory built; bad weather made the observation scheduled for June 3, 1769 impossible, so Le Gentil returned to France in 1771. (Chadenat II, 6340; Boucher de la Richarderie V, 38; Brunet III, 940; Quérard V, 95).