LABAT (Jean-Baptiste). Nouveau voyage aux isles de l'Amériqu - Lot 250

LABAT (Jean-Baptiste). Nouveau voyage aux isles de l'Amérique, contenant l'histoire naturelle de ces pays, l'origine, les mœurs, la religion et le gouvernement des habitans anciens et modernes, les guerres et les événemens singuliers qui y sont arrivez A Paris, chez G. Cavelier, 1722. 6 volumes in-12, contemporary speckled fawn basane, 5-ribbed spine, red morocco and fawn calf title-pieces, gilded fleurons, gilded fillet on the edges, red edges; spines, corners and headpieces restored (titles usually browned, some short margins at the head, st. plates, st. plates browned, soiling and foxing rather marginal, restored tear on the plate opposite p. 38 of t.2.). First edition of this story. Father Labat arrived in Martinique in 1694, and spent ten years touring the West Indies. He founded the town of Terre-Basse, which later became the capital of Guadeloupe. His account is one of the most well-documented on the West Indies at the end of the 17th century, and in particular on sugar cane cultivation and slavery. It is illustrated with 100 copper-engraved plates, including maps. The edition was shared between three booksellers (Giffart, Legras and Cavelier), and the number of plates may vary: 100 plates are announced in the title, and Sabin mentions variations in the collations, reporting only one map and 91 plates. Interesting provenance: this copy bears the engraved bookplate of Jean-Claude Dezauche (1745-1824), a geographer, publisher and map dealer in Paris. (Sabin IX, 38409; Chadenat 612).