A Voyage to the South-Sea and along the Coasts of Chili and Peru, in the Years 1712, 1713, and 1714; Particularly Describing The Genius & Constitution of the Inhabitants, as well as Indians, their Customs & Manners, their Natural History, Mines, Traffick

4to [24.5 x 19 cm]; [xii], [i, directions for binder], 335, [ix, index] pp, 37 engraved plates, maps & charts by J. B. Scotin, N. Guerard & others after Frezier, complete with frontis and all plates including 36 & xxxvi, musical notation. orig full leather boards with later spine and gilt title lettering on leather labels, light corner wear, joint cracked with repair but holding, map skillfully laid down, minor spotting, old bookplate of John Lenvis Petit, very good, interior clean & fine. Frezier's voyage was made on the orders of Louis XIV to obtain military information for a possible operation against Spanish colonies on the Pacific coast. He surveyed the Le Maire Strait and the west coast of Tierra de Fuego and produced the most accurate description of South America to date (including Chile, Peru). Sabin 25936. Cox II, 267: 'One of the most valuable of our early records of the Falkland Islands, and to Frezier we are indebted for the clearest contemporary account of the navigation of the French seamen there. This English edition contains Dr. Edmund Halley"s Postscript, correcting certain Geographical errors made by Frezier. Halley is of course most famous now as the discoverer of Halley"s Comet. At the end is a 13 pp. account of the Joint Settlement in Paraguay '. Hill 115: 'Frezier brought back information of considerable geographical and scientific value. Much data is included about the native inhabitants This first English translation contains the same engravings as the French original but is preferable to the latter because it contains Halley's postscript, which corrects certain geographical errors made by Frezier The frontispiece map, showing the route, was created for the English edition'. Borba de Moraes I 329: 'This English edition is much sought after because of Halley's postscript'. This edition also contains a section on the early settlement of Paraguay. A superb travel classic. Besides the fine maps and charts, there are plates of people, including natives in sea-kayak, early golf, natural history and botanical plates, etc.