LA BARBINAIS, Le Gentil de

New voyage around the world... with a much larger description of China... and two memoirs on the kingdoms of Cochinchina, Tonquin & Siam. Paris, chez Briasson, 1728. 3 volumes in-12 (160 x 90 mm) with an engraved allegorical frontispiece, 6 ff.n.ch. (title, dedication, 4 ff. of table), 451 pp, 2 ff.n.ch. of privilege, 9 engraved folding plates for volume I ; 1 f.n.ch., 313 pp. 4 engraved plates for volume II ; 1 f.n.ch., 326 pp. 14 ff.n.ch. of table, 5 engraved plates of which 1 folding for volume III. Speckled calf, spine ribbed and decorated, red edges (period binding). Borba de Moraes, I, 443 (collation errors); Alden-Landis, 728/1098; Sabin, 38397; JCB, 18th Century, 410; Chadenat, 115; Cordier, Sinica, 45 (ed. 1731); Lust, 337. Second edition of the first travel account of a circumnavigation by a Frenchman. Embarked in August 1714 on a merchant ship armed for Chile, from the port of Cancale, Le Gentil da La Barbinais arrived in Lima, he had to dispose of his goods at 50% loss. He took the road again in March 1716, when he left Peru for China to seek fortune. During his stay, he met Father Laureati, an Italian Jesuit and apostolic mandarin. This one gave him a lot of information about China. Then he shut himself up in a monastery of monks, with whom he had interesting conversations, which allowed him to write them down in his travel report. In 1717, he reached Bourbon Island (Reunion Island). After a stopover in Brazil, of which he gives an excellent description, he returned to Europe without the fortune he had hoped for when he left France. The relation of his journey is written in the form of letters. In these, he limits himself to describe the places he visited and the customs he observed, not being interested at all in nautical observations. This account, given in the form of letters addressed to an anonymous correspondent, is distinguished by the near absence of maritime notes, which may have raised doubts about its authenticity. De Brosses believed it to be true. This copy contains the frontispiece and 18 engraved plates (including 2 plates concerning Brazil). Borba de Moraes gives a different collation and counts only 3 plates in volume II. A few yellowed leaves; corners and spines skillfully restored. Provenance: respective bookplates of La Villeneuve, Montrevost, and general R. Vaudable.