BOUGUER, Pierre & LA CONDAMINE, Charles Marie de

Justification of the memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences of 1744. And of the book of the figure of the earth, determined by the observations made in Peru. [Followed by:] LA CONDAMINE, Charles Marie de. Supplement to the historical journal of the voyage to the equator, and to the book of the measurement of the first three degrees of the meridian: serving as an answer to some objections - Supplement to the historical journal... - BOUGUER, Pierre. Letter to Mr*** in which various points of practical astronomy are discussed - [LA CONDAMINE ?]: Answer of Mr*** to the letter of Mr. Bouguer on various points... Paris, Jombert, Guerin, Durand Pissot, 1752 and 1754. Collection of 5 works in one volume in-4 (248 x 190 mm). Collation : BOUGUER : 2 ff.n.ch., VIII, 54 pp. 1 f.n.ch. of approval. LA CONDAMINE: Supplémént: 2 ff.n.ch., VIII, 52 pp. - Supplémént, second part: 5 ff.n.ch. (title, cardboard for pp. 51/52, approval with errata, 2ff. of warning), 222, XXVIII pp., 1 f.n.ch (supplement to the errata). BOUGUER : Letter : 2 ff.n.ch., 51 pp. [LA CONDAMINE ] : Answer : 11 pp. Marbled calf, spine decorated, red edges (contemporary binding). Sabin, 6877 (for Justification) and 38490 (La Condamine, Supplémént). Original editions of the pieces, written following the polemics on the discords born between scientists during the famous trip to America to measure degrees of the meridian to answer Newton's thesis that the terrestrial poles are flattened. To carry out the measurements, a team of scientists was sent to South America. Known as the Academicians of Peru, the group included La Condamine, Pierre Bouguer, and Louis Godin among its members. Departing from La Rochelle on May 16, 1735 the group finally arrived in Manta (Quito province) in March 1736, after stops in Santo Domingo, Portobelo, and other places. The scientists soon quarreled and the three researchers began to work on their own from June 1737. The collection ends with a double sheet containing a parody in the form of verses addressed to Bouguer ("Epitre à M. B.***. The earth is thus a lentil, lord returning from Quito? But on the point of an eel, is it necessary to make so much in-quarto?) and of three pieces of Condamine in handwritten copy. The first one is the Answer to the letter of Mr. de Fouchy of December 20, 1766 (7 pp.) followed by the Justifying Memorandum presented to the Academy on January 15, 1766 (10 pp.). The last one is the Letter of M. de La Condamine to M. Grosley, published in the Mercure of July 1770. Beautiful collection of pieces of the famous controversy. Spine and corners restored. Provenance : gilt bookplate (ex libris soc. reg.) in the center of the boards.