275 - [West Indies]. SAINTE-CLAIRE DEVILLE, Charles

[West Indies]. SAINTE-CLAIRE DEVILLE, Charles Geological Journey to the West Indies and the Islands of Tenerife and Fogo ... Paris, Gide and J. Baudry, 1848(-1863). Quarto, [1] double-leaf (title page and half-title), 5 maps, including 3 fold-outs (one double-page and one single-page), 17 lithographed plates. Loose sheets bound with a two-leaf frontispiece forming the half-title and title page of the work (marginal soiling on the plates, some water stains along the edges of a few plates, paper faded at the edges, some spots). A rare collection of maps, views, and illustrations from *Geological Journey to the West Indies and the Islands of Tenerife and Fogo* by Charles Sainte-Claire Deville (1814–1876). A French geologist and meteorologist, Sainte-Claire Deville traveled throughout the West Indies, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde during several scientific expeditions undertaken between 1839 and 1843. His observations, focused in particular on volcanic formations, physical geography, and meteorological phenomena, led to this important publication, which appeared in several installments in the mid-19th century. This collection comprises five maps, several of which are large-format: - A general map of the Cape Verde Islands; - A map of Guadeloupe, dated 1863; - A map of the southwestern portion of Guadeloupe, dated 1855, partially tinted; -A map of surface water temperatures in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean, dated 1852; -A topographic sketch of the island of Fogo, dated 1846. It is accompanied by seventeen other sheets, including twelve panoramic views of the landscapes of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Tenerife, a view of the Rivière Noire waterfall in Guadeloupe, as well as four sheets of barometric tables and altimetric cross-sections. The views, lithographed in black on a tinted background based on drawings by Sainte-Claire Deville, feature delicate white highlights that emphasize the relief and volcanic landscapes. This collection provides a fascinating account of the first major geological and meteorological explorations of the West Indies in the 19th century. A partial collection of plates and maps, preserved as loose sheets, without the text of the book.