Beschreibung:

LE GOUZ DE LA BOULLAYE, Franois (1610-1669). Les Voyages et Observations . Troyes: Nicolas Oudot, and sold at Paris by Gervais Clousier, 1657. 4 (215 x 170mm). Woodcut portrait of the author in oriental dress, woodcut illustrations, some full page. (Title and verso of final leaf spotted, R1 and X1 with paper faults, the latter causing partial loss to 3 lines of text recto and verso, a few closed tears, 2P1 with hole at outer margin, occasional soiling.) 19th-century half calf, top edge gilt (extremities rubbed). Provenance : B. Petit (ownership inscription on front free endpaper). Second edition. The account of a journey made to India via Turkey, Persia and the Persian Gulf in the mid 1640s. An earlier journey to England and Ireland in 1643 is also described, the motive for Le Gouz's long travels being a desire to 'rechercher dans les pays trangers les plus savants et les plus adroits hommes du monde'. He returned to Europe via Saudi Arabia, Mesopotamia, Lebanon and Egypt, reaching Livorno in February 1650. Although the second edition of his book was on poorer paper than the first, which was published in 1653, it is more complete. The title-page states that it is 'augment de quantit de bons avis pour ceux qui veulent voyager, avec un ordre pour suivre les karavanes qui vont en diverses parties du monde'. At the end is a list of all those people who befriended the author during the seven years of travel he describes. Brunet III, 718; Graesse IV, p. 59.