Beschreibung:

Louis-Claude de Saulces de Freycinet (1779-1842). Voyage autour du Monde...éxécuté sur les corvettes de S. M. l'Uranie et la Phisicienne, pendant les années 1817, 1818, 1819 et 1820. Paris: Imprimerie Royale for Pillet aîné, 1824-1837. 12 volumes only (of 16) (Text: 8 volumes only [of 12], 4° [284 x 220mm.]; Atlas volume of maps and charts: 1 volume, large folio [548 x 415mm.]; Atlas volumes of plates: 3 vols, folio [465 x 310mm.]). 3 engraved titles, 329 engraved plates (120 hand-coloured or printed in colour and finished by hand, 120 on india paper mounted), 22 engraved maps and charts. (8 plates with neatly repaired tears, marginal in the main, but 2 affecting the plate area, final 3 maps in large atlas vol. with marginal tears, some spotting to text volumes.) Text and large atlas bound in brown half morocco, spines gilt in five compartments with raised bands, lettered in the second and fourth, the others with repeat pattern in gilt, the atlases of plates bound in contemporary French red morocco-backed embossed paper-covered boards, spines gilt in five compartments, lettered in the second and fourth, the others with repeat pattern in gilt. A RARE NEAR-COMPLETE SET, OF THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF FREYCINET'S VOYAGE OF SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION: ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FRENCH 19TH-CENTURY CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OF THE GLOBE "COMPLETE SETS ARE OF THE GREATEST RARITY" (Wantrup, p.159). A largely complete set, lacking only the text volumes to the sections dealing with Zoologie (1 vol., pp.iv, 712); Botanique (1 vol., pp.viii, 522); Magnétisme terrestre (1 vol., viii, 342) and Météorologie (1 vol., pp.xvi, 666) and the 11pp. of the 'Table explicative' from the back of the Atlas Historique . The latter two text volumes were published in 1842 and 1844, some time after the completion of the rest of the work, and are often lacking. "The Uranie, with a crew of 123 men, entered the Pacific from the West to make scientific observations on geography, magnetism, and meteorology... the expedition... visited most notably Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, Tonga, and Tierra del Fuego. The original ship, wrecked off the Falkland Islands, was replaced by the Physicienne which visited Rio de Janeiro. Captain... Freycinet's wife, Rose, was smuggled on board at the advent of the voyage and made the complete journey, causing a great deal of discord among the crew. Freycinet named an island he discovered after her - Rose Island among the Samoa Islands." (Hill p.9-10) The set comprises L.-C. de S. de FREYCINET. Voyage autour du Monde... Historique. Paris: 1825-1837 [Atlas:1828]. 3 volumes in 6 (Text: 2 vols. in 5 [vol.II, parts 1-3], 4°; Atlas Historique , 2°). Text: half-titles, general title and volume titles each with wood-engraved vignette. Atlas: Engraved title with integral vignette, 113 engraved maps, plans, views and plates (comprising 12 maps or plans; 101 views, portraits and plates [43 hand-coloured or printed in colour and finished by hand]) after Freycinet, J. Arago, A. Pellion and others, by Desaulx, E. Aubert, Chaselat and others. (Lacks 11pp. of letterpress text at back.) The plates include a small format sheet, printed in colours, unnumbered, bound between plates numbered 18 and 19. Subjects include portraits, scenes from the indigenous peoples' daily life, views, maps and towns plans. Jean R.C. QUOY & Joseph P. GAIMARD. Voyage autour du Monde... Zoologie. Paris: Langlois, 1824. Atlas of plates volume only (lacks one volume of 4° text), 2°. Engraved title, 13pp. of letterpress text "Table explicative', 96 engraved plates (77 hand-coloured or printed in colour and finished by hand) after Chazal, A. Prevost, Huet, Taunay, P. Oudart and others, by Coutant and others. The subjects include 26 birds, all coloured, 23 fish, most coloured, crustaceans, mammals, insects and others. Charles GAUDICHAUD. Voyage autour du Monde... Botanique . Paris: 1826. Atlas of plates volume only (lacks one volume of 4° text), 2°. Engraved title, on india paper