OBSERVATIONS PHYSIQUES ET MATHEMATIQUES: POUR SERVIR A L'HISTOIRE NATURELLE & A LA PERFECTION DE L'ASTRONOMIE & DE LA GEOGRAPHIE: Envoyees de Siam a l'Academie Royale des Sciences a Paris, par les Peres Jesuites Francois Qui Vont a la Chine en Qualite de Mathematiciens du Roy. - Rare Book Insider
OBSERVATIONS PHYSIQUES ET MATHEMATIQUES: POUR SERVIR A L'HISTOIRE NATURELLE & A LA PERFECTION DE L'ASTRONOMIE & DE LA GEOGRAPHIE: Envoyees de Siam a l'Academie Royale des Sciences a Paris

Gouye, Thomas

OBSERVATIONS PHYSIQUES ET MATHEMATIQUES: POUR SERVIR A L’HISTOIRE NATURELLE & A LA PERFECTION DE L’ASTRONOMIE & DE LA GEOGRAPHIE: Envoyees de Siam a l’Academie Royale des Sciences a Paris, par les Peres Jesuites Francois Qui Vont a la Chine en Qualite de Mathematiciens du Roy.

La Veuve d'Edme Martin, Jean Boudot & Estienne Martin, Paris: 1688
  • $6,500
8vo. (8),278,(6)pp. With the leaf of approbation and the 2 leaves of index at back. With 3 copper engraved folding plates, illustrating the author's dissection of a crocodile. Original mottled calf, gilt spine in six compartments. Spine extremities worn and front hinge starting, but quite sound. Front free endpaper lacking. Small paper repair on a blank portion of the title, likely removing the name of a previous owner, and a small repair at the bottom blank margin of pp. 33/34. Some occasional text foxing. This is the scarce first edition of Jesuit scholar Gouye's (1650-1725) first book, a report of his scientific observations made on his voyage and stay in Siam before traveling on to China. He makes observations on the animals of Siam, on eclipses, mathematical calculations of latitude & longitude, and geography. Currently there is no other copy for sale on-line. The last auction record was 2004 (2,160 GBP). There is one copy (2 listings but the same copy) of his second report of his observations published in 1692, a briefer work of 113pp., for $15,000. DeBaker & Sommervogel III, columns 1640-1641. Cordier. INDOSINICA 949.
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THE VOYAGES AND TRAVELS OF THE AMBASSADOR SENT BY FREDERICK DUKE OF HOLSTEIN TO THE GREAT Duke of Muscovy and the King of Persia. Begun n the Year M.DC.XXXIII. and Finish'd in M.DC.XXXIX. Containing a Compleat History of Muscovy

THE VOYAGES AND TRAVELS OF THE AMBASSADOR SENT BY FREDERICK DUKE OF HOLSTEIN TO THE GREAT Duke of Muscovy and the King of Persia. Begun n the Year M.DC.XXXIII. and Finish’d in M.DC.XXXIX. Containing a Compleat History of Muscovy, Tartary, and Other Adjacent Countries. [by Adam Olearius] WHERETO ARE ADDED THE TRAVELS OF JOHN ALBERT DE MANDELSLO. Into the East-Indies. Indosthan. Japan, China. Faithfully Rendered into English by John Davies. The Second Edition Corrected

Olearius, Adam and Mandelslo, Johann Albrecht von Folio. 2 parts in 1, each separately paginated, with separate title-pages. [Note: in this copy the title page for Mandelslo appears first, in error]. (6),316;(22),232,(10)pp. Complete with an added engraved title (with 5 portraits), 2 separate engraved portraits, and a total of 6 folding or double-page maps. In this copy the very large folding map of the Volga River found at p. 112 has been divided in two, the second half bound at p. 126, with a slight loss at the fold where they were divided. Engraved table of the Ruthenian alphabet in text. 19th century brown morocco spine over old marbled boards (rubbed). Small chip at the top of spine otherwise an attractive copy. This is an odd copy, quite complete, but with certain preliminaries for the first part bound at front of the second part. The second edition revised of the English translation first published in 1662, made from a 1659 version in French. It contains material not found in the original German edition of 1656 and 1658. An important account of Central Asia, including Persia and Russia and the East Indies. The Duke of Holstein's embassies were to negotiate trade. See Cox's THE LITERATURE OF TRAVEL, Vol. 1, pp. 249 and 271 for more details. Wing O270.
  • $2,400
  • $2,400