Voyage d'exploration en Indo-Chine effectué pendant les années 1866, 1867 et 1868 par une commission française présidée par M. le capitaine de frégate Doudart de Lagrée [...]. Ouvrage illustré de 250 gravures sur bois d'après les croquis de M. Delaporte [...].

2 vol., 4to; front. and 12 pl. (without the atlas; foxing, sometimes extensive).

Contemp. half red shagreen, blind-ruled red buckram on covers, gilt-orn. spines with raised bands, a.e.g. (occ. sm. tr. of use).

Rare first edition of the official account of the Mekong expedition of 1866-1868, most important exploration of Indochina in the 19th century, only printed at 800 copies. Illustrated with the portrait of the captain of the frigate Doudart de Lagrée, 10 maps, all but one, in colour, and many in-text and full-page ill. Doudart de Lagrée was accompanied with Fr. Garnier, his second-in-command, Clovis Thorel for the botany study, the lieutenant Louis Delaporte, the explorator Louis de Carné, the doctor Eugène Joubert and the photographer Émile Gsell. Besides the scientific documentation, mapping and civilisatrice mission, the aim of the expedition was an appreciation of the Mekong's navigability to link the delta region and the port of Saigon with the riches of southern China and upper Siam. The text was written mainly by Garnier with the help of Delaporte, Joubert and Thorel, and contains information on the politics, history, botany, mineralogy, "Indo-Chinois" vocabulary, astronomy, etc.
Ref. Cordier, Sinica, 329 and Indosinica, 1012.