Voyage à la Martinique, contenant diverses observations sur la physique, l'histoire naturelle, l'agriculture, les moeurs, & les usages de cette isle, faites en 1751 & dans les années suivantes.

4to: [8]-viii-1/134-135[1]/[1 bl.]/135[1]/135[46]-135/192-[80] pp.; 1 pl. (occ. foxing, lacks of paper restored to title, pp. 101-102, pp. [75-76]...).

Contemp. marbled calf, gilt-roll spine with raised bands, red edges (weak hinges, turn-ins lacking, dulled corners).

First edition ill. with 1 map of Martinique (complete). After the loss of Canada, France focused increasingly on Martinique and Guyana. Chanvalon (1723-1785) was sent to these parts of the world to study the possibilities of taking advantage of their resources, including the native inhabitants, but the project of French settlement and protection of the island failed and he went to prison for 7 years, losing everything. The 1st part concerns Martinique: a summary of natural production, observations of white, creole and black people and Caribbean Indians, diseases, descriptions of fauna & flora,- the 2nd & 3rd parts deal with accurate meteorological observations and the effect of the weather on harvests, fauna, etc. Ref. Sabin 11936 (mentions [8]-viii-46-192-[80] pp.). – Leclerc, n°1427 (mentions [6]-viii-192 pp.).