Beschreibung:

DUMONT D'URVILLE, Jules Sébastien César, le Compte, (1790-1842). Voyage de la Corvette l'Astrolabe exécuté par ordre du roi, pendant les années 1826-1827-1828-1829. Paris: J. Tastu, 1830. 17 volumes in 23 (text: 13 vols. in 23, 8° and one volume 4°; 4 atlas volumes of maps and plates: large 2°). Text volumes with half-titles and 17 plates (one lithographic, 16 engraved). Atlas volumes: lithographic portrait of Dumont d'Urville, 4 engraved titles and 577 plates and maps. Text in original printed boards (neat repairs to backstrips, three replaced), quarto volume in calf-backed mottled boards, all contained in 13 modern morocco-backed boxes. Atlas volumes in French olive paper-covered boards to style, blue morocco lettering-pieces, contained within uniform quarter blue morocco boxes. A FINE SET with a complete complement of plates, and the very rare quarto volume of text. This important voyage was one in a great series undertaken by the French government in the late 18th and early 19th centuries for scientific and political purposes. Led by Jules Dumont d'Urville, its intention 'was to gain additional information about the principal groups of islands in the Pacific and to augment the mass of scientific data acquired by Louis Duperrey. The Astrolabe sailed south, around the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived at Port Jackson. Proceeding to New Zealand, its coast, especially the southern part of Cook Strait, was surveyed with great care. Tonga and parts of the Fiji Archipeligo were explored, then New Britain, New Guinea, Amboina, Tasmania, Vanikoro, Guam and Java. The return home was by way of Mauritius and the Cape of Good Hope. Huge amounts of scientific materials were collected and published' (Hill p. 88). The set comprises: J.S.C. DUMONT D'URVILLE. Voyage de la Corvette l'Astrolabe...Histoire du Voyage. Paris: 1830-1833. 6 volumes in 11 (text: 5 vols. in 10, 8°; atlas: large 2° (520 x 350mm). Text: Five half-titles and volume titles, 9 plates (one lithographic, 8 engraved), occasional wood-engraved vignettes. Atlas: 4pp. letterpress 'Table explicative' at end, otherwise lithographed or engraved throughout. Engraved title with vignette, lithographic portrait of Dumont d'Urville, 8 maps (one hand-colored, 7 double-page), 239 views, ethnographical portraits and plates (9 engraved, 3 in aquatint, 227 lithographic) after Louis-Auguste de Sainson, Édouard Paris and Bartélemy Lauvergne. Binding: as above. The majority of the plates are after de Sainson (the expedition's official artist or 'Dessinateur) and show ethnological artefacts and portraits, scenes from the daily life of indigenous peoples and views of ports and anchorages, including Sydney, Hobart, Cape Town and Saint Helena. Jean Réné Constant QUOY & Joseph Paul GAIMARD. Voyage de la Corvette l'Astrolabe.....Zoologie . Paris: 1830-1835-1833. 5 volumes in 7 (text: 4 vols. in 6, 8°.; atlas: large 2° [520 x 350mm]). Text: six half-titles and titles. 8 lithographic plates. Atlas: 8pp. letterpress text at end, otherwise lithographed or engraved throughout. Engraved title with vignettes, 192 plates (one lithographic, 191 engraved) after de Sainson, Jean-Gabriel-Prêtre, Nicolas Huet Alphonse Prévost, Quoy, Antoine-Germain Bévalet and others. They include 28 plates of mammals, 31 birds, 12 fish, 95 of molluscs and 26 zoophytes. Pierre Adolphe LESSON & Achille RICHARD. Voyage de la Corvette l'Astrolabe....Botanique. Paris:1832-34. 2 volumes in 3 (text: 1 vol. in 2, 8°; atlas: large 2° [650 x 480mm]). Text: two half-titles and titles. Atlas: 1p. letterpress 'table des planches' at end, otherwise engraved throughout. Engraved title with vignette, 80 plates after Vauthier or Mme.E.Delile, by Dunaime, Mme. C. Noiret, Mme. Dondey and others. The atlas volume also contains 12 'Entomologie' plates (see below). Jean Baptiste Aplhonse Déchouffour de BOISDUVAL. Voyage de la Corvette l'Astrolabe....Entomologie. Paris: 1832-1835. Text: 1 volume in 2, 8°. Text: two half-titles and titles. Plates