DISCOVERIES OF THE FRENCH IN 1768 AND 1769, TO THE SOUTH-EAST OF NEW GUINEA, with the subsequent visits to the same lands by English Navigators, who gave them new names. by FLEURIEU, Charles Pierre Claret Comte de.:

London, printed for John Stockdale, 1791.. To which is prefixed, an historical abridgment of the voyages and discoveries of the Spaniards in the same seas. By M.***, formerly a Captain in the French navy. Translated from the French. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION 1791. 4to, approximately 290 x 230 mm, 11½ x 9 inches, 11 folding maps and charts including frontispiece, 1 folding plate of arms, utensils and instruments, pages: xxiv, 1-323, [1] Errata and Directions to the Binder, lacking half title, bound in half brown morocco over marbled boards by Morrell (binders name at top of first blank page), gilt dividing lines, raised bands to spine, gilt ruled compartments, gilt lettering, all edges stained yellow by binder, marbled endpapers. Small light scrape to 1 corner piece, tiny bump to 1 corner, large bookplate of HENRY LUKE WHITE OF NEW SOUTH WALES, pastoralist, philanthropist, book collector naturalist etc (1869 - 1927) on front pastedown, See Australian Dictionary of Biography, articles about him can also be found on Google, faint ink name and date 1840 on title page, foxing to frontispiece and title page, page 49 and final text page lightly browned, 2 pages have strip of browning in top margin very small light ink stain to 1 margin, first endpapers browned, otherwise text clean, faint browning and foxing to folding charts, 2 slightly misfolded, margins of some lightly foxed, shallow rippling to outer margins. A very good copy. First published in Paris in 1790, this is an account of the French discovery of the Solomon Islands. It includes an appendix containing an extract from a memoir concerning the existence and situation of the Solomon Islands; presented to the Royal Academy of Sciences, Jan. 9, 1781, by M. Buache. "Fleurieu was a French politician and scientist... and a pioneer in the promotion and early history of French South Seas exploration. This work principally concerned with the achievements of Bougainville and Surville, sought to justify the originality of French discoveries in those seas, which were disputed by English navigators." National Maritime Museum Catalogue, Volume I No. 561; Cox Travel II, page 304; Ferguson, Bibliography of Australia Volume I, page 45, No. 105; Hill, Pacific Voyages, Volume I page 105, Sabin, Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 24749; Bibliography of Captain James Cook, editor M.K. Beddie, page 240, Numbers 1300-1303; Hordern House, The Parsons Collection, Part 1, No. 54; Rolf Du Rietz, Bibliotheca Polynesiana, Polynesiana collection formed by Kroepelien, page 138, No. 437. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE. FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.