Lettres Édifiantes Et Curieuses, Écrites Des Missions Étrangères. Nouvelle Édition

Paris: J.G.Merigot le jeune, 1780-83., 1780. 26 Volumes. 12mo. complete with half-titles. 26 folding engraved maps & plans & 23 engraved plates (11 folding). 4 folding tables. woodcut ornaments. contemporary tree calf, gilt backs (minor worming to a few leaves in Vol. XVIII, marginal repairs to first 4 leaves in Vol. XIX, Vol. IV rebacked with spine mounted, few spinal extremities chipped; otherwise a very good set). Second Edition. The first edition of the relations, collected by Fathers Le Gobien, Du Halde and Patouillet, was published at Paris in thirty-four parts, from 1702 to 1776. The present edition, enlarged and corrected by l'Abbé de Querbeuf, is preferred to the original, as it is arranged systematically according to geographic region: Volumes I to V relate to the Levant, VI to IX to North and South America, X to XV to India, XVI to XXIV to China, and XXV to XXVI to India and China. The American volumes include a letter from Father Marest, describing D'Iberville's expedition to Hudson's Bay, 1694-95, where he captured Fort York, the famous Picolo letter, which contains the first descriptive account of California and which is accompanied by the third French printing of the extremely important Kino map, which effectively dispelled the long-held notion that California was an island, &c. (see JCB). Bell J72. Cordier 930. Howes L-299 (calling for 56 maps & plates). JCB II 2654. Sabin 40698. Wagner, Cartography of the Northwest Coast, 483. cfLande 472. cfTPL 258. cfWagner, Spanish Southwest 74a. cfWheat 89.. F. Hardcover.