Voyage in Search of La Perouse. Performed by Order of the Constituent Assembly during the Years 1791, 1792, 1793, and 1794 by M Labillardiere - 1800

London: John Stockdale, 1800 A good copy of the complete 8vo 2 volume edition of the first English translation of Labillardiere's account. M Labillardiere was appointed as the Naturalist to the Voyage so his account is of particular interest for his descriptions of the environment and the plants and animals he encountered. With fold out map, and 45 black and white plates copied from the French edition. This copy has been recently rebound in half calf with marbled boards. The spines have gilt-lined raised bands to the spine and title and author labels. Gilt dates to the bottom of the spine. The endpapers and initial and final blanks are new. Light marbling to page edges. As usual the paper quality is relatively poor with toning and light spotting to some sections. Contents: Vol I: frontispiece; title; dedication 1p; translator's preface v-xii; introduction xiii-xxi; contents xxiv-xxviii; plates list xxix-xxxii (plates ticked off in pencil); folding map; text pp 33-487 with 14 further plates. Vol II: frontispiece; title; contents pp 5-8; text pp 9-344 with 29 plates; appendix pp 1-105; finis. Vol I has 2 black markings to the title page, which has the signature of F Beaufort to the top (also signed the title to Vol II). Both the title and the frontispiece are toned and spotty. The map has a repair to the attachment; there is a mark at the bottom of p 115 and general offsetting from plates. Vol II has an intermittent persistent stain at the top margin edge from p 20 onwards. There is some offsetting from plates. The appendix has p 105 bound in after p 96 but there is no text loss. Scarce.