LABAT (Jean-Baptiste).Nouveau voyage aux isles de l'Amérique - Lot 29

LABAT (Jean-Baptiste).Nouveau voyage aux isles de l'Amérique.Paris: Guillaume Cavelier, 1722. - 6 volumes in-12, 164 x 93: xxxvj pp, (5 ff.), 525 pp, 2 maps, 19 plates; (3 ff.), 598 pp, 1 map, 22 plates; iv, 547 pp. miscalculated 549, 31 plates; vj, 558 pp, 13 plates; vj, 524 pp, 2 maps, 3 plates; vj, 514 pp, (7 ff.), 8 plates. Original edition of the account of the voyage of the Dominican monk and missionary Jean-Baptiste Labat (1663-1738) to the French West Indies (Martinique, Guadeloupe and other Caribbean islands) from 1694 to 1705. The work is presented as an ethnographic, historical and scientific work on the West Indies and the French colonies of America. It offers a complete picture of the societies, resources and dynamics of these regions, making it one of the most comprehensive and detailed accounts of the French colonies in America at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Labat deals with the natural history of the islands, accurately describing the flora, fauna and landscapes, while tracing the origins, customs, religion and government of the inhabitants, whether natives or colonists. He devotes considerable space to the social and political transformations brought about by colonization, as well as to the conflicts and key events he witnessed. The book also deals with the colonial economy: Labat analyzes trade and local manufacturing and suggests ways to develop them, reflecting the economic issues of the time. Finally, he offers an accurate and curious description of each island, combining geographical, cultural and practical observations. The edition is illustrated with 101 plates, including 5 maps (Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies. - Martinique. - Guadeloupe. - Saint Christophe Island. - Santo Domingo Island). A good copy in contemporary binding. Some wear and dull corners. Old private library label affixed to top of spines. Some scattered wetness. Tears not missing from some plates.