[Travels Around the World and to the Two Poles By Land and By Sea, During the Years 1767 – 1776]

By Pagès, Pierre-Marie François De

Paris: Moutard, 1782. First Edition. 8vo – 22.4cm, 432, 272 pages with 7 fold-out maps, two fold-out plates of wooden vessels, and one fold-out plate illustrating whale flensing. Bound in original blue continental paper boards with paper labels on spine, untrimmed and uncut in very good condition. This is a Rare set, and even when it is seen, seldom would one see such an entirely untouched set of books in original bindings and original condition — the interior pages are very clean with no foxing or prior ownership markings — truly a unique and Rare set of books over 230 years since its publication in extraordinary condition. The heavy paper used for text and plates in un–foxed and maintains a unique and pleasing tactile and acoustical quality. A near fine copy in original condition — a very desirable copy.

This is the first edition of an account of a circumnavigation that includes a description of a 1767 journey across Texas and through Mexico to Acapulco. As such Pagès took part in no less than three separate voyages, the first being travels in the Louisiana Territory, Texas and Mexico before sailing to Guam, returning to France via the Philippines, Java, India, Persia, Syria, and Lebanon. He subsequently joined Yves-Joseph de Kerguélen-Trémarec’s second expedition towards the South Pole (1773-4), a disastrous attempt to colonize the Kerguelen Islands discovered on the first expedition. The first 115pp. of Vol. II are devoted to this voyage, and the remainder of the volume describes Pagés’ account of his 1776 “Voyage vers le Pole nord” on a whaling ship to Spitsbergen. He offers a description of the Spitsbergen region, of whales and whaling, and of the voyage itself. Berne 1783; Dutch translation, Rotterdam 1784; Swedish translation, Uppsala 1788; Sabin 58168; Spence 887; Howgego, Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800, p783.P8; — not in Arctic Bibliography.

“Pierre-Marie François De Pagès, French seaman, traveler and scientist (1748-93). Born in Toulouse, he entered the navy as midshipman in 1764, and by 1767 had been promoted to second lieutenant. While stationed at Saint-Dominque (Haiti), Pagés apparently received a commission to discover a northwest passage by way of the eastern coast of Asia. He started out in 1767 by first sailing to New Orleans, then making his way up the Mississippi and Red River arrived at Natchitoches, where he stayed for some time. He proceeded across Texas on horseback to San Antonio, and then through Mexico to Acapulco. From there he sailed to Guam and the Philippines, and returned to Marseille on 5.9.1771 by way of Bombay, Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Palestine. After some difficulties he was reinstated in the navy on 9.3.1772.

Pagés’ Voyage autour du Monde also contains an account of his adventures with the unsuccessful second voyage of YVES-JOSEPH DE KERGUELEN-TREMAREC toward the South Pole in search of “Terra Australis Incognita” as well as his experiences on an expedition of a Dutch whaler to Spitzbergen, with a detailed account of whaling and the natural history of the whale. After being imprisoned twice in ice-fields he made it back to Amsterdam on 15.8.1777, but the fatigues and hardships endured on his journeys had impaired his health; he retired from the navy in 1782, and, returning to Saint-Dominique, settled on an estate belonging to his wife, a creole. His final years were devoted to scientific research, and at the time of his death he had in preparation a number of important works on America. Pagés was a member of several learned societies, and in 1872 was created a knight of St. Louis. He was unfortunately murdered during the insurrection of the slaves in 1793. The veracity of some or all of his journeys has been regarded by bibliographers with suspicion, but, needless to say, his Voyage autour du Monde made very popular reading”.— Howgego.

$3400.00 -