Frézier, Amédée-François. A Voyage to the South-Sea, and Along the Coasts of Chili and Peru, in the Years 1712, 1713, and 1714, particularly describing the genius and constitution of the inhabitants, as well Indians as Spaniards: their customs and manners; their natural history, mines, commodities, traffick with Europe, &c. . With a postscript by Dr. Edmund Halley. London: Jonah Bowyer, 1717. First English language edition. Quarto. Contemporary pannelled calf, very skillfully rebacked. 37 plates (I-XXIX; XXXI-XXXVI; 36; XXXVII as called for in the directions to binder). Faint stamps to verso of title and plates, a very good copy in a handsome contemproary binding.
First edition in English. This edition is traditionally preferred as it contains a postcript by Edmund Halley (of comet fame) correcting some geographical errors of the French edition, as well as the frontispiece map which was not in the French version. Amongs Frezier's accomplishments was the introduction of the modern strawberry to Europe, and one of the plates depicts this discovery. Hill (2004) 654. Borba de Moraes, p.329. (#kfk263) $5,000.00