Histoire Naturelle et Morale des Iles Antilles de l'Amerique. Enrichie de plusieurs belles figures des Raretez les considerables qui y font d'ecrites. Avec un Vocabulaire Caraibe

Roterdam: Arnould Leers, 1658 A fair to good copy of the scarce 1st edition in largely contemporary full leather binding with portrait of Jaques Amprovx, 11 full page plates and 33 engravings in the text. The engraved title and 2 leaves of the table of chapters are provided in facsimile. Attributed to Charles de Rochefort, the Pastor of the French Protestant Church in Rotterdam - although there has been considerable dispute over the authorship. The vocabulary is by Father Raymond Breton. This copy has been rebacked and restitched, retaining the original contemporary boards with corners rebuilt. A new matching spine with raised bands and title label has been added. The original pastedown endpapers have been retained with a large armorial bookplate to the front pastedown and some old ink notes to the rear pastedown. New free endpapers have been added. Contents: engraved title (facsimile); title with printer's device and old ink scrawl to verso; portrait of Messire Jaques Amprovx; epistre 4pp; preface 6pp; avertissement 2 pp; text book I pp 1-262 with 33 engravings in the text and 11 full page engravings; half title book II; text pp 265-514; Vocabulaire Caribe pp 515-527 fin. Table of Chapters 12 pp of which the final 2 leaves have been largely torn out. The remnants have been included and 2 facsimile leaves added. The contents are clean with varying degrees of toning to pages. Page edges, particularly in the epistre are fragile. There is a pale semi-circular stain at the bottom margin in the gutter which commences at p 209 and continues through the work. There are small very occasional circular burn spots of which one has produced a hole at p 363. There has been occasional worming - initially in the gutter circa p 37 (one small track) - this has been repaired from p 49-119 and then disappears; and one small track in the top corner tip from p 393-419 - again repaired to p 410 to preserve the integrity of the corner. A small piece of text has transfered to the illustration in the text on p 197, 2 words are affected on p 196. There are old ink notes in the side margins at pp 266, 464 and 484. Book size: 22.5 cm x 18 cm.