Histoire naturelle et morale des Iles Antilles de l'Amerique by Rochefort, Charles de - 1658

First edition, a remarkable early Huguenot emigration guide. 1658. Rotterdam. Arnout Leers. In 4to (230 mm x 165 mm). 2 [blank] + 8 ff. [including engraved title] + 527 + 6 ff. + 2 [blank] + 44 plates, many of which full page. Contemporary vellum over boards, head with upper hinge starting with minor loss of vellum, else very good. A fine example, very clean and fresh, only slightly foxed. Rare first edition, issue with L. D. P. (Louis de Poincy, to whom authorship has been attributed) in the dedicatory epistle, possibly the rarest issue. In fact, the authorship has been long debated, according to Sabin, “Much of the material may have been collected by De Poincy, but the principal or rather sole compiler of the work appears to have been Charles de Rochefort”; today the consensus is that it was written by Rochefort, the Dutch edition of 1662 so confirms it. A truly remarkable work on the islands of the Caribbean, arguably intended as an emigrant guide; the first part relates mainly and contains extensive details on the region´s natural history, the second part deals with the manners, customs, trade, religion, organization and administration of the Caribs. The work finishes with a vocabulary of the Carib language by Father Raymond Breton. The work is profusely and handsomely illustrated with 43 copper-plates of varying sizes, a full page portrait of Jacques Amproux and a splendid engraved title page. Brunet III, 206. Sabin, 72314.