TRAVELS IN KAMTSCHATKA, DURING THE YEARS 1787 AND 1788 (2 volumes)

London: J. Johnson, 1790. Volume I: folding map, xvi, 283 pages; volume 2: viii, 408 pages. De Lesseps accompanied La Perouse on the first part of his attempted circumnavigation of the globe. After investigation of the west coast of North America, La Perouse sent de Lesseps overland to take the journals and maps of the expedition to Paris. La Perouse and his ships subsequently were lost after they left Australia, and the journals carried by de Lesseps assumed great historical significance when published. Even more scarce than those records today are de Lesseps' report of his own overland travels through the Kamtschatka peninsula. The report also includes 25 pages of vocabulary translating common English words into Russian, Kamtschadale, Koriac, Tchouktchi, and Lamont languages. Internally clean with only minor foxing, the two volumes in 3/4 leather over marbled paper covered boards have recently been sympathetically rebacked (original title and volume patches retained). Very attractive example of a quite scarce title. Howes L269 (Howes & Hartley rate this item dd, "superlatively rare").. First English Language Edition. Hardcover. Collectible-Very Good +. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Book.