This work by Charles de Brosses is one of the most important collections of Pacific and Australasian voyages published in the eighteenth century. Its purpose was to stimulate French interest in exploring the region and even goes as far as detailing a plan for a voyage and settlement of a penal colony. The idea, however, was taken up by Britain first. Hill calls it ‘an extremely important and thorough collection of voyages, and one of the outstanding works relating to the early history of Australia.’ It details voyages from that of Amerigo Vespucci in 1502 right up to publication. A three-page contents list found at the beginning identifies each, along with their dates. The work is divided into the three sections of ‘Magellanie’, ‘Australasie’, and ‘Polynesie’ and includes accounts of the voyages of Magellan, Drake, Sarmiento, Hawkins, Quiros, Noort, Spilbergen, Nodal, Schouten, Dampier, Roggeveen, Anson and others.

Charles de Brosses (1709-77) was President of the Parliament of Burgundy, shareholder of the French India Company, and member of the Academie Royale des Sciences. The author’s name is not identified in the preliminary material but is identified in the Privilege found at the end of the second volume. This example contains the additional seven asterisked leaves of text detailing the Dutch discoveries in Australia which is not always present. The work stimulated the later voyage of Comte Louis Antoine de Bougainville. James Cook took a copy of his work with him on his first voyage from 1768-71. It is recorded that he praised the quality of the maps. It was this work that coined the terms ‘Australasia’ and ‘Polynesia’.

The end of the second volume includes 7 folding engraved maps amongst which is the important map of Australia. It was derived from that by Jacques Bellin in 1753 but importantly included new information and corrections including Torres Strait which Cook had doubted existed. The east coast is conjectured and would not be outlined until Cook’s arrival. In the process Tasmania is effectively connected to New Holland. There are also maps of the world centred on the Pacific, the Straits of Magellan and ‘Malouines’ (Falkland Islands), and a detailed chart of New Guinea illustrating the straits with New Holland.

Provenance: with inkstamp of ‘Biblioteca Perucho’ on titles and Domus Lugdenensis Jesus; bookplate of Eduardo Obejero Urquiza (1888-1938) born in Buenos Aires and died in Vienna, he built an exceptional library of travel books; Libreria de Antanao 2001; Juan and Peggy Rada Collection. Clancy (1995) pp. 94 & 109; Cox (1935-39) pp. 17-18; Hill 190; Martinic (1999) p. 254, no. 306b; Sabin (1868-1936) 8388; Shirley (2004) G.Bros 1a; Suarez (2004); Tooley (1963) no. 72; Tooley (1965) no. 82.