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LE VAILLANT, François SKU: 10370 Barcode:
Stock No. 10370
Authors: François, LE VAILLANT (1753-1824)
Bruxelles : chez Benoit Le Francq, Imprimeur-Libraire, rue de la Magdalene, 1791
Two volume set. Demy 8vo (22cm); xx, 274 pp; engraved frontispiece, titlepage and headpiece, then three plates and two folding plates; (ii), (288) pp; engraved titlepage, head and tailpieces and six plates; binder's instructions concerning placement of plates at the back of vol.2; contemp, calf binding with five gilt garlands to the spine and tow black labels on each vol. (one chipped on v.1); joints of spines on each volume cracked but firm enough. Contents remarkably fresh and clean, with not a hint of spotting on browning of any kind. Ex.libris Elizabeth Thorold, with her bookplate. A near-Fine set.
François Levaillant (later known as Le Vaillant, meaning 'The Valiant') was a French explorer, naturalist, zoological collector, and ornithologist. He described many new species of birds found in Africa and had a number of birds named after him. He was sent via the Dutch East India Company to Cape Province of South Africa in 1780 where he collected numerous specimens until July 1784 when he returned to Holland. In all he made three journeys to Africa, one around Cape Town (April to August 1781), one eastwards from the Cape (1781-82) and the last north of the Orange River into Great Namaqualand (1783-84).An illustrative map of his travels was published around 1790 for King Louis XVI with the cartographic elements of the map made by Perrier and the insets of animals and landscapes by Van Leen. The birds were by Reinold. Sixty two pictures of fauna and flora appeared on the map. As a traveller in Africa, Le Vaillant described the African people without prejudice expounding Rousseau's view of the "Noble savage" and condemnation of civilisation.
