ROCHEFORT, CHARLES DE Natuurlijke en Zedelijke Historie der Voor-Eylanden van Amerika.
Rotterdam: Arnout Leers, 1662. First Dutch Edition, preceded by the French edition issued in Rotterdam, 1658. Contemporary vellum, yapp edges, all edges red. 7 5/8 x 6 inches (19.5 x 15 cm); [40], 475, [11] pp.; 6 folding plates, 37 copperplate illustrations in text, and a magnificent engraved title-page. The vellum a bit soiled, but in general an exceptionally bright, fresh copy internally. Beehive bookplate of the Bibliotheca Ludwigiana (Christian Gottlieb Ludwig) and one other.
Rochefort was the pastor of the French Protestant Church in Rotterdam, who lived for some years in the West Indies, and is drawn from multiple sources. The vocabulary of the Carib language (pp. 464-475) is based on that of Raymond Breton (see the present catalogue for a collection of his works). The book was intended to encourage emigration of the Huguenots to Florida. It is a very thorough account of the natural history of the Caribbean, with much on the Carib people in the second section. Pilling 3344; JCB II, p. 484; Sabin 72320; Tiele 926; Cox II, p.205 (orig. French ed., Rott., 1660); Nissen, ZBI 3448; Arents 269 etc.

C The Collection of Jay I. Kislak sold to benefit the Kislak Family Foundation

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