MÜLLER, Gerhard Friedrich. Voyages et découvertes faites par les russes le long des côtes de la Mer Glaciale & sur l'Océan oriental, tant vers le Japon que vers l'Amérique. Traduit par C.G.F. Dumas. Amsterdam: Marc-Miche Rey. 1766.
Two volumes, 8vo. Contemporary calf-backed marbled boards, spines with raised bands, ruled in gilt and with contrasting lettering-pieces; pp. x, [2] 388; iv, 207, [24, index and publisher's catalogue], very large folding engraved map (with one mainor repair along fold); removed bookplate, otherwise a most attractive copy of this important work.
First French edition. 'Since the rapid development of British Columbia and Alaska this important book is becoming indispensable for the history of discovery and exploration in the Northern Pacific' (Sabin).Volume two is exclusively on the Amur region. 'One of the pioneers of the study of ethnography, Gerhard Müller was educated in the German city of Leipzig. He moved to Russia in 1725 and was one of the founding members of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. The main impact of his work can be found in the expeditions and studies undertaken in Siberia and Kamchatka. For 10 years he was part of a group of scientists who traveled through Siberia in order to document the peoples and cultures, and collect data for the creation of maps. Müller, as someone who was adept at describing and categorizing clothing, religions, and rituals of the many different Siberian ethnic groups, is considered to be the father of ethnography' (Saint-Petersburg.com).
The splendid and important map shows the largely unexplored American extreme Northwest.
Sabin, 51286; Leclerc, 661; Hill, 1201
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