OCEANIE, OU, CINQUIEME PARTIE DU MONDE : REVUE GEOGRAPHIQUE ET ETHNOGRAPHIQUE DE LA MALAISIE, DE LA MICRONESIE, DE LA POLYNESIE ET DE LA MELANESIE (3 VOLUMES)

Paris: Firmin Didot Freres. Very Good. 1836-37. First Edition. Hardcover. Subtitle: "OFFRANT LES RÉSULTATS DES VOYAGES ET DES DÉCOUVERTES DE L'AUTEUR ET DE SES DEVANCIERS, AINSI QUE SES NOUVELLES CLASSIFICATIONS ET DIVISIONS DE CES CONTREES.....' The noted publishers, Firmin Didot, engaged Rienzi in 1834 to write the volumes devoted to Oceania for his "L'Univers" collection. The three-volume work was published in 1836-1837 with 304 lithographs by the author . It is a compilation of the voyages of Cook and Bougainville supplemented by those of Rienzi himself. The hundreds of steel engraved plates include 5 fold-out maps, the peoples of the Pacific area, the flora & fauna, fish, birds, wildlife, landscapes, statues, etc. The work has been translated into several languages and was reprinted in 1872. In the original brown boards with large blue, white & tan pictorial & lettered paste-ons mounted across front, spine & rear covers. Light rubbing to edges: moderate rubbing to corners. Vol #3; lower corners bumped. Text tight, clean & intact. Vol #1-- (6) 399pp (2) . Vol #2--(9) 397pp (2) . Vol #3--(5) 635pp (4) . Oceana, Travel, Exploration. ; B/W Engravings & Mapsllo; 8vo; 1431 pages .