This 3-volume French set was written by Dutchman Cornelius de Pauw, who was considered to be a leading expert on America at the time (despite never having traveled there). De Pauw also studied ethnology, and claimed that American natives are inferior to those from western and northern Europe, and part of that inferiority was a result of America's climate and geography. De Pauw claimed that any Europeans who colonized North America would also be afflicted by these factors. He wrote "the Creoles, descending from Europeans and born in America, though educated in the universities of Mexico, of Lima, and College de Santa Fe, have never produced a single book. This degradation of humanity must be imputed to the vitiated qualities of the air stagnated in their immense forests, and corrupted by noxious vapours from standing waters and uncultivated grounds." While the book does not call for any illustrations, the present example has been augmented by three manuscript maps that appear to be approximately contemporary to the publication. Volume 1 contains an untitled manuscript map of the Western Hemisphere (8.5 x 10.2") and western coast of Africa (5.1 x 7.7"), while volume 2 features a manuscript map (14.5 x 10.5") of the Gulf of Mexico based upon Bellin. This controversial work was later argued against by Thomas Jefferson in his famous Notes on Virginia. Rebound in faux leather over marbled boards with title labels on the spines.

References: Sabin #59242.

Condition: B

Contents are good with some light toning, foxing and occasional dampstains. The large manuscript map of the Gulf of Mexico is toned along the joint and the smaller map of the Western Hemisphere has a chip at lower left with small loss of border. Modern bindings are near fine with bumped corners.