406. [AMERICANA] - ROQUEFEUIL (Camille de). Journal d'un voyage autour du monde, pendant les années 1816, 1817, 1818 et 1819. Paris, Ponthieu, Lesage, Gide fils, 1823, 2 vols. in-8, l-344 pp. ; [2] ff. n. ch., 407 pp. with 2 large folding maps out of text, fawn half-basin, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets and fleurons, cherry and green title-pieces, lemon edges (period binding). Rare first edition. A very important account of the Marquesas Islands and California, the first description of which was published in the 19th century. Complete with two folding maps, the large world map and the map of North-West America. These are often missing. This great commercial circumnavigation (albeit publicly funded) lasted three years, and took Camille-Joseph de Roquefeuil-Cahuzac (1781-1831) from Chile to Peru, California, Alaska, Hawaii and China. The whole of the North Pacific was crossed, and many observations were made very early on in these regions, which had not yet been traveled by Westerners. On the other hand, the commercial purpose (fur trading) was a complete failure. Autograph letter from the author to Dr. Rivière (slightly cut by the binder). It is probable that some of the handwritten corrections and strikethroughs in the text (e.g. Volume I, p. xxxvij, p. 132, p. 275, etc.) are the author's own, given the similarity of spelling and the fact that these notes supplement the published text. A good copy in contemporary binding. Some foxing. Minor rubbing to spines.