SOUTH AMERICA -- ECUADOR -- LA CONDAMINE, (Ch.M. de). Journal du voyage fait par ordre du Roi, a l'équateur, servant d'introduction historique à la mésure des trois premiers degrés du méridien. Paris, Impr. Royale, 1751. (2), xxxvi, 280, xv pp. W. engr. headpiece, 2 fold. maps (incl. 1 lge. fold. map of Quito), 1 fold. plan of the city of Quito, and 3 engr. plates (1 fold. view on "la plaine d'Yarouqui, depuis Carabourou jusqu'à Oyambaro"). 4°. Cont. mottled cf. (Upper hinge split but holding, outer corners a bit worn, small libr. stamp on ti.-p., in fine interior condition). -- Added: (J.-B. LABAT). Nouveau voyage aux isles de l'Amérique (…). Vol. 2 (of 2). La Haye, P. Husson, (e.a.), 1724. W. 19 plates (incl. 5 maps/plans). 4°. Cont. richtly gilt marbled cf., a.e.g. -- (2).
Ad 1: Charles Marie de La Condamine (1701-774) was a French explorer, geographer, and mathematician. He spent ten years in territory which is now Ecuador, measuring the length of a degree of latitude at the equator and preparing the first map of the Amazon region based on astro-geodetic observations. The scientific results of the expedition were unambiguous: the Earth is indeed a spheroid flattened at the poles as was believed by Newton. - First edition. Sabin 38479; at length also DSB XV, 269-273.€ 700
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