BARRERE (Pierre). Nouvelle relation de la France équinoxiale, contenant La Description des Côtes de la Guiane ; de l'Isle de Cayenne ; le Commerce de cette Colonie ; les divers changements arrivés dans ce Pays ; & les Mœurs & Coûtumes des différents Peuples Sauvages qui l'habitent. Paris : Piget, Damonneville, Durand, 1743. - In-12, 160 x 94 : (2 ff.), iv, 250 pp., (1 f.), 2 maps, 17 plates. Dark blue morocco, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, ornate ribbed spine, gilt lace inside, gilt edges (Émile Rousselle). Broc, Géographie des philosophes, pp. 123-124 - Sabin, 3604. - Boucher de la Richarderie, VI, 255Original edition of one of the best old books on Guiana and certainly the best published in the 18th century, much sought after for its accuracy . Pierre Barrère (1690-1755) was sent to Cayenne in 1722 as a correspondent of the Academy of Sciences and the king's botanist. His report is very complete, described as follows in the Foreword: "It first examines how the first establishments of the French in Guiana were made. It then describes the coasts of this vast province, from the Amazon River to the Suriname River (...) From there, it gives a fairly extensive description of the island of Cayenne. It recalls the main events that occurred there: it depicts the present state of this colony. He speaks of trade and suggests ways to make it flourish. The natural order leads to a description of the customs and habits of the Indians of Guiana... Finally, this report ends with a census of the different Indian nations spread throughout the continent of Guiana. It is in the chapter on trade that we find considerations on sugar cane, roucou, coffee and cocoa . Numa Broc also points out that Barrère helped popularize terms such as savannah, mangrove, pirogue, paddle or even hammock, which will make a fortune in French exotic literature. The author voluntarily omitted the descriptions of animals, plants and other natural productions, which he had already gathered in his Essai sur l'Histoire Naturelle de la France Equinoxiale published in 1741. the edition is illustrated with two folding maps representing the Amazon to the Marony river and the island of Cayenne and seventeen double-page plates engraved by Mathey and Le Parmentier . A very nice copy bound by Émile Rousselle. Provenance: Jean-Paul Morin (sale IV, June 18, 2013, n° 76).