DU PETIT-THOUARS (Abel) - TESSAN (Urbain Dortet de L'Espigarié de). Voyage autour du monde sur la frégate La Vénus commandée par Abel Du Petit-Thouars. Paris: Gide, 1840-1846. - 9 volumes of in-8 text (out of 10) and 4 atlases in-folio: (4 ff.), XLIV, 402 pp., 5 tableaux; (4 ff.), 464 pp., 1 tableau; (4 ff.), 490 pp., 6 tables; (4 ff.), 178 pp. (1 table); (4 ff.), XVIII, 464 pp.; (4 ff.), VII pp. (1 f.), 456 pp.; (4 ff.), III, 334 pp. (2 ff.); (4 ff.), V pp, (1 f.), 454 pp, (1 f.), 3 tables, 1 map; (4 ff.), XXXIX, 472 pp; Atlas: Atlas pittoresque: (2 ff.), 3 pp, 65 plates (of 70); Atlas zoologique: (3 ff.), 73 plates (of 79); Atlas de Botanique: (3 ff.), 25 plates (of 28); Atlas hydrographique: title, 19 maps and plans on 16 leaves. Publisher's printed boards for text volumes and gray half cloth with corners for 3 atlases, smooth spine, and brown half calf for the fourth (later bindings). First edition of the 9 text volumes (out of 10) and 4 atlas volumes (incomplete) of this famous circumnavigation. The first four text volumes are by Du Petit-Thouars and contain the voyage report. The next 5 were published by Urbain Dortet de L'Espigarié de Tessan and include the scientific part: Observations météorologiques faites à la mer. - Magnetic observations. - Miscellaneous, detached and general observations. In these 5 volumes, the barometric observations were made by Casimir Dubosq, Antoine Sireuil, Pierre-Charles Raulline and Pierre-Jean Bertrand, under the supervision of M. Chinon de Brossai, second in command of La Vénus. The Mémoire sur les montres marines embarquées à bord de la Vénus is by J. Lefebvre. Volume 5, devoted to natural history, is missing. These text volumes include 15 out-of-text tables, 13 of which are in the relation section, and a fold-out map. Spines of volumes 1, 3 and 10 missing, that of the third volume replaced by gray cloth. Spines browned, hinges fragile. First volume boards loose. Rousseurs. The atlases are composed as follows: - Atlas pittoresque. Paris : Gide, 1841. This copy includes 65 plates of the 70 required. Missing are plates 52 (Village de la baie de la Madre-de-Dios), 53 (La Vénus au mouillage d'O-Taïti), 56 (Vue d'une partie de la rade de Papeïti) and 69-70 (Care générale du globe, sur laquelle est tracé l'itinéraire de la frégate). Of these 65 plates, 17 are color representations of costumes, 24 are two-tone lithographed panoramas and 23 are black lithographed views and scenes on chine collé. Finally, there is a "Plan of the City of Sydney" in 1838. Heavy foxing on the text leaves and on the first 12 and last 9 plates. Freckles on the panorama plates. - Atlas de Zoologie. Paris: Gide et Cie, 1846. Copy comprising 73 of 79 plates of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, mollusks and zoophytes. Missing plate 11 (Golden-bellied Squirrel) in the Mammals section, plate 5 (Red-naped Tanager) in the Birds section, and plates 4 (Porous Sea Urchin), 5 (Lilac Sea Urchin. Spatilufere Sea Urchin), 10 (Eccentric Placentula) and 13 (Sieve Gorgonian) in the Zoophytes section. Heavy foxing on several plates. Bird plates are browned. - Atlas de Botanique. Paris : Gide et Cie, 1846. Copy comprising 25 of 28 plates. Missing plates 9 (Gyrinopsis Cumingiana), 19 (Botryodendron Taïtense), 25 (Xylosma fragrans) and 26 (Waltheria lophanthus). Occasional heavy foxing. - Atlas hydrographique. Rédigé par U. de Tessan...Publié par ordre du roi. 1845. This complete atlas includes 19 maps and plans on 16 leaves, 6 of which are double-page. Binding faded, spine missing, reinforced with brown sticky cloth, corners dulled. Very good condition inside, despite some light soiling.