Recherches asiatiques, ou Mémoires de la société établie au Bengale pour faire des recherches sur l'histoire et les antiquités, les arts, les sciences et la littérature de l'Asie; traduits de l'anglois par A. Labaume. Revus et augmentés de notes, pour la partie orientale, philologique et historique, par M. Langlès [...]; et pour la partie des sciences [...] par MM. Cuvier, Delambre, Lamarck et Olivier [...].

2 vol., 4to: xcvii-[1 bl.]-528-31-[1 bl.], [3-1 bl.]-[3]-4/460-84 pp. (some dampstaining on first and last quires 1st vol., some min. staining and spotting, tear in margin of pl. 6 in 2nd vol. sl. touching the engr.).

Mod. quarter brown leather, marbled paper on covers, flat spines, black leather title labels, marbled endpapers.

First French edition translated by Antoine-Gilbert Griffet de Labume of the memoirs of The Asiatic Society, founded in 1784 in Calcutta by William Jones, and the first society to devote itself to the research and study of oriental languages. Ill. with 44 engr. pl. and one folding table showing an oriental zodiac, scriptures, a musician, a pangolin, etc. Contains a dissertation on the orthograph of oriental words, astronomical observations taken in Fort William (Hastings, Calcutta) by Thomas D. Pearse, details on the sculptures and ruins of Mavilapouram, a report on a journey to Tibet, a dissertation on the treatment of elephantiasis, notes on the Indian chess game, etc. With meteorological journals at the end of each volume written by T.D. Pearse and H. Trail.
Ref. Chadenat 4934. - BnF. - COPAC.
Prov. Sm. stamp on titles.