CHAPPE D’AUTEROCHE Jean-Baptiste Voyage en Californie pour l’observation du passage de Vénus sur le disque du soleil le 3 juin 1769. Contenant les observations de ce phénomène, & la description historique de la route de l’auteur à travers le Mexique.

Hill, 278 ; Sabin, 12003 ; John Carter Brown, 1818 ; Howes, C-299 ; DSB, III, 198.

First edition.

Chappe d’Auteroche had been an observer of the transit of Venus in Siberia in 1761 and was sent by the French government to observe the 1769 transit from Baja California, at the same time as Cook was heading for Tahiti to observe it.

“Chappe’s fame rests essentially on his role in the observation of the transits of Venus of 1761 and 1769, but his first important scientific communication was connected with the antecedent though not unrelated transit of Mercury of 1753. Between this event and his election to the Académie des Sciences as adjoint astronomer in 1759, Chappe undertook surveys in Lorraine that involved latitude determination derived from measurement of the meridian altitudes of selected stars of the sun’s limb, and longitude determination from lunar eclipses and the occultations of stars…. The twin transits of Venus were the capstone of eighteenth-century observational activity, and Chappe shared in these great event, in the former through his participation in a Siberian winter expedition in 1761 and in the latter through his participation in an expedition to southern California to observe the transit of Venus in 1769… [Chappe] died of an unknown epidemic disease that killed ll but one of the group sent to California” (DSB).

“A great deal of interest was taken in this transit of Venus. The French governement had two expeditions in the field, one under Le Gentil de la Galaisière, intended to operate from the Philippines, and this one, which was accompanied by Spanish scientists, from Baja California. The British governement also sent Captain Cook out to Tahiti for the same purpose” (Hill). THis highly important publication is illustrated with a large plan of Mexico City, most likely drawn by José Antonio Alzate “who also contributed information about the natural history of the region near Mexico City” (Hill).

The 3 plates are of natural history interst (fish, mineralogy, botany, scientific observations).

A full margined and clean copy.