Details
COURTANVAUX, François César Le Tellier, Marquis de (1718-1781). Journal du voyage de M. Le Marquis de Courtanvaux, sur le Frégate l'Aurore, pour essayer par ordre de l'Académie, plusieurs instrumens relatifs à la Longitude. Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1768.
4o (270 x 210 mm). One folding engraved map and 5 engraved plates. Contemporary mottled-paper covered boards, manuscript title label on spine, uncut (some light wear).
FIRST EDITION, describing the first testings of Pierre Le Roy's marine chronometers on a voyage from Le Havre to Amsterdam, undertaken in 1767 by Courtanvaux in collaboration with Pingré and Messier. Courtanvaux, a member of the Académie des Sciences, funded the voyage himself and the results of the clocks were sufficiently promising to lead to an official trans-Atlantic test in 1768 in which the younger Cassini took part. Le Roy was battling François Berthoud to perfect the marine chronometer at this time (see lots 34-35 and 190). Houzeau & Lancaster 10473; Poggendorff I:488-89.
4
FIRST EDITION, describing the first testings of Pierre Le Roy's marine chronometers on a voyage from Le Havre to Amsterdam, undertaken in 1767 by Courtanvaux in collaboration with Pingré and Messier. Courtanvaux, a member of the Académie des Sciences, funded the voyage himself and the results of the clocks were sufficiently promising to lead to an official trans-Atlantic test in 1768 in which the younger Cassini took part. Le Roy was battling François Berthoud to perfect the marine chronometer at this time (see lots 34-35 and 190). Houzeau & Lancaster 10473; Poggendorff I:488-89.