BOUGARD (Raulin). Le petit flambeau de la mer, or the true g - Lot 277

BOUGARD (Raulin). Le petit flambeau de la mer, or the true guide for coastal pilots. Au Havre de Grâce, Faure, 1770. Small in-4, (3) ff, 411-(7) pp; brown half-chagrin, ribbed spine, gilt title (modern binding). Small angular loss restored to the title, without affecting the letter. Illustrated with numerous coastal profiles and 67 woodcut plans and maps. Contains descriptions of the Atlantic coastline from the English Channel to Cape Verde, including southern England and Ireland, the coasts and islands of the western Mediterranean, and ports of call for ships on the route to India via the Cape of Good Hope. Bougard's work, commonly referred to as the "Petit Bougard", enjoyed great vogue for over a century, and, despite inevitable imperfections, was the vademecum of all pilots during the 18th century. The "French Neptune", though more complete and more accurate, only just managed to take its place. Bougard's coastal descriptions include southern England, the western and southern parts of France, Portugal and Spain, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and a few other islands; then all Barbary as far as Cape Verde, with the islands of Madeira, the Canaries and the Cape Verde Islands. Finally, it indicates the main stopping places for ships sailing to the East Indies. (Ref: A. Anthiaume, "Evolution et Enseignement de la Science Nautique...", Paris, 1920, 2 vol. in-8) A good copy. (Polak 1044.) Ex-libris G.-R. Piclin. Bookplate JM.