Le Ver, Girard

Amsterdam, Nicolas. 1598

(Tiele 96)

In folio, contemporary limp vellum

44 lvs including illustrated title page;

31 maps (6) and other plates (25)

A few marginally restored leaves not affecting text or plates,

Rebound in its contemporary binding with other but contemporary free leaves. Else fine.

First edition in French, contemporary to the first editions in Dutch and Latin. The central person was Willem Barentszoon. Jan Huygen van Linschoten participated in the first two voyages (1594 and 1595) and published his own report on those two (Franeker 1601). The third voyage ended in disaster: the hibernation at Nova Zembla in the Behouden Huys. The story of the survival became an instant hit and icon for polar voyages and courage. One of the survivors was Jacob van Heemskerk who later captained further voyages to the East Indies and who died at Gibraltar in 1606.