LA CONDAMINE, Charles Marie de.

Mesure des Trois Premiers Degrés du Méridien dans l'Hémisphere Austral, Tirée des Observations de M.rs de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, Envoyés par le Roi sous l'Équateur...

Engraved vignette on title & three engraved plates (two of which are folding). 6 p.l., 266, x pp. Large 4to, cont. marbled calf, spine nicely gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: de l'Imprimerie Royale, 1751. First edition of the first complete account of the scientific operations undertaken during the author's famous geodetic mission to Peru, in conjunction with Bouguer and Godin, for measuring the meridian near the equator, co-operating with another mission sent to Lapland, and led by Maupertuis, Clairaut, and Celsius, to measure the meridian near the north pole. These two missions first established the correctness of Newton's views of the earth having the shape of an ellipsoid -- a fact previously much doubted as the result of a faulty meridian measurement by Cassini and Picard. The book is divided into two parts: the first relates to the geodetical measurements and the second to the astronomical observations. La Condamine's notable zenith sector is illustrated on one of the plates and is described in the text. We also find an account of the author's important research on the pendulum. Very fine and handsome copy. Bound-in at end is the Supplément (Paris: 1752; viii, 52 pp.). A second supplement was issued in 1754 and is not present (it is extremely rare). D.S.B., XV, pp. 269-73.

• USD 4,750.00 > autres monnaies
• Commande nro.: HillBibl-219

• libraire: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. (USA)