Maggs Bros.

The first edition of this scarce collection of plates showing places visited by Laplace’s Artemise voyage. This voyage became known as the ‘Laplace Affair’ or the ‘French Incident’ as it was a military intervention by France to end the persecution of Catholics in Hawaii.

The majority of plates are after Edmond Paris. Francois-Edmond Paris began his naval career on the Astrolabe under Dumont d’Urville. He was an officer on one of Laplace’s earlier voyages before sailing with Laplace on the Artemise during this 1837-1840 voyage. These illustrations include views of the Cape of Good Hope, Sri Lanka, Muscat, Coromadnel Peninsula New Zealand, Rio de Janeiro, Manila and Honolulu.

The plates were first issued in large format in Cyrille Laplace’s Campagne de Circumnavigation de la Fregate L’Artemise, Pendant Les Annees. Here they appear with text by Casimir Henricy. Henricy was a sailor who spent time in Polynesia and Oceania. He was a regular contributor to the ‘National’ and was a City Councillor of the 4th arrondissement of Paris.