This copper engraving is from a remarkable series of publications, illustrating voyages of discovery and travels of exploration to various parts of the world. The project was begun by Theodore de Bry of Frankfurt, in 1590 and was to continue for another 54 years. They became known collectively as the Grands Voyages (to America and the West Indies) and the Petits Voyages (to the Orient and the East Indies). De Bry died after the first six parts of the Grands Voyages were completed. The project was completed initially by his widow and two sons, Johann Theodore de Bry and Johann Israel de Bry, then by his son-in-law, Matthaus Merian in 1644.

This fascinating lot is a complete set of the 42 plates on Florida Natives that were included in the first Latin edition of Part II of de Bry's Grands Voyages (Brevis Narratio Eorum quae in Florida Americae Provincia Gallis Acciderunt). The plates are based on Le Moyne's famous drawings of the French colonial attempts in southeastern Florida in the 1560s. This lot also includes an engraving of Noah and the ark after the receding of the flood, which preceded the section on Florida. The only components from the section on Florida from Part II that are not included are the title page and the map, Floridae Americae Provinciae. All of the plates have Latin text below and blank versos with the exception of the plate of Noah and the ark, which has text on verso. The plates depict:

1. The arrival of the French in Florida in 1562
2. The French discover the River of May (St. Johns)
3. The French discover two other rivers
4. They discover six more rivers
5. The French reach Port Royal
6. The French erect a column with the royal coat of arms
7. Those left behind run short of food
8. The Indians worship the column erected by the French
9. A site for the fort is chosen
10. Fort Caroline
11. Satouriona prepares for battle
12. Consulting a sorcerer
13. The French help Outina fight the Patanou
14. How Outina's army marches to war
15. How the Indians treated the corpses of their enemy
16. Indian victory ceremonies
17. The duties of the hermaphrodites
18. How the widows petition their chief
19. How the widows lament at the burial grounds
20. How the Indians treat their sick
21. How the Indians till the soil
22. Collecting crops for the communal storehouse
23. Collecting game for the communal storehouse
24. How the Indians preserved game
25. How the Indians hunt deer
26. Killing alligators
27. How the Floridians go swimming from island to island
28. Preparing for a feast
29. An Indian council meeting
30. A fortified Indian village
31. Setting fire to the enemy’s village
32. How a sentry was treated for negligence
33. How the Indians declare war
34. The sacrifice of the first-born son
35. A harvest offering
36. How the young men were trained
37. A bride is carried to the chief
38. The chief receives his bride
39. The chief (Satouriona) and his wife go for a stroll
40. How the chief is buried
41. How the Indians collect gold from the streams
42. The murder of the Frenchman, Pierre Gambie
43. Noah's ark

References:

Condition: B+

Overall light toning with minor marginal soiling. Plate 39 has a chip at bottom right, not affecting image, that has been professionally replaced with old paper.