PSALMANAZAR,G. - Description de l'Isle Formosa en Asie, du gouvernement, des

Complete title: Description de l'Isle Formosa en Asie, du gouvernement, des Moers & de la religion des habitans. Rare first French edition of one of the most famous fictitious travelbooks ever published. It offered a complete and detailed description of the island Formosa and the life and customs of its people, including its language. The name of the author, George Psalmanazar, is a pseudonym and his real name is not known. From his memoirs we learn that the author was born in Southern France, and after his education at Franciscan and Jesuit schools, embarked upon a successful career of pretenses. He formulated an entire language, grammar and all and invented a whole style of life to sustain his pretense. He translated the Church of England catechism into his "Formosan tongue", and wrote the present famous description of Formosa. With 1 folding map of Japan (ref.: Campbell 35) and 17 engraved plates some of them folding, with the Formosan alphabet, Formosan altars, costumes, architecture, ships, a palanquin carried by two elephants, a funeral procession. Refeference: Cox II,476; Cordier,BJ 408 & BS.282; Lust 235; Walravens 214.