[CLEIRAC (Étienne)]. - Lot 128

[CLEIRAC (Étienne)]. The Uses and Customs of the Sea. Rouen, Jean Berthelin, 1671. In-4, brown granite calf, spine decorated, red edges (period binding). The third and most complete edition of this reference book on maritime law prior to the 18th century. It was Étienne Cleirac (1583-1657), a jurisconsult from Bordeaux, who first had the idea of collecting all the official texts and documents concerning maritime law, which shows the importance of this treatise, first published in 1647 in Bordeaux. The work is divided into three main parts, the plan of which is announced in the title: De la Navigation, Du Commerce Naval & Contrats Maritimes, and De la Jurisdiction de la Marine. The section devoted to whaling on the coasts of Guyenne (pp. 120-132) provides information of the utmost interest for the history of the discovery of America; indeed, it states that the Basques discovered America (Newfoundland and the Canadian coast) a hundred years before Christopher Columbus. The Explication des termes de marine has its own title page, marked third edition and dated 1670. Without the tide table plate, included in only a few copies. Handwritten bookplates faded on title. Small restoration to lower corner of first 3 leaves. Minor foxing and halos on a few leaves. Binding restored (corners, headpieces and hinges).