Vue de Sambouangue [View of Zamboanga]

Description

RARE copper engraving from Pierre Sonnerat’s ‘Voyage à la Nouvelle Guinée, dans lequel on trouve la description des Lieux, des Observations physiques & morales, & des details relatifs a l’Histoire Naturelle dans le Regne Animal & le Regne Vegetal.’; plate 87/page 129. The work was published by Ruault in Paris in 1776. It featured detailed ornithological and geographical information from the Moluccas and the Philippines, incl. Manila, and Luzon ONLY – the title itself is misleading.
The work was claimed to largely depict the botany and birds of New Guinea. Although it is considered an extremely important work that accounts for Sonnerat’s first voyage to New Guinea, he only made it to Gebi island and the illustrations depict discoveries and encounters primarily in the Philippines and the Moluccas. Sonnerat’s journey to all of New Guinea did not occur, and he was criticised for this in his lifetime, but the birds depicted were real even if not all living or native to New Guinea.
Sonnerat often erred in origin and location and erroneously described as Philippine birds some specimens that were gathered from other parts of the world. Many of the Philippine birds described, have been identified as African or Indian species or have not been clearly identified. It is clear that the bird descriptions were written after his return to France from the specimens he brought with him. Many were specimens from Africa and India mislabeled as Philippines, perhaps gathered from previous or subsequent travels.
However, this does not apply to his visit to Zamboanga and the renderings on the topography encountered.