Gilles Floriant, “Lettres sur le Caucase et la Crimee”, Paris, Gide Libraire, 1859. Large 4to (28x180cm.). Complete with 16 plates (P. Blanchard) 30 vignettes and a folding map. A rare travel account, describing in details the eastern Black Sea coastline Caucasian lands, Georgia, Armenia and finally the Crimea. Floriant Gille (1801-1865) was a Swiss curator and writer that lived in Russia. In the 1840s served as educator of the Tsar children and later became Director of the Hermitage Museum. In 1858 travelled for ten months in the southern provinces of Russian empire bordering the Black sea, as well as Caucasus and published one year after his vivid travel account. The description of this journey is rich in topographical, ethnological and botanical information about the lands he traverses. Leather spine, marbled covers. Occasional spotting throughout. Not in Atabey or Blackmer, Miansarov 3187.