Suriname, native people Stedman, 1798, Famille Indienne de la Nation des Caraibes
Two depictions of the indigenous Amerindian inhabitants of Suriname.
The engravings were made by Tardieu (signed) and published in 1798 in a French edition of J.G. Stedman's famous book on Suriname.
John Gabriel Stedman (Dendermonde, 1744 – Devonshire, 5 March 1797) was a Scots-Dutch officer in the Scots Brigade of the Dutch army. He helped suppress a slave revolt in Suriname. He fell in love with a slave woman and attempted to ransom her. He wrote about his experiences in the influential book "Reize naar Surinamen en door de binnenste deelen van Guiana" (Real Journeys to Suriname and Through the Innermost Parts of Guiana). In it, he openly addressed the rights of slaves, particularly the question of whether they should be treated as human beings. His account of the murder of a mulatto girl evolved over time into a legend about the slave Alida.
Very good condition. Never folded. Some light age browning in the margins.
Images 20x13,5cm, pages 29x21cm