Jefferson bought three copies of this book in Paris from Froullé shortly after its publication. Two copies appear on Froullé’s bill under date June 27, 1787, and the third on August 16. Each copy was broché and cost 10.4. One of the copies is entered by Jefferson in his undated manuscript catalogue, with that price, and the indication that he had it bound, “+ rel.”

Volney referred to his travels in Syria and Egypt in a letter addressed to Jefferson from Georgetown, May 22, 1796, at the time he was in the United States collecting material for his Tableau du Climat et du Sol des Etats-Unis , and in which he mentioned his forthcoming visit to Monticello: “. . . on pretend que j’aurai à essuyer de grandes chaleurs; mais c’est precisement une comparaison a faire avec La Syrie et l’Egypte; et je n’en goûterai que Mieux le plaisir de me reposer a Monticello . . .”

In 1801, back in Paris, Volney sent to Jefferson a model of an Egyptian pyramid, through A. H. Homberg of Havre, who wrote to Jefferson on July 7: “By the order of C ^en. Volney at Paris we have shipped on board the U.S. sloop of war Maryland, J. Rodgers commander bound to Baltimore One Box containing a model of an Egyptian pyramid to your address. Capt Rogers [sic] will take good care that it receives no injury during the passage & will expect your orders for its ultimate destination . . .”

Jefferson acknowledged the gift in a letter dated from Washington, April 20, 1802: “ Your friendly letters of 5. & 6. Messidor came both to hand in due time, and soon after them I received the model of the pyramid, in good order, which you were so kind as to send me, and for which I pray you to accept my grateful thanks. it has corrected the idea I had preconcieved of the form of those masses, which I had not supposed to appear so flat . . . ”

In a letter to Stockdale dated from Paris, January 16, 1788, Jefferson ordered a copy of the English translation of this work, “printed by Robinson.” This was not sold by Congress.

Constantin François Chasseboeuf, Comte de Volney, 1757-1820, visited Egypt and Syria in 1754 and remained for a period of almost three years. On his return to France he published this account of his voyage, of which the first edition, also printed in 1787, was in 2 volumes quarto. Volney later visited the United States and became a friend of Jefferson, with whom he stayed at Monticello. For other works by him in this catalogue, see the Index.