Introduction
Intrepid Journeys is an exhibition that highlights two major aspects. The first is the Hakluyt Society, established in London in 1846 with a commitment to print rare or unpublished voyages and travels. Beginning in 1847 with The Observations of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knt in his Voyage into the South Sea in the year 1593, their publication programme has continued, enthralling readers around the world with the accounts of a wide range of voyagers and travellers, who manage to document something of their toil and adventures as they traverse unknown and distant regions. The second aspect celebrates the work of Dr Esmond de Beer, the Dunedin-born scholar of John Evelyn and John Locke, who was President of the Hakluyt Society from 1972 to 1978. De Beer and his sisters were generous and indefatigable supporters of the Society and its activities. He is the University of Otago Library's prime benefactor, giving his large library collection to Special Collections.
Rather than concentrate on well-travelled paths like the Pacific, more attention in this exhibition has been given to those lesser known accounts, those that reveal something of those strange, exotic, out of the way areas of the world that have been explored, travelled, and mapped. The range is wide, covering 14th century Greenland and 17th century India, to mysterious Timbuktu, and travel into the interior of Australia. Magellan, James Cook, and Carteret also feature. Importantly, there are a number of maps on display. Not only do these documents help ground the reader in what was the real world, 'terra firma', but they also offer excellent visual impact.
The Hakluyt Society continues to produce very pleasing, scholarly editions that make journeying easy and accessible; ideal for the armchair traveller. Please enjoy the journey.
Exhibition poster (6.6MB)
Handlist (3MB)
Exhibition
Divers Voyages Touching the Discoverie of America
Richard Hakluyt (1552-1616) was 16 when he spied a 'universal Mappe' lying on the desk of his cousin, Richard Hakluyt, a Middle Temple lawyer. From this moment, Hakluyt developed a life-long passion for geography and cosmography. His first significant compilation was Divers Voyages Touching the Discoverie of America (1582), in which, as an enthusiast of English overseas expansion, he advanced England's claim to North America on the basis of priority of discovery. Hakluyt also included two maps in this work. This one was by Robert Thorne, produced in 1527 for the Muscovy Company. Note North America, and the fact that there is no passage to the Indies depicted.
Richard Hakluyt, Divers Voyages Touching the Discoverie of America. Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (facsimile; original published in London for Thomas Woodcocke), 1967 (originally published 1582). Special Collections E121 Q75
Richard Hakluyt
Richard Hakluyt reading a book, from a stained glass window created by Charles Earner Kempe in 1905 in Bristol Cathedral.
Charles Earner Kempe, Richard Hakluyt. ___, 1905. Wikimedia Commons
The Observations of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knt in his Voyage into the South Sea in the Year 1593
The first work published by the Hakluyt Society was The Observations of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knt in his Voyage into the South Sea in the Year 1593 (1847). Initially there were two other contenders for publication: a new edition of Hakluyt's own Divers Voyages, and the 1606 voyage of Sir Henry Middleton. Although the Hawkins was a reprint (it first appeared in 1622), it contains the beginnings of all the scholarly apparatus that would feature in later Society publications: rigorous editing, footnotes, citations, bibliography, maps, and indexes.
[Richard Hawkins], The Observations of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knt in his Voyage into the South Sea in the Year 1593. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1847. Special Collections E129 H4 A3 1847
The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation. Vol. I
In 1589, Hakluyt produced his The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English Nation, a folio of over 800 pages. Between 1598 and 1600, he expanded it to a three-volume folio edition, running to over 1.7 million words in about 2000 pages. Principall Navigations was based on original sources and records of explorers and travellers. Indeed, Hakluyt was scrupulous as a compiler, and it is said that he knew every mapmaker, traveller, merchant-adventurer, explorer, and court official from whom he acquired the most up-to-date information. Embedded in this work is a copy of Abraham Ortelius' famed Typus Orbis Terrarum, a map first published in 1564. A translation of the quote by Cicero reads: 'Who can consider human affairs to be great, when he comprehends the eternity and vastness of the entire world?'
Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation. Vol. I. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society and the Peabody Museum of Salem at the University Press (facsimile; original published in London by George Bishop and Ralph Newberie), 1965 (originally published in 1589). Special Collections G242 H419 1965
The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation. Vol. II
While living in France between 1583 and 1588, Hakluyt heard of the achievements of other nations, but to him, at least, no one cared 'to recommend to the world, the industrious labors, and painefull travels of our country men'. Principall Navigations was the result. Here is the beginning of Francis Drake's 1577 voyage, in which he became the second person to circumnavigate the world in a single expedition. Drake (c.1540-1596) was a sea captain, privateer, navigator, and slaver; hero to the English, but a pirate in the eyes of the Spaniards.
Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation. Vol. II. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society and the Peabody Museum of Salem at the University Press (facsimile; original published in London by George Bishop and Ralph Newberie), 1965 (originally published 1589). Special Collections G242 H419 1965
The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation. Vol. I
The facsimile title page of Hakluyt's Principall Navigations.
Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation. Vol. I. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society and the Peabody Museum of Salem at the University Press (facsimile; original published in London by George Bishop and Ralph Newberie), 1965 (originally published in 1589). Special Collections G242 H419 1965
Compassing the Vaste Globe of the Earth: Studies in the History of the Hakluyt Society 1846-1996: with a Complete List of the Society's Publications
The Hakluyt Society was established in London in 1846. One major aim was to carry on Hakluyt's own pioneering work, establishing a legacy that commemorated his name. A programme of printing 'rare or unpublished Voyages and Travels' began. From 1847 to 2016, the Society has published an impressive number of books: some 320 titles encompassing Series I, II, and III; 47 in Extra Series (including James Cook publications); and various occasional booklets. Here is Hair's listing of books from 1847 to 1995. An updated bibliography by R. C. Bridges and R. J. Howgego is located on the Hakluyt Society website.
Edited by R. C. Bridges and P.E.H. Hair, Compassing the Vaste Globe of the Earth: Studies in the History of the Hakluyt Society 1846-1996: with a Complete List of the Society's Publications. London: Hakluyt Society, 1996. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.183
Select Letters of Christopher Columbus
The second Hakluyt Society publication was edited and translated by Richard Henry Major (1818–1891), honorary secretary of the Society in its first years. This work contains various documents on the 'discovery' of America, including five letters by Columbus describing his four voyages. Major was Keeper of Maps at the British Museum and secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. He had a strong bibliographical interest in Columbus's earliest printed letters, and was keen to identify (in modern terms) the first landfall. The vignette on the cover of the Hakluyt Columbus volume depicts Magellan's ship 'Victoria', chosen by William Desborough Cooley, founder of the Society, because it was 'a monument to the most remarkable voyage ever performed' – the first circumnavigation of the world. Adopted by the Society, this logo is still used.
[Christopher Columbus], Select Letters of Christopher Columbus. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1847. Special Collections E115.2 E5 1847
Annual Report
The Irish geographer William Desborough Cooley (c.1795–1883) wanted the Society to be called 'Columbus Society', perhaps because it reflected an internationalism; his goal may have been attracting American members into the Society. However, sometime between December 1846 and March 1847, Cooley was persuaded to adopt the name 'Hakluyt Society'. Like any good Society, there are the usual accountabilities. Annual Reports, like this one, provide information on new members, changes (obituaries), financial matters, and often carry the text of a talk recently given.
The Hakluyt Society, Annual Report. London: The Hakluyt Society, 1988. Journals G161 H34
The Hakluyt Society Society Dinner, The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, 17 October 1997
The Hakluyt Society has honorary secretaries based around the world. The current New Zealand representative is John Robson, Maps Librarian, Waikato University, Hamilton. For an annual subscription of ₤60.00 members receive all volumes published by the Society, other than those of the Extra Series, during the period of their membership. Occasionally local events are organised. In October 1997, New Zealand members held a dinner at the Canterbury Club, with guest speaker Professor Peter Holland (Geography, University of Otago). A limited edition publication of that occasion was produced (60 copies only). Here is the printed list of attendees, and the dinner menu for that night.
The Hakluyt Society, The Hakluyt Society Society Dinner, The Canterbury Club, Christchurch, 17 October 1997. Christchurch: Antipodean Papers, [1998]. Private collection
The First Voyage Round the World by Magellan. Translated from the Accounts of Pigafetta
The journal written by Antonio Pigafetta (c.1491-c.1531) is the main source for the voyage undertaken by Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), the Portuguese explorer who was the first to circumnavigate the world. Magellan was killed in the Philippines on the return journey. In 1519, five vessels left Seville: Trinidad (the flagship); San Antonio; Concepción; Santiago; and Victoria. On 6 September 1522, only the last arrived back, carrying 18 of the 270 original crew. Perhaps Magellan's greatest feat was negotiating the Straits that now bear his name, and inching his way into the 'peaceful sea' – the Pacific Ocean. This work, translated by Lord Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of Alderley (1827-1903), also includes a biography on Magellan, and log-book details of Francisco Alvaro, the pilot.
Translated, with notes, by Lord Stanley of Alderley, The First Voyage Round the World by Magellan. Translated from the Accounts of Pigafetta. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1874. Journals G161 H2 Ser.1 no.52
Carteret's Voyage Round the World, 1766-1769
In the preface to this Hakluyt volume, editor Helen Wallis quotes a late 17th century voyager: 'We for a long time, …convers'd with Monsters of both Men and Beasts.' She continues: 'Patagonian giants, the fierce Santa Cruzian…, wily Buginese princes of Celebes, and the South African giraffe'. All feature in the first voyage of Philip Carteret (1733-1796), a circumnavigation of the world undertaken between 1764 and 1766. Despite horrendous storms, an outbreak of scurvy, and separation from Samuel Wallis, who commanded the sister ship Dolphin, Carteret, in command of the Swallow, went on to discover Pitcairn Island, to re-discover Mendaña's Santa Cruz, and to name Gower Island, part of the Solomon Island Archipelago. The original of Edward Leigh's map of the Strait, and Carteret's journal are in the Dixson Collection, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.
Edited by Helen Wallis, Carteret's Voyage Round the World, 1766-1769. Cambridge: University Press for the Hakluyt Society, 1965. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no. 124
Travels of Fray Sebastien Manrique 1629-1643. Vol. II: China, India
The Portuguese missionary Sebastien Manrique (c.1590–1669) travelled around countries of the East for about fifteen years during 1628–1643. While he spent much time in South East Asia, he did venture to the island of Macan, modern-day Macau (Ngao-man, or 'Baygate') on the China coast, which for many years was administered by the Portuguese. The first edition of his travels was published in Rome in 1649. This is the first English language edition and carries all the hallmarks of a Hakluyt Society publication, including footnote detail on Portuguese involvement in the area, geography, biography, and word definitions. Manrique was murdered in London by his Portuguese manservant in 1669.
Translated, with notes, by Lieutenant Colonel C. Eckford Luard, Travels of Fray Sebastien Manrique 1629-1643. Vol. II: China, India. Oxford: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1927. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 61
The Troublesome Voyage of Captain Edward Fenton 1582-1583: Narratives and Documents
Keen to establish a trading base in the Far East, a syndicate was formed under the Earl of Leicester, who eventually gave Captain Edward Fenton (d.1603) command of a voyage destined for Cathay (China). Fenton's expedition was a complete disaster, never getting past Brazil. Off the African coast he became delusional, wanting to seize St Helena and make himself 'King'; he failed miserably in trade negotiations with the Portuguese at São Vicente (Cape Verde); and he faced serious quarrels with men on board. Here is a page from the Hakluyt Society version of his journal of this abortive expedition and a map of São Vicente (c.1570).
Edited by Eva Germaine Rimington Taylor, The Troublesome Voyage of Captain Edward Fenton 1582-1583: Narratives and Documents. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, 1959. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.113
João Rodrigues's Account of Sixteenth-Century Japan
João Rodrigues (c.1561-1633) was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary who spent 33 years in Japan between 1577 and 1610. While living at Nagasaki, he published Arte da Lingoa de Iapam, a Portuguese grammar of the Japanese language, a seminal work in its field. And because of his familiarity with language and custom, he was often employed as an interpreter between the Jesuits and the Japanese authorities. His original account – Historia da Igreja do Japāo – is no longer extant, and this publication, which describes the country, its people, customs and etiquette, was based on a copy made in Macao during the 1740s.
Edited by Michael Cooper, João Rodrigues's Account of Sixteenth-Century Japan. London: Hakluyt Society, 2001. Central G161 H2 Ser.3 no.07
The Voyages of the Venetian Brothers, Nicolo & Antonio Zeno, to the Northern Seas in the XIVth Century
Questions surround the narrative of the voyage of the Venetian brothers Nicolò and Antonio Zeno, and the accompanying map, drawn about 1380. Was it real, or fiction? Their voyage is said to have occurred in the 14th century. They sailed into the North Atlantic, ending up on the coast of 'Frisland', and then to lands they called Icara, Drogeo, and Estotiland. Recent scholarship has claimed that the voyage did in fact take place, and that 'Frisland' was in reality the Faeroes, and 'Estotiland' a likely settlement on the coast of Greenland. Real or not, the editor, Richard Henry Major, felt it was the Society's duty to present to subscribers the most up-to-date information on this extraordinary voyage.
Translated and edited by Richard Henry Major, The Voyages of the Venetian Brothers, Nicolo & Antonio Zeno, to the Northern Seas in the XIVth Century. London: Hakluyt Society, 1873. Journals G161 H2 Ser.1 no.50
The Iceland Journal of Henry Holland, 1810
At a meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in February 1810, it was suggested to Henry Holland (1788-1873), future physician to Queen Victoria, that he join an expedition to Iceland with Sir George Mackenzie (1780-1848). For Holland, it was an opportunity to examine some of Iceland's 130 active and extinct volcanic mountains. He became a confirmed Icelandophile, visiting the country twice, first in 1810 and then again in 1871. In this edition, Holland ranges in topic from weather and the country's parishes, to commerce and population. The maps, like this one of the route from Reykjavík to Hvítárvellir, were sketched by him.
Edited by Andrew Wawn, The Iceland Journal of Henry Holland, 1810. London: Hakluyt Society, 1987. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.168
The Travels of Ibn Battuta, A.D. 1325-1354
While on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Abu Abdullah Mohammed ibn Battuta (1304-c.1369) made a decision to travel throughout the Islamic world. In 1325 he started out from Tangier, and then travelled along the African coast to Alexandria, Cairo, and Syene, and then through to places such as Aleppo, Damascus, Medina, Negef, and Basra. He managed to get to Mecca in 1325, staying there for three years. He later travelled to Sumatra, Cambodia, and parts of China. His was a lifetime of travel, covering some 75,000 miles in forty years; his abiding rule: 'never, so far as possible, to cover a second time any road.'
Edited by Sir Hamilton Gibb, The Travels of Ibn Battuta, A.D. 1325-1354. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, 1958. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.110
The Desert Route to India: Being the Journals of Four Travellers by the Great Desert Caravan Route between Aleppo and Basra, 1745-1751
Here is part of a narrative by Bartholomew Plaisted (d.1767), a marine surveyor for the East India Company, who was dismissed for being troublesome. He returned to England via India, travelling along the Great Desert Caravan Route, which provided a short cut from the Mediterranean ports to the Indian seas. He began at Basra on 20th April 1750, and reached Aleppo on 23rd July 1750. On this trip of some 1300 km, he estimated the caravan he was with numbered 5000 camels and 1000 men. He also offered a few travel hints: a tent was essential; boiled butter, cheese, and well-cured tongues were far superior to potted meat; and carting along chinaware improper.
Edited by Douglas Carruthers, The Desert Route to India: Being the Journals of Four Travellers by the Great Desert Caravan Route between Aleppo and Basra, 1745-1751. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1929. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.63
The Desert Route to India: Being the Journals of Four Travellers by the Great Desert Caravan Route between Aleppo and Basra, 1745-1751
A map of the route taken by Bartholomew Plaisted (d. 1767) on his overland return journey to England in 1750.
Edited by Douglas Carruthers, The Desert Route to India: Being the Journals of Four Travellers by the Great Desert Caravan Route between Aleppo and Basra, 1745-1751. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1929. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.63
The Prester John of the Indies: A True Relation of the Lands of Prester John, Being the Narrative of the Portuguese Embassy to Ethiopia in 1520
The missionary Francisco Álvares (c.1465-1541) was among 13 others of the Portuguese embassy expedition, who landed at Massawa on the west coast of the Red Sea in April 1520. They were the first Europeans to have reached the Ethiopian Court, and return safely from it, six years later. On returning to Lisbon, Álvares wrote one of the earliest travel books on Ethiopia, in English: A True Relation of the Lands of Prester John of the Indies (1540). Despite claims that 'the author is prone to exaggerate', the work remains important on two levels: it is a first source for Christian Ethiopia (pre-Muslim Somali and Galla invasions); and it contains early descriptions of the antiquities of ancient Aksum and the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. This second, much corrected, Hakluyt translation was published in 1961.
Father Francisco Alvares, The Prester John of the Indies: A True Relation of the Lands of Prester John, Being the Narrative of the Portuguese Embassy to Ethiopia in 1520. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, 1961. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.114
Pieter van den Broecke's Journal of Voyages to Cape Verde, Guinea and Angola, 1605-1612
Antwerp-born Pieter van den Broecke (1585-1640) was an agent in the service of a number of Dutch trading firms. He travelled to Africa four times, trading in Senegal, Ghana, Zaire, Angola, and the kingdom of Loango. It was a high-risk business: working on the margins of those areas controlled by the Portuguese, avoiding shipwrecks, and hoping for good profits on a safe return. Iron bars and textiles were traded against African hides, ambergris, rice, wax, ivory and gold. Indeed, on his fourth trip (1611), he brought in a cargo of 65,000 pounds of ivory to Amsterdam from a captured Portuguese ship. Abridged versions of his narrative exist, but this is the first full English translation. It is a rich source of information, especially on those communities he encountered during his travels.
Edited by James D. La Fleur, Pieter van den Broecke's Journal of Voyages to Cape Verde, Guinea and Angola, 1605-1612. London: Hakluyt Society, 2000. Journals G161 H2 Ser.3 no.05
'Letters of Major Alexander Gordon Laing 1824-1826' in Missions to the Niger, Vol. I
Who has not wanted to pen the words: 'I am on the road to Tombuctoo'? So wrote explorer Alexander Gordon Laing (1794-1826) to Hanmer Warrington, his father-in-law, on 3rd November 1825. Supported by Sir Joseph Banks and others, Laing set off to confirm the location of Timbuktu, and position clearly the Niger River. In mid-July 1825, he left Tripoli and started across the Sahara. By August 1826 he was in Timbuktu, after being robbed, stabbed numerous times, and losing his right hand. On preparing to leave the city, he was killed by Tuareg raiders. This publication is a compilation of his writings such as 'Cursory Remarks' on the Niger and a few surviving letters. Laing 're-discovered' Timbuktu. It is regarded as one of the great journeys in the history of African exploration.
Edited by E. W. Bovill, 'Letters of Major Alexander Gordon Laing 1824-1826' in Missions to the Niger, Vol. I. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press for the Hakluyt Society, 1962. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.123
The Roanoke Voyages, 1584-1590: Documents to Illustrate the English Voyages to North America under the Patent Granted to Walter Raleigh in 1584
Although his name will forever be associated with the settlement of North America, Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1552–1618) never made it to the New World. However, between 1584 and 1590, he helped fund expeditions to establish a colony, Roanoke (now North Carolina). One objective was political, to establish a base on the mainland to help facilitate 'privateering', especially aimed at any passing Spanish fleets. Another objective was scientific, to gather new flora and fauna. It was ultimately a disaster, with disorganisation, quarrels, and a hostile environment impeding progress. The 'Roanoke Voyages' did however pave the way for further exploration and settlement. Here is a copy of a sketch map of Raleigh's Virginia, c. September 1585.
Edited by David Beers Quinn, The Roanoke Voyages, 1584-1590: Documents to Illustrate the English Voyages to North America under the Patent Granted to Walter Raleigh in 1584. London: Hakluyt Society, 1955. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.104
The Jamestown Voyages under the First Charter, 1606-1609
In December 1606, three ships, the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery, sailed from London to the New World. Among the 144 colonists and crew, there was Captain John Smith (1579-1631), of Pocahontas fame. In May 1607, the settlers established Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in America. Here is his map of the area.
Edited by Philip L. Barbour, The Jamestown Voyages under the First Charter, 1606-1609. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press for the Hakluyt Society, 1969. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.137
The Jamestown Voyages under the First Charter, 1606-1609
The text of A Map of Virginia was a collaborative effort, finally printed in Oxford in 1612. As editor, John Smith supplied English readers with the first record of events in Virginia, the customs and language of the local Indians, and some of the problems facing the new settlement.
Edited by Philip L. Barbour, The Jamestown Voyages under the First Charter, 1606-1609. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press for the Hakluyt Society, 1969. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.137
A Geographical Account of Countries round the Bay of Bengal, 1669 to 1679
Thomas Bowrey (c.1650-1713) was an English seaman and hydrographer who, about 1669, was employed by the English East India Company at Fort St. George, Madras (now Chennai). For some 20 years, Bowrey called at ports around the Bay of Bengal, and his proficiency in the Malay language led to the publication of the first Malay-English dictionary (1701). He was also the first Westerner to provide a written description of consuming cannabis in the form of bhang, an Indian marijuana beer, admitting that mixing it with tobacco was 'a very Speedy way to be besotted.' Based on Bowrey's manuscript, this Hakluyt Society publication filled a gap in the early history of the English in Bengal, Madras and the Malay Archipelago. The pen and ink drawings are by Bowrey.
Thomas Bowrey, A Geographical Account of Countries round the Bay of Bengal, 1669 to 1679. Cambridge: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1905. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 v.12
The Travels of the Abbé Carré: in India and the Near East, 1672 to 1674
Barthélemy Carré de Chambon (Abbé Carré; b.1640) was employed by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister to Louis XIV, to report on the activities of the French East India Company in India. Before he even arrived on the West Coast, this adventurous and observant traveller had been robbed by an Arab bandit, had slept a night in a tree to escape marauding lions, and was forced to 'make-do' by steering his ship by the Pole Star. He disliked the Portuguese in Goa, but got on well with the English governors in Bombay and Madras. The manuscript of his journey languished in the India Office for years until it was translated by Lady Fawcett.
Translated by Lady Fawcett, The Travels of the Abbé Carré: in India and the Near East, 1672 to 1674. London: Hakluyt Society, 1947. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.95
The Travels of the Abbé Carré: in India and the Near East, 1672 to 1674
Map of the west coast of India.
Translated by Lady Fawcett, The Travels of the Abbé Carré: in India and the Near East, 1672 to 1674. London: Hakluyt Society, 1947. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no.95
La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo. Vol. I
The search for Terra Australis, the mythical 'great south land', was an on-going dream for many early mariners. Supported by Pope Clement III and King Philip III of Spain, the Portuguese navigator Fernández de Quirós (c.1565-1615) left Peru (El Callao) in December 1605 with 300 crew and soldiers; all in the name of Christianity and Science. Sailing west across the Pacific, he made landfall in May 1606 on what he named Austrialia del Espiritu Santo. He believed that it was the promontory of some great southern continent. On Espiritu Santo (actually the largest island in Vanuatu), he established a colony called Nova Jerusalem, which did not last. This Hakluyt publication contains Martin de Munilla's daily record of Quirós's voyage, and 'The Islands and their Peoples', a paper by Dunedin's own Dr Gordon Parsonson. Here is a copy of the only known map drawn by Quirós, dated 1598.
Translated and edited by Celsus Kelly, La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo. Vol. I. Cambridge: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1966. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no. 126
The Central Australian Expedition 1844-1846. The Journals of Charles Sturt
While the search for Terra Australis captured the imagination of many, another mystery existed: the great 'inland sea', supposedly situated in the middle of the Australian continent. The British explorer Charles Sturt (1795–1869) was determined to solve this mystery. Loaded with provisions and scientific equipment, he and 16 others left Adelaide in August 1844. They headed north towards the Simpson Desert. Conditions were inhospitable: there was little water; temperatures were extreme; scurvy was rampant; and one man lost his life. Reluctantly, Sturt made the decision to turn back, abandoning the idea of finding the 'inland sea'. He arrived back in Adelaide on 19th January 1846. It is no wonder he would write: 'I returned to the Camp disheartened at the aspect of the Country…' (September 9th).
Edited by Richard C. Davis, The Central Australian Expedition 1844-1846. The Journals of Charles Sturt. London: The Hakluyt Society, 2002. Journals G161 H2 Ser.3 no.10
The Central Australian Expedition 1844-1846. The Journals of Charles Sturt
Map showing Charles Sturt's journey towards the Simpson Desert in search of the great 'inland sea' in 1844-45.
Richard C. Davis, The Central Australian Expedition 1844-1846. The Journals of Charles Sturt. London: The Hakluyt Society, 2002. Journals G161 H2 Ser.3 no.10
The Pilgrimage of Arnold von Harff
Arnold von Harff (1471-1505) set off on a pilgrimage from Cologne, Germany, in November 1496. His travel account tells of an Easter visit to Rome and a meeting with Pope Alexander VI; a stay in Venice to provision himself for travel to the Middle East; and his time in India and Africa, where he claims to have discovered the source of the Nile. Von Harff probably did not travel to India or Africa, but 'cribbed' descriptions of those places from sources such as Ptolemy and John Mandeville. En route, von Harff travelled with merchants to avoid paying pilgrim's tribute. Unfortunately, this proved disastrous while visiting Gaza. He was locked 'in irons with neck, hands and feet for three weeks' for not paying up.
Translated and edited by Malcolm Letts, The Pilgrimage of Arnold von Harff. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1946. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 94
Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis
Portuguese-born Duarte Pacheco Pereira (1460-1533) developed his skills as sailor and navigator after making several voyages to India and Africa. His Esmeraldo (c. 1505) is a 'rutter' (roteiro – Portuguese), a 'mariner's handbook of written sailing instructions'. It describes routes, hazards, soundings, tides, and much more, and it is the 'only detailed contemporary eye witness's description of the coasts of Africa'. However, in Pereira's time, the Portuguese government were keen to maintain secrecy and protect their monopoly of trade in the region so they suppressed the work; as they did with other 'maps, nautical instructions, and pilots' observations'. Their eagerness to maintain secrecy hindered the development of nautical science.
Duarte Pacheco Pereira, Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1937. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 79
Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis
This map, which illustrates Duarte Pereira's Esmeraldo, shows the west coast of Africa, including Morocco, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria and the Gabon. It shows Pacheco's bearings and distances; his measurements were generally accurate 'averaging little more than forty minutes out'. The tip of Spain is visible at the top of the map while the Equator is the bottom line.
Duarte Pacheco Pereira, Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1937. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 79
The Voyage of Sir Henry Middleton to the Moluccas, 1604-1606
In 1601, Henry Middleton (d. 1613) sailed for South East Asia as a mercantile agent on the first funded voyage of the East India Company. Three years later, Middleton departed again for the region, also under the aegis of the Company and this time as “General'. Charged with procuring cloves and nutmeg, he left the island of Java and headed for the Moluccas in January 1605. En route, the General and his crew became embroiled in disputes between the island chiefdoms of Ternate and Tidore, and quarrels between the Dutch and Portuguese. This engraving (1724) of Ternate clearly shows a landscape dominated by the still active volcano, Mount Gamalama. Middleton sailed again for the Company in 1610; he died in the port town of Bantam in Java.
Edited by Sir William Foster, The Voyage of Sir Henry Middleton to the Moluccas, 1604-1606. London: The Hakluyt Society, 1943. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 88
Travels of Fray Sebastien Manrique 1629-1643. Vol. I: Arakan
In 1629, Augustinian monk and missionary, Sebastien Manrique (c. 1590-1669), departed Oporto, Portugal, on his mission to spread Christianity in the East. He did not return home for 14 years. Manrique spent many of these years in South East Asia, and the majority of the first volume of his Travels tells the story of his journey to the 'Kingdoms of Arracan' (modern day Myanmar or Burma). Although his writing style is described by the Hakluyt translators as 'atrocious' and 'cumbersome', his account still provides invaluable information about the people, food, and environs. Travelling was treacherous and Manrique tells of a tiger attack on one of his party – the man was 'almost disembowelled'. Manrique offered the man salvation by immediate baptism; the man accepted and promptly died.
Translated, with notes, by Lieutenant Colonel C. Eckford Luard, Travels of Fray Sebastien Manrique 1629-1643. Vol. I: Arakan. Oxford: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1927. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 59
A New Voyage and Description of the Isthmus of America
Lionel Wafer (c. 1660 -1705) went to sea for the first time in 1677 as a 'loblolly boy' or ship surgeon's assistant. After returning home in 1679, he left again a month later, this time for Jamaica. From there, he boarded a buccaneer boat and became a 'pirate surgeon', sailing the Caribbean with notorious privateers like William Dampier and Bartholomew Sharp. In 1681, Wafer was seriously injured and he spent time recovering with the Cuna Indians on the Darien Peninsula (between Panama and Colombia). His New Voyage describes his experiences with them. Travel writer, Lillian Joyce, in her introduction to this volume, states that Wafer's book 'remains the most authoritative source of information concerning the native folk of south-east Panama'.
Lionel Wafer, A New Voyage and Description of the Isthmus of America. Oxford: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1934. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 73
Colonising Expeditions to the West Indies and Guiana, 1623-1667
The British first landed in Barbados in 1625 and the arrival of Captain Henry Powell, 80 immigrants, and a few indentured servants in 1627, saw the thickly forested island soon cleared. By 1650, the colonists, with slave labour, were farming sugar, indigo, cotton, ginger, and tobacco. This Hakluyt volume contains edited versions of manuscripts held in various institutions in the United Kingdom that describe Barbadian life and conditions in other newly colonised islands of the West Indies in the 17th century. This map shows the northern Barbadian district of Scotland. The majority of early settlers were from Scotland and the rugged coastline of the region reminded them of home. In Barbados today, there is still a strong Celtic tradition and a Celtic festival held every year.
Edited by Vincent Todd Harlow, Colonising Expeditions to the West Indies and Guiana, 1623-1667. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1925. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 56
The Cabot Voyages and Bristol Discovery under Henry VII
In about 1494, the Italian John Cabot (born Giovanni Caboto, c. 1451) moved his family to Bristol and ingratiated himself into a circle of men involved in Atlantic sea exploration. After seeking and receiving sailing patents from Henry VII, Cabot and his crew set off west from Bristol in the Matthew. They made slow progress against the prevailing westerly winds and currents and after 35 days they reached the east coast of Canada, most probably Newfoundland. Cabot planted a flag, annexed the land for the King, and promptly returned home thinking that he had landed in China. This map shows the course of the Gulf Stream that Cabot would have encountered on the journey.
James A. Williamson, The Cabot Voyages and Bristol Discovery under Henry VII. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, 1962. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 120
The Three Voyages of Edmond Halley in the 'Paramore', 1698-1701
Astronomer, mathematician, and physicist, Edmond Halley's initial voyage in the Paramore was the 'first purely scientific voyage by an English naval vessel'. Halley (1656-1742) set out to collect data on longitude by observing magnetic variations in the Atlantic Ocean. After the first two voyages (1698; 1699), he was able to produce this isogonic map of the large expanse of water. The map was the first published of its kind and helped Atlantic navigators to find longitude at sea. It is described in this volume as 'one of the most important maps in the history of cartography'. On Halley's third voyage in the Paramore, he recorded tidal variations in the English Channel; a slightly less adventurous journey but the results of which proved just as useful for navigators of those waters.
Edited by Norman J. W. Thrower, The Three Voyages of Edmond Halley in the 'Paramore', 1698-1701. London: Hakluyt Society, 1981. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 156
Reports on the Discovery of Peru
This Hakluyt volume contains first-hand accounts of, what are described as, 'the most stirring episode in the wonderful history of Spanish conquests'. No doubt, the Peruvian people did not view it as such. The translated words of Francisco de Xeres, Miguel de Astete, Hernando Pizarro, and Pedro Sancho, tell the tale of how Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro (born c. 1471), initiated, what would ultimately become, the decimation of the native peoples of South America. Pizarro and his troops marched down the Peruvian coast at the end of 1532 to Caxamalca (about half way down on this map). There they took Incan King, Atahualpa (d. 1533), hostage and killed thousands of Peruvians, all without losing a single soldier.
Edited by Clements R. Markham, Reports on the Discovery of Peru. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1872. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 1 no. 47
The Voyage of Pedro Álvares Cabral to Brazil and India from Contemporary Documents and Narrative
Despite his youth and inexperience, Pedro Álvares Cabral (c. 1467-1520), was chosen to lead the 'first commercial fleet to sail for India' from Portugal in 1500. Cabral left no written record and historians have had to splice the story of the voyage together from official documents, letters, narratives, missionaries' accounts, and diaries. The venture was historically and economically important for Portugal. Cabral and his fleet of thirteen ships 'discovered' Brazil and Madagascar; the former, which Cabral initially thought was an island, was officially claimed for the King, later colonised and exploited for its resources. The newly established sea-only trade routes with India would also prove to be financially rewarding for Portugal. This Hakluyt map shows the routes taken outward and homeward bound.
Translated by William Brooks Greenlee, The Voyage of Pedro Álvares Cabral to Brazil and India from Contemporary Documents and Narrative. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1938. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 81
A Relation of a Voyage to Guiana
Robert Harcourt (1574-1631) received royal commissions to voyage to Guiana in 1609. Harcourt and crew, aboard three ships, arrived at the mouth of the 'Wiapoco' (Oyapock) River (between Brazil and French Guiana) in May 1609. Harcourt stayed only four months while his brother, Michael, stayed on for three years to head the 'embryo settlement'. First published in 1613, Harcourt's treatise was expanded by reports from his brother and cousin. A Relation details the geography, people, and natural history of the region; and recalls an occasion of almost mutiny, when the crew's expectations of finding gold were not realised. The 1609-12 mission failed, as did another attempt at colonisation by Harcourt in 1629.
Robert Harcourt, A Relation of a Voyage to Guiana. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1928. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 60
The Travels of Peter Mundy in Europe and Asia, 1608-1667. Vol. I. Travels in Europe, 1608-1628
Peter Mundy (c. 1596-1667) claimed to have travelled 100,833⅝ miles in his lifetime. It was on a journey from Constantinople (Istanbul) to London in 1620 that he began to keep a record of his travels. He left the Turkish city on May 6th in the train of the retiring ambassador, Paul Pindar. This map shows, in red, the route travelled to Spalato (Split, Croatia) where Mundy, Pindar and his party boarded a boat to Venice. They arrived in London on September 18th. Over the next 40 or so years, Mundy kept a record of his voyages to India, Japan, China, Holland, Russia, and Poland. The original manuscript, which contains his life's travels in 36 'Relations' is held in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. This Hakluyt version is the first time it was published in full.
Edited by Lt.-Col. Sir Richard Carnac Temple, The Travels of Peter Mundy in Europe and Asia, 1608-1667. Vol. I. Travels in Europe, 1608-1628. Cambridge: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1907. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 17
Francis Mortoft: His Book Being His Travels Through France and Italy, 1658-1659
After the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, travelling as a pilgrim went out of fashion, and the rise in humanist studies saw the focus turn to Italy. Touring the Continent in the 16th and 17th centuries developed as a way for sons of elite families and wealthy merchants to broaden their minds and facilitate their learning. It was also a way of removing them in times of trouble, like that of the violent Interregnum of the mid-17th century. Francis Mortoft was one such 'Interregnum tourist'. Not much is known of the traveller, but he left behind 'an honest and straightforward narrative of a typical Grand Tour'.
Edited by Malcolm Letts, Francis Mortoft: His Book Being His Travels Through France and Italy, 1658-1659. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1925. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 57
Francis Mortoft: His Book Being His Travels Through France and Italy, 1658-1659
This Hakluyt map shows 'Interregnum tourist' Francis Mortoft's route along the coast of France, through Italy, and upwards over the Bernina Pass to Zurich in 1658 and 1659.
Edited by Malcolm Letts, Francis Mortoft: His Book Being His Travels Through France and Italy, 1658-1659. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1925. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 57
The 'Resolution' Journal of Johann Reinhold Forster, 1772-1775. Vol. I
Reverend and naturalist, Johann Forster (1729-98) and his son George (1754-94) were late additions to Captain Cook's second voyage in 1772. Sir Joseph Banks had resigned in a huff after his required ship modifications were denied by the Admiralty; Forster was his replacement. After leaving Plymouth in July of 1772, Forster and his son, aboard Cook's ship Resolution, sailed south. Michael Hoare's introduction to this Hakluyt volume describes it as 'probably the most important of the three great circumnavigations' in terms of science. The three year voyage is on this map; the ship and crew completed the 'first known crossing of the Antarctic Circle', among other accomplishments.
Edited by Michael E. Hoare, The 'Resolution' Journal of Johann Reinhold Forster, 1772-1775. Vol. I. London: The Hakluyt Society, 1982. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 152
The 'Resolution' Journal of Johann Reinhold Forster, 1772-1775. Vol. IV
James Cook 'discovered' the sub-Antarctic South Sandwich Islands (named for John Montagu, Earl Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty) in January 1775. By this stage, Forster was losing his patience with Cook's search for the Terra Incognita of the South. Perhaps he was mollified when Cook named Forster's Bay ('Passage' on this map) after the naturalist. Forster's comprehensive recording of everything lingual, anthropological, zoological, botanical, and geographical is thought to surpass, both 'intellectually and empirically' any other journal from the voyage, even Cook's own. But it was to be Cook, and Forster's son, George, who received the accolades for their publications on the voyage. Forster's original manuscript, now in six bound volumes, is held in the State Library in Berlin.
Edited by Michael E. Hoare, The 'Resolution' Journal of Johann Reinhold Forster, 1772-1775. Vol. IV. London: The Hakluyt Society, 1982. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 155
The Discovery of the South Shetland Islands: The Voyages of the Brig Williams 1819-1820, as Recorded in Contemporary Documents, and The Journal of Midshipman C. W. Poynter
In early 1819, on his way from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso in Chile, Captain William Smith (1790-1847), aboard the ship Williams, stumbled upon the South Shetland Islands at 62° south. When Smith informed the British Royal Navy in Chile, they did not believe him. Months later, he was able to convince the Royal Navy to investigate and they chartered Smith's ship in November 1819. Led by Captain Edward Bransfield, the Royal Navy expedition claimed the South Shetland Islands for George III on 22nd January, 1820. Midshipman Charles Poynter's account, discovered in the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington in the 1990s, is the only first-hand telling of the journey; the Hakluyt Society have published it for the first time in 2000.
Edited by R. J. Campbell, The Discovery of the South Shetland Islands: The Voyages of the Brig Williams 1819-1820, as Recorded in Contemporary Documents, and The Journal of Midshipman C. W. Poynter. London: The Hakluyt Society, 2000. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 3 no. 4
Annual Report
Esmond de Beer joined the Hakluyt Society in 1946, and was its President between 1972 and 1978. In editing Evelyn's Diary and The Correspondence of John Locke, he demanded of himself sound scholarship and research. He applied this rigour to the Society's publications; there was no room for slipshod writing or muddled thinking. As a consequence, not a single volume was published during his Presidency. However, after the backlog was cleared in 1982, the Society could look back and affirm: '[de Beer's] scholarship made a great deal of difference to their final texts, although it delayed (but rightly so) their publication' (E.M.J. Campbell, Annual Report, 1990). De Beer's talk 'The Literature of Travel in the Seventeenth Century' represents something of his interest in travel and discovery.
The Hakluyt Society, Annual Report. [London: The Hakluyt Society], 1975. Journal G 161 H34 1975
Esmond de Beer (1895-1990): Scholar and Benefactor: A Personal Memoir
Esmond de Beer greatly admired J.C. Beaglehole's work on The Journals of Captain James Cook, another significant publication by the Hakluyt Society. De Beer and his two sisters, Dora and Mary, contributed to the publication costs of Beaglehole's entire work (1955-1974). Indeed, if it was not for their quiet determination and generosity, these landmark volumes might never have been published. De Beer's generosity did not stop there. He gave £4000 towards the publication costs of the first volume of Andrew David's The Charts and Coastal Views of Captain Cook's Voyages (1988), and left to the Society in his will a further £4000. Here is a young Esmond, and his two sisters.
Michael Strachan, Esmond de Beer (1895-1990): Scholar and Benefactor: A Personal Memoir. Norwich, [England]: Michael Russell, 1995. Special Collections DA3 D42 SW32
Esmond de Beer
Esmond de Beer was born in Dunedin on 15 September 1895 to Isidore Samuel de Beer (1860-1934) and Emily (1864-1930), née Hallenstein. Schooled at Selwyn College, and Middle Hill School, London, de Beer went up to New College, Oxford, in the autumn of 1914, as a commoner. After demobilization, as part of the 2nd Battalion 35th Sikhs, he went to University College, London, and the newly founded Institute of Historical Research. An MA thesis on Sir Thomas Osbourne, the Earl of Danby's ministry of 1675-1678, led to de Beer's editing the first full edition of John Evelyn's Diary, published by Clarendon Press, Oxford, in 1955. This photograph was taken by Gary Blackman at de Beer's house at 31 Brompton Square, London.
Gary Blackman, Esmond de Beer. Unpublished, 1975. Private collection
The Journals of Captain James Cook on his Voyages of Discovery. The Voyage of the Resolution and Adventure, 1772-1775
John Cawte Beaglehole's interest in New Zealand discovery and exploration led him to embark on his major project: editing the three journals of exploration by Captain James Cook and writing a biography (posthumously published). Beaglehole (1901-1971) advanced Cook studies considerably, improving greatly on the work of Hawkesworth, Dr Wharton's edited version, and all other abridgements and summaries. Indeed, Beaglehole is a first start for any student of Cook.
Edited by J. C. Beaglehole, The Journals of Captain James Cook on his Voyages of Discovery. The Voyage of the Resolution and Adventure, 1772-1775. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, 1961. Central G420 C63
The Journals of Captain James Cook on his Voyages of Discovery. The Voyage of the Resolution and Discovery 1776-1780. Part One. Ed. by J.C. Beaglehole
Part one of Beaglehole's edition of Cook's voyage of the Resolution and Discovery.
Edited by J. C. Beaglehole, The Journals of Captain James Cook on his Voyages of Discovery. The Voyage of the Resolution and Discovery 1776-1780. Part One. Ed. by J.C. Beaglehole. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, 1967. Central G420 C63
The Charts and Coastal Views of Captain Cook's Voyages. Vol. One. The Voyage of the Endeavour, 1768-1771
This work, edited by Andrew David, contains a synopsis of the voyage of the Endeavour, descriptions of surveying methods, and biographical details of the surveyors, draughtsmen, and artists on board. Importantly, it contains the 320 charts and coastal views produced on board the ship. This image features the profiles of the 'Watering Place' in Queen Charlottes Sound. Esmond de Beer generously funded the production of this first volume.
Edited by Andrew David, The Charts and Coastal Views of Captain Cook's Voyages. Vol. One. The Voyage of the Endeavour, 1768-1771. London: The Hakluyt Society in association with the Australian Academy of the Humanities, 1988. Central G420 C65 CF86
The Charts and Coastal Views of Captain Cook's Voyages. Vol. One. The Voyage of the Endeavour, 1768-1771
A map (reproduced) of the South Island sketched by James Cook, ably assisted by Isaac Smith (1752–1831).
Edited by Andrew David, The Charts and Coastal Views of Captain Cook's Voyages. Vol. One. The Voyage of the Endeavour, 1768-1771. London: The Hakluyt Society in association with the Australian Academy of the Humanities, 1988. Central G420 C65 CF86
The Three Voyages of Edmond Halley in the 'Paramore', 1698-1701
Edmond Halley, he of Comet fame, made three voyages in the Paramore from 1698 to 1701. This very detailed map, showing the coasts of England and France on either side of the English Channel, is the result of Halley's third voyage in 1701. It contains very comprehensive information on the tidal variations in the Channel – an invaluable resource for any ship's navigator.
Edited by Norman J. W. Thrower, The Three Voyages of Edmond Halley in the 'Paramore', 1698-1701. London: Hakluyt Society, 1981. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 156
The Voyages and Works of John Davis, the Navigator
Englishman John Davis (c. 1550-1605) is described in the introduction of the Hakluyt volume, as a 'daring' and 'scientific' navigator and 'skilful pilot'. He is famous for the three voyages he made into the Arctic Sea to locate the Northwest Passage. Despite being unsuccessful, the fact that Davis returned safely with most of the crew still alive was nothing short of a miracle for the time. This 'globe' is from the Hakluyt volume featuring Davis's Seaman's Secrets – an 'exact and comprehensive' treatise of contemporary navigational science. It went through eight editions from 1594 to 1657.
Edited by Albert Hastings Markham, The Voyages and Works of John Davis, the Navigator. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1880. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 1 no. 59
Hakluyt Society Logo
As Wikipedia states: 'Throughout history sailing has been instrumental in the development of civilisation'. The emergence of the full rigged ship in the early 15th century saw an explosion in open ocean voyaging. The Hakluyt Society's logo is Ferdinand Magellan's ship, Victoria – the first ship to circumnavigate the globe. Built by the Basques, renowned boat builders of the time, Victoria was gifted to Magellan by Charles I of Spain. The 85-ton ship had a crew of 42; Magellan never made it home.
Hakluyt Society, Hakluyt Society Logo. ___, c. 2000. Private collection
History of the Imâms and Seyyids of Όmân, by Salîl-ibn-Razîk, from A.D. 661-1856
This map accompanies a Hakluyt volume, which is a translation and analysis of a manuscript given to scholar and missionary, the Reverend George Percy Badger (1815-88) in 1860. The original text, in Arabic, is a history of the Sultanate of Oman, on the Arabian Peninsula, from 661 to 1856. Badger, fluent in Maltese and Arabic, describes the manuscript, in the preface to the volume, as 'unique in the continuity and fullness of its narrative'.
Translated by George Percy Badger, History of the Imâms and Seyyids of Όmân, by Salîl-ibn-Razîk, from A.D. 661-1856. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1871. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 1 no. 44
The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396-1427
In 1394, Johann Schiltberger (c. 1380-1440) left Bavaria on a crusade against the Ottoman Empire, aged just 14. In 1396, at the Battle of Nicopolis in Bulgaria, he was captured by the Turks, and became a slave; apparently only dodging death on account of his good looks. For the next 30 years, Schiltberger travelled with various captors all over Asia Minor. He escaped in 1427 while in Constantinople (Istanbul) and upon his return to Bavaria, dictated his tale to a scribe. This map is from the 1879 Hakluyt translation.
Translated by Commander J. Buchan Telfer, The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396-1427. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1879. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 1 no. 58
English Privateering Voyages to the West Indies 1588-95
In the late 16th century, privateering was rife in the Caribbean. In fact, all English ventures to the West Indies between 1588 and 1595 were privateering ventures. Letters of marque or commission enabled privateers to intercept the Spanish 'treasure fleets' which were laden with gold and silver plundered from the South American continent. The homeward bound Spanish ships were rich pickings for the English. This Hakluyt Society map dates from around 1590 when there were at least eleven English privateers working the Caribbean.
Edited by Kenneth R. Andrews, English Privateering Voyages to the West Indies 1588-95. Cambridge: Printed for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, 1959. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 111
The Voyages and Colonising Enterprises of Sir Humphrey Gilbert
This map, by London merchant and colony promoter Michael Lok (b. 1532), was essentially a promotional tool. It originally featured in Richard Hakluyt's Divers Voyages (1582) and was a means of attracting investors and prospective colonists to Sir Humphrey Gilbert's (c. 1539-83) proposed Norombega (Newfoundland) colony. It is described as 'one of the most bizarre Arctic maps ever drawn': Greenland is in three bits; Florida is unusually close to Canada; and there is the mysterious island of Lok. Gilbert's 1582 colonising expedition failed and he was lost at sea in a storm off the Azores in 1583.
David Beers Quinn, The Voyages and Colonising Enterprises of Sir Humphrey Gilbert. London: Hakluyt Society, 1940. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 84
Byron's Journal of his Circumnavigation, 1764-66
This map was first published in 1694 in an account of a journey south by English navigator, Sir John Narborough (1640-88), who sailed through the Straits of Magellan in 1670. It was consequently used by other navigators including John Byron (1723-86). In July 1764, naval officer Byron left England in the copper-bottomed Dolphin, under the pretence of sailing for the East Indies. After reading his 'secret instructions', Byron 'threw them overboard', sailed across the Pacific, and went looking for the 'half-historical, half-mythical' Solomon Islands – he never found them. He returned to England in May 1766, having made the fastest round the world trip ever.
Edited by Robert E. Gallagher, Byron's Journal of his Circumnavigation, 1764-66. Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, 1964. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 122
Early Dutch and English Voyages to Spitsbergen in the Seventeenth Century
Spitsbergen is an island in the North Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. Used in the early 17th century as a whaling base, this Hakluyt map shows the NW corner of the island. Note Hakluyt Headland and Zealand Bay.
Edited by Sir William Martin Conway, Early Dutch and English Voyages to Spitsbergen in the Seventeenth Century. London : Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1904. Journals G161 H2 Ser. 2 no. 11
Relations of Golconda in the Early Seventeenth Century
The Golconda region of India is famous for its diamond mines - both the Koh-i-Noor and Hope Diamonds were mined in the region. Note the Coromandel Coast in this Hakluyt Society map.
Edited by W. H. Moreland, Relations of Golconda in the Early Seventeenth Century. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1931. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no. 66
Bombay in the Days of Queen Anne. Being an Account of the Settlement written by John Burnell
Bombay, now known as Mumbai, is made up of seven islands. Bombay Castle was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and used as part of their trading centre for spices. The English took over the Castle in 1668 and it was used by the East India Company. Here is the map accompanying John Burnell's account of Bombay in time of Queen Anne (1665-1714).
Edited by Samuel T. Shepherd, Bombay in the Days of Queen Anne. Being an Account of the Settlement written by John Burnell. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1933. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no. 72
The Guanches of Tenerife, The Holy Image of Our Lady of Candelaria and the Spanish Conquest and Settlement
The island of Tenerife is the central and most important of the Canary Islands, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of the African continent. After the Spanish 'conquered' Tenerife at the end of the 15th century, the native people, the Guanches, were 'ethnically and culturally absorbed' out of existence. This map accompanies the translation of Friar Alonso de Espinosa's 16th century account of the island, which was first published in Seville in 1594.
Alonso de Espinosa (Translated and edited by Sir Clements R. Markham), The Guanches of Tenerife, The Holy Image of Our Lady of Candelaria and the Spanish Conquest and Settlement. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1907. Journals G161 H2 Ser.2 no. 21