A Voyage Round the World, In the Years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV. By George Anson, Esq; Now Lord Anson, Commander in Chief of a Squadron of His Majesty’s Ships, sent upon an Expedition to the South-Seas. Compiled From Papers and Materials, by Richard Walter, M.A., Chaplain of his Majesty’s Ship the Centurion, in that Expedition. Illustrated with Forty-Two Copper Plates. The Ninth Edition.

A masterpiece of descriptive travel

With the uncalled for frontis map showing California as an Island

Quarto. 11 x 8 ½ inches. Pp. [20], 417, [3]. Copper-engraved folding frontis map plus 42 copper-engraved plates, plans, charts, and maps. Newly bound in three-quarter brown leather with marbled paper boards, 5 raised bands with gilt lines and red leather spine label. A few plates trimmed close, 2-inch closed tears to the two large folding maps (plates XIII and XXVI). Some rubbing to the edges, a few minor scuffs to leather on back cover, bottom front corner lightly bumped, but a fine, clean, and complete copy without the normal foxing.

Ninth edition. This copy is complete with the uncalled for, sometimes present, but often lacking, frontis map, "The Track of the Centurion round the World" which shows California as an island. The other two large folding maps include, "A Chart of the Southern Part of South America," and "A Chart of the Pacific Ocean." This is the official account of Anson's voyage, edited from his papers by Richard Walter, chaplain of the expedition. England, at war with Spain in 1739, equipped eight ships under the command of George Anson to harass the Spaniards on the western coast of South America, for the purpose of cutting off Spanish supplies of wealth from the Pacific area. The Spanish fleet sent out to oppose the British ran into storms; provisions ran out and many ships were wrecked. Of Anson's ships, seven were lost and out of 900 men more than 600 perished, mostly of scurvy. But, Anson continued taking prizes off the Pacific coast, and in June, 1743, captured the Manila galleon containing a treasure of £400,000 sterling, thus returning to England a very rich man. This work is one of the great sea adventures and is thoroughly captivating. It has long occupied a distinguished position as a masterpiece of descriptive travel and was the most popular book of maritime adventure of the eighteenth century. Seven editions came out in 1748 alone, and by 1781 there were 16 editions. French and German translations were published in 1749, and an Italian edition in 1756. [Hill: 1817 (the first edition); Sabin: 1629].