Travels, Explorations and Empires, 1770–1835:

Travel Writings on North America, the Far East, North and South Poles and the Middle East

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General Editors: Tim Fulford and Peter J Kitson
Advisory Editor: Tim Youngs

Travels, Explorations and Empires

The Romantic Period saw the advance of the massive British imperial expansion that was to make it dominant for most of the nineteenth century. There was a corresponding expansion in travel writings, which, highly popular in their own time, seemed to bring exotic realms within the grasp of the reading public and were a source for ethnographic and cultural information about other societies.

Some of the greatest literary works of the period such as Coleridge’s 'Ancient Mariner', Byron’s Don Juan and Shelley’s 'The Witch of Atlas' were inspired by the narratives within this collection, which include the journals of Sir Joseph Banks and the voyages of Captain James Cook. Each volume represents one geographical section of the explorations which spanned the world from North America to the Far East, and the Polar regions to the South Seas and Australasia.

Students of British history and colonialism will find much to interest them in this collection. The selection of writings reflects the diversity of the literature, revealing something of the cultural and gender difference of the travellers, as well as fuelling debates on colonialism, natural history, anthropology and slavery.

• All texts reproduced in facsmile
• Each text accompanied by headnote and endnotes where appropriate
• Each set has a comprehensive index

Contents

Volume 1: North America

Edited by Tim Fulford with Carol Bolton
James Adair, The History of the American Indian (1775); William Bartram, Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, The Cherokee Country ... together with Observations on the Manners of the Indians (1791); Jonathan Carver, Travels through the Interior Parts of North America, in the years 1766, 1767, and 1768 (1778); Samuel Hearne, A Journey From Prince of Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean In The Years 1769, 1770, 1771, and 1772 (1795); Washington Irving, Adventures of Captain Bonneville, Or Scenes Beyond the Rocky Mountains of the Far West, (1837); W Irving, Astoria (1836). Edwin James, An Account of an Expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains Performed in the Years 1819 and '20 (1823); Alexander MacKenzie, Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, through the Continent of North America to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans, in the years 1789 and 1793 (1803) Meriwether Lewis, History of the Expedition under the command of Lewis and Clark (1814); Rev Samuel Parker, Journal of an Exploring Tour Beyond the Rocky Mountains, Under the Direction of the A.B.C.F.M. Performed in the Years 1835, '36 and '37 (1838) James Pattie, The Personal Narrative of James Ohio Pattie, published by Timothy Flint (1831); Z M Pike, An Account of Expeditions to the Sources of the Mississippi (1811); John B Wyeth, Oregon (1833)

Volume 2: Far East: Japan and China

Edited by Tim Fulford and Peter J Kitson
Sir John Barrow, Travels in China: containing descriptions, observations ... (1804); R J, Supercargo, Diary of a Journey overland through the maritime Provinces of China (1822); David Abeel, Journal of a Residence in China and the neighbouring countries from 1830 to 1833 (1834); James Wathen, Journal of a Voyage, in 1811 to 1812, to Madras and China (1814); Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, The History of Java (1817); John Crawford, Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Courts of Siam and Cochin China (1828); George Finlayson, The Mission to Siam, and Hue the capital of Cochin China, in the years 1821 and 1822 (1826); Josiah Conder, The Modern Traveller (1826-31); Clarke Abel, Narrative of a Journey in the Interior of China ... in the years 1816 and 1817 (1818); John Dundas Cochrane, Narrative of a Pedestrian Journey through Russia and Siberian Tartary, from the frontiers of China to the Frozen Sea and Kamtchatka (1824); Alexander Dalrymple, Observations on the South Coast of China (1806); Thomas Daniell, A Picturesque Voyage to India, by the way of China (1810); William Milne, A Retrospect of the First Ten Years of the Protestant Mission to China (1820); Frans Caron, Caron's Account of Japan (1811); Frederick Shorberl, Illustrations of Japan (1822); Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin, Narrative of my Captivity in Japan (1818); Archibald Campbell, A Voyage round the World from 1806 to 1812 (1816)

Volume 3: North and South Poles

Edited by Peter J Kitson
Constantine John Phipps, A Voyage towards the North Pole, undertaken by His Majesty's command, 1773 (1774); Samuel Hearne, A Journey From Prince of Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean In The Years 1769, 1770, 1771, and 1772 (1795); George Back, Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition to the Mouth of the Great Fish River and along the shores of the Arctic Regions (1836); Sir John Barrow, Voyages of Discovery and Research within the Arctic Regions (1846); John Franklin, Narrative of a journey to the shores of the Polar Sea in the years 1819–20–21–22 (1823); Anon, Narrative of a Second Expedition to the shores of the Polar Sea in the years 1825, 1826 and 1827 (1828); Robert Huish, The Last Voyage of Capt. John Ross (1835); R King, A Narrative of a journey to the shores of the Arctic Ocean in 1833, 1834 and 1835 (1836); Anon, The Franklin Expedition from First to Last (1855); G F Lyon, Private Journal During the Recent Voyage of Discovery Under Captain Parry (1824); William Edward Parry, Journal of a Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage ... in the years 1819–20 (1821); Anon, Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of the North-West Passage ... in the years 1821–22–23 (1824); Anon, Journal of a Third Voyage for the Discovery of the North-West Passage ... in the year 1824–25 (1826); Anon, Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole ... in the year 1827 (1828); James Ross, A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern Antarctic Regions during the years 1839–43 (1847); John Ross, A Voyage of Discovery ... for the purpose of Exploring Baffin's Bay and inquiring into the probability of a North-West Passage (1819); Anon, Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-West Passage ... during the years 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833 (1835)

Volume 4: Middle East

Edited by Tilar J Mazzeo
John Cam Hobhouse’s A Journey through Albania, and other Provinces of Turkey in Europe and Asia, to Constantinople, during the Years 1809 and 1810 (1813); Constantin Volney Travels in Syria and Egypt, during the Years 1783, 1784, and 1765 (1787); CS Sonnini, Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt (1800); M Niebuhr, Travels through Arabia and Other Countries of the East (1792); Mark Wood, The Importance of Malta, Considered in the Years 1796 and 1798, with Remarks, which Occurred during a Journey from England to India, through Eygpt, in the Year 1779 (1803); F C H L Pouqueville, Travels through the Morea, Albania, and Several Other Parts of the Ottoman Empire to Constantinople (1806); Johann Ludwig Burkhardt, Travels in Syria and the Holy Land (1822); James Morier, Journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor to Constantinople (1812); AIi Bey, Travels of Au Bey in Morocco, Tripoli, Cyprus, Egypt, Arabia, Syria, and Turkey: between the Years 1803 and 1807 (1816); Mountstuart Elphinstone, Account of the Kingdom of Kabul, and its Dependencies in Persia, Tartary, and India (1815)

Volume 5: Africa

Edited by Debbie Lee
James Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile (1790); Mungo Park, Travels into the Interior Districts of Africa (1799); Sir John Barrow, An Account of Travels into the Interior of Southern Africa (1801–4); Christian Frederick Damberger, Travels through the Continent of Africa from the Cape of Good Hope to Morocco (1801); James Hingston Tuckey, Narrative of an Expedition to Explore the River Zaire, usually called the Congo, in South Africa (1818); George Francis Lyon, A Narrative of Travels in Northern Africa (1821); Dixon Denham, Captain Clapperton and Dr Oudney, Narrative of Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa (1826); Alexander Gordon Laing, The Letters of Major Alexander Gordon Laing (1824–6); Hugh Clapperson, Journal of a Second Expedition into the Interior of Africa (1829); Richard and John Lander, Journal of an Expedition to Explore the Course and Termination of the Niger (1832)

Volume 6: India

Edited by Indira Ghose
James Forbes, Oriental Memoirs: Selections from a Series of Familiar Letters Written During Seventeen Years’ Residence in India (1813); Eliza Fay, Original Letters from India (1821); William Hodges, Travels in India, During the Years 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1783 (1794); Maria Graham, Lady Callcott, Journal of a Residence in India (1812); Reginald Heber, Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces of India, from Calcutta to Bombay, 1824–5 (1828); Emma Roberts, Scenes and Characteristics of Hindostan, with Sketches of Anglo-Indian Society (1835)

Volume 7: South America and Caribbean

Edited by Nigel Leask
Antonio de Ulloa and Jorge Juan, A Voyage to South America (1772); Martin Dobrizhoffer, An Account of the Abipones, and Equestrian People of Paraguay, trans. Sara Coleridge (1822); Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland, Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctal Regions of the New Continent, During the Years 1799–1804, trans. Helena Maria Williams (1814–29); John Mawe, Travels in the Interior of Brazil, Particularly in the Gold and Diamond Districts of that Country (1812); John Stewart, A View of the Past and Present State of the Island of Jamaica; with Remarks on the Moral and Physical Condition of the Slaves, and on the Abolition of Slavery in the Colonies (1823); Charles Waterton, Wanderings in South America, in the Years 1812, 16, 20 and 24 (1825); Basil Hall, Extracts from a Journal Written on the Coasts of Chili, Peru and Mexico, in the Years 1820–21–22 (1824); Maria Graham, Lady Callcott, Journal of a Voyage to Brazil, and Residence There, During Part of the Years 1821, 22, 23 (1824); William Bullock, Six Months’ Residence and Travels in Mexico (1824); Robert Proctor, Narrative of a Journey Across the Cordilleras of the Andes, and of a Residence in Lima, and Other Parts of Peru in the Years 1823 and 1824 (1825); Francis Bond Head, Rough Notes Taken During Some Rapid Journeys Across the Pampas and Among the Andes (1826); Henry Nelson Coleridge, Six Months in the West Indies in 1825 (1826); Charles Mackenzie, Notes on Haiti, Made During a Residence in that Republic (1830)

Volume 8: South Seas and Australasia

Edited by Peter J Kitson
John Hawkesworth, A New Voyage, Round the World in the Years 1768, 1769, 1770 and 1771 (1774); James Cook, A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World (1777); George Forster, A Voyage Round the World in His Britannic Majesty’s Sloop Resolution, Commanded by Capt. James Cook, During the Years 1772, 3, 4 and 5 (1777); Johann Reinhold Forster, Observations Made During a Voyage Round the World (1778); James Cook, Voyage to the Pacific Ocean … for Making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere (1784); David Samwell, A Narrative of the Death of Captain James Cook (1786); George Keate, An Account of the Pelew Islands, Situated in the Western Part of the Pacific Ocean (1788); William Bligh, A Voyage to the South Sea Undertaken by Command of His Majesty, for the Purpose of Conveying the Bread-Fruit Tree to the West Indies (1792); George Hamilton, A Voyage Round the World in His Majesty’s Frigate Pandora: Performed Under the Direction of Captain Edwards; in 1790, 1791 and 1792 (1793); Mary Ann Parker, A Voyage Round the World (1795); David Collins, An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales (1798–1802); Robert Southey, ‘Review of the Transactions of the Missionary Society in the South Sea Islands’ (1809); George Vason, An Authentic Narrative of Four Years’ Residence at Tongabatoo (1810); Matthew Finders, A Voyage to Terra Australis, Undertaken for the Purpose of Completing the Discovery of that Vast Country, and Prosecuted in the Years 1801, 1802 and 1803 (1814); John Martin, An Account of the Natives of the Tonga Islands in the South Pacific Ocean (1817); Robert Southey, review of William Ellis, Polynesian Researches, During a Residence of Nearly Six Years in the South Sea Islands (1830)

Reviews

'Travels does not pretend to be anything that it is not, and it delivers what it promises. Its extracts evoke the rawness of discovery in an age when vast portions of the atlas were blank and when large portions of the world’s population lived in ignorance of each other.’
– Fergus Fleming, The Times Literary Supplement

‘Such a comprehensive collection of Romantic-era travel narratives is unprecedented. This exquisitely produced and impeccably edited collection offers a wealth of fresh material to scholars of Romanticism, and because it is engaging, readable, and well-annotated, it should also prove of interest to undergraduates and general readers. Travels, Explorations and Empires: Writings from the Era of Imperial Expansion belongs in every university library, and individual purchasers will also find it a worthwhile investment.’
– James C McKusick, The Wordsworth Circle

Related titles

• Joseph Banks and the British Museum : The World of Collecting 1770–1830
• Slavery, Abolition and Emancipation : Writings in the British Romantic Period
• Writing the Empire : Robert Southey and Romantic Colonialism

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