privateering in the Pacific

One of the great accounts of buccaneering and privateering in the eighteenth century. Provides the best account of California, its wildlife and indigenous peoples, over any other early voyage, with the world map depicting California as an island. Also contains early descriptions of guano, locusts, whaling and ray fishing, rumours of gold in the California hills, and a scene of an officer shooting an albatross while rounding the Horn which would become the inspiration for Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This copy with an added duplicate of the plate showing two California women.

'Captains Shelvocke and Clapperton led a privately financed privateering expedition to attack Spanish shipping. Shevlocke gave his superior officer the slip in a storm and proceeded to Brazil and thence to the west coast of South America, where in two months he sacked Payta, Peru, and captured several small prizes. His vessel, the Speedwell, was wrecked at Juan Fernández Island, but a ship was built out of the wreckage, and he sailed up the coast to Baja California. After crossing the Pacific via Guam and Macao, Shelvocke returned to England, where he was accused of piracy and embezzlement, and then acquitted' (Hill).

From the library of Walter Henry Wilson (1839-1904), cofounder of the Belfast ship building firm Harland & Wolff.

First edition; 8vo (20.5 x 13.5 cm); title with engraved vignette, folding engraved world map, 4 engraved plates, of which 2 folding, extra-illustrated with additional duplicate of final folding plate, armorial bookplate to pastedown, map with folds reinforced and small tear professionally repaired without loss; contemporary panelled calf, spine professionally restored with later gilt lettering pieces and gilt rules, joints a little strained, a very good copy; [viii], xxxii, [iv], 468pp.

Borba II, 795; Hill, 1557; Sabin, 80158.