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Books > Travel > Travel writing > Classic travel writing
Clergyman, schoolmaster and writer on aesthetics, William Gilpin (1724 1804) is best known for his works on the picturesque. In his Essay on Prints, published in 1768 and reissued in this series, he defined picturesque as 'a term expressive of that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture'. First published in 1809, the present work is one of a series which records his reflections on the picturesque across British landscapes. It traces two journeys he made equipped with notebook and sketching materials: the first in 1769 across East Anglia, and the second in 1773 from Anglesey south-east to Shrewsbury. He describes his impression of notable sites such as Cambridge, Houghton Hall and its art collection, Beaumaris Castle and Snowdon, and includes reproductions of his pen-and-wash drawings. The companion volumes of Observations on other parts of Britain are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection."
Originally published in 1925, this book contains the edited text of Arthur Young's eighteenth century travelogue A Tour In Ireland. Young records his journey all around the country, as well as making observations on Irish life under English dominion after the Cromwellian and Williamite wars. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Irish history.
Beyond the fact that he made a journey to the Holy Land between 1336 and 1341, very little is known about Ludolf von Suchem (whose first name may in fact have been Rudolf). However, his work has long been regarded as a major source of information about the eastern Mediterranean in the fourteenth century, owing to its high level of detail. Ludolf states his intention to describe the region, its buildings, towns, fortified places, people, customs, stories and legends, drawing on both his own observations, and on information from the 'kings, princes, nobles and lords' with whom he spent days and nights in conversation. Some stories are clearly travellers' tales, but others, like his account of the fall of Acre (1291), based on reports by eyewitnesses, are both full and convincing. This English translation, by Aubrey Stewart (1844-1918), of Ludolf's Latin text was published in 1895.
Following participation in the Arctic search for Sir John Franklin, the mariner and author William Parker Snow (1817 95) volunteered in 1854 to command the schooner Allen Gardiner, named after the man whose work for the South American Missionary Society was to be resumed. Although conceived as 'merely a simple narrative of daily life in the Southern Seas', this illustrated two-volume work becomes simultaneously a first-hand account of a sailor's experiences and observations, and a self-justification against those by whom he felt disappointed, frustrated and deceived. Volume 1 recounts the history of the Falkland Islands and the circumstances of this mission, covering the voyage to Patagonia, the establishment of a station on Keppel Island and the first friendly meetings with 'dreaded savages'. First published in 1857, the book met with some success. Snow, however, wasted the proceeds on a fruitless action against his former employers.
Following participation in the Arctic search for Sir John Franklin, the mariner and author William Parker Snow (1817 95) volunteered in 1854 to command the schooner Allen Gardiner, named after the man whose work for the South American Missionary Society was to be resumed. Although conceived as 'merely a simple narrative of daily life in the Southern Seas', this illustrated two-volume work becomes simultaneously a first-hand account of a sailor's experiences and observations, and a self-justification against those by whom he felt disappointed, frustrated and deceived. Volume 2 includes an account of meeting 'Jemmy Button', the Fuegian who had been taken to Britain on the Beagle. It also charts the series of difficulties Snow faced as captain, which culminated in his dismissal and abandonment on the Falklands. First published in 1857, the narrative met with some success. Snow, however, wasted the proceeds on a fruitless action against his former employers.
George Anson Byron (1789-1868), cousin of the famous poet, was a naval officer and the seventh Baron Byron. When the king and queen of Hawaii died of measles in July 1824 on a visit to England, Byron was chosen to lead the voyage that returned the bodies to their native land. Prepared by Maria Graham (1785-1842), known later as Lady Callcott, this work was published in 1826 and organised into two parts: the first gives a brief history of the islands, culminating in an account of the fatal visit; the second and larger part is compiled from the journals of those on board HMS Blonde. Engravings made from the drawings of the ship's artist, Robert Dampier, complement observations about the geography of Hawaii, its people and their customs. The remarkable journey home involved the first European sighting of Malden Island and the rescue of survivors from a shipwreck.
A student of Carl Linnaeus, Pehr Osbeck (1723 1805) was a Swedish explorer, naturalist and chaplain. He travelled to Asia in 1750 2 and brought back some six hundred specimens that were included in Linnaeus' Species Plantarum (1753). His account of his voyage was published in Swedish in 1757, in German in 1765, and here in English in 1771, edited and translated by Johann Reinhold Forster (1729 98). This two-volume work also includes letters to Linnaeus by another pupil, Olof Toren (1718 53), who also travelled to the East in the early 1750s, as well as a paper on Chinese husbandry by Carl Gustaf Ekeberg (1716 84). Ekeberg made ten trips to China and India between 1742 and 1778, becoming a captain in the Swedish East India Company. He too brought back numerous specimens for Linnaeus. Volume 2 contains the conclusion of Osbeck's account, the pieces by Toren and Ekeberg, and a catalogue of animals and plants native to China.
A student of Carl Linnaeus, Pehr Osbeck (1723 1805) was a Swedish explorer, naturalist and chaplain. He travelled to Asia in 1750 2 and brought back some six hundred specimens that were included in Linnaeus' Species Plantarum (1753). His account of his voyage was published in Swedish in 1757, in German in 1765, and here in English in 1771, edited and translated by Johann Reinhold Forster (1729 98). This two-volume work also includes letters to Linnaeus by another pupil, Olof Toren (1718 53), who also travelled to the East in the early 1750s, as well as a paper on Chinese husbandry by Carl Gustaf Ekeberg (1716 84). Ekeberg made ten trips to China and India between 1742 and 1778, becoming a captain in the Swedish East India Company. He too brought back numerous specimens for Linnaeus. Volume 1, however, is given over entirely to Osbeck's narrative.
This nineteenth-century travelogue documents John Turnbull's five-year journey around the world. Turnbull (fl. 1799 1813), a sailor in the merchant service, set out from Portsmouth in 1800 with the original purpose of pursuing trade in north-west Asia. In his ship, the Margaret, he sailed via Madeira and around the Cape of Good Hope. Setting aside his trading plans, he went on to explore Pacific territories, including Australia, Norfolk Island and the Society Islands. This book records his observations throughout, and also includes an appendix featuring Turnbull's account of his time in New Zealand. His notes from the voyage were first published in 1805, and an abridged version appeared a year later. This expanded edition was published in 1813. Popular at the time due to growing public interest in the Antipodes, A Voyage Round the World is a fascinating memoir of ship life and English exploration of the Pacific in the early nineteenth century.
Thomas Falkner (1707 84), one-time pupil of both Richard Mead and Isaac Newton, was an English Jesuit missionary who lived for nearly forty years in South America until 1767, when he returned to England following the Jesuits' expulsion from Cordoba. Originally published in 1774 in the hope that it 'might be of some public utility, and might also afford some amusement to the curious', this is a first-hand description of Patagonia, believed to have been consulted by Charles Darwin on board the Beagle. Illustrated with a map drawn from the author's knowledge and experience, it is an account of the dramatic physical geography of the area as well as the customs, beliefs and language of its inhabitants. Falkner's narrative ranges from a discussion of the virtues of American tea (in certain particulars 'far excelling the tea of China') to a detailed depiction of the role of wizards and rituals involving demons.
Beautifully illustrated throughout, this English translation of Desire Charnay's record of his travels among the ancient cities of Mexico and Central America was first published in 1887. Born in France, Charnay (1828 1915) travelled extensively through commissions from the French government and with private patronage. He made several visits to the region between 1857 and 1886, producing in his work both a journal of his adventures and an archaeological examination of past civilisations. Beginning in Mexico, Charnay notably examines the ancient city of Tula and also the history of Yucatan, discussing aspects of Toltec and Mayan culture. He explores the ruins of Chichen Itza, Kabah and Yaxchilan (which Charnay dubbed 'Lorillard Town' after a benefactor), among many other settlements. Surveying art, pyramid architecture, ancient customs and history based on extant sources, this account was a major contribution in its field and remains of interest to scholars of Latin American archaeology.
This collection of Alaskan adventures begins with a newspaper article written by John Muir during his first visit to Alaska in 1879, when the sole U.S. government representative in all the territory's 586,412 square miles was a lone customs official in Sitka. It closes with accounts of the gold rush and the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle. Jean Meaux has gathered a superb collection of articles and stories that captivated American readers when they were first published and that will continue to entertain us today. The authors range from Charles Hallock (the founder of Forest and Stream, a precursor of Field and Stream) to New York society woman Mary Hitchcock, who traveled with china, silver, and a 2,800 square foot tent. After explorer Henry Allen wore out his boots, he marched barefoot as he continued mapping the Tanana River, and Episcopal Archdeacon Hudson Stuck mushed by dog sled in Arctic winters across a territory encompassing 250,000 miles of the northern interior. Although the United States acquired Alaska in 1867, it took more than a decade for American writers and explorers to focus attention on a territory so removed from their ordinary lives. These writers-adventurers, tourists, and gold seekers-would help define the nation's perception of Alaska and would contribute to an image of the state that persists today. This collection unearths early writings that offer a broad view of American encounters with Alaska accompanied by Meaux's lively and concise introductions. The present-day adventurer will find much to inspire exploration, while students of the American West can gain new access to this valuable trove of pre-Gold Rush Alaska archives. Before returning to New Orleans to practice family law, Jean Morgan Meaux lived in Alaska from 1971 to 1985, where she earned a master's degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage and did freelance writing for the Anchorage Daily News.
Following the precedent and standards set by the Baedeker guides, travel literature enjoyed great popularity during the later nineteenth century. This guidebook to the Alps, written by Hermann Alexander Berlepsch (1814? 83) and translated from German by the renowned author and mountaineer Leslie Stephen (1832 1904), was first published in English in 1861. This was during the golden age of alpinism, when many major peaks were ascended for the first time. While later mountaineers concentrated on climbing as a sport, earlier expeditions were of a more scientific nature; this guidebook, which provides detailed information pertaining to the geology, flora and fauna of the Alps, is a reflection of this ambition. Also containing descriptions of village life and Alpine customs, it enjoyed a significant readership in its day and was also translated into French. It remains an instructive work in the history of alpinism and travel writing.
In 1783, at the opportunity presented by a new Panchen (or Teshoo) Lama, Bengal governor-general Warren Hastings sent a deputation to Tibet and Bhutan in the hope of promoting British-Indian trade across the Himalayas. Samuel Turner (1759 1802), an army officer in the East India Company, was appointed leader of the mission. His journal, offering first-hand descriptions of these countries, was originally published in 1800 and remained the only such English-language work for more than half a century. Assisted by the botanist and surgeon Robert Saunders and the surveyor and illustrator Samuel Davis, Turner interweaves geographical and scientific observations with descriptions of social and religious customs; the vivid account of his reception by the infant Panchen Lama is of particular note. The introduction sketches the history of Bengal Bhutan relations and George Bogle's prior mission, while later sections deal with Tibet and the influence of China. This was and remains an invaluable account of eighteenth-century diplomacy.
In 1860, James Bruce (1811 63), the eighth Earl of Elgin, embarked upon a second embassy to China which aimed to obtain ratification of the Treaty of Tientsin and finally conclude the Second Opium War on terms favourable to the British. Accompanying Elgin as his private secretary was the enterprising army officer Henry Brougham Loch (1827 1900). Originally published in 1869, Loch's first-hand account of the mission reflects sustained concern over Britain's strained trading relationship with China in the nineteenth century. Notwithstanding his views regarding the need for European influence to shape China's future success in government, his clearly written narrative illuminates contemporary diplomacy and the events surrounding the Convention of Peking in October 1860. Prior to this outcome, Loch had been captured, imprisoned and brutally tortured by Chinese officials. His chapters detailing this experience and his eventual release are especially noteworthy.
The surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer Sir John Richardson (1787 1865) was a lifelong friend to his former commander Sir John Franklin, with whom he had twice travelled to seek the North-West Passage. Following two years of silence from Franklin after he embarked on his 1845 expedition to the Arctic, Richardson set out on his own voyage in the hope of finding his comrade. Originally published in 1851, this two-volume work charts the journey which would inevitably fail in its ambition: Franklin, unknown to Richardson, had already died in June 1847. Volume 1, which depicts the journey to Fort Confidence in the Canadian Arctic, ends with detailed descriptions of the aboriginal Inuit and Gwich'in peoples encountered. The text is punctuated throughout by accounts of the wildlife and geographical features sighted, and the customs and cultures observed on this remarkable mission.
The surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer Sir John Richardson (1787 1865) was a lifelong friend to his former commander Sir John Franklin, with whom he had twice travelled to seek the North-West Passage. Following two years of silence from Franklin after he embarked on his 1845 expedition to the Arctic, Richardson set out on his own voyage in the hope of finding his comrade. Originally published in 1851, this two-volume work charts the journey which would inevitably fail in its ambition: Franklin, unknown to Richardson, had already died in June 1847. Volume 2 begins with detailed descriptions of the aboriginal Chipewyan and Cree peoples. A thorough appendix comprises observations on physical geography, climatology and the geographical distribution of plants, and includes vocabularies for the dialects encountered during the mission. The text ends, Richardson having returned, with the hope that future expeditions may yet trace 'so many gallant victims to science'.
Remembered chiefly for his archaeological discoveries in Crete, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851 1941) was also highly respected as an expert on the Balkans, an area then little known. Evans describes 'a land and people among the most interesting in Europe', and in 1875 he was visiting for the third time. This trip found him witnessing the outbreak of the revolt that saw Austria-Hungary take control of Bosnia. Here, however, Evans explores Bosnia's rich heritage with detailed ethnographic and anthropological observations, alongside descriptive impressions of its people and natural beauty. He returned in 1877 as a correspondent for the Manchester Guardian, which resulted in his Illyrian Letters (also reissued in this series). First published in 1876 and reprinted the following year, the present work offers background not only to the revolt in that country, but also to the later deadly conflicts that would shake all of Europe.
French explorer Rene Caillie (1799-1838) was the first European to document a successful expedition to Timbuktu, Africa's elusive 'city of gold'. Europeans were not welcome there, and until Caillie's expedition no explorer had returned alive. Encouraged by the 10,000 francs offered by the Societe de Geographie to the first non-Muslim to bring back information on the city, he set out in 1824 from Senegal and eventually reached Timbuktu in 1828, remaining there for a fortnight before returning to France. His travels are recounted here in this two-volume work, first published in English in 1830. Volume 1 covers his outward journey, with detailed accounts of his travels through Saint-Louis, Kankan and other exotic waypoints, and the people, customs and commerce he encountered in the course of his trip. Vividly written, Caillie's work remains a landmark in the history of African exploration and adventure.
French explorer Rene Caillie (1799-1838) was the first European to document a successful expedition to Timbuktu, Africa's elusive 'city of gold'. Europeans were not welcome there, and until Caillie's expedition no explorer had returned alive. Encouraged by the 10,000 francs offered by the Societe de Geographie to the first non-Muslim to bring back information on the city, he set out from Senegal in 1824 and eventually reached Timbuktu in 1828. His travels are recounted here in this two-volume work, first published in English in 1830. Volume 2 covers the final part of his journey to Timbuktu, where he stayed for two weeks. Including his impressions of the peoples, tribal conflict, slavery, customs and commerce, the volume concludes with an account of his journey home across the Sahara Desert, and his survival in spite of suffering from fever and fatigue. Vividly written, Caillie's work remains a landmark in the history of African exploration and adventure.
Alec Waugh first saw the West Indies on a trip round the world in 1926 when his ship called in at Guadeloupe. Fifteen months later he returned for a long stay at Martinique; it was the beginning of a lifelong interest in these fascinating islands that were to provide him with the material for many books and articles. In "The Sugar Islands," a book to be dipped into at leisure, Mr. Waugh has selected pieces from his writings, with the intention of compiling both a travelogue (there is a wealth of interesting information for the would-be traveller about the ways of life and customs of each island) and a chronological commentary on the development of the islands during the last thirty years.The book is divided into four parts. In the first, the author gives an idea of the background of the West Indies by drawing a detailed picture of the colourful life of Martinique. He tells the story of a 17th-century Frenchman who joined the famous pirates of Tortugja and the history of the long bloodbath that preceeded the declaration of independence of Haiti, the Black Republic. The second part of the book comprises four character sketches, including three stories of black magic, and two sections deal with the individual charm and interest of each of the islands: Montserrat, Barbados, Anguilla, Trinidad, St. Vincent, Tortola, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Saba, Antigua, Dominica and Puerto Rico.
This two-volume travelogue recounts the diplomatic mission through Central Asia and Russia undertaken by James Abbott (1807 96) in 1839. An officer in the Bengal Artillery, Abbott first travelled to Central Asia in 1838 and was soon drawn into the 'Great Game' between Russia and Britain as they struggled for influence in the region. When Russia launched an expedition against Khiva in 1839, ostensibly to free Russian slaves, Abbott was sent there to advise the Khan and then travelled to Russia to initiate mediation. While the Russian slaves were freed by Abbott's successor, Abbott believed he had succeeded and published this account in 1843. The work includes anecdotes of his experiences and observations on the cultures and landscapes he encountered. In Volume 1, he describes his journey from Herat to Khiva and the beginning of his journey to Russia.
This two-volume travelogue recounts the diplomatic mission through Central Asia and Russia undertaken by James Abbott (1807 96) in 1839. An officer in the Bengal Artillery, Abbott first travelled to Central Asia in 1838 and was soon drawn into the 'Great Game' between Russia and Britain as they struggled for influence in the region. When Russia launched an expedition against Khiva in 1839, ostensibly to free Russian slaves, Abbott was sent there to advise the Khan and then travelled to Russia to initiate mediation. While the Russian slaves were freed by Abbott's successor, Abbott believed he had succeeded and published this account in 1843. The work includes anecdotes of his experiences and observations on the cultures and landscapes he encountered. In Volume 2, he chronicles his journey to St Petersburg via Moscow and recounts his general impressions of Russia.
Written by Austrian baron Karl Alexander Anselm von Hugel (1795-1870), this travelogue was one of the first western books published on the Kashmir region. Von Hugel, who worked as a soldier, diplomat, botanist, explorer and ethnologist at various stages in his life, embarked on a trip to India in the 1830s as part of an extensive world tour. His account of his time in Kashmir and the Punjab was first published in German as a four-volume edition from 1840. He aimed to 'lift the veil' on Kashmir in an attempt to resolve the contentious reputation among Europeans of this unfamiliar region, and the book serves as a thorough guide to its history, geography, climate, culture and politics. This English translation and abridgement was prepared by Thomas Best Jervis (1796-1857) and published in 1845. Also included in this reissue is a biography that the author's son, Anatole von Hugel, privately published in 1903. |
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