Jean Barbot, who served as a commercial agent on French slave-trading voyages to West Africa in 1678-9 and 1681-2, in 1683 began an account of the Guinea coast, based partly on his voyage journals (only one of which is extant) and partly on previous printed sources. The work was interrupted by his flight to England, as a Huguenot refugee, in 1685, and not finished until 1688. When Barbot found that his lengthy French account could not be published, he rewrote it in English, enlarging it even further, and then continually revising it up to his death in 1712. The manuscript was eventually published in 1732. Barbot's book had considerable influence on later European attitudes to Black Africa and the Atlantic slave trade and in modern writings on both subjects is frequently cited as evidence. The French account serves as the base for the present edition and is presented in English translation but additional material in the later English version is inserted. The edition concentrates on Barbot's original information. He copied much from earlier sources - this derived material is omitted but is identified in the notes. The original material, mainly on Senegal, Sierra Leone, River Sess, Gold Coast and the Calabars, is extensively annotated, not least with comparative references to other sources. Apart from its narrative interest, the edition thus provides a starting point for the critical assessment of a range of early sources on Guinea. The edition opens with an introductory essay discussing Barbot's life and career and analysing his sources. Barbot provided a large number of his own drawings of topographical and ethnographical features, in particular drawings of almost all of the European forts in Guinea. Many of these illustrations are reproduced. This volume covers the coast from Senegal to Gold Coast. The main pagination of this and the following volume (Second series 176) series is continuous. This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1991.

Jean Barbot, who served as a commercial agent on French slave-trading voyages to West Africa in 1678-9 and 1681-2, in 1683 began an account of the Guinea coast, based partly on his voyage journals (only one of which is extant) and partly on previous printed sources. The work was interrupted by his flight to England, as a Huguenot refugee, in 1685, and not finished until 1688. When Barbot found that his lengthy French account could not be published, he rewrote it in English, enlarging it even further, and then continually revising it up to his death in 1712. The manuscript was eventually published in 1732. Barbot's book had considerable influence on later European attitudes to Black Africa and the Atlantic slave trade and in modern writings on both subjects is frequently cited as evidence. The French account serves as the base for the present edition and is presented in English translation but additional material in the later English version is inserted. The edition concentrates on Barbot's original information. He copied much from earlier sources - this derived material is omitted but is identified in the notes. The original material, mainly on Senegal, Sierra Leone, River Sess, Gold Coast and the Calabars, is extensively annotated, not least with comparative references to other sources. Apart from its narrative interest, the edition thus provides a starting point for the critical assessment of a range of early sources on Guinea. The edition opens with an introductory essay discussing Barbot's life and career and analysing his sources. Barbot provided a large number of his own drawings of topographical and ethnographical features, in particular drawings of almost all of the European forts in Guinea. Many of these illustrations are reproduced. This volume covers the coast from the River Volta to Cape Lopez. The main pagination of this and the previous volume (2nd series 175) series is continuous. This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1991.

In 1623 Richard Jobson published an account of a 1620-1621 English voyage up River Gambra, during which a party, led by himself, penetrated to a point some 460 miles up-river. The purpose of the voyage was to make contact with the gold trade of the West African interior, but in this there was little success. However, Jobson's account of the river, its commerce, natural history, peoples, religions and polities, was the earliest to appear in print, in this fullness of detail, in any language. It was also the earliest detailed account of any part of Black Africa, by an Englishman. Jobson's account, almost entirely original, has special interest in its author's observations on the African scene, particularly those on the African peoples and individuals encountered. Jobson discusses such topics as local agriculture and trade, the role of Islam, political culture, and the position of women. Despite the limits of his experience, his observations are seemingly accurate and generally perceptive, as well as being (perhaps unexpectedly) often tolerant and even sympathetic.

This volume celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Hakluyt Society. It contains a survey of the 200+ scholarly editions of `voyages and travels' published by the Society, followed by a series of biographical essays on important figures in the Society's history: Desborough Cooley, R.H. Major, Clements Markham, Henry Yule, William Foster, R.A. Skelton and Esmond de Beer.Includes list of Hakluyt Society publications 1847-1995.

Professor Hair's aim here has been to explore the European written record for the history of Africa south of the Sahara. This effectively began with the arrival of the Portuguese on the Guinea coast and many of these articles focus on Sierra Leone; others extend the enquiry to southern Africa. One particular theme is the use of early vocabularies of African languages as a source for the history of local populations. At the same time, these studies help illuminate the European reaction to the peoples and the places they encountered.

In 1623 Richard Jobson published an account of a 1620-1621 English voyage up River Gambra, during which a party, led by himself, penetrated to a point some 460 miles up-river. The purpose of the voyage was to make contact with the gold trade of the West African interior, but in this there was little success. However, Jobson's account of the river, its commerce, natural history, peoples, religions and polities, was the earliest to appear in print, in this fullness of detail, in any language. It was also the earliest detailed account of any part of Black Africa, by an Englishman. Jobson's account, almost entirely original, has special interest in its author's observations on the African scene, particularly those on the African peoples and individuals encountered. Jobson discusses such topics as local agriculture and trade, the role of Islam, political culture, and the position of women. Despite the limits of his experience, his observations are seemingly accurate and generally perceptive, as well as being (perhaps unexpectedly) often tolerant and even sympathetic.