Beschreibung:

ROGERS, Woodes (ca 1689-1732). A Cruising Voyage round the World; First to the South-Seas, thence to the East-Indies, and homewards by the Cape of Good Hope, Begun in 1708, and finish'd in 1711. Containing a Journal of all the Remarkable Transactions; particularly Of the Taking of the Puna and Guiaquil, of the Acapulco Ship, and other Prizes; An Account of Alexander Selkirk's living alone four Years and four Months in an Island And an Introduction relating to the South-Sea Trade . London: A. Bell and B. Lintot, 1712.
ROGERS, Woodes (ca 1689-1732). A Cruising Voyage round the World; First to the South-Seas, thence to the East-Indies, and homewards by the Cape of Good Hope, Begun in 1708, and finish'd in 1711. Containing a Journal of all the Remarkable Transactions; particularly Of the Taking of the Puna and Guiaquil, of the Acapulco Ship, and other Prizes; An Account of Alexander Selkirk's living alone four Years and four Months in an Island And an Introduction relating to the South-Sea Trade . London: A. Bell and B. Lintot, 1712. 8 o (198 x 118 mm). 5 folding engraved maps (the first with short tear repaired on verso). Contemporary Cambridge-style panelled calf, spine with gilt morocco lettering-piece (some rubbing, front joint repaired). Provenance : Joseph Castle (bookplate); Philip Gosse (1879-1959), collector of books on piracy, writer on natural history (bookplate); Thomas W. Streeter (bookplate; penciled notes on front free endpaper; his sale part IV, Parke Bernet, 24 April 1968, lot 2429; purchased from Raphael King, 1948). THE RARE FIRST EDITION OF A CLASSIC PRIVATEERING ACCOUNT AND SOURCE BOOK FOR ROBINSON CRUSOE . The most financially successful privateering voyage since the days of Drake and Cavendish, and an important voyage to the Pacific. This privately funded voyage was well organized and sympathetically commanded by Rogers who maintained good order and discipline despite a "mongrel crew and with officers often mutinous," one of whom was the privateer William Dampier who sailed as pilot and navigator. After rounding Cape Horn the ships Duke and Dutchess sheltered at Juan Fernandez where they rescued Alexander Selkirk, whose story related by Rogers was an inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe . Their attacks on Spanish shipping on the west coast of Mexico and South America included the taking of an Acapulco galleon and netted them riches and vital information in the form of excellent maps. Five are printed in this account and are said to have been taken by Rogers from "the best Spanish manuscript draughts." They show the west coast of the Americas from Chiloe to Acapulco and are appended with detailed sailing directions for the west coast also taken from a captured Spanish manuscript. Plainly shown on the route map by Herman Moll are the Straits of Anian (Bering Strait), north of New Albion. Rogers sailed north only as far as Lower California, however, before crossing the Pacific to Guam and the Molucca Straits. Rogers later became Governor of the Bahamas where he attempted to stamp out privacy and establish government. Alden & Landis 712/194; Borba de Moraes II:213-14; Cowan I p.194; Hill 1479; Sabin 72753; Streeter sale IV:2429 (this copy: "Rogers is most interesting in outlining the setup for a buccaneering expedition such as this, where many decisions were made by majority vote"); Wagner Northwest Coast 1712 note; Wagner Spanish Southwest 78.