A Voyage Round the World in the Years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV.

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. Hardcover. 1748. Compiled from papers and other materials of George Lord Anson and published under his direction by Riichard Walter. Full contemporary calf, expertly and neatly rebacked with new maroon label, a good wide-margined copy with a list of ssubscribers, 42 engraved plates, plans, charts and maps, all but one of them folding. First edition.Anson (1697-1762) was in command of a squadron sent to lunder Spaanish trading territories on the Pacific Coast of South America during the war of Jenkin's Ear. His expedition threateened to turn into a military fiasco. His small squadron was battered by storms and too few of his crew survived the journey around Cape Horn to man even the largest ship properly. Anson limped across the Pacific to Macao, where he was able to have the Canturion repaired and find more crew. Finally in JUne 1743, , he achieved a single but substantial victory, capturing a Spanis treasure ship, The Nuesta Senora de Covadonga, off the Phillipines.This ship was the manila galleon, essentially an armed merchanatman, carrying over a million pieces of eight and much virgin silver valued at an astonishing ?400,000. Anson returned to England in June 1744 a rich man. His volyage is remembered as "A classic tale of endurance and leadership in the face of fearful disasters, but to the British public of 1744 it was the treasure of the galleon triumphantly paraded through the streets of LOndon, which did something to restore national self esteem battered by an unsuccessful war". The keenly awaited book became a best seller running thrrough numerous editions in its full or abridged form being translated into several European languages. It is now agreed that thee ostensible author, Richard Walter, took the initiative for publishing, gathering names of subscribers and profiting handsomely from it, but that Benjamin Robins completed the editorial task. Anson's Voyage seems to have been the most popular book of maritime adbventure of the 18th century. . . . . N° de ref. del artículo KTK0099919

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