A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 18   By: William Stevenson (1772-1829)

In this volume, the reader is taken on a fascinating journey through various voyages and travels of different explorers. The compilation of firsthand accounts and narratives provides a unique perspective on the adventures and challenges faced by these intrepid individuals as they ventured into unknown territories.

The author, William Stevenson, has done a commendable job in piecing together these accounts in a coherent and engaging manner. He provides insightful commentary and background information to give context to the various voyages discussed in this volume.

One of the standout features of this book is the diversity of the voyages covered, ranging from expeditions to the Arctic, to explorations of the African coast and journeys to the Pacific islands. This variety keeps the reader engaged and eager to learn more about the different cultures and landscapes encountered by the explorers.

Overall, this volume is a valuable addition to any history enthusiast's collection. It offers a comprehensive look at the exploratory efforts of some of history's most daring adventurers and provides a window into the world as it was seen through their eyes. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of exploration and discovery.

First Page:

The curiosity of that man must be very feeble and sluggish, and his appetite for information very weak or depraved, who, when he compares the map of the world, as it was known to the ancients, with the map of the world as it is at present known, does not feel himself powerfully excited to inquire into the causes which have progressively brought almost every speck of its surface completely within our knowledge and access. To develop and explain these causes is one of the objects of the present work; but this object cannot be attained, without pointing out in what manner Geography was at first fixed on the basis of science, and has subsequently, at various periods, been extended and improved, in proportion as those branches of physical knowledge which could lend it any assistance, have advanced towards perfection... Continue reading book >>