Catalogue
Catalogue
Object Type
Name/Title
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 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 a brief description of several countries in our course noted for trade, especially in the South-sea : with maps of all the coast, from the best Spanish manuscript draughts, and an introduction relating to the South-sea trade
Other Name
Dampier's Fourth Voyage -- [Spine Title] (Alternate title)
Primary Maker
Contributor/Publisher
Printed for A. Bell at the Cross-Keys and Bible in Cornhill, and B. Lintot at the Cross-Keys between the two Temple-Gates, Fleetstreet.
Place
Date
1712
Physical Description
xxi, [1], 428, 56, [14] pages, [3] folded leaves of plates [missing] : 3 folded maps [missing] ; 21 cm (8vo)
Language
English
Collection
Level of Current Record
Bib record
Member Object
Related Object Notes
MS-2000-5 Catalogue of the Mackelvie Collection of Books and Pamphlets
MUS-1995-38-86 Museum correspondence û Mackelvie, James Tannock
N5297 CAT Catalogue of the Mackelvie Collection for Auckland, New Zealand
Edition/State/Version
1st edition
Subject Category
Provenance Details
Handwritten note in ink by an unknown hand on page opposite the title reads:
"It was lately announced that Commadore Powell and the officers of Her Majesty's Ship Topaze had erected in the island of Juan Fernandez, a tablet to the memory of Alexander Selkirk, the tablet bearing the following inscription 'In memory of Alexander Selkirk, mariner, the original of Robinson Crusoe who lived on the island of Juan Fernßndez in complete solitude for four years and four months. He was landed from the Cinque Ports galley. 96 tons, 18 guns 1704 and was taken off in the Duke Privateer. 12th of February 1709. He died lieutenant of HMS Weymouth AD. 1723 aged 47 years. This tablet is erected near Selkirk's look-out by Commadore Powell and the officers of HMS Topaze AD 1868"
T[?] Dec 12th. 1868
Content
"Appendix, containing a description of the coast, roads, harbours ... and distances, from Acapulco ... to the island of Chiloe ... From the best Spanish manuscripts taken in the South-sea": 56 pages at end.
Includes "An Alphabetical Index of places, &c."
Public Access Text
[Keywords: Rare books--18th century; Indonesia--Discovery and exploration; Guam--Early works to 1800]
This edition bound for James Tannock Mackelvie to be presented to Auckland Institute as part of a five volume set of William Dampier's travels. Notes from Mackelvie to binder to keep inscription on page across from the title page, and that William Dampier was the pilot of the voyage.
Associated Notes
Subject Notes
Woodes Rogers was an English sea captain and privateer and, later, the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He is known as the captain of the vessel that rescued marooned Alexander Selkirk, whose plight is generally believed to have inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.
Rogers came from an affluent seafaring family, grew up in Poole and Bristol, and served a marine apprenticeship to a Bristol sea captain. His father held shares in many ships, but he died when Rogers was in his mid-twenties, leaving Rogers in control of the family shipping business. In 1707, Rogers was approached by Captain William Dampier, who sought support for a privateering voyage against the Spanish, with whom the British were at war. Rogers led the expedition, which consisted of two well-armed ships, Duke and Duchess, and was the captain of Duke. In three years, Rogers and his men went around the world, capturing several ships in the Pacific Ocean. En route, the expedition rescued Selkirk, finding him on Juan Fernandez Island on 1 February 1709. When the expedition returned to England in October 1711, Rogers had circumnavigated the globe, while retaining his original ships and most of his men, and the investors in the expedition doubled their money.
The expedition made Rogers a national hero, but his brother was killed and Rogers was badly wounded in fights in the Pacific. On his return, he was successfully sued by his crew on the grounds that they had not received their fair share of the expedition profits, and Rogers was forced into bankruptcy. He wrote of his maritime experiences in the book A Cruising Voyage Round the World, which sold well, in part due to public fascination at Selkirk's rescue.
Rogers was twice appointed Governor of the Bahamas, where he succeeded in warding off threats from the Spanish, and in ridding the colony of pirates. His first term as governor was financially ruinous, and on his return to England, he was imprisoned for debt. During his second term as governor, Rogers died in Nassau at the age of about 53.--Wikipedia, September 2019.
Collection Type
Reserve Collection
Copyright
All rights reserved
Last Update
19 Dec 2023
The development of the Auckland War Memorial Museum online collection is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.