Synopses & Reviews
Sir Edward Belcher (1799-1877) was a British naval officer who served as surveyor on several long voyages in the Atlantic and Pacific. Published in 1848, this two-volume account, interspersed with charts and illustrations, was the second of his journals to appear in print, and appealed to Victorian readers' enthusiasm for books on exploration, natural history, ethnology and adventure. Volume 1 combines reports on navigation and encounters with pirates with vivid descriptions of coral reefs, villages and temples. It describes the topography and inhabitants of exotic locations including Borneo, Manila, Singapore and Korea, and visits to sultans, rajahs and governors. It also documents the expedition's gathering of practical and strategic information on subjects including reliable water supplies, the goldmines of Sarawak and the quality of coal available for naval steamships.
Synopsis
Belcher's account, published in 1848, includes vivid descriptions of pirates, princes, fascinating cultures, exotic flora and spectacular fauna.
Synopsis
Published in 1848, Sir Edward Belcher's account of the Eastern Archipelago appealed to Victorian readers' enthusiasm for exploration and adventure. Describing exotic locations including Borneo, Manila and Singapore, Volume 1 blends topographical and strategic observations with vivid descriptions of Asian villages and temples, and of encounters with rulers and pirates.
Table of Contents
Volume 1: Preface; Index; 1. Voyage to Borneo and the Sarawak River; 2. Sarawak, Brunai, and Hong-Kong; 3. Bashee and Meia-Co-Shimah Islands; 4. Sooloo, Manado, Ternate, and Gilolo; 5. Singapore and Brunai; 6. Ambong, Manila, and Eastern Borneo; 7. Eastern coast of Borneo; 8. Illanon pirates and Sooloo territory; 9. Batan, Hoa-Pin-San and Loo-Choo; 10. Quelpart and the Korean Islands. Volume 2: 11. Japan and Loo-Choo; 12. Hong-Kong and the Philippines; 13. Islands of the Mindoro and Sooloo Seas; 14. Labuan to Mauritius; 15. Mauritius to England; Conclusion; Part I. Notes from a Journal of Research into the Natural History of the Countries Visited during the Voyage of H.M.S. Samarang Arthur Adams: 1. Cape de Verds, Cape of Good Hope, Java; 2. Borneo; 3. Bashee and Meia-Co-Shimah groups; 4. The Philippine Archipelago; 5. The Sooloo and Molucca Archipelagos; 6. Singapore and Borneo; 7. Borneo; 8. Loo-Choo, Korea, Japan; 9. Borneo; 10. Mauritius to England; Concluding remarks; A brief vocabulary of languages Ernest Adams.