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 topographical and strategic reports about Borneo, Manila and Singapore with tales of piracy and vivid descriptions of local customs. Volume 2 recounts dramatic episodes on the return journey from Japan via Hong Kong and Mauritius. It also contains an engaging, and sometimes alarming, commentary on flora and fauna by the ship's surgeon, Arthur Adams, in which readers are introduced to spectacular species of spiders, fish and snakes, as well as sensational descriptions of shrunken heads. It also includes a 30-page vocabulary chart for ten Asian languages.
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. Volume 2 covers dramatic episodes on the homeward journey from Japan, and includes a substantial section by the ship's surgeon on the exotic flora and fauna observed during the voyage.
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.