THE SHELF

Awnsham and John Churchill were influential and innovative early booksellers in England, providing the affluent with enhanced access to previously unavailable or untranslated works by some of the world’s most famous explorers, essayists, philosophers, and historians. One of their most successful publications was entitled, A collection of voyages and travels: some now first printed from original manuscripts, others now first published in English. For the first time, this exhaustive compilation offered a single definitive publication of the most celebrated and recognized travel accounts documented over the past century. The Churchill’s commitment to working from original manuscripts was unusual and deviated from common practice of copping from assorted published translations and editions already in circulation.

The narratives are comprised of personal accounts translated from Dutch, Italian, French, Spanish, and German, covering voyages to the New World, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Amongst the dozens of accounts in the collection are Domingo Fernandez Navarrete’s account of the Empire of China during his work as a missionary from 1657-1673; Brawern and Herckemann’s voyage to Chile in 1642 and 1643; Captain John Monck’s voyage in 1619 and 1620 to Hudson Bay, to discover a passage between Greenland and America; John Nieuhoff’s voyages to Brazil and the East Indies; and Michele Angelo Guattini’s “curious and exact”account of his travels to the Congo. Originally published in 1704, it was issued to subscribers in 4 volumes, with copius illustrations and maps. Though this publication became notable and successful, the Churchills were most distinguished in history as the personal publisher for the Enlightenment heavyweight, John Locke. In fact, the introductory discourse to this collection has been attributed to Locke, just prior to his death in 1704.

Navarette’s account of the Emperor of China’s entourage in a public ceremony.

Sometimes the Emperor goes abroad in a chair carr’d by 32 men, who contrive it so ingeniously, that all equally bear a part of the burden. Besides four others who support the chair on every side. I thought this publick appearance very stately; and believe it will be acceptable to the reader.

A “mestice” or mixed-race woman of Sri Lanka

…its inhabitants are for the most part Mestices and Kastices ; Mestices are such, whose parents were married with foreigners; as for instance, when a Hollander marries an Indian woman, or an Indian man a Dutch woman ; but the children of the Mestices are call’d Kastices.

A Goegys, or religious man, with long nails at the Sepulchre of the Benjan Saint

…Goegys, you see them sitting on the high-ways with their legs across, as the Mahometans do; they never pair their nails; some have locks of hair hanging down their backs of 4 or 5 feet long, others never shave their heads or beards, which makes them appear more like devils than men. They have no dwelling places of their own, but in the night time they sleep in the porches of their temples, on dung-hills and corners of the streets, or perhaps in some cave or other hole.

The Llama or “camel-sheep”of Chile

…the sheep of Peru, this is very remarkable, that they are able to carry a burden from 50 to 75 pounds weight with ease, just as camels do, whom they resemble much in shape, except that they have no such bunches upon their backs. They are able (if the Spaniards may be believed) to carry a man four or five leagues a day.

A diagram of the anatomy of a “unicorn” or the Narwhal

The Unicorn…we must consequently suppose two kinds of unicorns, to wit, the land and the sea unicorns; as there are sea-wolves and sea-calves. But it seems to be worth our enquiry, whether this horn of the whale may properly come under the denomination of a horn, it being evident from the preceding description, that it resembles rather a tooth.

This  mythical or extinct creature was believed to be a species of elephant, even though it was the size of an ox.

In the Isle of Buero lives among other beasts a certain strange creature, which by the Indians is counted among the number of monsters. it is of the bigness of a large dog, or of a roe-buck, of a dark brown and gray colour, the hair like our grayhounds. The head and mouth like a hog, with small eyes and ears, the tail curls twice or thrice, and the legs and claws like those of a roe-buck.

Description:

A Collection of voyages and travels :some now first printed from original manuscripts : others translated out of foreign languages and now first publish’d in English : to which are added some few that have formerly appear’d in English, but do now for their excellency and scarceness deserve to be reprinted. London : Printed for Awnsham and John Churchill, at the Black Swan in Pater-noster-Row, MDCCIV [1704].

Persistent Link:

http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:13479274

Repository:

Widener Library

Institution:

Harvard University

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