Voyages and Works of John Davis, the Navigator

Volume 59 of the publications of the Hakluyt Society (1880) describes 1580s voyages in search of the North-West Passage.

John Davis (Author), Albert Hastings Markham (Edited by)

9781108011501, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 31 August 2010

540 pages, 14 b/w illus. 1 map
21.6 x 14 x 3.1 cm, 0.68 kg

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. John Davis (c.1543–1605) was an eminent explorer and navigator who published two highly influential guides to practical navigation in 1594 and 1595 and invented an improved version of a navigational instrument known as the Davis quadrant. This book, first published in 1880, includes these two guides, The Seaman's Secret and The Worlds' Hydrographical Description, together with accounts of the three voyages John Davis undertook in search of the North-West Passage between 1585 and 1587.

Introduction
Note on the previous bibliographical accounts of Captain John Davis
Note on the New Map C. H. Coote
The first voyage of Master John Davis, undertaken for the discoverie of the North-west Passage John Jane
The second voyage attempted by Master John Davis for the discoverie of the North-west Passage, by himself
Letter from Master John Davis to M. William Sanderson, 14th October 1586
A relation of the course which the Sunshine and Northstarre, being two vessels of the fleet of M. John Davis, held after he had sent them from him Henry Morgan
The third voyage North-westward made by John Davis John Janes
A traverse booke made by M. John Davis in his third voyage for the discoverie of the North-west Passage
Letter from M. John Davis to M. Sanderson, 16th September 1587
The third voyage of the Erle of Cumberland to the Azores Edward Wright
The last voyage of the worshipfull M. Thomas Candish, Esquire John Jane
Letter from John Davis to the Earl of Essex, 1st August 1600
The voyage of Captaine John Davis to the Easterne India, Pilot in a Dutch ship, written by himself
The last voyage of Sir John Davis with Sir Edward Michelborne
Mr. John Davis his observations voyaging from Achen to Tiku and Priaman
The worlde's hydrographical description
The seaman's secrets
Appendix
Index.

Subject Areas: Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH]