{"product_id":"whaling-voyages-round-the-world-in-the-britannia-and-speedy-capt-thomas-melvill-1791-1796","title":"WHALING VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD IN THE BRITANNIA AND SPEEDY (Capt. Thomas Melvill) 1791-1796","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e303pp., b\/w \u0026amp; colour illus., maps, paperback\u003c\/em\u003e, Reach Publishers, Wandsbeck, 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eISBN: \u003cspan\u003e9781776369539\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe journal of David Brown, surgeon aboard the British whaling ships \u003cem\u003eBritannia\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSpeedy\u003c\/em\u003e between 1791 and 1796 under Captain Thomas Melvill. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePreserved in handwritten manuscript form in the State Library of New South Wales, Brown \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003edescribes the flora and fauna of newly encountered landscapes and interactions with diverse cultures, from the fledgling settlement at Sydney Cove, to Rio de Janeiro and Lima, to the uninhabited Galápagos Islands, around Cape Horn and into the Bay of Saints.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese voyages took place against the backdrop of the French Revolutionary Wars, and Brown's account captures the risks of sailing the high seas  in a time of maritime conflict. It also \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e offers insights into South American mining, labour, and metallurgy in the decades preceding the region's major political and economic transformations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available in \u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/clarkesbooks.co.za\/products\/whaling-voyages-round-the-world-in-the-britannia-and-speedy-capt-thomas-melvill-1791-1797?_pos=2\u0026amp;_sid=e7da57ba2\u0026amp;_ss=r\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehardcover\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Melville, \u003c\/strong\u003ea descendant of Captain Melvill, is an insurance company director and actuary in Cape Town. He has transcribed and edited the journal, and provides a substantial introduction, extensive footnotes, and supplementary indexes that provide additional information on Brown's sources and references.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brown (D.) text \u0026 Melville (J.) ed.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42188932907054,"sku":null,"price":583.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0265\/3182\/3662\/files\/WHALINGVOYAGES.jpg?v=1774255669","url":"https:\/\/clarkesbooks.co.za\/products\/whaling-voyages-round-the-world-in-the-britannia-and-speedy-capt-thomas-melvill-1791-1796","provider":"Clarke's Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}