Although in the original preface to this work the British naturalist Charles Waterton (1782 1865) modestly says his book has 'little merit', his account is a rich description of his experiences in South America and the Caribbean. Waterton managed his family's sugar plantations in Demerara from 1804 to 1812, studied natural history, and later (1812 25) divided his time between the Americas and Europe. This book, originally published in 1825 and reissued here in its 1828 second edition, describes his four expeditions, beginning with his search deep in the rainforest for samples of the rare...

Reginald J. Farrer (1880 1920) was a traveller and plant collector who was an important influence on horticultural style in England. In 1902 he embarked on an expedition to Asia, where he was inspired by the rock gardens of Tokyo, Yokohama and Beijing, and discovered plant species such as Clematis macropetala, and the eponymous Geranium farreri and Viburnum farreri, which are now common in European gardens. In his first book, published in 1904, he records his experiences in Japan and other Asian countries, vividly recounting his impressions of, and his passion for, eastern landscape, terrain,...

It is 1875, the time of the 'Great Game', when the British and Russian Empires are vying for power in central Asia. A British officer rides for Khiva, a Russian city closed to European travellers. He is on a dangerous mission, to learn if Russia plans to invade India, the 'jewel in the crown' of the British Empire. It might be the plot of a Rudyard Kipling novel; instead it is the true story of Captain Frederick Burnaby (1842 85). Burnaby joined the British army in 1859, but in periods without active duty he crafted his own adventures. He ballooned across the English Channel, travelled in...

Frederick Burnaby (1842 85) joined the Royal Horse Guards in 1859, but, when not assigned to active duty, he crafted his own adventures. He ballooned across the English Channel, and travelled in Spain, Asia Minor and Russia. He was wounded, and eventually killed, fighting for the British Empire. His book, A Ride to Khiva (1876) gave a personal account of his hazardous mission into Russian territory during the 'Great Game' when the British and Russian Empires were vying for power in central Asia. It was an instant bestseller, and brought him overnight fame. This two-volume work, published in...

The French explorer, author and legislator Gabriel Bonvalot (1853 1933) received funding from the French government to lead two expeditions to Central Asia in the 1880s. This two-volume English translation by C. B. Pitman of the French original was published in 1889 and is a richly illustrated account of the second of the two Asian expeditions, in which Bonvalot and the scientist Guillaume Capus attempted to enter Afghanistan. Although the party was detained and sent back to Samarkand upon entering Afghanistan, they refused to concede defeat, as Bonvalot was determined to reach India via a...

This two-volume work by Captain Phillip Parker King (1791 1856) was published in 1827, and describes the Royal Navy's 1817 22 surveying expedition to chart the coastal regions of Australia. King carried out the surveys in two successive ships, the Mermaid, which was declared unseaworthy in 1820, and the newly commissioned Bathurst. He worked on the charts, which were published by the Hydrographic Office, for two years after his return to England. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, and later undertook a similar surveying voyage, in which he was accompanied by Captain Fitzroy on the...

This two-volume work by Captain Phillip Parker King (1791 1856) was published in 1827, and describes the Royal Navy's 1817 22 surveying expedition to chart the coastal regions of Australia. King carried out the surveys in two successive ships, the Mermaid, which was declared unseaworthy in 1820, and the newly commissioned Bathurst. He worked on the charts, which were published by the Hydrographic Office, for two years after his return to England. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, and later undertook a similar surveying voyage, in which he was accompanied by Captain Fitzroy on the...

Arthur Cornwallis Evans (1860 1935) was chaplain on the steamship HMS Calliope on a three-year voyage to Asia and Australia (January 1887 to April 1890) that covered 76,814 nautical miles (88,395 miles), with more than 500 days spent at sea. He compiled this lively account of the voyage at the request of his shipmates, drawing information from several of their journals, and published it in Portsmouth in 1890 before the crew dispersed. It contains both brief factual entries about the progress of the voyage and more sustained descriptions of life on board ship and in port, including some naval...

Isabella Bird (Mrs Bishop, 1831 1904) was recommended an open-air life from an early age as a cure for her physical and nervous difficulties. Her accounts of travel in America, Hawaii, Japan and Persia were best-sellers. This two-volume work, first published in 1898, was one of the books arising from Bird's visit to Korea and China between 1894 and 1897, the other being The Yangtse Valley and Beyond (1899), also available in this series. Korea was a battleground during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 5, and subsequently became increasingly dominated by Japan, being annexed fully in 1910. Bird...

Henry Duff Traill (1842 1900) was a prolific journalist, satirist and author. The son of a magistrate, he was called to the Bar in 1869 but began working as a journalist at the Yorkshire Post soon afterwards. He contributed to several newspapers, acting as chief political leader writer at The Daily Telegraph from 1882 to 1897 and editing The Observer for two years. He later became the editor of Literature, holding this post until his death. Among his diverse published works were six biographies, of which the most in-depth was that of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin. Published in 1896 and...