An Historical Account of All the Voyages Round the World, Performed by English Navigators

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. This sweeping maritime narrative begins with a grand survey of English circumnavigations before turning to Commodore Byron's 1764 voyage in the Dolphin and Tamar, sent by royal order to explore the South Seas. From Madeira, the Canaries, Cape Verde, and Brazil to the lonely waters of the southern Atlantic, the expedition is tested by storms, illness, deceptive landfalls, and the unsettling loss of crew members, while its officers balance practical seamanship with a growing sense of scientific wonder. As the ships push toward Port Desire, the Strait of Magellan, and the Falkland Islands, they confront harsh weather, scarce water, rich wildlife, and landscapes both bountiful and dangerous, repairing damaged vessels, hunting for survival, and even claiming territory for Britain. The voyage also becomes a study in human encounter: first contact with towering Patagonian people, tense exchanges with Indigenous communities, the recovery of a stolen astronomical instrument, and formal visits with Tootahah and his people all reveal the fragile diplomacy, mistrust, and curiosity that shape exploration at the edge of the known world.