Author: METHOLD (William) [PURCHAS (Samuel)]:
Title: Naauw-keurige Aanteekeningen van William Methold President van de Engelsse Maatschappy, Gehouden op sijn Voyagie, in het Jaar 1619. Aangaande de Koningrijken van Golconda, Tanassary, Pegu Arecan en meer andere Landen, geleegen langs de Kust van den Zee-boesen van Bengale; als mede den Koophamdel, die door de Engelsse in die Land-streeken gedreeven word. Beneffens den Gods-dienst, Aart, Zeden en Gewoontens omtrent de Stammen deser Volkeren, Huwelijken, Verbranding der Vrouwen met hare Mannen; ook op wat wijse de Diamanten uyt des selfs Mijn aldaar gehaalt worden, door den Schrijver selfs ondersogt en besien; Van hem in het Engels beschreeven, en nu alder-eerst uyt die spraak vertaalt. Met Noodig Register en Konst-Printen verrijkt.
Description: Te Leyden, By Pieter Vandera Aa...., 1707. FIRST EDITION. Slender 8vo, pp. 37 [38 - 42 Index], folding engraved map, 2 folding engraved plates, engraved vignette on title-page, recently rebound in half calf, spine blocked in gilt, marbled boards. A very good copy. The English civil servant William Method (1590 - 1653) was born in Norfolk; he acquired fluency in several foreign languages, including Latin, Dutch, French, and Persian. He began service for the East India Company in 1616, and this account of his experiences there was one of several reports he made to his employers. ODNB notes, "Apart from forthright letters and reports to the company, partly published, he composed a 'Relation of Golconda', a brilliant description of that part of India, which appeared in the 1626 edition of Samuel Purchas's Purchas his Pilgrimage. It included brief descriptions of the kingdoms of Arakan, Pegu, and Tenasserim, based on trade information, not personal observation." This would appear to be the first translation into Dutch of the material published in 1625. Cordier Indosinica, 415. OCLC locates several copies in continental libraries, and UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, and the John Carter Brown Library in the USA; Copac adds BL.

Keywords: travel economics prose


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