Anson, George; A Voyage Round the World in the Years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV by George Anson, Esq.; now Lord Anson, .....Compiled from his Papers and Materials by Richard Walter, . . . London, John and Paul Knapton, 1749. Large quarto, pp. 18, 417, directions to binder, folded engraved frontispiece map titled "A Chart Showing the Track of the Centurian Round the World", 42 folded copper plates, maps and charts. In contemporary calf with gilt ruled edges, gilt on red spine titles, six gilt spine panels, marbled endsheets, minor rubbing to boards and edges, text has wide margins with bright text and plates, very good+.

A voyage of major interest to the Pacific historians, and of major importance in the history of England's naval superiority in the 1700s. This is the official account of Anson's voyage. Anson hated the Spanish and French and wherever he encountered their ships he fought them without provocation and plundered them without mercy. Amongst noted explorers he is thought to have returned home with more spoils and wealth than any other privateer. England, at war with Spain in 1739, equipped eight ships under the command of George Anson to harass the Spaniards on the western coast of South America, for the purpose of cutting off Spanish supplies of wealth from the Pacific area. Thus Anson sought Spain's tresure ships on the high seas and also plundered Spainish gold and silver mines in Chili. Although he and his crew suffered incredible hardships while crossing the Pacific in their one remaining ship, the Centurion, Anson managed to capture a Spanish treasure galleon near the Philippines. He sold it all for £400,000 in Canton. This is also of historic significance in that the Centurion became the first British warship ever to enter Chinese waters. When he reached England in June 1744, more than half the original crew of nearly 2,000 men had died, mainly of scurvy. Upon his return he was titled a Lord and was appointed as first lord of the admiralty, he assisted Lord Chatham, in reorganizing naval administration. Lord Anson, who was a friend and patron of Benjamin Robin entrusted to Robins, for revision, the account of the voyage which had been compiled from the journals by his chaplain, Richard Walter. It is probable that Robins revised and edited the work, wrote an introduction, and added dissertations. This work has long occupied a distinguished position as a masterpiece of descriptive travel.