This book's very existence is significant, since the material is that of the end of the seventeenth century, the period when the dramatic changes that took place in the eighteenth century were beginning to materialize. Transatlantic slaving was to become the chief interest and the use of firearms was to become much more widespread. Tilleman's time on West Africa's Gold Coast came just after Jean Barbot's and coincided with that of Thomas Phillips and Willem Bosman. It is of interest to compare and contrast their reports to give us a fuller picture of events, practices, and allegations. Tilleman's text allows for a comparison of the areas in which they agree and where there are discrepancies, especially considering that these four men represent different European backgrounds, colored by their particular national interests. It is also important to note that the Europeans' headquarters on the coast were in different places and among different cultural groups and polities: Barbot and Phillips used Cape Coast, among the Fetu, as their home base; Bosman lived and worked at Elmina among the Fante; Tilleman worked at Christiansborg among the Gã and Akwamu. Tilleman's book also reveals, as do the other sources, prevailing attitudes and beliefs held by the Europeans, as they described the Africans and their lives. Since Tilleman's purpose was to produce a practical guide to sailing and trade, it was much easier for him to reiterate than investigate the general European attitudes toward, for example, religious practices, the character of the people at various places, or the supposed beliefs held by the Africans.

This is a survey of the voyages of English navigators, from the pioneers of the late 15th century to the scientific expeditions of the early 19th century, not only in South American waters, but also the Caribbean and North America.

Utilizing contemporary accounts of India, China, Siam and the Levant, this study provides rich detail about these exotic lands and explores the priorities that shaped and motivated these bold envoys and chroniclers. Ames and Love offer a fascinating look at the symbiotic nature of cross-cultural interaction between France and the major trading regions of the Indian Ocean basin during the 17th century. During this period of intense French interest in the rich trade and cultures of the region, Louis XIV and his minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert in particular were concerned with encouraging French travelers, both clerical and lay, to explore and document these lands. Among the accounts included here are those of François Bernier, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, and François Pyrard. Because these accounts reflect as much about the structures and priorities of France as they do about the cultures they describe, Ames and Love hope their analysis bridges the gap between studies on early modern France and those on the major Asiatic countries of the same period. Their findings challenge the current thinking in the study of early modern France by demonstrating that overseas expansion to Asia was of considerable importance and interest to all segments of French society. Specialists in traditional internal French history will find much in this study of European expansion to complement and supplement their research.

This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1948.