Anson's Voyage Round the World

Heavy seas and illness put naval leadership under strain in Richard Walter's account of George Anson's expedition during England's conflict with Spain. Walter served as Anson's chaplain and wrote under his supervision. This shortened edition supplies an introduction, notes and a glossary by H. W. Household. Its opening explains the disputes over colonial trade that led to the voyage, linking the squadron's departure with competing claims to overseas wealth.

The chapters trace a route past South America and onward towards China, with shipwrecks, scurvy and the search for Spanish trading vessels among the recurring concerns. At Paita, the narrative describes the burning of the town alongside Anson's efforts to reassure frightened prisoners and insist on humane treatment. These passages give readers of maritime history both an account of conditions at sea and material for examining how the narrator presents national reputation during armed conflict.