ATKINS, John.  A Voyage to Guinea, Brazil, and the West-Indies; In His Majesty’s Ships the Swallow and Weymouth.  Giving a Genuine Account of the several Islands and Settlements of Madeira, the Canaries, Cape de Verd, Sierraleon, Sesthos, Cape Apollonia, Cabo Corso, and others on the Guinea Shore; Likewise Barbadoes, Jamaica, &c. in the West-Indies.Describing the Colour, Diet, Languages, Habits, Manners, Customs, and Religions of the respective Natives and Inhabitants.With Remarks on the Gold, Ivory, and Slave-Trade; and on the Winds, Tides and Currents of the several Coasts.  By John Atkins, Gent. Of Plaistow, in Essex. The Second Edition. London: Ward and Chandler, 1737   Contemporary calf, 8vo.  xxv,265pp.  title page vignette.

John Atkins (1685-1757), a naval surgeon, wrote this account of a naval expedition between February 1721 and May 1723 which was for the purpose of dealing with piracy on the Guinea coast.  In this they were very successful, capturing 270 pirates and £10,000 worth of gold dust.  He took part in the trial of several pirates at Cape Coast Castle.  Contains much information on the affairs of the Guinea coast at that time and the author’s contempt for the slave trade.  The first edition was published in 1735 and this is basically a reissue of that edition.  In a contemporary full speckled calf with gilt spine and boards, marbled endpapers, carefully re-backed with the original spine replaced, an excellent clean and crisp copy.