Preferred Citation: Howse, Derek, and Norman J. W. Thrower, editors A Buccaneer's Atlas: Basil Ringrose's South Sea Waggoner. Berkeley:  University of California Press,  c1992 1992. http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft7z09p18j/


 
Documents Relating to the Voyage

Documents Relating to the Voyage

The Trinity's voyage gave rise to various documents, listed in the tables at the end of this section. But before discussing them, we must properly introduce someone who executed so many of them—the cartographer William Hack, William Dick's "acquaintance at Wapping in London" to whom Ringrose gave his journal and drafts (see Introduction, pp. 29-31, and JP2 , 79).

William Hack (c. 1655-1708) was the son of a Winchester innkeeper. According to the records of the Drapers' Company, he was apprenticed to the chart-maker Andrew Welch for nine years from 1671 (Campbell 1973, 87), although there is no information that he was ever admitted to the freedom of that Company. His first known chart is dated 1682, and thereafter he became a prolific producer of manuscript sea charts in London, in both atlases and single sheets; no fewer than 331 charts have survived (Smith 1978, 100), many signed "At the Signe of Great Britain and Ireland near new stairs in Wapping." His meeting with Bartholomew Sharp early in 1682 seems likely to have been the basis of his ultimate success. The first transcription of "the great book of charts" brought back by Sharp was made by Hack (W2/A1 : see pp. 263-64), with a translation of the sailing directions by Philip Dassigny, a Jew who apparently later sailed in one of the buccaneer ships to the Pacific and after whom Cowley named one of the Galápagos islands.

Hack was a prolific producer of manuscript charts—not only of the American Pacific coast (eleven surviving South Sea waggoners by him are listed in Table 3, pp. 269-70), but also of the Atlantic seaboard and Caribbean and of the East Indies—mostly bound into sumptuous atlases. He also illustrated and produced charts for six of the surviving copies of the journals of the Sharp-Ringrose voyage listed in Table 1 (pp. 267-68). His earliest patron seems to have been Christopher, second duke of Albemarle (1653-88), close confidant of King Charles II, a Lord of Trade and Plantations, and, from 1687, governor of Jamaica. The duke's physician, Hans Sloane, accompanied him on this last commission, which is why so many of the relevant documents come from the Sloane collection in the British Library. Later, several of Hack's volumes were dedicated to John, Lord Somers (1651-1715), who became Lord High Chancellor in 1698.

In 1699, James Knapton published A Collection of Original Voyages (which included Sharp's journal) where Hack, who edited the volume, was described as "Capt. William Hacke," although there is no evidence that he ever went to sea. He died in 1708 (Campbell 1973, 101).

The Accounts of the Voyage (Tables 1 and 2)

Five full accounts of the voyage have survived; we will consider these in the order of their eventual publication. Although William Dampier and Lionel Wafer were also on the voyage, their published accounts do not start until after they had left the Trinity to return overland to the Caribbean, so they are not considered here. (They are listed in Table 2.)

The writers of these five accounts are as follows (detailed information on individual books and manuscripts is given in the tables, where works are identified by reference number):

JOHN COX , the Trinity's master and one of those brought to trial. Three identical copies of Cox's journal survive (J1, J2, J3 ). Although none is dated, the first is dedicated to Albemarle, who is asked "to accept of this journal in the plain tarpaulin habit in which you will find it."

Cox's journal was published in May 1684 as part of The Voyages and Adventures of Capt. Barth. Sharp And others, in the South Sea , by Philip Ayres, in octavo at 1s 6d (JP1 ). Cox's name is nowhere mentioned in the printed book, and the reader is left with the impression that the author was Bartholomew Sharp himself.

WILLIAM DICK , another of those brought to trial (but under the name of William Williams). No manuscript copy of his account has been found, but it was published, under the initials "W.D.," in May 1684—the same month as Cox's account—in the second English edition of Bucaniers of America (JP2 ), an account of buccaneering activities written by John Exquemelin and first published in English by William Crook(e) in February 1684.


262

BASIL RINGROSE , author of the waggoner that is the subject of this book, who did not stand trial. Two copies of his journal survive: one in his own hand and containing twelve charts drawn by him (J4 ),[1] and an edited copy in another hand with subtle additions in Sharp's favor and with twelve charts drawn by Hack (good copies of Ringrose's own), dedicated to Albemarle (J5 ).

The second version of Ringrose's journal was published (with further additions) by William Crooke in February 1685 as Bucaniers of America. The Second Volume Containing the Dangerous Voyage and Bold Attempts of Captain Bartholomew Sharp . . . From the Original Journal of the said Voyage. Written By Mr. Basil Ringrose, Gent . (JP3 ). This had been reprinted at least eight times by 1771.

Copies of corresponding pages of Ringrose's handwritten journal (J4 ) and of the printed version (JP3 ) can be seen in Figs. p. 17.

BARTHOLOMEW SHARP , the captain of the Trinity and one of those tried. Many copies of Sharp's journal survive. J6 is a Hack copy written in the same hand as the edited copy of Ringrose's journal (J5 ), without charts but with the addition of John Wood's journal description of the Strait of Magellan from Narbrough's voyage in the Sweepstakes in 1669. J6 is dated 1683 and dedicated to Albemarle by Sharp.

J7 is an undated copy of the Sharp and Wood journals (in the same hand as the waggoner appendix, A2 , discussed below), with eleven charts by Hack, the same as those he did for the Ringrose journal copy (J5 ).

J8 is a very abridged copy of Sharp's journal only, without charts, diplomatically omitting all reference to piracy, ransom, or plunder, and dedicated to Charles II by Sharp himself: this may well have been a companion volume to the waggoner and appendix (W2/A1 ) that Sharp presented to the king in October 1682. In the Pepysian Library of Magdalene College, Cambridge, are two copies (J9 and J10 ), one of which is in a book, Miscellanys of Matters Political Historical and Naval , with other papers of Samuel Pepys, indicating that the journal was copied for Pepys in or after 1685.

The return of Ambrose Cowley and other English buccaneers from the Pacific in 1686 gave rise to further copies of Sharp's journal, all by Hack: J11 and J12 , both of which contained Cowley's journal as well as those of Sharp and Wood. J11 , which seems to have been in British Admiralty hands for a very long time, contains more information than earlier copies, probably culled from Cox's and Ringrose's accounts, by now, in print. J12 is notable for the number of illustrations: not only did Hack include sixteen full-page charts illustrating Sharp's journal, but there were also charts of the Galáp-agos, Ladrones (Marianas), and part of the Philippine Islands, as well as seventy-one smaller drawings, including a chart of Chesapeake Bay, coastal profiles, and portraits of explorers and natives. The last known copy, J13 —with Wood's journal but not Cowley's, and dedicated to Lord Somers as Lord High Chancellor (and therefore produced in 1698 or later)—is probably the fullest account of all. Sharp's journal finally got into print in June 1699 in Hack's A Collection of Original Voyages (JP6 ).

ANONYMOUS . J14 is an anonymous account written from memory by one of those who sailed in the Trinity to St. Thomas at the end of the voyage, whose journal was detained by the Danish authorities and lost. The writer may well have been Edward Povey, who turned King's Evidence in Jamaica in March 1682. In the same book is the writer's account of the sack of Porto Bello early in 1680. Neither account was ever published.

The South Sea Waggoners (Table 3)

A Derrotero Captured

In August 1671, Morgan, fresh from his sack of Panama, gave the governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Lynch, a "Derrotero of the South Sea,"[2] which Lynch then sent to the King (CSP Col . 1672, nos. 604, 729, 887; PRO, COI/28, f. 2; COI/29, ff. 12-13). In March 1680, the

[1] Upside-down on the back flyleaf of Ringrose's holograph journal (J4 , Sloane 3820) is written a poem in Spanish, not in Ring-rose's hand:

Aqui yeasse Don Juan de Cauessa

Here lies Don Juan de Cavessa,

Cantadoi de la yglesia Mayor

Chief singer of the Cathedral Church

Y cantador del Rey mi Señor

And chief singer of the King my Lord,

que Cantaua tan bien

Who sang so well

que dijo Dios a sus angeles

that God said to his angels

Callense Cabrones que Canta

Shut up, you sons of bitches, for

Don Juan de Cauessa

Don Juan de Cavessa is singing,

Cantador de la yglesia Mayor

Chief stager of the Cathedral Church

y del Rey mi Señor

and of the King my Lord.

This satirical ditty was written to mock a cert ün Juan Cavessa (or Cabeza), apparently by someone with a seseo (non-Castilian) accent from either Andalusia or—more likely—Spanish America. It would be nice to think that this was a ditty sung by Spanish prisoners on board the Trinity and written down at Ringrose's request. Certain indications, however, make it seem likely that the main body of the book was a fair copy of his journal done by Ringrose in England after his return in 1682. If so, the poem must have been copied after 1682. (We are grateful to Professor Lawrence B. Kiddle of Ann Arbor for this translation.)

[2] Derrotero = Spanish route book, collection of sea charts; cf . Portuguese roteiro , French routier , whence English rutter .


263

Image not available.

Acapulco, from the Spanish derrotero dated Panama, 1669, probably the one captured by Morgan 
and sent back to England in 1672. 
(From Huntington Library MS. HM918 [D2].)

Royal Society heard of just such a book "made for the king of Spain, and presented to his majesty, in the possession of the earl of Bristol [George Digby, d. 1677] at the time of his death" (Birch 1756-57, 4:27). Joseph Moxon the hydrographer said he had had custody of it for a time (was he having it copied?) but had returned it to the earl; he would enquire whether Captain Wood (presumably Admiral Narbrough's master on the Sweepstakes ) knew anything. We hear no more.

In the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, is preserved a Spanish derrotero (D2 ) dated Panama, 1669, bearing inside the front cover a shelf number from the library of William Blathwayt (d. 1717), secretary to the Lords of Trade and Plantations in the early 1680s or later. In the British Library, London, is preserved a copy of that derrotero with English translations immediately under the Spanish texts on each chart (W1 ; see Figs. p. 7 top). Could D2 be the derrotero captured by Morgan in 1670? Could the copy, W1 , have been made under the supervision of Joseph Moxon?[3] The answers to these two questions could be yes, although there is no direct evidence. At one time these two books were thought to have been the main source from which Hack compiled his waggoners. However, comparison of the charts in D2 with those in the Ringrose anti Hack waggoners indicates that the former was certainly not the principal source of the latter, although it might have been available for reference. The present whereabouts of that Spanish principal source is one of the mysteries waiting to be solved.[4]

The whereabouts of the first book to derive from the missing Rosario documents, however, is known for certain. This is an atlas in King George III's Maritime Collection in the British Library (W2/A1 ). Entirely

[3] Comparison of Moxon's known handwriting, rather informal, in some mathematical calculations (BL, Add. MS. 4415, ff. 126B -131) with the extremely formal English hand in Harley 4034 fails to settle the question whether or not the latter was Moxon's hand.

[4] The basis of this scenario was suggested in 1972 by the late Jeanette D. Black of the John Carter Brown Library. It was she who recognized the Blathwayt shelf number.


264

Image not available.

The port of Acapulco, about 1670. At D is shown the rock El Grifo, which does not appear on today's 
charts as a separate feature; compare with Ringrose's Chart 11. 
(From a seventeenth-century engraving, probably by Francis Place, preserved at the National Maritime Museum.)

handwritten, the dedication is to King Charles II by Bartholomew Sharp, dated 1682 (reproduced in Fig. p. 37). This is almost certainly the book the king, on May 25 of that year, directed should be prepared (see Introduction, p. 27). It is in two parts, the first of which is entirely text, giving sailing directions from the Strait of Magellan to north of Acapulco; these came to be known in later versions as "The Appendix to Sharp's South Sea Waggoner," of which more below. This first part of the book ended with the following statement:

Dated the 23rd Oct 1682. The aforegoing Journalls of the South Seas was translated out of the Spanish Originall for the use of your most Sacred Majesty by the care of Philip Dassigny 1682.

The second part comprises 130 charts of the coast from Acapulco to the Strait of Le Maire, one of which, on page 240, was signed by William Hack and dated 1682. These charts, the prototype for all subsequent South Sea waggoners, were in a smaller format than their successors, and they had no titles, compass roses (except on the first chart), or distance scales. Unlike subsequent versions, they made no reference to Sharp's exploits. In general—and this point applies both to this and subsequent versions—the charts seem to be straight copies of the captured Spanish charts, with no account taken of information obtained on the voyage—quite the opposite of Ringrose's charts illustrating his and Sharp's journals. This contrast can be seen in Figs. pp. 7 and 8, which show Panama Bay as depicted in the translation of Morgan's captured derrotero (W1 ), in Ringrose's journal (J4 ), and in one of the "production" copies of Hack's waggoner (W8 ), originally edited by Sharp. These should be compared with Punama Bay in Ringrose's Waggoner, Charts 40 and 41.

Ringrose's Waggoner

A unique feature of the waggoner reproduced in this book is the description of the Pacific coasts of Califor-


265

nia, which is not included in any of Hack's waggoners. Ringrose tells us that this description, together with that of the coast of Mexico northwest of Acapulco, is "discribed from the Originall of Don Melchor" (Wag. p. 64). Don Melchor may have been Gen. Melchor Fernández de Córdoba, in command at Acapulco at the time of the Dutch corsair Joris van Spilbergen's raid in September 1615. Spilbergen obtained charts and other items from the ship of Nicolas de Cardona, who was licensed to fish for pearls in the area. Much of the material to the south of Acapulco is from Cardona's description (Mathes 1970, 155), and for the coast from "Cavo de Sant Andreus" (possibly Point Saint George or Cape Blanco) to Acapulco (see Charts 2-10) the derroteros of Fray Antonio de Ascensión and Gerónimo Martín Palacios apparently served as source material (Mathes 1965, 430, 471). There is substantial garbled spelling and variance in detail from the originals, for Ringrose used at least a second-generation copy and had to interpret the Spanish as best he could.

In both the Ringrose and the Hack waggoners, the charts from Acapulco southward were derived immediately from the same source, presumably the missing Rosario documents. Ringrose's charts seem to be closer to the original, as he tends to use Spanish place-names, which Hack often translates into English. Though the areas covered are often different, the Hack and Ringrose waggoner charts give the same basic information, with only minor differences that probably occurred in copying. Furthermore, as noted in our Description of the Waggoner, p. 41, someone—whom we have called "Black"—has been through Ringrose's charts (but not the text of the sailing directions on the facing pages) making small additions of a navigational nature.

Ringrose's written sailing directions are, however, substantially different from the written information on Hack's charts, where sailing directions are placed in blank spaces on the charts themselves (see Fig. p. 8) and occasionally Bartholomew Sharp's own opinion and advice are quoted. Ringrose presents his sailing directions in narrative form on the pages facing each chart, giving—certainly from Acapulco southward—very much his own account, incorporating his own experience when he had been there and interpreting the Spanish accounts when he had not (as in the case of the charts north of Acapulco, which came from the aforementioned Don Melchor). Though Ringrose and Hack definitely did not copy their charts directly from the derrotero captured by Morgan (probably D2 and W1 ), it is entirely possible that, if they had access, they could have used it as one of the sources for their respective sailing directions.

Image not available.

Inside front cover of the Ringrose waggoner, showing
 twentieth-century bookplate and shelfmark.
(From the National Maritime Museum.)

Almost certainly, this copy of the Waggoner was prepared by Ringrose after his arrival in England on March 26, 1682, and before he sailed in the Cygnet on October 1, 1683—a period of eighteen months. Its fine physical condition makes it unlikely that it was ever taken to sea. On December 5, 1938, 255 years later, the director of the newly founded National Maritime Museum at Greenwich received a letter from the antiquarian booksellers Maggs Bros. of London saying it was being offered for sale by "a customer in South America." It was sent to England and on May 18, 1939, was purchased for £125 by Sir James Caird, the new museum's generous benefactor. The only clue to its whereabouts during those 255 years is provided by its bookplate reproduced above, bearing the name C. CRUZ. MONTT. This is probably Carlos Cruz Montt (born 1876), a member of a prominent Chilean family who received his higher education in Europe, where he collected paintings, books, and so forth. Part of his collection was auctioned soon after World War I.

A fuller description of Ringrose's Waggoner is given on pp. 41-44.

Hack's First Waggoner Copies

Of the first three "production" copies of Hack's waggoner, two (W5 and W6 , dated 1683 and 1684, respectively) were dedicated to King Charles II by Bartholomew Sharp. The third (W4 ), once the property of


266

the South Sea Company, is undated and has no dedication. There is also an uncolored copy not in Hack's hand (W7/A3 ), probably from the Charles II period, containing charts from Acapulco southward (many now missing) and the appendix described below; according to a note in his own hand dated Amsterdam 1692, this copy belonged to Nicolaas Witsen, the Dutch geographer. In all these early copies except W5 , the charts lack titles and compass roses (excluding the general East Pacific chart where there is one).

When lames II ascended the throne in 1685, Hack lost no time in presenting a waggoner to him (W8 , dated 1685). Probably the most elegant of all surviving copies, the charts have both titles and compass roses and are beautifully decorated in red, green, blue, yellow, and gold. The charts number 149 instead of 130 to 135 as in previous copies, not because a greater area is covered, but because some of the charts in the early copies were placed two to a page. The name of Duke of York's Island in southern Chile was tactfully changed to "King James the 2nd his Isle," only to be changed back in subsequent copies. After James was deposed in 1688, this copy was acquired by King William III's Dutch private secretary, who, according to a statement in ink on the flyleaf (about mid-eighteenth century, judging by the handwriting), gave it to Capt. Lord Archibald Hamilton, R.N. (see Table 6, p. 272). The title page is endorsed at the top in ink with the initials "A.H.," which, by comparison with his full signature, prove definitely to have been written by Hamilton himself.

Hack's Later Waggoners

The second invasion of the Pacific by English buccaneers in 1683 resulted in more information about the South Sea reaching England, particularly from Ambrose Cowley, who arrived in England late in 1686 having been master successively of the Revenge, Batchelor's Delight , and Nicholas . Probably in 1687, Hack produced W9 , dedicated to James II. It contains precisely those charts that W8 does not have—those of the Mexican coast northwest of Acapulco as far as the port of Matanchel, in the mouth of the Gulf of California opposite the Tres Marías Islands—as well as the textual sailing direction appendix. Thus the king had all the information on the South Sea known to Hack up to 1687. In further proof that W9 was indeed produced specifically to complement W8 , the former has Lord Alexander Hamilton's initials on the title page, exactly as in the latter—so at one stage both books were in his library. How and when they parted company, we do not know. It might be mentioned here that the only wag-goner in this series to contain a description of California, Upper and Lower, is Ringrose's (W3 ), reproduced complete in this book.

In 1687, Hack produced the dated volume W10 , containing the northwest Mexico charts, seven charts of the Caribbean, and charts of the Galápagos Islands and "Pepys Island" (identified, despite a spurious latitude, as the Falkland Islands): these last charts were from information supplied by Cowley. The other four known South Sea waggoners by Hack contain his complete South Sea chart package, from the mouth of the Gulf of California to the Strait of Le Maire, together with the Galápagos Islands, Juan Fernández and Pepys Islands, plus the general chart of the East Pacific that he added to all his waggoners except W2, W9 , and W10 .

"The Appendix to Sharp's South Sea Waggoner" (Table 4)

Hack used the title "Appendix to Sharp's South Sea Waggoner" in three volumes (A2, A4 , and A5 , the last two forming part of larger works) to describe texts giving directions for sailing along the coast between Cape Mendocino and the Strait of Magellan and into the various ports en route—Acapulco, Panama, Callao, Valdivia, and Chiloe. These texts were straight translations from Spanish works—presumably taken from the Rosario —parts of which were stated to be the work of Capt. Bartholomew Vellegas (so spelled in manuscripts). The 1682 prototype, W2/A1 , also had sailing directions for a slightly smaller area, translated by Philip Dassigny, the wording of which is not the same as in the other appendices. The directions given are supplementary to the remarks appearing on Hack's charts. A3/W7 seems to be a secondary copy of a Charles II version.

Derroteros Encountered Du Ring Research (Table 5)

Except perhaps for D2 —the possible Morgan prize—none of the derroteros in Table 5 can be proved to have had influence on our story; they are listed simply to eliminate them from the search for the captured Rosario material. It is possible that D6 and D7 were brought back by Cowley or one of his shipmates, providing material for the additional charts northwest of Acapulco from W9 onward.


267

English Public Records

Many papers in the Public Record Office in London have been referred to, principally those in the Domestic series, Colonial series (America and West Indies), and Spanish series of the State Papers (SP). For the years concerned, the first two of these have been printed in the several volumes of the Calendar of State Papers listed in the Select Bibliography, though sources cited in the text refer to the original documents rather than the Calendars .

The court records of the piracy trial are among the papers of the High Court of Admiralty in HCA 1/11, nos. 101-7, and HCA 1/51, nos. 181-89.

TABLE 1
MANUSCRIPT ACCOUNTS OF THE VOYAGE

Ref. no.

 

Present Location

Date

 

Size (cm)

Author

Provenance

Dedication

Remarks

J1

Cox

BL, Sloane 49

n.d.

 

32.5 × 21

 

Albemarle

Albemarle by Cox

 

J2

Cox

NMM, GOS/4 (1939)

n.d.

These three are in the same hand and virtually Identical except for the dedication.

   

Quaritch

   
   

P. A. Mearns (1923)

   
   

Philip Gosse (bkpt.)

   

J3

Cox

Pepys, PL.2349

n.d.

 

32.5 × 21

       

J4

Ringrose (holograph)

BL, Sloane 3820

n.d., but < 1683

12 charts by Ringrose, with large pencil squares.

19 × 17

     

J5

Ringrose (copy)

BL, Sloane 48

n.d.

Same hand as J6 . Same binding as A2 . 12 charts by Hack.

40.5 × 26.5

   

Albemarle by Hack

J6

Sharp

BL, Sloane 46 B

1683

East Pacific chart, title page, and illustrations by Hack, but no other charts. It seems likely that A2, J5, J6 , and J7 were commissioned together by Albemarle in 1683.

41 × 27

Wood

 

Albemarle by Hack

J7

Sharp

BL, Sloane 46 A

n.d.

Same hand as A2 . 11 charts by Hack. Modern binding.

41 × 27

Wood

     

J8

Sharp

Kraus, 1981 (110)

n.d.

Very abridged text. No charts. Possibly made to accompany W2/A1 .

31 × 19.5

 

Charles II

Charles II by Sharp

   

Thos. Anson (18th c.) (bkpt.)

   
   

Houghton

   
   

Christie 1979, lot 245

   

J9

Sharp

Pepys, PL.2874, ff. 271-356 (1685)

July 1682

Copied into book "Miscellanys of Matters Political Historical and Naval." No charts.

43 × 28

   

Duke of York
Copy made in or after June 1685

     

J10

Sharp

Pepys, PL.2610 (complete book)

n.d.

Text as J9 . No charts.

J11/A5

Sharp

Naval Hist. Lib., MSS.4

n.d., but > 1686

14 charts and coastal views by Hack.

47 × 30

Wood

   
 

Cowley

     

J12

Sharp

Pierpont Morgan Lib., N.Y., MA.3310 (1980)

n.d., but > 1686

18 full-page charts and 71 smaller maps, drawings, etc., by Hack.

45.7 × 29.1

Wood

 

Cowley

Chr. Jeaffreson of Dullingham (18th c.)

 
   

Orion Bkslrs. (1948) (Lynam)

   
   

Houghton

   
   

Christie 1979, lot 243

   

ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS bkpt = bookplate; n.d. = not dated: n.k. = not known; num = press mark or catalog number: sig. = signature; < = before; > = after.

NOTE : For index and biographies of previous owners, see Table 6.

(Table continued on next page)


268

TABLE 1 (continued)

Ref. no.

 

Present Location

Date

 

Size (cm)

Author

Provenance

Dedication

Remarks

J13

Sharp

Private hands (1980)

n.d., but ca. 1698

13 charts by Hack. Companion to W12 (?—same dedication and binding). In HMC (1872), app. to 3d report, p. 208.

45 × 28.2

Wood

Lord Somers (c. 1698)

   

Marquess of Bute (1872)

Lord Somers by Hack

   

Houghton

   

Christie 1979, lot 244

 

J14

Anonymous

BL, Sloane 2752, pp. 36-71

n.d.

Written from memory by someone whose journal was left in St. Thomas.

 

(Povey?)

   

J15

Cowley

BL, Sloane 1050

n.d., but > 1686

Holograph. No charts.

J16

Cowley

BL, Sloane 54

n.d., but > 1686

Copy. No charts.

J17

Cowley

Pepys, PL. 2826

n.d., but > 1686

Copy. No charts.

TABLE 2
PRINTED ACCOUNTS OF THE VOYAGE

Ref. No.

Author

Date

Title

JP1

Cox

May 1684

Philip Ayres, ed. The Voyages and Adventures of Capt. Barth. Sharp And others, in the South Sea . . . Published by Philip Ayres, Esq; / London: Printed by, B.W. for R.H. and S.T. . . . 1684 . [Another edition of 1684 gives the publisher as "P.A."]

JP2

Dick

May 1684

John Exquemelin. Bucaniers of America: Or, a True Account of the Most Remarkable Assaults . . . / Written originally in Dutch, by John Esquemeling, one of the Bucaniers . . . / The Second Edition, Corrected, and Inlarged with two Additional Relations, viz. the one of Captain Cook, and the other of Captain Sharp. Now faithfully rendred into English. / London: Printed by William Crooke at the Green Dragon without Temple-Bar. 1684 . Part III, Chap. XII—"A brief account of Captain Sharp . . . Given by one of the Bucaniers , who was present at those Transactions . . . W.D . At the Bank-side beyond the Bear-garden .

JP3

Ringrose

Feb. 1685

Basil Ringrose. Bucaniers of America. / The Second Volume Containing The Dangerous Voyage and Bold Attempts of Captain Bartholomew Sharp and others; performed upon the Coasts of the South Sea, for the space of two years, &c. From the Original Journal of the said Voyage. Written By Mr. Basil Ringrose, Gent. Who was all along present at those Transactions. / London: Printed for William Crooke, at the Sign of the Green Dragon without Temple-bar. 1685 .

JP4

Dampier

Feb. 1697

William Dampier. A New Voyage round the World . . . By William Dampier. . . / London, Printed for James Knapton, at the Crown in St. Pauls Church-yard. MDCXCVII [1697].

JP5

Wafer

Nov. 1698

Lionel Wafer. A New Voyage and Description of the Isthmus of America . . . by Lionel Wafer . . . London: Printed for James Knapton, at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1699 .

JP6

Sharp

June 1699

Capt. William Hacke. A Collection of Original Voyages Containing:
I. Capt. Cowleys Voyage round the Globe,
II. Captain Sharps Journey over the Isthmus of Darien, and Expedition into the South Seas, written by himself,
III. Capt. Wood's Voyage thro' the Streights of Magellan,
IV. Mr. Roberts's Adventures among the Corsairs of the Levant . . . / Published by Capt. William Hacke. / London, Printed for James Knapton, at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard. 1699 .

NOTE: Dates of publication are taken from E. Arber (ed.), The Term Catalogues 1668-1709 A.D. . . . (London, 1905-6).


269

TABLE 3
THE SOUTH SEA WAGGONERS

Ref. no.

Present Location

Author, date

Areas

Remarks

Size (cm)

Provenance

Dedication

No. of charts

 

W1

BL, Harley 4034

J. Moxon (?) n.d., but > 1672

A Cal OO Q

Copy of D2 (Spanish, 1669), with texts in Spanish and English.

43 × 31

 

147

W2/A1

BL, K.Mar. VIII 15

Hack and Dassigny, 1682

A + Appendix

Prototype for all Hack atlases, though small format. No titles or compass roses (except Acapulco).

35.2 × 22

Charles II (1682)

Charles II by Sharp

130

W3

NMM, P. 32 (1939)

Ringrose, n.d., but < 1682-83

Cal C A M G

Sailing directions on facing pages. Galápagos not in Ringrose's hand.

16.5 × 21

S. America (C. Cruz. Montt?)

 

104

W4

Huntington Lib., HM. 265 (1966)

Hack, n.d.

A O

No titles or compass roses (except Pacific).

43.7 × 32.5

   

131

 

Wm. Hill (ca. 1693)

     
 

S. Sea Co. (1711)

     
 

Quaritch (1887 and 1914)

     
 

Robinson

     

W5

Free Lib. of Philadelphia, Elkins 169 (1947)

Hack, 1683

A O

Very decorative. Has titles and compass roses; decorative folio numbers; yellow borders.

41 × 27.5

Charles II by Sharp

131

 

Charlcs II

   
 

Anthony Askew (?)

     
 

Wm. Burrell (bkpt.)

     
 

R. Heber (bkpt.)

     
 

Ld. Kingsborough

     
 

Rodd 845 (1842) (num.)

     
 

Phillipps 17503 (num.)

     
 

H. V. Jones 392(2) (hum.)

     
 

W. M. Elkins 169 (1939)

     

W6

BL, Sloane 44

Hack, 1684

A O

Plainer than W5 . No titles or compass roses.

41 × 29

Charles II (1684)

Charles II by Sharp

135

W7/A3

Bancroft Lib., M-M.224

n.k., n.d., but < 1685

A + Appendix

Secondary copy not in Hack's hand. No titles, compass roses, or color.

31.5 × 20.2

Nicolaas Witsen

 

Originally 129 charts with 2 in Witsen's hand. 55 of these are now missing.

W8

NMM, P.33 (1931)

Hack, 1685

A O

Very elegant. Companion to W9/A4 .

41 × 29

James II

James II by Hack

149

 
 

Wm. III's Dutch private sec'ty

     
 

Lord Archibald Hamilton (18th c.) (sig.)

     
 

John Towneley (18th c.) (bkpt.)

     
 

Lady Lincoln (1930)

     

W9/A4

Free Lib. of Philadelphia, Elkins 169 (1947)

Hack, n.d., but > 1688

M + Appendix

Companion to W8 .

39.5 × 25.5

James II

James II by Hack

17

 
 

Wm. III's Dutch private sec'ty (?)

     
 

Lord Archibald Hamilton (18th c.) (sig.)

     
 

Thos. Anson (bkpt.)

     
 

Lord Kingsborough (?)

     
 

Phillipps 13972 (1852) (num.)

     
 

H. V. Jones 392(2) (num.)

     
 

W. M. Elkins 169 (1939)

     

(Table continued on next page)


270

TABLE 3 (continued)

Ref. no.

Present Location

Author, date

Areas

Remarks

Size (cm)

Provenance

Dedication

No. of charts

 

W10

BL, Sloane 45

Hack, 1687

M G P

Charts as in W9 but in reverse order; plus Galápagos, Pepys, and Caribbean.

45 × 31

   

32 + 7 Caribbean

W11

Private hands (1980)

Hack, n.d.

M A G P O

 

44.5 × 32.3

Quaritch (1950)

 

164

 
 

Houghton

     
 

Christie 1979, lot 241

     

W12

BL, K.Mar. VIII 16

Hack, 1698

M A G P O

Bar scales. Companion to J13 (same dedication and binding).

45 × 33

Lord Somers (1698)

Lord Somers by Hack

165

 

Sir R. Walpole

     
 

Col. Selwyn (18th c.)

     
 

Lord Sydney

     
 

George III (1800)

     

W13

J. Carter Brown Lib., Codex Eng. 53 (1966)

Hack, n.d.

M A G P O

No compass roses or bar scales.

46.5 × 34.5

   

183

 
 

J. Clevland (18th c.) (bkpt.)

     
 

Sotheby, June 20, 1966, lot 87

     

W14

Clements Lib. (1979)

Hack, n.d.

M A G P O

No compass roses or bar scales.

40.7 × 29.8

G. Grenville (18th c.)

 

183

 
 

Houghton

     
 

Christie 1979, lot 242

     

KEY TO AREAS A = Acapulco to Strait of Le Maire; C = Upper California. Cal = California general: G = Galápagos Islands, M = Mexico north of Acapulco; O = East Pacific: OO = Whole Pacific, P = Pepys Island (Falkland Islands): Q = Quirós and Torres discoveries, 1606.

ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS See footnote to Table 1.

NOTES In the earlier Hack South Sea waggoners (before W8 ), the coast between Acapulco and the Gulf of Nicoya (A) is covered by nineteen charts, whereas in later waggoners the same area occupies thirty-five charts, hence the differences in total numbers for the same areas W10, W13 , and W14 have fifteen additional charts for the Galáapagos Islands.

A similar list was published by Thomas R. Adams in "William Hack's Manuscript Atlases of 'The Great South Sea of America,'" in The John Carter Brown Library Annual Report for 1965-1966 (Providence, R.I., [1966]). The concordance between the two lists is as follows:

Adams

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Howse & Thrower

 

W2

   

W7

   

W9

           
 

W1

 

W5

W4

 

W6

W8

 

W10

A2

W11

W12

W13

W14

   

A1

   

A3

   

A4

           

TABLE 4
"THE APPENDIX TO SHARP'S SOUTH SEA WAGGONER"

Ref. no.

Present Location

Date

Remarks

Size (cm)

 

Dedication

 

A1/W2

BL, K.Mar. VIII 15

1682

The prototype, signed and d ted by Dassigny.

35.2 × 22

 

Charles II by Sharp

 

A2

BL, Sloane 47

n.d., but ca. 1683

Same hand as J7 . Same binding as J2 .

41 × 25.5

 

Albemarle by Hack

A3/W7

Bancroft Lib., M-M.224

n.d., but probably < 1685

A secondary copy.

31.5 × 20.2

     

A4/W9

Free Lib. of Philadelphia, Elkins 169 (1947)

n.d., but > 1688

Companion to W8 .

39.5 × 25.5

 

James II by Hack

 

A5/J11

Naval Hist. Lib., MSS.4

n.d., but > 1686

Signed by Hack.

47 × 30

     

271

TABLE 5
SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY DERROTEROS OF THE SOUTH SEA ENCOUNTERED DURING RESEARCH

Ref. no.

Present Location

Author, date

Areas

Remarks

Size (cm)

Provenance

Dedication

No. of charts

 

D1

Private hands

P. Baena, ca. 1650

Cal A G Q Solomon Is.

In Spanish, Bound with account of voyage of Schouten and Le Maire, probably written not long after 1622.

30 × 20.2

Maria Wildmann

 

148

 

Emily Driscoll (1950s)

   
 

Houghton

     
 

Christie 1979, lot 175a

     

D2

Huntington Lib., HM.918

n.k., 1669

Cal A Q

Spanish. W1 is a copy, with English translations.

39.6 × 29

Blathwayt (17th c.) (num.)

 

149

D3

Huntington Lib., HM.917

Martín Marín de Velasco, 18th-century copy of 1675 work

Nicaragua to Callao

 

32.5 × 23.6

D4

BL, Sloane 239

n.k., n.d.

A

Spanish with one or two English additions referring to Capt. Eaton. Very crude.

32.5 × 25.5

   

138

D5

Naval Hist. Lib., Va. 4

n.k., n.d.

Isla Blanca, Pt. S. Antonio through Acapulco to Paita

 

41.3 × 26

D6

Private hands

Cabiñas (1692), after Nicolás de Espinoza

A

In Spanish. With text: (a) sailing directions to Philippines; and (b) treatise on navigation and surveying.

42 × 27.5

Phillipps 25089

109

 

Robinson

   
 

Houghton (1950)

     
 

Christie 1979, lot 176a

     

D7

N.Y. Pub. Lib.

Jouban de la Guilbaudière, 1696

n.k.

In French.

a The Christie sale referred to, of books and manuscripts from the library of Arthur A. Houghton, Jr, took place June 13-14, 1979

TABLE 6
INDEX OF REPOSITORIES AND FORMER OWNERS, AUCTION HOUSES AND BOOKSELLERS, WITH BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES

ALBEMARLE , Christopher Monck, second duke of (1653-88). Soldier, friend of Charles II; Chancellor of Cambridge University and Lord of Trade anti Plantations 1682; governor general of Jamaica 1687, where he died in 1688. His personal physician was Hans Sloane (q.v.).

J1, J5, J6, A2

ANSON , Thomas (fl. 1745), of Shugborough in the parish of Colwich, Staffordshire. Bibliophile. Elder brother of George, Admiral Lord Anson (1697-1762).

J8, W9/A4

ASKEW , Anthony, M.D. (1722-74), of Cambridge and London. Physician, classical scholar, and bibliophile (Bibliotheca Askeviana ); library sold 1775-85.

W5

BANCROFT LIBRARY , University of California, Berkeley, California. Founded by Hubert H. Bancroft (1832-1918) of San Francisco, historian and book collector with special interest in voyages and travel in the western hemisphere.

W7/A3

BLATHWAYT , William (1649?-1717). Politician and civil servant: secretary-at-war 1683-1704; clerk to the Privy Council 1689; commissioner of trade 1696-1706. See p. 263

D2

BRITISH LIBRARY (BL), London. Formerly part of the British Museum, among whose foundation collections in 1753 were those of Sloane and Harley (q.v.).

J1, J4, J5, J6, J7, J14, J15, J16, W1, W2/A1, W6, W10, W12, A2, D4

BURRELL , Sir William (1732-96). Antiquarian, lawyer, and bibliophile. Practiced in Admiralty Court; director of the South Sea Company (q.v.).

W5

BUTE , John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, third marquess, of Mount Stuart, Co. Bute (1847-1900). J13 was in his library at the time of the publication of the Appendix to the third report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission (p. 208) in 1872, possibly acquired by the third earl of Bute (1713-92), bibliophile and prime minister 1762-63.

J13

CHARLES II (1630—85). King of England 1660-85.

J8, W2/A1, W5, W6

CHRISTIE , M ANSON, AND WOOD , of London. Auctioneers.

J8, J12, J13, W11, W14, D1, D6

CLEMENTS LIBRARY , University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded by William L. Clements (1861-1934) of Ann Arbor, manufacturer anti bibliophile.

W14

CLEVLAND , John (1707?-63), of Tapeley, near Bideford, Devon; son of Capt. William Cleveland, a commissioner of the Navy. Civil servant: entered Navy Office ca. 1723; Clerk of the Acts 1743-46; Second Secretary of the Admiralty 1746-51; Secretary of the Admiralty 1751-63. Colleague of Admiral Lord Anson anti George Grenville (q.v.). For the Clevlands, see Namier and Brooke (1964), 220-22.

W13

(Table continued on next page)


272

TABLE 6 (continued )

DRISCOLL , Emily, of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Dealer in autographs and drawings.

D1

ELKINS , William McIntire (1882-1947), of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Banker and bibliophile. Bequeathed the American part of his library to the Free Library of Philadelphia.

W5, W9/A4

GEORGE III (1738-1820). King of England 1760-1820.

W2/A1, W12

GOSSE , Philip (1879-1959), of Cambridge: son of Sir Edmund Gosse, essayist and bibliophile. Physician and author of The Pirates' Who's Who (1924) and The History of Piracy (1932). His piracy collection was acquired by the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, in 1939.

J2

GRENVILLE , Rt. Hon. George (1712-70). Statesman and bibliophile: treasurer of the Navy 1754; First Lord of the Admiralty 1762-63; prime minister 1763-65. His son Thomas (1755-1846) assembled the Bibliotheca Grenvilliana , which he bequeathed to the British Museum.

W14

HAMILTON , Capt. Lord Archibald, R.N. (d. 1754): seventh and youngest son of the third duke of Hamilton. Captain 1693; commanded the Lichfield 1696 and the Eagle at the capture of Gibraltar 1704; retired 1710; governor of Jamaica 1710-14; commissioner of Admiralty 1729-38. Received W8 , and probably W9 , from King William's Dutch private secretary between 1707 and 1714.[1]

W8, W9/A4

HARLEY , Robert, first earl of Oxford (1661-1724). Statesman and bibliophile: first considerable collection of books 1705; chancellor of the Exchequer and leader of the Tories 1710; Lord Treasurer 1711; initiated scheme for funding the national debt through South Sea Company (q.v.) 1711; impeached 1717. After his death, his son Edward, second earl, added to his father's book collection, which was sold after his death in 1741, the manuscripts becoming one of the foundation collections of the British Museum in 1753.

W1

HEBER , Richard (1773-1833), of Hodnet, Shropshire, and Pimlico, Middlesex; half brother to Reginald Heber, bishop and hymn writer. One of the most magnificent of book collectors, Richard Heber said: "No gentlemen can be without three copies of a book—one for show, one for use, and one for borrowers"; his library of 146,827 volumes was sold 1834-37.

W5

HILL , William (fl. 1680-1726), of Lincoln's Inn, London. Barrister. He bought W4 from Hack himself for £70 in about 1693; he sold it to the newly founded South Sea Company (q.v.) for 20 guineas in 1711, when he was in prison for a £30 debt (letter from Hill to James Bateman of the South Sea Co., Dec. 3, 1711: Huntington Library MS. HM 20096); the Lincoln's Inn "Black Book" has an entry for April 27, 1726: "The Treasurer to pay Mr. William Hill, a poor member of this Society, £2 2s. towards his support" (British Library Addl. MS. 25494, f. 41).

W4

HOUGHTON , Arthur A., Jr. (1906-), of Wye, Maryland, and New York City. Industrialist (Corning Glass) and bibliophile: honorary curator of rare books, Library of Congress 1940-42; his library is housed partly at Wye, partly at Harvard University.

J8, J12, J13, W11, W14, D1, D6

HUNTINGTON LIBRARY AND ART GALLERY , San Marino, California. Founded by Henry E. Huntington (1850-1927) of San Marino, railway magnate and book collector of English literature and Americana.

W4, D2, D3

JAMES II 0633-1701), duke of York. Lord High Admiral 1660-73; battles of Solebay 1665 and Southwold Bay 1672; king of England 1685-88.

J8, W8, W9/A4

JEAFFRESON , Christopher, of Dullingham, Cambridgeshire.

J12

JOHN CARTER BROWN LIBRARY , Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Founded by John Carter Brown (1797-1874) of Providence, merchant and collector of books on voyage and travel in the western hemisphere.

W13

JONES , Herschel V. (1861-1928), of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Journalist and bibliophile.

W5, W9/A4

KINGSBOROUGH , Edward King-Tenison, viscount (1795-1837), of Dublin. Friend of Sir Thomas Phillipps, who persuaded him to study Mexico. Author of the seven-volume Antiquities of Mexico ; died in a debtor's prison in Dublin. Library sold 1842-54, with Mexicana bought by Phillipps (q.v.).

W5, W9/A4

KRAUS , H. P., of New York, N.Y. Rare book dealer and bibliophile.

J8

LINCOLN , Lady: probably the countess of Lincoln (Lady Susan Harriet-Catherine Douglas Hamilton, 1814-1860), who married the future fifth duke of Newcastle in 1832.

W8

MAGGS BROS. , London. Rare book dealers. See p. 265.

W3, W8

MEARNS , P. A. (fl. 1923).

J2

MONTT , C. Cruz, the name on the bookplate of W3 , (see Fig. p. 265).

W3

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM (NMM), Greenwich. Founded 1936.

J2, W3, W8

NAVAL HISTORICAL LIBRARY , Ministry of Defence, London; formerly known as the Admiralty Library.

J11/A5, D5

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY , New York, N.Y.

D7

ORLON BOOKSELLERS , London (fl. 1940).

J12

PEPYS , Samuel (1633-1703), of London. Diarist, bibliophile, and naval administrator: Clerk of the Acts, Navy Board, 1660; secretary of the Admiralty 1673-79 and 1686-89. His library was given to Magdalene College, Cambridge, in 1726, where it remains intact (and in the same bookcases) today.

J3, J9, J10, J17

PHILADELPHIA , FREE LIBRARY OF , Pennsylvania. Acquired Americana from the library of William M. Elkins (q.v.) in 1947.

W5, W9/A4

[1] . On the recto of the dedication page of W8 (NMM MS. P.33) is the inscription "In the Reign of Queen Anne This large Volume of original drawings was given by King Williams Dutch private Secretary [probably Abel Tassin d'Allene] to Lord Archibald Hamilton then a Captain of a Ship of the Line." Hamilton signed his initials on the title pages of both W8 and W9/A4 (Elkins 169). For Hamilton's career, see Charnock 1795, 3: 15.

(Table continued on next page)


273

TABLE 6 (continued )

PHILLIPPS , Sir Thomas (1792-1872), of Middle Hill, Broadway, Worcestershire. Antiquarian and bibliophile: recommended that Lord Kingsborough study Mexican subjects, and acquired Kings-borough's Mexicana collection after his death; of enormous size, Phillipps's library is still being dispersed (1984).

W5, W9/A4, D6

PIERPONT MORGAN LIBRARY , New York, N.Y. Founded by John Pierpont Morgan (1873-1913), of New York, financier and bibliophile.

J12

QUARITCH , of London. Rare book dealers.

J2, W4, W11

ROBINSON , C. L. F. (d. 1916) of Newport, Rhode Island. Manufacturer and yachtsman.

W4, D6

RODD , Thomas (fl. 1830-45), of London. Bookseller.

W5

SELWYN , Col. John (d. 1751), of Matson, near Gloucester. Soldier and MP. aide-de-camp to duke of Marlborough; MP for Gloucester 1734-47; treasurer of Queen Caroline's pensions. Acquired W12 from Sir Robert Walpole (q.v.).[2]

W12

SLOANE , Sir Hans (1660-1753). Physician, antiquarian, and bibliophile: physician to duke of Albemarle (q.v.) when governor of Jamaica 1687-89; secretary of the Royal Society 1693-1717, president 1727-41; founded botanic garden, Chelsea, 1721. Collections purchased for the nation to form nucleus of British Museum 1754.

J1, J4, J5, J6, J7, J14, J15, J16, W6, W10, A2, D4

SOMERS , John, Baron (1657-1716), of Evesham, Worcestershire. Statesman and lawyer: Lord High Chancellor and created baron 1697; Lord President of the Council 1708-10. Library sold 1777.

J13, W12

SOTHEBY AND SON , of London. Auctioneers.

W13

SOUTH SEA COMPANY , London. Founded 1711, when Harley (q.v.) proposed using it to fund the national debt; South Sea Bubble 1720; most of company's rights sold to Spain 1750; company survived to 1853.

W4

SYDNEY , John, second viscount (1764-1831), of Chislehurst, Kent. Lord of the Bedchamber to George III, to whom he gave W12 in 1800.[3]

W12

TOWNELEY , John (d. 1813), of Corney House, Chiswick, Middlesex. Bibliophile: uncle and heir to Charles Towneley, antiquarian; library sold 1814-16.

W8

WALPOLE , Sir Robert (1676-1745). Statesman: secretary at war 1708; treasurer of the Navy 1710; prime minister anti chancellor of the Exchequer 1715-17 and 1721; First Lord of the Treasury 1727; resigned and created earl of Orford 1742. Acquired W12 from Lord Somers (q.v.); friend of Charles Townshend, whose son married the daughter of the next owner, Colonel Selwyn (q.v.); library sold 1751.

W12

WILDMANN , Maria.

D1

WILLIAM III's DUTCH PRIVATE SECRETARY (presumably Abel Tassin d'Allene, who succeeded Constantijn Huygens, Jr., in that post in 1697). Gave W8 , and presumably W9 , to Capt. Lord Archibald Hamilton (q.v.) in the reign of Queen Anne (1707-14).

W8, W9/A4

WITSEN , Nicolaas (1641-1717), of Amsterdam. Geographer and cartographer, and mayor of Amsterdam.

W7/A3

2. On the flyleaf of W12 (BL, K.Mar. VIII 16) is the inscription "Presented to His Majesty Novr 10th 1800 by Lord Sydney, & bought by his Lordship's Great-Grand-Father Col. Selwin at the sale of Sir Robt. Walpole."

3. See n. 2 above.


275

Documents Relating to the Voyage
 

Preferred Citation: Howse, Derek, and Norman J. W. Thrower, editors A Buccaneer's Atlas: Basil Ringrose's South Sea Waggoner. Berkeley:  University of California Press,  c1992 1992. http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft7z09p18j/