Henry Mathias Elmore (about whom little is known) was a sailor in the Royal Navy who quit in 1783 and set out for Calcutta to be involved with the East India Company's growing trade. Elmore worked as a commander on its ships, and he decided to write this account of sailing to and within the East, which was published in 1802, in order to share his navigational knowledge and to correct earlier inaccuracies. Although much of the work consists of specific, technical directions for piloting ships around Asia, Elmore's instructions give a vivid picture of the complexities of nineteenth-century navigation and the tribulations of sailing during this time. Some of the voyages he describes include sailing around the Indonesian islands and to the Malay coast, and how to reach China from Calcutta. Elmore also includes notes about locations of valuable commodities, such as spices, tea or gold, available for trade.
ISBN: | 9781108045872 |
Publication date: | 15th November 2012 |
Author: | H M Elmore |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Format: | Paperback |
Pagination: | 388 pages |
Series: | Cambridge Library Collection - Maritime Exploration |
Genres: |
Maritime history Navigation and seamanship International economics Asian history |