Pigafetta's Account, the fullest and best authority for the famous Voyage of Magellan, is here completely presented in English for the first time. Pigafetta was an Italian of noble family, interested in navigation and fond of travel. Happening to be in Spain when Magellan was about to sail, he secured permission to accompany the expedition. Pigafetta kept a detailed account of the incidents of the voyage and faithfully recorded his observations on the geography, climate, and resources of the numerous strange countries visited or described to him. Of especial value are his remarks on the customs, physical character, and languages of the various peoples of South America, and the Ladrones, Philippines and other Asiatic Islands.
Pigafetta's Account, notwithstanding its great importance to students, has never been adequately published. Stanley, in his translation for the Hakluyt Society, omits many passages relating to the manners and customs of native peoples, mis-translates other passages; and furthermore does not translate from the original Italian, but in part from a defective French MS. of later date, and in part from Amoretti's garbled printed edition of the Ambrosian MS.
The MS. which we use is the oldest in existence and is conserved in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana at Milan. This MS. was purported to have been published in 1800 by Amoretti, but his publication was what the Italians call a refacimento, in which the order is entirely changed at times to say nothing of the meaning. To insure a correct version of the text, the editor, Mr. Robertson, visited Milan and undertook the transcription personally.
The numerous charts of the original are carefully reproduced, together with a rare early map, showing Magellan's discoveries in the Far East. To preserve the archaic forms and peculiar letters of the old Italian, type has been specially designed and cut for many peculiar characters. The editing and annotation are elaborate and exhaustive; an Index and a complete Bibliography are added, making this the
BEST EDITION OF PIGAFETTA IN ANY LANGUAGE.
Issued in a limited edition of 350 copies only. Printed direct from type on Dickinson's deckle-edged paper. Two volumes, large 8vo, cloth, uncut, gilt top. Price $7.50 net.
The Arthur H. Clark Company
PUBLISHERS CLEVELAND, OHIO
"AN AUTHORITY OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE"—Winsor