Spicy Islands

'Spicy Islands'. A version of this volume published posthumously under the direction of Pennant's son David, as part of the 'Outlines of the Globe, Vol. IV: The View of The Malayan Isles, New Holland, and the Spicy Islands' (London, 1800).

Itinerary travels roughly northwards through the Maluku Islands from Australia, then makes a circuit clockwise around the island of New Guinea. Itinerary grouped under the headings 'Spicy Islands' [i.e. the Maluku Islands], 'Papuan Islands', 'Land of Papuas or New Guinea', 'New Island', and 'New Guinea Again'.

Ending of main text (p. 308) dated October 27th 1792 at Downing, and presented as the last volume in the 'Outlines' project: 'Thus I have...concluded this, the last great labor of my life' [though note the later dating of P/16/17].

Illustration of a bird (pp. 248–249) marked in pencil as being 'from a drawing by governor Loten. Not Described by [John?] Latham'.

Natural history illustrations include several of birds from Papua/New Guinea (pp. 278–9). Illustration of water spouts (pp. 290–291) amongst images possibly copied by Moses Griffith.

Long series of inserted illustrations of sea creatures and shells between pp. 252–253.

At rear of volume is 'A List of Articles Imported from the East Indies', and a full itinerary, general index, and indexes of 'Quadrupeds', and 'Birds' covering both P/16/18 and P/16/19.

Object Details

ID: P/16/19
Collection: Charts and maps
Type: Manuscript
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Pennant, Thomas; Griffith, Moses
Date made: 1773; 1773-1792 1787-01-01 - 1792-12-31 1787-1792 1790 1791 1792-10-27 1792
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: 1 volume
Parts: 'Outlines of the Globe' or 'Imaginary World Tour' and related items - manuscript tours, natural history, and illustrations authored and compiled by Thomas Pennant (1726–1798), naturalist, traveller, and writer (Manuscript)