Featuring first-hand accounts by some of the most famous explorers and adventurers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, this fascinating book provides a window into the early days of global exploration. From the Arctic to Africa to the New World, the exploits of men like Sir Francis Drake, James Cook, and Captain Kidd are recounted in thrilling detail. The book also includes maps, illustrations, and other historical documents that bring these amazing stories to life. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.