The shipowner and politician William Schaw Lindsay (1816–77) combined a wealth of personal experience with a meticulous approach to research. Originally published in 1874–6, this is his authoritative four-volume history of the world of ships and maritime trade. Its coverage ranges from the legend of Noah's Ark, through ancient commerce and the colonising expeditions of the middle ages, to the progress brought about by the introduction of steam to the shipping of Lindsay's own day. Details on construction and performance sit alongside explanations of the customs and superstitions of seamen, complemented by full accounts of many important nautical events. Volume 2 encompasses Vasco da Gama's expeditions, the Spanish Armada, and a discussion of the varying fortunes of the East India Company. Evident throughout the work are Lindsay's practical knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject.
Contents
1. Dom John of Portugal prosecutes his researches for India; 2. Progress of maritime discovery - Henry VII; 3. Henry VIII resolves to establish a permanent Royal Navy; 4. Certainty of war with Spain; 5. English Navigation Laws; 6. English voyages of discovery 1690–1779; 7. Great Britain, AD 1792, war with France, 1793; 8. Mr Fox tries to make peace with France, 1806; 9. Effect of the Orders in Council on American trade, AD 1810; 10. United States of America; 11. A special mission sent to England; 12. Earliest formation of wet docks and bonded warehouses; 13. East India Company; 14. Progress of shipping; Appendices; Index.
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