10 parts in 2 volumes, folio. With an engraved title page for each part, 11 maps (folding and double-page), 243 engraved plates (double-page, full-page and in text), and numerous decorated woodcut initials and head- and tailpieces throughout; missing the second plate in part 6, while the third plate has been added twice (an error common in De Bry’s sets), in comparison, the map of the East Indies in the third part seems to be quite rare, as it does not appear in other copies of this work that we have found. Contemporary vellum with overlapping fore edge, spines lettered in manuscript, remnants of closing ties, untouched, genuine condition; front joint of both volumes slightly weakened, without affecting the structural integrity of the binding, the vellum is somewhat stained and scratched, with a tear on the spine of both volumes. The work is slightly browned throughout, with occasional small tears in the margins or torn lower corners, not affecting the text or images; else an exceptional set.

The small voyages, published between 1598-1628, is a collection of travelogues of voyages to various parts of Africa, the Middle East, the East Indies, India, the Spice Islands, northern Europe, and the Antarctic. The collection contained an up-to-date selection of voyage accounts, all of which were undertaken in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Some of the travel accounts were even published here for the first time, specifically the accounts in part 8 (on the East Indies) and part 9 (on the Spice Islands). Interestingly, the publication of the different parts of the small voyages coincides with the start of the Dutch East India Company (VOC, 1602-1800). As such, the travel accounts document the rise of the VOC in the East Indies.

The collection was published in Latin and German and consisted of twelve parts and two supplements. The present copy contains ten parts and one of the supplements. Of particular interest is the first part, which covers the voyage of the Portuguese merchant Duarte Lopes (dates unknown), who explored Central Africa, from the western coastline of the Congo to the banks of Lakes Tanganyika, Victoria, and Albert. Replete with documentary information, the text provides especially detailed descriptions of places, habits and customs, and the natural resources of the area. The information it provides would be frequently used by historians and voyagers for nearly two centuries. Also noteworthy is part seven, which includes Gasparo Balbi's account of the Middle East. Balbi (dates unknown), sailed from Venice to Aleppo, proceeding to Bir and from there overland to Basra, where he embarked for India. He was the first to record the place names along the coast of modern Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Practically "none of the names of places on the coast between Qatar and Ras al Khaima occur in other sources before the end of the eighteenth century" (Slot).

In addition, parts 2-4 contains the travel account of Jan Huygens van Linschoten to the Far East, which provided the VOC with useful information about the resources and administration of this region. Part 5 contains the narrative of Iacob Cornelisz. Neck's expedition to the East Indies. Part 6 includes Pieter de Marees' expedition to West Africa, which was the first Dutch description of this part of the world and stirred Dutch interest in Africa. Part 8 contains multiple accounts of Dutch voyages to Southeast Asia and China, which each demonstrate the growing power of the VOC in this region. Part 9 follows an expedition to the Maluku (or Spice) Islands, in order to capture them from the Portuguese. The supplement to this part includes a narrative which describes the aftermath of the Dutch attacks on the Portuguese. The final part includes voyages to the far north and south of the globe.

Engraver and editor Theodor de Bry (1528-1598) was born in Liège, but was banished after he became a Protestant. He moved to Frankfurt am Main, where he established an engraving and publishing business. He met geographer Richard Hakluyt in 1587 during a visit to England and became interested in his collection of voyages. Hakluyt persuaded De Bry to publish a collection of voyages similar to his own to cover the Americas, which would become The great voyages. De Bry completed the first part in 1590 and went on to publish five further parts. After his death, his sons Johann Theodor and Johann Israel took over the task of completing The great voyages and began The little voyages. These works were immediately popular and provided the standard European image of the Americas and the East Indies.

The different parts of The Voyages were published over the course of nearly half a century. Because of this, the first parts of the series ran out of print while the later parts were still being issued. New editions of the earlier parts were then quickly republished, often assembled from remnants of earlier issues. As a result, no two sets of the work are the same. Each set is a combination of languages, editions and issues, and none of them can be said to be "complete". The present copy is technically lacking the final two parts and a supplement, however these parts were published much later, by which time the present copy had most likely already been bound.

Provenance: from the libraries of Boies Penrose ‘Old East India House’ and Boies Penrose II, ‘Ex Libris Boies Penrose II’ to front pastedown of both volumes.

Brunet I, 1334; Church 205, 207, 208, 211, 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222; cf. Howgego, to 1800, B7; Slot, The Arabs of the Gulf (Leidschendam, 1993).