Billy Kemper -- Week 4 -- Annotated Bibliography

Hartley, Harold. The Royal Society; Its Origins and Founders. London: Royal Society, 1960. Print

Great comprehensive source about the Royal Society and the impetuses that spurred its creation. Includes chapters about specific members (their background and contributions) as well as the underlying rationale and creed of the Society. Good source, but nothing unique or particularly special.



Rubies, Joan Pau. "Travel Writing and Ethnography." The Cambridge Companion to Travel Writing. By Peter Hulme and Tim Youngs. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge UP, 2002.

Great source recommended to me by Professor Kollman. This specific chapter focused on the development of ethnography and mentioned the Royal Society in particular many times. Francis Bacon was of great importance in these developments, and was of great influence to the Royal Society’s beginnings. This source prompted me to focus more on the development of ethnography, and Bacon and the Royal Society’s approach towards it.



An Essay upon the Causes of the Different Colours of People in Different Climates; By John Mitchell, M. D. Communicated to the Royal Society by Mr. Peter Collinson, F. R. S., John Mitchell, Peter Collinson, Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775) , Vol. 43, (1744 - 1745), pp. 102-150, Published by: The Royal Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/104437

An earlier source I read when I thought I’d be focusing more on early (mis)conceptions of race, and the Royal Society’s approach. However, their approach and studies toward ethnography are still relevant, though this account may be too late for the period I’ll be focusing on.



An Account of the Cape of Good Hope, by Mr. John Maxwell: Communicated by the Reverend Dr. John Harris, F. R. S., John Maxwell, John Harris, Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775) ,Vol. 25, (1706 - 1707), pp. 2423-2434, Published by: The Royal Society, Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/102710

A source similar to the one above, it recounts an Englishman’s journey to the Cape of Good Hope. Includes descriptions of the physical environment as well as the



Knox, Robert. An Historical Relation of the Island of Ceylon. London: Chiswell, 1681.


Early account from an Englishman held captive on the island of Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka) that was one of the earliest recounted travel stories to the Royal Society. Watershed moment that helped start the development of methodizing travel accounts in the burgeoning field of ethnography.


Woodward, John. Brief Instructions for Making Observations In All Parts of the World: As Also, for Collecting, Preserving, and Sending Over Natural Things : Being an Attempt to Settle an Universal Correspondence for the Advancement of Knowledg Both Natural and Civil. London: Printed for Richard Wilkin ..., 1696.

A source from the Royal Society that attempts to systemize travel accounts. I will use this source (and hopefully other ones) and compare its instructions to actual accounts and what they recorded.


Funnell, William. A Voyage Round the World. Containing an Account of Captain Dampier's Expedition Into the South-seas In the Ship St George, In the Years 1703 and 1704. With His Various Adventures, Engagements, &c. And a Particular and Exact Description of Several Islands In the Atlantick Ocean, the Brazilian Coast, the Passage Round Cape Horn, and the Coasts of Chili, Peru, and Mexico. Together with the Author's Voyage From Amapalla On the Est-coast of Mexico, To East-india. His Passing by Three Unknown Islands, and Thro' a New-discover'd Streight Near the Coast of New Guinea; His Arrival At Amboyna: With a Large Description of That and Other Spice Islands; As Also of Batacia, the Cape of Good Hope, &c. Their Rivers, Harbours, Plants, Animals, Inhabitants, &c. With Divers Maps, Draughts, Figures of Plants and Animals. By William Funnell, Mate to Captain Dampier. London: printed by W. Botham, for James Knapton, at the Crown in St Paul's Church yard, 1707.

Symson, William. A New Voyage to the East Indies: Viz. I. To Suratte, and the Coast of Arabia, Containing a Compleat Description of the Maldivy-islands, Their Product, Trade, &c. Ii. The Religion, Manners, and Customs of the Inhabitants, Never Before Related by Any English Author. Iii. Many Curious Observations Concerning Arabia and India, Not to Be Found In Any Other Books of This Nature; with Directions for Travellers. By Capt. William Symson. To Which Is Added, a Particular Account of the French Factories In Those Parts, and of the General Trade Throughout All India. With Many Excellent Remarks by the Sieur Luillier. Adorn'd with Cuts.London: printed by H. Meere, for A. Bettesworth at the Red Lyon in Pater-Noster-Row, and E. Curll at the Dial and Bible against St. Du stan's Church in Fleet-Street, 1715.

I grouped these two sources together not because of the length of their titles, but because they’re both long travel accounts that I’ve only skimmed over, but will go back to trace their specific methods and how they correspond to earlier travel writing instructions described by the Royal Society.


Hammersley, Martyn, and Paul Atkinson. Ethnography Principles in Practice. London [u.a.: Routledge, 2007. Print.

Source that describes Ethnography in a modern sense. I will use this as a base of comparison to the Royal Society’s developments and contributions to how it exists today.