A New General Collection of Voyages & Travels

A New General Collection of Voyages and Travels, printed for Thomas Astley and published in London under His Majesty’s Authority between 1745 and 1747, is one of the most substantial and influential English-language compendiums of global exploration from the 18th century. Issued in four quarto volumes, the work presents a comprehensive selection of travel accounts, maritime expeditions, and geographical observations drawn from both earlier sources and more recent European voyages, many of which are translated or abridged from Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and French originals. Astley’s compilation focuses particularly on Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and includes richly detailed maps and engravings depicting coasts, cities, native peoples, flora, fauna, and artefacts. The collection was designed to serve both scholars and general readers, combining empirical observation with exotic curiosity, and reflects the intellectual and imperial ambitions of mid-18th-century Britain. Often attributed editorially to John Green (a pseudonym, possibly for George Sale or others), it remains a valuable source for historians of exploration, colonialism, and cross-cultural contact.