Richard Jobson's The Golden Trade

1716 Words4 Pages

Throughout history, expedition and travel have delighted many who dreamt for the exotic and rare, wanting a thirst of life outside their own borders. Such tales were most popular in Great Britain and sold fairly well despite having so few people literate in society. Mostly high class and elite peoples of England, and Europe, could read fairly well, and enjoyed such travel books. With the expanse of royally paid exploration throughout Europe and the need for sugar, slaves, or gold, many such explorations could easily be published and become commodities through the printing press. One travel tale in particular is intriguing in several ways; Richard Jobson and his book, “The Golden Trade: A Discovery of the River Gambra, and the Golden Trade …show more content…

Jobson’s book is just over one hundred fifty pages long, and the cover page is decently well decorated, first beginning with “The Epistle Dedicatory” to:

The right worshipful, Sir William St. John Knight, Governor of the Countries of Ginney, and Binney: Sr. Allen Apsley Knight, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, and Deputy Governor as a sore said: Sr. Thomas Button Knight, and Gentlemen, adventurers for the said countries of Ginney, and Binney .

“The Golden Trade” is broken into several sections: the first being the “Epistle Directory”, and notably the most important page in the book, bringing to light the important and possible supporters financially for such books . Then follows the first chapter entitled “The Invitement to this golden trade, showing the cause of the first undertaking it, and orderly proceedings therein” . Next are “The description of the River”, “The feverall inhabitants”, “The wandering Fulbie”, “The Maudingo or Ethiopian, being the natural inhabitants, distinguished by the name of the Maudingos”, “The discourse of their Maribuckes or religious men”, “Our travel up the River”, The discourse of the wild beasts”, “The discourse of land fowl”, and lastly, “The Conclusion”

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