An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce

This book recounts the true story of the American brig Commerce, wrecked on the western coast of Africa in August 1815. It details the subsequent enslavement of the surviving officers and crew by wandering Arabs, their experiences in captivity, and their eventual rescue. The narrative includes a copperplate engraving of a circumcision ceremony, considered one of the earliest depictions of this practice in an American book. Published by the author in Hartford, this edition may be a first edition, as it is not found in OCLC. The book also features an appendix with observations on Atlantic winds and currents, a proposed method for visiting Timbuktu, and an Arabic-English vocabulary.

Associated People/Businesses

  • Riley, James

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