HAKLUYT, RICHARD, was born in 1553. Having studied at Christ Church, Oxford, and applied himself particularly to the study of geography, or cosmography, as it was then called, he was made a lecturer on that subject at Oxford. In order to promote the study of his favourite science he published narratives of several voyages and travels, both English and foreign, which he afterwards brought together in his great collection. About 1584 he went to Paris with Sir Edward Stafford, ambassador of Queen Elizabeth to the French court., where he remained five years. On his return to England he was made by Sir Walter Raleigh a member of the company of gentle men adventurers and merchants of London, for the inhabiting and planting " of our people in Virginia," as appears from his ' Collection of Travels,' edition of 1589, p. 815, which he published in one vol. fol., and which ho afterwards enlarged and published in 3 vols. fol., 1599-1600, under the title, ' The Principal Navigations and Discoveries of the English Nation, by Sea or over Land, to the remote and farthest distant quarters of the Earth, at any time within the compass of these 1500 yearn.' The first volume embraces the discoveries by the English in the north and north-east by sea, towards Lapland, the Straits of Waigatz, Nova Zembla, and towards the mouth of the river Oby, and also travels through the empire of Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Bactria, Tartary, &c. The second volume contains accounts of the discoveries of the English by sea and land in the southern and south-eastern parts of the globe ; and the third, their discoveries in the new world of America. Hakluyt has inserted many curious documents, such as
letters of various sovereigns; charters and privileges granted by the Czars of Russia, the Sultan, and others, to English merchants; tables of weights, coins, and distances of different countries, &c. Most of the voyages and discoveries contained in this collection were effected in tho 16th century, although a few are of a prior date. A new and improved edition, in 5 vols. 4te, was published in London 1809-12. Hakluyt published also or edited translations of several foreign narratives of travellers, of which a selection hes since been made : 'A Selection of curious, rare, aud early voyages and histories of inte resting discoveries, chiefly published by Hakluyt, or at his suggestion, but not included in his celebrated compilation,' 4to, London, 1812. It contains among others La Brocquiere's 'French Narrative of a Visit to Palestine,' in 1442.43 ; the Travels of Louis Vertomanus of Rome to Arabia, Persia, and the East Indies in 150Z; and ' Virginia richly valued by the description of the mainland of Florida, her next neighbour,' from tho Spanish of Fernando de Soto. Hakluyt died in 1616 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.