Twenty-two letters by merchants of the Dutch West India Company; the first twenty are by Willem Bosman, and the last two by David van Nyendaeland Jan Snoek.

Text divided into three parts, but bibliographically work divided into two sections, the first comprising part 1 (not designated as such, p. [1]-207, first count), the second comprising parts 2-3 (p. [1] following p. 207, 1st count, p. [1]-280, 2nd count)

Title vignette.

Added engraved, illustrated title page: Beschryving van de Guinese Goudcust, slavenhandel etc.a.

Half title part 2: Beschrijving van de Guinese Goud-kust. Waar by gevoegt is, Een net verhaal van de slavehandel; en Een generale beschrijving van de Slave-kust, of Ardrase landen, mitsgaders een omlandse reis door den schrijver in den jare van 1698. gedaan, na Rio de Gabon, Cabo-Lopez di Gonsalvez, de eilanden van Sainct Tomé en Annaboa, en wederkomst op de Goud-kust. Tweede deel.

Half title part 3: Beschryving van Rio Formosa, anders gesegt de Benin, nevens het groot-koningrijk van dien naem, de zeeden en godsdienst der inwoonders, enz., gelijk ook de constitutie van het land en rivier; mitsgaders een verhael van de Tand-, Rijst-, Grein- of Malaget-kusten; en den handel aldaer. Vervat in de een-en twee-en-twintigste, of twee laetste brieven. Derde del.

Signatures: - 3⁴ 4² A-2C; A-2P⁴ 2Q² (1 verso, 2 verso, 4 recto blank leaf). Leaf 4 folded backwards, preceding leaf 1 (engraved title page) and serving as frontispiece (portrait)

Plates of the first section numbered N.o 1. [-21.], two illustrations printed on each of the ten folded leaves, except for N.o 3 which is a single illustration on a regular size leaf. Plates of the second section unnumbered, two illustrations printed on each of the three folded leaves, while one illustration each is printed on the two regular size leaves. The portrait is sometimes listed as a 17th plate, but this designation is incorrect, the portrait being printed on a leaf which is part of a letterpress gathering and hence a text illustration.

Includes index.

Preface is followed by commendatory poetry, written by Daniel Havart (p. [22-28], at beginning of work)

A small part of letter 18 and a substantial portion of letter 19 deals with the slave-trade; also some scattered notices about this subject elsewhere in the text.

European Americana 704/19.

Tiele, P.A. Nederlandsche bib. van land- en volkenkunde, 173.

Engelmann, W. Bib. historico-naturalis, p. 146.

Hogg, P.C. African slave trade, 144a.