The Voyages and Cruises of Commodore Walker

London: Cassell & Company Ltd, 1928. With introduction and notes by H.S. Vaughan, a few illustrations, octavo, pp lii, 219, edges foxed, otherwise a very good copy in a slightly age-toned dustwrapper which is very browned on its spine. [George Walker (died 1777) was an English privateer active against French shipping. In 1744, when war broke out with France as part of the War of the Austrian Succession, he was offered the command of the Mars, a private ship of war of 26 guns, to cruise in company with another, the Boscawen, somewhat larger and belonging to the same owner. They sailed from Dartmouth in November, and on one of the first days of January 1744 fell in with two homeward-bound French ships of the line, which captured the Mars after the Boscawen had hurriedly deserted her. Walker was sent as a prisoner on board the Fleuron. On 6 January the two ships and their prize were sighted by an English squadron of four ships of the line, which separated and drew off without bringing them to action. On returning to England Walker was put in command of the Boscawen, and sent out in company with the Mars, which had been recaptured and bought by her former owners. The two cruised with little success during the year, and, coming into the English Channel in December, the Boscawen, a weakly built ship, iron-fastened, almost fell to pieces; Walker managed run it ashore at St Ives on the north Cornish coast on 24 November 1745. He was almost immediately offered a larger command. This was a squadron of four ships - King George, Prince Frederick, Duke, and Princess Amelia - known collectively as the "Royal Family". In the summer of 1745, off Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, it had made a very rich prize; the ships were consequently well manned. The Royal Family continued cruising, with moderate success, to the end of the war with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Altogether, the prizes taken by the Royal Family under Walker's command were valued at about £400,000.]. Cloth. Very Good/Rather age-toned.