An Account of Two Voyages to New England: A Description of the Country, Natives and Creatures, with Their Mercantile and Physical Use: The Government

One of the earliest and most vivid English narratives of colonial America, An Account of Two Voyages to New England by Joseph Josselyn, Gentleman, offers a remarkable seventeenth-century window into the land, people, and natural wonders of the New World. First published in 1674, the work blends travel narrative, natural history, and ethnographic observation, capturing a continent still wild, unfamiliar, and filled with promise.

Josselyn’s meticulous descriptions range from the flora and fauna of New England—its plants, beasts, and minerals—to accounts of Native American customs, healing practices, and governance. He approaches his subject with both the curiosity of a scientist and the wonder of a traveler, presenting a portrait of early America that is at once empirical, poetic, and deeply human.

A cornerstone of early colonial literature, Josselyn’s voyages stand as a testament to the meeting of Old World observation and New World discovery, preserving one of the earliest records of English contact with the natural and cultural landscape of North America.

Complete edition of Joseph Josselyn’s 17th-century travel and natural history account

Describes New England’s environment, Native peoples, and colonial society

Combines ethnography, botany, and early scientific observation

Essential for readers of early American history, colonial studies, and natural philosophy