19世紀アメリカの著名な文筆家ベイヤード・テイラーは、世界各地を旅行しその旅行記で当時人気を博したことでも知られます。日本へもペリー艦隊に遠征記録係として随行、A Visit to India, China, and Japan (1853)を出版しています。　本書は、そのテイラーが１８６０年に編集した旅行百科で、1800年から1860年の間の、欧米人による主要な世界各地への旅行や探検につき、各旅行家の人物情報と旅行・探検の背景、そして旅行記からの抜粋等が多くの図版や地図とともにまとめられています。 テイラー自身が序文で語るように、１９世紀とともに、大航海時代と
は異なった科学的目的や近代的知識をもった新たな旅の時代“Age of Exploration and iscovery”が幕を開けます。このような時代、世界への進出を始めるアメリカに身をおき、自らそのさきがけとして世界を旅を実践したテイラーの手になる本書は、１９世紀の西洋での旅への情熱や非欧米世界への限りなき探究心を表した記念すべき大事典といえます。

Contents:
Volume 1:
Life and Travels of Alexander von Humboldt
Mungo Park's Travels in Western Africa
Lewis and Clarke's Journey to the Pacific Ocean
Buckhardt's Travels in Syria, Africa, and Arabia
Belzoni's Explorations in Egypt
Caillaiaud's Journey to the Libyan Oases, Ethiopia, and Sennaar
Franklin's Overland Journey to Bokhara
Timkovski's Journey from Siberia to Pekin
Cochrane's Pedestrian Journey through Siberia
Golownin's Captivity in Japan
De Lascaris's Secret Mission among the Bedouins
Denham and Clapperton's Expedition to Central Africa
Clapperton's Second Journey to Sackatoo
Explorations of the Niger

Volume 2:
Moffat's Life in Southern Africa
Sturt's Explorations in Australia
Back's Arctic Land Expedition
Wellsted's Travels in Oman
Explorations of the White Nile
Major Harris's Mission to Shoa
Parkyns's Life in Abyssinia
Wood's Journey to the Oxus
Fremont's Explorations of the Rocky Mountains and California
Huc's Travels in Tartary, Thibet, and China
Fortune's Journeys to the Tea-Countries of China
Recent Exploration in Australia
Lynch's Exploration of the Dead Sea
Layard's Explorations at Niveveh and Babylon
Travels of Ida Pfeiffer
Explorations of the Amazon River
Richardson and Barth's Expedition to Central Africa
Burton's Pilgrimage to Mecca
Exploration of Loo-Choo

Appendix:
Conclusion of Dr. Barth's Travels in Central Africa
Livingsotne's Travels in Southern and Central Africa
Atkinson's Travels in Siberia and Chinese Tartary
Index

刊行時の本書への書評より
A scholar, traveler, and writer, having a reputation so deservedly high in
this three-fold relation as Bayard Taylor, may be presumed to give his name
only to worthy of it. I shall have no doubt, a priori of the worth of any
literary work bearing his name. The present volume I have examined
carefully, and have read a considerable part of it; and I have found it
prepared and arranged with excellent judgment, and filled with matter of the
highest interest and value. Both the plan and execution are in my judgment
marked by ability, extensive knowledge, good taste, and good sense.
--- by Cornelius Conway Felton, Professor of Harvard University

An experienced traveler like Mr. Bayard Taylor, is as safe as a guide in the
literature of adventure and discovery, as he would be in a journey. He has
done the reading public a great favor in bringing together the most
essential and interesting portions of so many narratives within a very
moderate compass, and such a form as to be accessible to multitude whose
libraries must take little room and cost but moderate expenditure. One who
has approved himself so well in the field, the forest, and the desert, as
Mr. Bayard Taylor, need no fear the work of compilation in the study will
interfere with his harder won reputation; and it is safe to say that no
man's selection would be accepted so unhesitatingly in America as those of
our own favorite travel story-teller.
--- by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

関連書：
Japan in English Series Vol. 2
ベイヤード・テイラー『インド・中国・日本への訪問記』
Bayard Taylor
A Visit to India, China, and Japan
First published 1855; this edition newly revised and edited by George
Frederick Pardon, London: Blackwood, [1859]
ISBN4-931444-86-5　c310pp　\21,000-
New York Tribune紙の特派員としてアジア各地を旅したテイラーの記録。前半のインド、中国への旅に続き、後半はペリー艦隊の旗艦船サスクェハンナ号に上海より遠征記録係として乗船、琉球、小笠原諸島、江戸など日本各地をめぐった訪問記となっている。