A true and exact history of the Island of Barbadoes.

Illustrated with a map of the island, as also the principal trees and plants there, set forth in their due proportions and shapes, drawn out by their several and respective scales, together with the ingenio that makes the sugar, with the plots of the several houses, rooms, and other places, that are used in the whole process of sugar-making; viz. the grinding-room, the boyling-room, the filling-room, the curing-house, still-house, and furnaces; all cut in copper. London : printed, and are to be sold by Peter Parker, at his shop at the Leg and Star over against the Royal Exchange, and Thomas Guy at the corner shop of Little Lombard-Street and Cornwall, 1673. Second edition. Folio, full period-style morocco ruled in blind, spine in compartments (also ruled in blind) with contrasting gilt-lettered red morocco title-piece; title-page, large folding copperplate map of Barbados (small tears and creases to folds), pp. 122; (2 – contents); six engraved natural history plates, three folding plans and diagrams of a Curing House and Ingenio (a couple of tears, edges creased), the Index leaf to the Ingenio placed after p. 84, as per instructions to the binder; a few small wormholes along the lower portion of text, affecting some letters, water stain to margin of lower corner, a good copy. Loosely enclosed is an old article on the history of the publication, pasted on sheets.

First published in 1657, and written with a first-hand perspective, Richard Ligon’s history is one of the earliest works on Barbados, and contains the first printed map of the island.