A Voyage Round the World

In 1719, a privateering expedition set sail for the South Seas with ambitions of Spanish treasure. What followed was a voyage marked by disaster, betrayal, and one man's determined fight to preserve his honor. William Betagh served aboard under Captain George Shelvocke, and when Shelvocke published a self-serving account of the expedition, Betagh refused to let the record stand uncorrected. This is his response: a fierce, granular rebuttal that aims to expose the original commander's deceptions while giving his own truthful chronicle of the expedition. Written in the voice of a man who knows his reputation depends on his account, the text pulses with wounded pride and righteous indignation. For readers drawn to primary sources, maritime history, or the gritty realities of early 18th-century privateering, Betagh's account offers an unfiltered glimpse into a world where fortune favored the bold and honor was currency.