A Voyage Round the World, from 1806 to 1812; in which Japan, Kamschatka, the Aleutian Islands, and the Sandwich Islands, were visited... With an account of the present state of the Sandwich Islands, and a vocabulary of their language..

First edition. A scarce Pacific narrative, published in aid of a crippled seaman, remarkable for its descriptive accounts of the Northwest coast, Alaska and Hawaii. Archibald Campbell, a Scot of humble origin, was already an experienced seaman when in 1806 he signed on the Thames Indiaman. In China in 1807 (using an assumed name), he signed on the Eclipse from Boston, and made stops at Nagasaki, Kamchatka and Alaska. The ship was wrecked at Sannack, and Campbell continued in the long boat to Kodiak. He describes his sufferings (ultimately losing both feet from frostbite), spending almost a year on Kodiak, and meeting Baranov, and he includes a good description of that island.

His lengthy account of Hawaii in 1809-1810 is of the greatest importance, being the first narrative from the viewpoint of a resident rather than a visitor. He lived with the king and royal family for some time, then with Isaac Davis, of all of whom he gives a good account. The social structure and agricultural pursuits of the islanders are discussed, and the author identifies some of the early foreign residents, a number of whom were Botany Bay men. The 29-page vocabulary includes three pages of dialogues useful for the sailor and trader, and the Hawaiian names of several resident foreigners: "an early and valuable narrative" (Forbes).