A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time

"A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01" by Robert Kerr is a detailed historical record from the 1800s that methodically puts together notable sea voyages spanning different time periods, starting from King Alfred's rule to newer investigations. The main idea centers on how sailing, exploration, and trade changed over time, showing the grand trips that led to the understanding of land and culture. Kicking off this book is the exploration of old trips beginning with Norwegians discovering Iceland back in the 800s. The writings then go into the sailing adventures during King Alfred’s time, mixing in stories of famous explorers and their journeys, like Ohthere’s trip to the White Sea and Wulfstan's Baltic Sea voyage. Highlighting how crucial these initial journeys were, the book introduces them as the building blocks that affected later explorations while adding to the creation of global maps. This opening builds a scholarly feel, intending to give readers understandings of the history and Kerr’s organized way of recording these important journeys.