Richard Hawkins (c. 1560-1622) was an Elizabethan sailor who saw action against the Spanish Armada in 1588, and, in 1593, sailed to South America to raid Spanish colonies on the Pacific coast. Although doubtless a privateering venture, Hawkins argued that the voyage was one of geographical discovery and eventually produced this account, which was printed shortly after his death in 1622.

As well as reporting on the activities of the voyage, Hawkins used the account to detail some of his discoveries – including possibly an early sighting of the Falkland Islands, which he named "Hawkins Maiden Land" after himself and Elizabeth I – and the wildlife encountered on the way.