XVIII PREFACE, 



there is great reason to judge, from this specimen, 

 that he must have made much deeper researches than 

 he communicated to his Spanish friend, or, at least, 

 than he judged expedient to communicate to the 

 world ; otherwise it is very hard to conceive upon 

 what he grounded his notion, that, in the space of a 

 century, the people of New, would be as numerous 

 as those in Old England, and in a condition to give 

 law to all the nations in North America. We have, 

 besides, some very sensible remarks upon the cod- 

 fishery, and the advantages arising from it, as well 

 as our disputes with the French in that part of the 

 Avorld. These speculations, though not always cri- 

 tically right, deserve our notice, and even our strict- 

 est attention. For, however we may be at liberty 

 to conduct our own aifairs, we cannot limit the hu- 

 mour, or controul the politics, of our neighbours ; 

 and therefore it is of great service, to be well ac- 

 quainted with their notions. The great importance 

 of this subject might have been, and certainly was, 

 discovered long ago, by our politicians of the first 

 order ; but it is now become apparent to all ranks 

 of people, and, if the expression may be allowed, 

 from being the object sometimes of discussions in 

 the cabinet, is at present become the topic of vul- 

 gar politicians. 



Besides those that have been already touched, 

 there are a great variety of curious, instructive, and 

 pleasing incidents, in this performance, that cannot 

 fail of giving satisfaction to the ingenious and in- 

 telligent reader: Such as the discussing the causes, 

 why it never rains naturally at Lima, or the country 

 of Valles in Peru; the enquiries into the frequency 

 of volcanoes in South America; the materials, if 

 we may so speak, of those subterraneous fires, the 

 accidents by which they are kindled, and the conse- 



sequenCes 



