TRANSLATOR S TREFACE. Vll 



dertakcn, tlie most scrupulous attention has 

 been paid to avoid even the smallest error, in 

 the latitudes and longitudes ; the bearings of 

 points of the coasts ; the measurements of 

 the depths of the sea, of the strength of the 

 currents ; and, in short, of every thing ex- 

 pressed in figures. The figures have been 

 most attentively twice collated with the ori- 

 ginal ; and it is hoped that there is not, in 

 this respect, a single erratum. It is judged 

 particularly necessary to impress this point, 

 because the translator has in a few instances 

 been induced to suspect a mistake in the ori- 

 ginal, which he could not venture to correct. 

 The usual method of marking the degrees of 

 latitude and longitude is, he believes, always 

 to mark the degrees, minutes, and seconds ; 

 and if there should be no minutes, but se- 

 conds, to put 00' for the minutes, as 15" 00' 38", 

 and this is the method of notation which 

 sometimes occurs in this work : but there are 

 in the first volume several instances where it 

 is not observed: for instance, page 104., line 

 8., where we find latitude 30° 36", longitude 

 15" 20"; which the translator apprehends 

 should be, 30° 36', and 15" 20'; and though 

 he has thought it his duty to copy them, he, 

 A 4 



