40 MEMOIR OF PALLAS. 



the character of these " Travels ;" and whilst some 

 have conferred on them the highest eulogiums, more 

 perhaps have bestowed only limited praise. As 

 exhibiting the sentiments of the former of these 

 classes, we shall adduce only the testimony of the 

 illustrious De Saussure, a no less competent than an 

 unexceptionable judge. " The accounts," he says, 

 " of these long and painful journeys comprehend all 

 that can interest the naturalist and the statesman ; 

 and they are perhaps the grandest and most beauti- 

 ful specimen of this kind of work which we possess.** 

 With this we connect the criticism of the judicious 

 CuVier : — " It may easily be supposed that thus 

 working in haste, and in these solitudes, without 

 books and every means of reference, the author must 

 necessarily have fallen into some errors, insisted 

 upon familiar matters as if they were unknown, 

 and been guilty of repetition. It must moreover be 

 conceded, that he might have infused more life into 

 his narrative, and given greater prominency to the 

 more interesting objects which he met. It can 

 scarcely be questioned that the long and dry enu- 

 meration of mines and forges, and the often repeated 

 catalogues of common plants and birds he encoun- 

 tered, do not supply agreeable reading. He does 

 not carry his readers along with him, nor, like more 

 fortunate authors, pourtray the features of Nature's 

 grandeur to the eye, nor the singular peculiarities 

 of those who passed under his review. At the same 

 time, however, it must be allowed, that the circum- 

 stances in which he wrote were any thing but 



