CiiAP. v.] Gcograplnj. S5 



speaking, Ixit also of the manners, aits, literature^ 

 ;ind general condition, of that degraded eo\lntr3^ 



Beside the travellers abov^ mentioned, who have 

 explored the interior of comitries before little 

 known, the last century is remarka])le for having 

 produced an unprecedented number of that species 

 of works denominated Travels, Tours, unA Journeys, 

 into parts of the world before generally known, and 

 frequently visited. To attempt an enumeration of 

 these would far exceed the limits of the present 

 sketch; and to select a small portion out of the 

 immense number would almost necessarily involve 

 some injustice to the rest. Though these travellers 

 have added little to the stock of geographical know- 

 ledge, properly so called, they have thrown much 

 liglit on the manners and customs of various na- 

 tions; they have inade the literati of different coun- 

 tries better acquainted with each other; and many 

 of them abound with pictiu'cs of human nature 

 at once lively, just, new, and highly interesting. 

 Perhaps, indeed, this characteristic of modern travels 

 deserves to be mentioned as in some degree pe- 

 culiar to the last age. That there is a philosophic 

 cast, an attention to the different shades of human 

 character, and an aspect of scientific inquiry, more 

 prevalent in some late productions of this class, 

 than can be found in most of their predecessors, 

 has probably been often remarked by the most s'<i- 

 per fic 1 al r cade r s . 



At the beginning of the eighteenth century,-by 

 far the greater part of the American Coniinenl, and 

 even of what is now called the Unllcd Slates, was 

 unknown territory. Since that time a considerable 

 portion of it has In'en explored, ai\d mreh curious 



