PREFACE. XIII 



there, meet with the first traces of ideas, 

 opinions or discoveries, which scarcely 

 acquired a shape, even in the mind of 

 the writer, till some time afterwards. If 

 on the one hand the Journal may seem 

 defective in communicating informa- 

 tion, the occasional quotations, refe- 

 rences and allusions, the familiar and 

 sufficiently correct use of the Latin lan- 

 guage, and the general accuracy of the 

 whole, give a very high idea of the au- 

 thor's accomplishments. The extempo- 

 raneous journals of the most illustrious 

 travellers, made without a single book 

 to refer to, or a companion to con- 

 sult, would few of them perhaps stand 

 the test of criticism so well. 



1 o render the translation fit for the 

 public view, the editor found himself 



