authok's PitEFACE. Ixxxiii 



of tliem before me or not.^ If on those occasions I make 

 some Eemarks wliicli have not entirely the grace of Xovelty, 

 it will be some amends for that Deficiency, that they will 

 doubtless be accompany'd with new Cironmstances : For 

 when did it happen that Men who are not Coj^yists, but Eye- 

 witnesses and Judges of things, spoke of the same Subject 

 in the same manner ? 



I shall conclude with making some Eefiection on three 

 Difficulties that have been started to me. For, Dear Eeader, 

 I will dissemble nothing with you, nor neglect anything to 

 satisfie you. 



I. 'Tis said I have too many Digressions. 



Upon this I desire you to consider two things, I confess 

 tliat in writing these Memoirs, the same thought came often 

 into my Head, as it did in the Abbot of Choisy's, of whom 

 we have more than once spoken. / am sorry (says he from 

 time to time) that the flatter did not iwesent it self as 1 1 could 

 have had it — / give v)hat I have— I wish I had somethimj 

 more 'pleasant to tell you. The truth is, I frequently find my 

 self in the same case ; My Desart Islands did not furnish me 

 with variety enough, and I confess I was sometimes oblig'd 

 to go a little out of the way for it. 



Nevertheless if you do me Justice, I hope you will 

 approve of the second Answer that I have to make. The 

 true character of a good Relation, in my Opinion consists in 

 containing the Eemarkable things which the Traveller saw 

 or heard, or which happen'd to him, and in such a manner, 

 that the Eeader may be as well inform'd of it, as if he had 

 Travell'd himself, and had been an Eye- Witness of all that 

 had happen'd. Granting this to be true, the Traveller ought 

 to Communicate every thing that came to his Knowledge ; 

 his Conversations, Discourses, Adventures, Eeflections, pro- 



1 For example, Leguat follows very closely Dapper's previous de- 

 scription of the Hottentots. {Vide infra, p. 289.) 



