18 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
plied forms of animal life, the botanist the diversi. 
fied vegetation, the geologist the structure and rela- 
tions of the rocky masses of which the exterior of 
the earth is composed ; and while each has thus con- 
tributed to the illustration of the wonderful con- 
stitution of our planet, the distinguished traveller 
whose discoveries form the subject of this volume 
stands alone as uniting in himself a knowledge o/ 
all these sciences. Geography, meteorology, mag. 
netism, the distribution of heat, the various depart- 
ments of natural history, together with the affinities 
of races and languages, the history of nations, the 
political constitution of countries, statistics, com- 
merce, and agriculture,—all have received accumt.- 
lated and valuable additions from the exercise of his 
rare talents. The narrative of no traveller there- 
fore could be more interesting to the man of varied 
information. But as from a work like that of whic’: 
the present volume constitutes a part subjects strict. 
ly scientific must be excluded, unless when they 
can be treated in a manner intelligible to the pul. 
lic at large, it may here be stated, that many of the — 
investigations of which we present the results, must 
be traced in the voluminous works which the author © 
himseifhas published. At the same time enough will — 
be given to gratify the scientific reader ; and whii: 
the narrative of personal adventure, the diversified 
phenomena of the physical world, the condition ot 
societies, and the numerous other subjects discuss-_ 
ed, will afford amusement and instruction, let it 
remembered that truths faithfully extracted from 
the book of nature are alone calculated to enlarge the 
sphere of mental vision; and that, while fanciful 
description is more apt to mislead than to direc! 
be 
