viii 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



lations, which have since been progressively 

 and rapidly developing themselves, had 

 scarcely broken upon the sight of my 

 countrymen ; when I returned from Mexico, 

 I found however the public most impatient 

 to see all I had to show, and to hear all I 

 had to say, respecting regions that were hi- 

 therto almost unknown, so that I was pressed, 

 with equal solicitude, to publish the result of 

 my observations, without a moment's delay, 

 and to exhibit, with an equal degree of promp- 

 titude the collection of ancient antiquities 

 and modern curiosities which I had been 

 fortunate enough to collect during my travels. 



To effectuate both purposes in a manner 

 perfectly satisfactory to my own wishes would 

 have required as many years, as the im- 

 patience of the public appeared disposed to 

 afford me months, and the consequence was, 

 that both necessarily appeared before them in 

 a crude and imperfect state. Yet, notwith- 



