The <P RE F AC E. 



feriour to them by Sea, whatever Number of Land- 

 Forces they might be in a Condition to [pare from Eu- 

 rope, 'tis our own Fault if ever they tranfport them 

 thither. And as to the Number of Men that fuch an 

 Expedition would require of us, confidering the favou- 

 rable Difpofition of the Indians (who are entirely our 

 Friends) and the Weaknefs and Divifions of our Enemies, 

 the Spaniards, I believe it needed -not be fo confiderable 

 &s fome People are apt to apprehend. 



For the American Spaniards, accufiomed only to do- 

 tnineer and tyrannize their miferable Slaves, have now 

 langui/h 9 d fuch a confiderable Time in Sloth and Idlenefs % 

 that it would require fome Tears to innure them to the 

 Hardfhips and Fatigues of War : And under their pre- 

 fent Circumftances, who knows but we might find them 

 lefs averfe to give the Englifh a kind Reception than 

 we are now aware of? 



The Vicinity of the Englifh Colonies to the Spanifh. 

 in America would render it an eafy Matter to them to 

 fupport one another upon all Occafions% though the Be* 

 wefts that the Kingdom would thereby reap, be in them- 

 f elves apparent, beyond all Poffibility of Contradiction. 

 To conclude : . I fhall only defire all Men of Senfe and 

 Judgment to conftder how much the Intereft of England 

 would be advanced f/z Europe by the Addition of the 

 Spaniih Weft-Indies, to their other Acqu'ifitions in 

 America ; fince thereby the co?nmon Enemies would be 

 deprived of the moft certain Fund they have for 'carrying 

 on the War. In a Word ; the Difficulty and Expence 

 are not at all, by any reafonable Man, to be brought in 

 Competition with the Glory and Advantage of fuch an 

 Expedition. 



As to the Book it felf, though it partly bears the 

 Name of Voyages, you are not to qxpeffi a co?nplea^ 

 Journal, or Hiftorical Account of all occurrences in' the 

 Scene of my Travels, but principally as particular a De~ 

 fcription as I could give, of the Ifthmus of Darien, 

 where I was left amongft the \vpd Indians : For in the 



precedent 



