viii 



PREFACE* 



phy, soils, sciences, and institutions, of Europe, 

 in the compass of two small volumes? Or w^hat 

 should we think of one v^ho should attempt in 

 the same limits, to give a full and satisfactory 

 account of these states? Such a w^ork, however 

 excellent, would necessarily imply much previ- 

 ous information in the reader, or at least much 

 subsequent study. I hope, therefore, the rea- 

 der will not condemn me for having disappoint- 

 ed him in what he had no right to expect. I 

 do not propose to give an epitome of every 

 thing worthy to be known in the new world; 

 an account of its topography, rivers, provinces, 

 towns, savages, civil and political history, or the 

 various incidents of the present revolution, on 

 twenty different sanguinary theatres of war. 

 I have undertaken to give a narrative of a voy- 

 age of nearly twenty thousand miles, with all 

 that I saw and heard, or could collect from au- 

 thentic sources, at the places where I touched; 

 I considered it necessary to read much, and 

 with care, in order to direct my attention to 

 proper objects of observation, and to avoid mis- 

 taking crudities for new discoveries. Few can , 

 tell how many volumes the traveller, who is 

 anxious to discharge his task with fidehty, must 

 pore over, before he can venture to write down 

 a few lines. 



What is wanted at present, is not so much a 

 work embracing the necessary information on 



