PREFACE- 



A COMMON complaint is, the want of infor- 

 mation on the subject of South America, but 

 the meaning of all who make it, is not precisely 

 the same. By far the greater number, having 

 given but little attention to the geography and 

 history of that vast continent, seem to think that 

 the deficiency hes in the stock of information al- 

 ready accumulated. This, however, is amis- 

 take; for the works already published, ancient 

 and modern, are sufficient to occupy years of 

 study. The writings of Robertson, and Raynal, 

 are to be procured almost every where; al- 

 though the works of Herrera, Garcilasso, Ovei- 

 do, and others, are extremely rare, yet, they 

 have furnished materials for numerous compi- 

 lers. In times comparatively modern, the wri- 

 tings of UUoa, Humboldt, Depons, MoMna, and 

 Azara, contain a fund of information with re- 



