vlii PREFACE. 



tomparifon with what we now have, before this work 

 appeared. Thefe are countries that, from the time of 

 their difcovery, have maintained the reputation of 

 being as plcafant, as fertile, and as valuable, as any up- 

 on the globe. But though we knew this in general, 

 and, from the Spanifh defcriptions and hiflories, were 

 not altogether unacquainted with many particulars re- 

 lating to them ; yet with refpeft to any diftind and 

 grecile delineation of their feveral provinces, their 

 oivifions and fubdivifions, the diftribution of moun- 

 tains, rivers, plains, and other circumftances, with 

 their relations to each other, and comparative values 

 in all refpeds, they were things not barely unknown, 

 but fuch as we could never expedl to know, from the 

 nature of the Spanifh government, with any degree of 

 certainty. But by the accident of thefe gentlemen go- 

 ing thither, with no other view than the improvement 

 of knowledge, purfuing that view with the mod live- 

 ly zeal and afliduous application, and founding their 

 reputation upon a plain and candid communication of 

 all that knowledge, which, with fo much pains and la- 

 bour, they had acquired we have now as clear, con- 

 (^ife, and corred: a reprefentation of thefe extenfive re- 

 gions, as we can poffibly defire : fuch a one, as will 

 anfwer all the ends of information and inftrud:ion, en- 

 able us to difcover the errors and partialities in for- 

 mer accounts, and prevent our being amufed or mifled 

 by any erroneous relations for the future ; which are 

 certainly circumflances of very great confequence. 



The natural hiftory of thefe countries will be like- 

 wife found in the following; iheets, in a manner no lefs 

 perfe(!5l and pleafmg. I'hefe gentlemen went about 

 it in a proper method^ and with the talents rcquifite 

 £0 the complete accompiifhment of their defign. They 

 faw things with their own eyes, they enquired careful- 

 ly, but they took nothing upon truft ; on the contra- 

 ry, they difcovercd, and they have difclofedy many er- 

 rors 



