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PREFACE 



IT is certainly a very true, as well as trite obfer- 

 vation, that knowledge is the food of the mind ; 

 and if this be fo, then certainly that ought to have 

 the preference, which is at once equally nutritive and 

 pleafant. On this account, books of voyages and tra- 

 vels have been in fuch general efteem, and at the fame 

 time have been commended by perfons of the greatefl: 

 fagacity, and in the higheft reputation for fuperior 

 underftanding. The pleafantnefs of this kind of 

 reading has attraded many, who had before no 

 relifh for learning, and brought them by degrees to 

 enter upon feverer enquiries, in order more effedlually 

 to gratify that curiofity which this kind of ftudy na- 

 turally excites. Men of higher abilities have turned 

 their thoughts on this fubjed, from the confideration 

 of its real utility. This induced the ingenious Hakluyt 

 to make that noble colledlion, which procured him the 

 patronage of queen Elizabeth's ableft minifter. This 

 led the elder Thevenot, to enrich the French language 

 with a very copious colle6tion of the fame kind. And, 

 not to multiply examples, this made voyages and tra- 

 vels the favourite ftudy of the judicious Locke, whcr 

 looked upon it as the beft method of acquiring thole 

 ufeful and pradical lights, that ferve moft efFedlually 

 to ftrengthen and alfo to enlarge the human under- 

 Handing. 



It is indeed true, that in refped to this, as well as 

 other branches of fcience, there have been many pro- 



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