persons, who honour me with peculiar 

 kindness. 1 even perceived, that so dis- 

 tinguished a preference is given to this sort 

 of composition, that scientific men, after 

 ha\ing presented in an isolated manner 

 the account of their researches on the pro- 

 ductions, the manners, and the political 

 state of the countries through which they 

 have passed, imagine that they have not 

 fulfilled their engagements with the public, 

 till they have written their itinerary. 



An historical narrative embraces two 

 very distinct objects ; the greater or less 

 important events that have a connection 

 with the purpose of the traveller, and the 

 observations which he has made during his 

 journey. The unity of composition also, 

 which distinguishes good works from those 

 on an ill constructed plan, can be strictly 

 observed only when the traveller describes 

 what has passed under his own eye ; and 

 when his principal attention has been fixed 

 less on scientific observations, than on the 

 manners of a people, and the great phe- 

 nomena of nature. Now, the most faith- 

 ful picture of manners is that, which best 



