The phenomena of Nature ; the phases of society civilisetl, 

 and semi- civil iscJ, and harbaroiia ; its manners, customs, 

 and pecuUai'ities ; tUo productions, animate and inanimate, 

 of all eliiues : the tcorld, ux short, seen everywhere, and 

 faith fully reported just as it 13, affording thus food for the 

 ijublimest and for the simplest studies, — this is, at least 

 in time of peace, a worthy department of the sailor's 

 mission. 



I do not that we are all to prmt, whether we 

 Bee anything or not ; but that a sailor, actiycly 

 employed, can hardly escape from an increasing 

 knowledge/' on subjects new to those at Iiorae, which 

 qualifies him for a very useful kind of authorship. 



My "Visit to the Indian Arckipblago" bas gtomi 

 out of tills principle. I hope the perusal of it may 

 rcflecfc on the reader some poi'tion of that information or 

 amusement) which 1 owe to it or to the days to which 

 it takes me bacfe, 



A woi-d is necessary upon one particular suhjcct, which 

 occupies four or five chapters of this book, — more space 

 tfum I had thought of assigning to it ; hut it grew mider 

 the pen ; and of all parts I feel that this necda the least 



