E ] 
ating writer bargained, if I may fay fo, 
with the public credulity, and thought him- 
felf well I'ecompenfed if he found only 
one-half of the bombaft and the wonder- 
ful contained in his work exploded. The * 
fciences wandered in the darknefs of un- 
certainty, and natural hiftory was not even 
in its infancy. 
By little and little the genius of difco- 
veries extended her wings, and the letters 
and the arts have given place to the fci- 
ences. A paflion for travelling is awakened; 
that defire, ftill more infatiable, of acquir- 
ing knowledge, and comparing the objefls 
of it, has increafed in proportion to the 
wondets produced by ic : the more dan- 
gers have been removed, the more men 
have paffed their ancient bounds; and what 
formerly appeared an infurmountable ob- 
ftacle, at prefent is only a puerile excufe, 
a fhameful evafion to conceal one's weak- 
nefs and timidity. 
Being educated more than any other 
perfon in quite different principles, I al- 
ways entertained a moft ardent defire for 
travelling, which I endeavoured to reprefs ; 
but it was only by yielding to its tranf- 
ports, 
