PREFACE. 
" ample support, which he gave me, under every 
" difficulty ; the manly firmness, which he evinced 
« on every necessary occasion; and the fortitude 
« with which he bore the fatigues and painful suf- 
" ferings incident to that long voyage, intitles him 
" to my highest confidence and sincere thanks, while 
" it eminently recommends him to the consideration 
" and respect of his fellow citizens." 
In determining the form in which the work should 
appear, the publisher had some difficulty. Two plans 
presented themselves. The one was to preserve the 
form of a daily journal (in which the original had 
been kept) and give a plain description of the coun- 
try and a simple relation of occurrences equally in- 
telligible to all readers ; leaving to every person an 
opportunity of embellishing the scenes presented to 
him in his own way. The other plan was to more 
fully digest the subject, make the narrative more 
general, and assuming less of the journal form and 
style, describe and clothe the principal parts of it 
as his fancy might suggest. However far the tat- 
ter might have been proper had a foreign country 
been the subje<:t, and the principal object of the 
publication, mere amusement, many objections oc- 
curred to it in the present case ; and rendered the . 
former the most eligible, especially as by it the 
climate and face of the country will be more satis- 
factorily described. And Mr. Gass having declared 
that the beauties and deformities of its grandest 
scenes were equally beyond the power of description, 
no attempts have been made either by him or the 
publisher to give adequate representations of them. 
The publisher hopes that the curiosity of the 
reader will be in some degree gratified ; that the 
information furnished will not be uninteresting; and 
tjiat some aid will be furnished those who wish to 
acquire a Geographical knowledge of their country. 
26^/2 Marchy 1807. 
