XXX 
ACCOUNT OF THE 
most desirable, that the adventures and discoveries of dis- 
tinguished travellers should be given to the public, as far 
as circumstances will permit, in the language of the par- 
ties themselves; and there is no judicious reader, who 
would not decidedly prefer the simple, but authentic, nar- 
rative of an eye-witness, to any account of the same trans- 
actions from a different hand, however superior in literary 
merit. But the custom of employing professional writers 
upon similar occasions, has become so frequent, that the 
resorting to such assistance in any particular instance can 
no longer be considered as a just subject of animadversion ; 
and, in forming our judgment upon books of voyages and 
travels (in which this practice is most common), we must 
in general rest satisfied, if we can obtain a reasonable 
assurance, that the compiler has made a correct and proper 
use of his materials. That this duty has been faithfully 
and conscientiously performed in the case of Park's Tra- 
vels, there is not the slightest reason to doubt. The 
authenticity of the work is apparent, not only, as has been 
already stated, from the internal evidence of many parts 
of the narrative, but from the known character of Park, as 
well as of Mr. Edwards, his associate ; who (there is every 
reason to believe) was a man of honour and veracity, and 
incapable of concealing or wilfully misrepresenting any 
important fact or circumstance. 
It must further be recollected, that the essential merit 
of works of this description, consists in the authenticity 
and importance of the information they contain ; compared 
with which, the beauties of style and composition are only 
of secondary and very inferior importance. The literary 
