2 12 
GEOGRAPHICAL 
to very circumfciibed parts of its borders. Thefe moll: po- 
ducth e means of geographical information failing, the next re- 
fource is to collect materials from the beft informed amongft the 
travelled natives : I fay natives, becaufe the generality of Eu- 
ropean Travellers reckon upon fome degree of folace, as v^ell 
as the gratification of curiofity, during their peregrinations: not 
to mention, that it is more the pradice to fee what has been al- 
ready feen, than to ftrike into a new path, and dare to contem- 
plate an unfafhionable fubje6:. To the lovers of adventure and 
novelty, Africa difplays a mofl: ample field : but the qualifica- 
tion of local manners, and, in fome degree, of habits, muft in this 
cafe, be fuperadded to that of language : and this, unqueftiona- 
bly, renders the undertaking more arduous than that of an or- 
dinary Tour, But the Adventurer in queil of fame, will readily 
appreciate the degrees of glory attendant on each purfuit. 
The 1 8th century has fmlled propitioufly on the Science of 
Geography throughout the globe ; and an Engliflim.an may be 
allowed to pride himfelf that his countrymen have had their full 
fliare of the glory attending this, and other kinds of refearches 
tending to increafe the general ftock of knowledge. It is to 
this fpirit that we are to attribute the acquifition of the mate- 
rials which form the fubjed of the prefent Work. It is no lefs 
to 
