vi 
As these reasons are personal to the author and his family, it is not necessary 
to lay them before the public; and indeed as he was always known abroad by 
the name of Ali Bey and by no other, there is no incongruity, and very little 
impropriety in continuing it. But as the publishers feel that the name may cre- 
ate impressions unfavourable to the belief of the genuineness both of the author 
and of his work, they think it right, out of respect to that public which it is 
their wish to please and their duty to satisfy, to state a few circumstances which 
they trust will remove all doubt of the reality both of Ali Bey and of his travels. 
It was in 1802 that he visited this country with a friend who was to have 
accompanied him to Africa. He was at that time introduced to Sir Joseph 
Banks, the late Dr. Maskelyne, Major Rennell, Mr. Mendoza, Sir William 
Blizard, Mr. Sharon Turner, and to the present publishers, and others. He 
stated his object to be to visit Africa; to enter it in Morocco, and to penetrate 
into the interior as far as he should find it to be practicable. Ali Bey was indebted 
to Sir William Blizard for important surgical attentions. He was master of the 
Arabic language, and had carefully studied the mathematical and natural 
branches of science and knowledge. 
In June 1803 he sailed from Spain to Morocco. We are enabled to authen- 
ticate this fact to our readers, by the permission we have received to copy two 
letters written to Mr. Sharon Turner, who had taken an interest in his expedi- 
tion; one, from the author himself, dated at Algesiras; the other from two gen- 
tlemen in the war office at Madrid, who transmitted the letter of Ali Bey. The 
first was, 
