Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca . 
Or, A Complete Collection of 
VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 
BOOK I. 
An Account of the Circum-N avigations of the Globe, and of 
the Difcoveries of the Eafl and W Indies. 
CHAP. I. 
The HISTORY of the Circum-Navigators. 
SECT T'Q N L 
I. The perfeB Knowledge of the Globe due to Modern Inquiries. 2. Reafons why the Navigation of the 
Antients was imperfect. 3. 'They knew not with Certainty the Figure of the Earth. 4. Underfoot 
Afronomy but indifferently , 5. 'And were ignorant of the UJe of the Needle . 6 . The Moderns have 
overcome all thefe Difficulties. 7. Many of them have furrounded the Globe. 8. Introduction to the 
Itifory of thefe Cir cum-navigations . 9. Our Reafons for including that of Columbus in their Number . 
H E accurate Knowledge of thisGlobe 
of Earth and Water in general, and 
of many of its Parts in particular, is 
owing to the fuperior Skill of the 
Moderns in Mathematical Sciences, 
and ought therefore to be confidered 
as one of the noblefl Trophies of 
the Force of human Underftand- 
ing •, I mean with refped to Reafoning right upon Principles 
once laid down, however thofe Principles mightbe difcovered 
by Accident, or by Thought. I would not be underftood 
to infinuate any thing to the Prejudice of thofe antient 
Sages, who may with great Juftice be {tiled the Fathers 
of Science ; but only affert a Truth which may be incon- 
teftably proved, that the Glory of difcovering the ter- 
raqueous Globe, and bringing Navigation almoft to Per- 
fection, is due to the Moderns. 
2. It is clear, that the Antients were under an abfolute 
Incapacity of making great Difcoveries by Sea for many 
Reafons, but particularly for thefe Three ; Firft, That 
they had no juft Notion of the Figure of the Earth ; Se- 
condly, They were very indifferent Aftronomers, efpecially 
with regard to the pradical Part of that Science - s and. 
Thirdly, They were able to make no Voyages of Con- 
fequence for want of knowing the wonderful directive Pro- 
perty of the Loadftone. 
. 3. With refped to the Figure of the Earth, almoft every 
eminent Philofopher was of a different Opinion : Thales 
the Father of the Greek Philofophy believed, that it floated 
upon the Water like a Bowl ; and Anaximander would have 
it, that it refembled a Column or Stone Pillar j Democritus , 
Numb. I. 
otherwife a very great Man, thought it hollow, like a Difh ; 
and Anaximenes taught, that it was flat, like a Table, and 
fuftained by the inferior Air. Leucippus defcribed it as 
approaching neareft the Figure of a Drum. In fucceeding 
Times, La A ant ins and Augufiine thought the Earth infi- 
nitely extended downwards, grounding this Notion upon 
the Scriptures, or rather feeking Afliftance from them, in 
Support of their Opinion. It is moft evident from this 
Diverfity of Sentiments, that they could draw no juft Con- 
clufions, either as to the Parts of it that were then undift 
covered, or of the Means of difcovering them ; in order 
to which, nothing was fo neceffary as having true Notions 
as to the Figure of the Earth, or at leaft fuch Notions as 
came near the Truth. 
4. In regard to Aftronomy, they were likewife much at a 
Eofs. Hipparchus was the firft who made aCatalogueof the 
fixed Stars, and he flourifhed about 1 50 Years before Chrifi. 
About 300 Years afterwards the famous Ptolemy corrected 
his Tables, and eftablifhed a Syftem which lafted many 
hundred Years, though there were great Errors in his Cal- 
culations which were in part redified by the famous Tycho 
Brahe , who flourifhed not much above 100 Years ago. I 
fay nothing of later Difcoveries, becaufe they have been, 
made by the Help of the Telefcope, an Inflrument as 
little known to Tycho Brahe as to Hipparchus •, and yet the 
former has not been found to err much above Two Minutes, 
even by the bell modern Aftronomers, whereas Hipparchus 
often failed half a Degree in Longitude and Latitude and 
every body knows how far fuch Imperfedions muft affed 
that Science, when applied to Navigation. 
B 
5, But 
