24 
MEMOIR OP LE VAILLANT. 
published by M. Le Vaillant, as well as in the 
letters which he wrote to his friends. 
These deficiencies, however, are but trifles, and 
cannot in a scientific point of view derogate from 
the merits of the author. His travels are written 
in a spirited and agreeable manner ; they are rather 
meagre of events, because his wanderings were 
chiefly across deserts and mountains, which do not 
in general afford a very rich harvest for detail ; 
nevertheless, he has contrived to incorporate with 
his narratives a variety of most interesting particu- 
lars. His minuteness is sometimes more amusing 
than important ; but what he relates of his monkey, 
Kees, stands in no need of the apology which he 
has thought it necessary to record on the subject. 
Some writers have reproached our traveller with 
vanity, especially with regard to his shooting ex- 
ploits, which he is accused of introducing too often 
upon the scene, and to the results of which he is 
alleged to attach too much consequence. These 
little peculiarities, however, as well as his occasional 
indications of self-importance and professional en- 
thusiasm, may be accounted pardonable infirmities 
in a man who had made so many personal sacrifices 
to enlarge the bounds of Natural Science, by bring- 
ing home several rare specimens from the unex- 
plored deserts of Africa. The same excuse may be 
urged in vindication of the whimsical compliments 
which he pays to savage life at the expense of civi- 
lized society. His views, however, of men and 
