X* 1 INTRODUCTION. 
and the union of which is the aim and end of every scientifio 
journey The maritime war, during our abode in America, having 
rendered communication with Europe very uncertain we found 
ourselves compelled, in order to diminish the chance of losses 
to form three different collections. Of these, the first was em- 
barked for Spam and Eranoe, the second for the United States 
and England, and the third, which was the most considerable re- 
mained almost constantly under our own eyes. Towards the close 
of our expedition, this last collection formed forty-two boxes 
containing an herbal of six thousand equinoctial plants, seeds’ 
shells, insects, and (what had hitherto never been brought to 
Europe) geological specimens, from the Chimborazo, New Gre- 
nada, and the banks of the river Amazon. 
After our journey to the Orinoco, we left a part of these collec- 
tions at the island of Cuba, intending to take them on our return 
from Peru to Mexico. The rest followed us during the space of 
five years, on the chain of the Andes, across New Spain, from 
the shores of the Pacific to tho coasts of the Caribbean Sea The 
conveyance of these objects, and the minute care they required 
occasioned embarrassments scarcely eonceiveable even by those 
who have traversed the most uncultivated parts of Europe. Our 
progress was often retarded by tho necessity of dragging after 
us, during expeditions of five or six months, twelve, fifteen, and 
sometimes more than twenty loaded mules, exchanging these ani- 
mals every eight or ten days, and superintending the Indians who 
were employed in driving the numerous caravan. Often, in order 
to add to our collections of new mineral substances, we found 
ourselves obliged to throw away others, which we had collected 
a considerable time before. These sacrifices were not less vex- 
atious than the losses we accidentally sustained. Sad experience 
taught us but too late, that from the sultry humidity of the 
climate, and the frequent falls of the beasts of burden, we could 
preserve neither the skins of animals hastily prepared, nor the 
fishes and reptiles placed in phials filled with alcohol I enter 
into these details, because, though little interesting in them- 
selves, they serve to show that we had no means of bringing 
back, in their natural state, many objects of zoology and compa- 
rative anatomy, of which we have published descriptions and 
drawings. Notwithstanding some obstacles, and the expense occa- 
sioned by the carriage of these articles, I had reason to applaud 
P ■ elution I had taken before my departure, of sending to 
Europe the duplicates only of the productions we collected 
I cannot too often repeat, that when the seas are infested with 
privateers, a traveller can be sure only of the objects in his own 
possession. A very few of the duplicates, which we shipped for 
Europe during our abode in America, were saved ; the greater 
part fell intc the hands of persons who feel no interest for 
