I am enabled to say that the Engraver is entitled to the greatest credit for
accuracy and fidelity to the original ; of which, even to the proportional'
sizes and forms of the letters, this is a close facsimile ; and with respect to
the engraving itself, it is not necessary for me to make any remark, as that
will sufficiently prove the talents and care that have been employed upon it.
The explanations on the face of the map will render every part of it
easy to be understood; and by having added to every one of my stations,
the date of my arrival there, it may be used with very great convenience as
a Geographical Index to the journal, by referring to the heads of the pages
for the corresponding date. It has for the Naturalist, the advantage of*
showing, by the name of the place, the season of the year at which the
various objects have been met with. Some further explanation of the names
which are here underlined, may be found at page 286 ; and for the rule by
which the different scales are formed, the note at page 90 may be consulted.
The days* journeys are of the usual length ; but are too great to be practicable
with the same cattle many days in succession. The mode in which
I ascertained the daily distances, is fully described at pages 289 and 290;
and with respect to the astronomical observations, and the longitudes given
in the Itinerary, pages 832, 204, and 556 contain some remarks.
Nearly all the latitudes were determined by observations of the meridional
altitude of stars ; and this was done from a conviction that they
admit of greater accuracy than the sun ; at least such whose annual variation
in declination have been well ascertained. For, being mere luminous-
points when viewed through the telescope of the sextant, the reflected
image may be brought to coincide with the real, with less risk of any error
of sight in the observer, than the edges of the sun’s disk. The latter requiring
the intervention of darkening glasses, have this source of error
more than the stars; and in addition to which may be placed the more rapid
change of daily declination, requiring a knowledge of the longitude for its
correction.
The use of the stars is particularly convenient for a traveller; as, in
the usual practice of obtaining the latitude from the sun’s altitude at noon,
it more frequently happens that, at that time of the day, he is on his journeys
and even if at rest, unless at that very moment that part of the sky be free
from clouds, he is liable to lose his only opportunity of knowing the latitude
of the spot; whereas, stars coming on the meridian at all hours of the
night, he seldom can be disappointed, if from any cause he should miss
the moment for any particular one; and may obtain the greatest certainty
by taking the meai* result of several stars on the same night. Or, should
other occupations prevent his observing at any particular hour, he may suit
his convenience by making use of any star, not less however than the third
magnitude, which he may at that time find on the meridian. And a further
recommendation of this method, not to be overlooked by him who travels
among the barbarous tribes of Africa, or even among the more civilized,
but more jealous nations of the other quarters of the globe, is the opportunity
which the hour and the darkness of night afford him for concealing his
operations and his instruments; the glittering appearance of which might
excite in savages the desire of possessing them, and his imprudence tempt
them even to murder.
From, my own experience of the great advantages of this practice, I
can, without'hesitation, recommend it to the adoption of others who may
be in similar circumstances. The sextant, which was on the new construction,
an excellent instrument made by Troughton of London, and with
which all my observations were made, was one of eight inches in radius,
and having the limb subdivided by the nonius to every ten seconds ; but
virtually to every five, in consequence of the real angle being doubled by
reflection from the artificial horizon.
With respect to those parts of the map not comprised in my personal
observations, more particularly the western side of the Colony, I must confess
that they have cost me considerable trouble, and have exercised the
whole of my patience; for on examining and comparing together those
maps which had previously been published, I found them, to an almost incredible
degree, at variance with each other ;. and had nearly despaired of
the possibility of combining such materials together. I undertook the task
of forming sketches of the routes, from their own narratives, of such preceding
travellers as I judged worthy of confidence, particularly Thunberg,
Sparrman, Paterson, and Lichtenstein. Although to Thunberg’s Travels
no map whatever is annexed, I was enabled by laying down his route on a
large scale, to derive from it the greatest portion of the materials obtained
by this method of making sketches.
As to the miserable thing called a map, * which has been prefixed to
* Its geographical deficiencies are so numerous, that in order to give it some appearance
of a map, by covering the blank paper with writing, the compiler of it has been reduced to the
necessity of spreading it over with scraps of information taken from the text, and with lists of
wild animals. If, in constructing this elegant map, the Shotomen at Exeter ’Change had been
consulted and advised with, they would certainly have recommended it to be written at the
edge of it, as an invitation to the readers, “ Walk in, ladies and gentlemen, and view the wild
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