on the Red and Mediterranean feas, the Romans confidered the other parts of this continent as a barren and ufelefs wafte, the poffeffion of which could not increafe their glory ; and they, therefore, willingly left it in its original obfcurity. Nor did the arms and arts of the vidtorious Arabians fpread con- queft and knowledge beyond the limits marked by the former conquerors of this country, which, from north to fouth, extended very little farther than fix degrees, or three hundred and fixty miles. Even fo late as the fixteenth century, John Leo appears to have known fcarcely more than one half of this fection of the globe. Of the remainder, much has been fince that time difcovered, and much flill remains unexplored. Thofe objects which ambition has in many inflances overlooked, or left unattempted, the no lefs adtive fpirit of in- aufiry has adverted to, and attained. This has been in fome meafure the cafe with refpedt to Africa, but in a very confined degree. The hope of gain, which has led the fons of Europe to traverfe vaft oceans in fearch of diftant, and fometimes imaginary territories, has, in this part of the world, confined its. operations to the coaft, and the adjacent country. The gold dull, which rolls from the mountains, the ivory, and above all, the devoted vidtims of tyranny and avarice, have tempted the enterprifing mariner frequently to revifit fome part of ¡ts ihores. But here his curiofity, or his defire of gain, have been fatisfied, or at leait were not fufficiently powerful to tempt him to explore a country where his profits were uncertain, and his fatigue and dangers unavoidable ; and the interior regions of Africa ftill continue unvalued, only, perhaps, becaufe unknown. ' But if ambition did not tempt the conquerors of the world ^7- to extend their empire acrofs the dreary defarts of Africa, nor '— >— J commerce induce mankind to examine a country, the external appearance of which prefents few allurements to the mere lovers of gain, to compenfate for the dangers of exploring dreary and fcorching regions, inhabited by ravenous beafts and noxious reptiles ; yet there is one defcription of men to whom, with all their terrors, they will afford the moft ample gratification. The admirer of Nature has, in this country, a wide field for inveftigation ; here he will difcover objedts amply fuf- ficient to fatisfy the moft inquifitive tafte : here he will find every objedt, fimple and unadorned ; and will behold, in the uncivilized Hottentot, thofe virtues, wThich he, perhaps, fought for in civilized fociety in vain. Impreffed with thefe fentiments, and incited by the profpedt of a country, the productions of which were unknown, I left England with a view to gratify a curiofity, which, if not laudable, was at leaft innocent. In this undertaking, I account myfelf particularly fortunate in having been patronized by the Honourable Lady Strathmore, whofe zeal for botanical re- fearches induced her readily to accede to the propofal of exploring an unknown country in fearch of new plants, and to honour me with her protedtion and fupport. The period when we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, being the middle of May, it was too late in the feafon to go into Table Bay with fafety, owing to the variable ftate of the weather at this time, which is that of the fetting in of the
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