tal philofophy. From thefe fources natural hiftory derives its moil copious ftreams : and the obfervations which, in compofitions o f this kind, every where occur on winds and feafons, foils and climates, in ihort, on the whole of what may be called Jlill nature, are undoubtedly o f the greateil advantage to phyfical fcience. With refpe<£t to moral philoiophy and metaphyiics, it may be fufficient to mention the works of P auw , R a y n a l , K a im e s , and Rob e r t so n , to evince the utility of journals and defcriptions of voyages in thefe and fimilar reiearches. It is alfo worthy of obfervation, that it is the modern philofophers chiefly, and the living inftrudlors o f our own times, who have moftly had recourfe to thefe treafures, as containing the heft materials for the purpofe o f building their fyftems, or at leaft, as being bell adapted to' the fupport and confirmation o f their dodlrines. Few, indeed, are the travellers, whofe writings may be relied on as the pure fources of truth, unadulterated with error, or undifguifed’ by wilful mifreprefentation. But fs the number o f writers anfwering to this defcription greater among thofe who have colledled and reported fadls, avowedly for the purpofe o f rendering them fubfervient to philofophy ? Have not, on the contrary, the major part of thefe colledtors greatly diftorted and mifrepreferited the fails they have laid before the public, in confequence of a previous attachment to favourite fyftems! Doubtlefs they have ; P R E F A C E , have; and it is therefore in the original writers of itineraries and journals, that the philofopher looks for genuine truth and real obfervation; as the authors o f them for the moll part have had neither philofophical abilities, nor any other motive fufficient to induce them to report thefe fails, otherwife than they have prefented themfelves to their notice. The author o f this journal, though a man o f much real knowledge and genuine learning, difcovers in every page o f his book too little attachment to fyftem and hypothefis, to allow us to fuppofe him likely to be guilty of a fimilar error. Fired with the love of fcience and of truth, he fet out for the defert wilds o f Africa, without money, and without friends or fupport of any kind; and was even obliged to labour for fome time, before he could acquire wealth enough to enable him to put his favourite fcheme in execution. In this refpedl, indeed, he may deferve to be compared to our illuitrious countryman, the prefent prefident of the Royal Society, whofe zeal for the promotion of ufeful knowledge induced him, at nearly the fame age, though at a fomewhat earlier period, to go on a much more dangerous and extenfive expedition, than that which is the principal fubjeit o f the following fheets, and to facrifice fortune, eafe and health, in the caufe of fcience. Indeed, exclufively of the confiderations above-mentioned, the work itfelf in every page bears evident marks of that
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