A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xviii Part 29

But there is a second objection to a select catalogue to be considered. The information and research of the person who draws it up may be inadequate to the task, or his judgment may be erroneous. This observation, however, applies to a complete catalogue--indeed the first part of it,--the information and research requisite, in a greater degree to a complete than to a select catalogue; and with respect to the judgment required, it will be equally required in a complete catalogue, if the bad and indifferent works are distinguished from the good ones; and if they are not, such a catalogue, we have already shewn, can only lead astray into unnecessary or prejudicial reading.

Whoever draws up a catalogue, or gives to the public a work on any particular subject, is bound to make it as good as he can; but, after all, he must not expect that there will be no difference of opinion about his labours. Some will think (to confine ourselves to the catalogue) that he has admitted books that ought not to have found a place in it; whereas others will impeach his diligence, his information, or his judgment, because he has omitted books which they think ought to have entered into it. All, therefore, that a person who engages to draw up a catalogue can do, is to exercise and apply as much research and judgment as possible, and to request his readers, if they find general proofs of such research and judgment, to attribute the omission of what they think ought to have been inserted, or the insertion of what they think ought to have been omitted, to difference of opinion, rather than to a deficiency in research or judgment.

It may be proper to remark, with regard to the principle of selection pursued, that many works are admitted which do not bear the t.i.tle of travels; this has been done, wherever, though not under that t.i.tle, they are the result of the actual travels and observations, or enquiries of the authors. The form into which information respecting the agriculture, manufactures, commerce, antiquities, natural history, manners, &c. of foreign countries is cast, or the t.i.tle under which it is communicated to the world, is obviously of little consequence, provided the information is not merely compiled by a stranger to the country, and is accurate and valuable. Such works, however, as are avowedly written for scientific purposes, and for the exclusive use of scientific men, and are consequently confined to scientific researches and information conveyed in the peculiar language of the science, are omitted.

So much for the plan on which this catalogue has been drawn up. Before we proceed to explain the arrangement pursued, it may be proper to make a few remarks on some intermediate points. One advantage of a select catalogue over a complete one is, that it occupies less room. With the same object in view, only the t.i.tle in the original language is given where there is no translation of the work into the English or French; only translations into English or French are noticed, where such exist, and not the original work; and all the articles are numbered, so that a short and easy reference may be made from one article to another.

Room is thus evidently saved, and not, in our opinion, by any sacrifice of utility. For German or Spanish scholars it is unnecessary to translate the t.i.tles of German or Spanish books, and for the mere English scholar it is useless. Translations into the French are noticed in preference to the original, because this language is at present familiar to every literary man in Britain, and French works can easily be obtained; and the German or Spanish scholar, who wishes to obtain and peruse the original, can be at no loss to procure it from the translated t.i.tle. The advantage of numbering the articles will be immediately explained in treating of the arrangement.

The catalogue is arranged in the following manner:

After noticing a few of the most useful works which contain instructions to travellers, in the first place, Collections and Histories of Voyages and Travels are placed: next follow Voyages round the World;--Voyages and Travels which embrace more than one quarter of the World;--Travels in Europe generally;--Travels in more than one Country of Europe;--Travels in each particular Country of Europe. It is in this particular department of the Catalogue that the plan of reference by numbers is more especially necessary and useful; for the Index to the Catalogue being drawn up with reference to the numbers, not only those travels which are confined to one country,--France, for instance,--may easily be found, but also all those travels which comprehend France along with other countries.

The same arrangement is pursued in the other parts of the world,--Asia, Africa, America, Australasia, and Polynesia. The articles are arranged as nearly as possible in the chronological order in which the voyages and travels were performed in each particular country, and the countries are placed according to their geographical relation to one another.

I.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRAVELERS.

1. L'Utilite des Voyages qui concernent la Connoissance des Inscriptions, Sentences, Dieux, Lares, Peintures anciennes, Bas Reliefs, &c. Langues, &c.; avec un Memoire de quelques Observations generales qu'on peut faire pour ne pas voyager inutilement. Par Ch. C. Baudelot Dairval. 2 vol. 12mo.

Paris 1656.--The Rouen edition is much inferior. This is an excellent work.

2. C. Linnaeus on the Benefit of Travelling in one's own Country. (In Stillingfleet's Tracts.) This was published in Latin, separately, and in the Amoenitates Academicae, in the Select, ex Amoenit.; and in the Fundamenta Botanices of Gilibert.

3. Instructio Peregrinatoris, Dissertatio. Praeside C. Linnaeo. 1759, 4to.

4. Memoire Instructif sur la Maniere de ra.s.sembler, de preparer, de conserver, et d'envoyer les diverses Curiosites d'Histoire Naturelle. Par Turgot. 1758. 8vo.--This work is also appended to "Avis pour le Transport par Mer des Arbres, des Plantes vivaces, des s.e.m.e.nces, et de diverses autres Curiosites d'Histoire Naturelle. Par L.H. Duhamel." Published at Paris, 1753. 12mo.

5. Directions in what Manner Specimens of all Kinds may be collected, preserved, &c. By J.R. Forster. London, 1771.--This tract, worthy of its well-informed and able author, was published along with his Catalogue of North American Animals.

6. The Naturalist's and Traveller's Companion. By J.C. Lettsom, M.D.

London, 1799 8vo.

7. a.n.a.lysis of the Natural Cla.s.sification of Mammalia, for the Use of Travellers.

Introduction to the Ornithology of Cuvier, for the Use of Travellers.

Introduction to Conchology, for the Use of Travellers. By T.E. Bowdich.

Paris, 1821-2. 8vo.

8. Instructions for Travellers. By Dean Tucker. 1757. 4to.

9. Essay to direct and extend the Enquiries of patriotic Travellers. By Count Berchtold.--The second volume contains a Catalogue of Travels in Europe; the first alone relates to the subject of the t.i.tle. 2 vols. 8vo.

1789.

10. Essay on the Study of Statistics; intended to a.s.sist the Enquiries of inexperienced Travellers. By D. Boileau. 12mo. 1807.

11. Fried. J. Freyherr von Gunderode Gedanken uber Reisen. Frankfort, 1781.

8vo.

12. Apodenick, oder die kunst zu Reisen von Posselt. Leipsic, 1795.

8vo.--This is an excellent work.

13. Uber den Worth und Nutzen der Fussreisen. Hanover, 1805. 8vo.--We notice this work, because it points out the superior advantages possessed by foot travellers, in exploring the natural beauties and natural history of a country.

II.

COLLECTIONS AND HISTORIES OF VOYAGES AND TRAVELS.

14. The princ.i.p.al Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, made by Sea or Over-land, to the remote and farthest distant Quarters of the Earth. By Richard Hakluyt, 3 vols. fol. 1598, 1599, 1600.--This work is often incomplete; the completeness of it may be ascertained by its containing the voyage to Cadiz, which was suppressed by order of Queen Elizabeth, after the disgrace of the Earl of Ess.e.x. The first volume of this collection contains Voyages to the North and North-east: The True State of Iceland; The Defeat of the Spanish Armada: The Victory at Cadiz, &c. The second volume contains Voyages to the South and South-east Parts of the World: and the third to North America, the West Indies, and round the World. It has lately been republished.

15. S. Purchas, his Pilgrims and Pilgrimages, 5 vols. folio, 1625-26.--The first volume contains Voyages by the Ancient Circ.u.mnavigators of the Globe: Voyages along the Coasts of Africa to the East-Indies, j.a.pan, China, Philippines, and the Persian and Arabian Gulphs. Vol. 2. contains Voyages and Relations of Africa, Ethiopia, Palestina, Arabia, Persia, Asia. Vol. 3.

Tartary, China, Russia, North-west America, and the Polar Regions. Vol. 4.

America and the West Indies. Vol. 5. Early History of the World; of the East Indies; Egypt; Barbary, &c. &c.

16. A General Collection of Voyages and Travels. Published by Astley. 4 vols. 4to. 1745.

17. A Collection of Voyages and Travels, some now first printed from original MSS.; others now first published in English. By Churchill. 6 vols.

folio. 1732.

18. Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca. Harris's Collection of Voyages and Travels, from Hakluyt, Purchas, Ramusio, &c. The whole work revised and continued, by Dr. John Campbell. 2 vols. fol. 1744.

19. A General Collection of the best and most interesting Voyages and Travels, in all Parts of the World. By John Pinkerton. 1808-1814. 17 vols.

4to.

20. A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, arranged in systematic Order. By Robert Kerr. Edin. 1811-22. 18 vols. 8vo.

21. Relation de divers Voyages curieux, qui n'ont point encore ete publies, et qu'on a traduits ou tires des Originaux des Voyageurs Francais, Espagnols, Allemands, &c. &c. Par M. Thevenot. Paris, 1696. 2 vol.

fol.--This work is seldom found complete: the marks of the complete and genuine edition are given in the Bibliotheque des Voyages, vol. i. pp. 82, 83. To this work the following is a proper supplement:

22. Recueil des Voyages de M. Thevenot. Paris, 1681. 8vo.

23. Recueil des Voyages qui ont servi a l'Etabliss.e.m.e.nt et au Progres de la Campagne des Indes Orientates Hollandaises. Par Constantin.--The best editions are those of Amsterdam, 1730, and of Paris and Rouen, 1705; each in 10 vol. 12mo.

24. Recueil des Voyages au Nord, &c. Amsterdam, 1717. 8 vol. 12mo.

25. Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses. Paris, 1780, 1781. 24 vols. 12mo.

26. Memoires Orientales. Paris, 1789. 12mo.