PREFACE.

No

BOOKS are more generally or more eagerly read than voyages and travels. They are recommended by every circumstance that can excite curiofity, or engage attention. They unite, in a fingular manner, the oppofite beauties of unity and variety. We attend the traveller over feas, islands, and continents; from the scene of events illuftrious in the annals of antiquity, he conducts us to vifit places diftinguifhed by fome great tranfactions of modern times; from wars and battles, he turns to agriculture, manufactures, and commerce; with the detail of his adventures, he interweaves the history of science, laws, arts, and manners; with facts in general hiftory, he communicates anecdotes, and exhibits portraits of private characters: Yet the hero of the tale is still the fame; the author and the hero are one; his design is not fully accomplished till the termination of his travels.

Even in this age, while a spirit of discovery is fo generally prevalent, when fo many voyages have been made to explore the remoteft parts of the globe, and fo many enterprifing travellers have penetrated into regions before unknown,-scarce have any travels been fo impatiently expected by the public, or any adventures fo eagerly inquired after, as thofe of Mr. BRUCE. Concerning

Concerning Abyffinia the ancients had communicated only a few dark imperfect hints, which served to excite curiofity, but afforded nothing to gratify it. In that vaft country, they imagined the fources of the Nile to be concealed; the laws of nature were there fufpected to vary in their operation; it was thought to be inhabited by monftrous animals, and favage tribes of men, fingularly distinguished from the rest of the world by afpect, difpofitions, and manners.

Inquiry or accident had, indeed, made the moderns fomewhat better acquainted with that part of Africa. Christianity was accidentally introduced there, and the circumftances of its introduction drew upon Abyffinia the attention of the reft of the Chriftian world; as its establishment occafioned a regular intercourse between the Christians of Abyffinia and thofe of Egypt. The Portuguese had afterwards found their way thither, affociated with the natives, and taken a part in their civil diffenfions. They had carried not only foldiers, but Jefuits into that country; and had the Jefuits been men of more enlightened minds, and lefs infuriated by blind zeal, they might poffibly have contributed to civilize the rude ferocity of the Abyffinians; and, at the same time, might have explored the topography of their country, observed their customs and manners, and traced their history. But the object of the Jefuits was to extend the influence of the See of Rome, not to illuftrate the hiftory of the regions into which they penetrated. The facts which they communicate are almost always fufpicious; for we know them to have been fometimes carelefs in their inquiries, and often difpofed to difguife or conceal the truth.

To

To discover, therefore, many particulars, concerning which no information had been received, to detect falfehood, to explore fables, and to ascertain truths,— to add, in short, another part to the history of society, and to enlarge, as it were, the limits of the known world-was a task which remained to be performed by fome traveller into Abyffinia.

When the public were informed, upon Mr. BRUCE'S return into Europe, that he had accomplished this task; having undertaken it out of curiofity, benevolence, and a love of enterprise, and having, in the prosecution of his undertaking, braved dangers, and furmounted difficulties, which, to a man of barely ordinary prudence and intrepidity, must have proved abfolutely infuperable; the account was heard with a mixture of wonder and incredulity, which produced a very impatient and anxious expectation of a particular narrative of his travels. Although the publication of such a narrative was long delayed, yet the fufpicious hints which were, from time to time, invidiously thrown out by his enemies*, the candid remonftran

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*The following remark of Baron de Tott, seems to have been wantonly thrown out to prepare the world for receiv ing Mr. Bruce's narrative with fufpicion, and has not entirely failed of its effect:

A traveller of the name of Bruce, pretends, I am told, to have difcovered them.-I faw at Cairo the fervant he took with him; the guide who conducted him; the companion of his journey. I thoroughly afcertained the fact, that he had no knowledge whatever of this difcovery; in answer to which, it can only be faid, that fo learned a man as Mr. Bruce was not obliged to give an account of his obfervations to his valet. The pride of celebrity is loft in a defart; the diftinction

ces and defences urged by his friends*, and the novelty and importance of the information which he had to communicate, ftill kept up the expectation of the public, and prepared them to receive and examine his

diftinction of master and fervant difappear before the wants which furround them, mutually anxious, and compelled as they must be, to communicate together, and to afford each other mutual fuccours, the strongest alone must have the fuperiority over his companions; and the valet I am speaking of, born in the country, had incontestably the best right of warranting, even to Mr. Bruce himself, a difcovery merely topographical.

* The following accurate paper, faid to have been written either by the Hon. Daines Barrington, or by Mr. Mason, affords a refutation of the afperfions of de Tott:

The many voyages for the better knowledge of the globe we inhabit, have been one of the most distinguished glories of the prefent reign.

Most of thefe, however, have rather been undertaken to explore very diftant feas and coafts, than to procure information with regard to the interior parts of the four great continents.

In Europe even, we are not fo well acquainted with dif tricts which belong to the Turkish empire as we should be; and we are still more ignorant in the Afiatic quarter, of that immenfe tract which lies between Thibet and the north-eaft extremity.

As for South America, we must be chiefly contented with fuch opportunities of access as the jealousy of the Spaniards will fometimes indulge to the curiofity of the French, though fuch researches are always denied to Englishmen.

The more interior parts of Africa, however, are equally open to every European nation, provided it contains travellers of enterprise and abilities; and in this divifion of the

globe

his narrative with general eagerness, whenever he fhould bring it forward.

To the entire fatisfaction of his friends, and the confufion of those who invidiously traduced his char acter,

globe the admiffion to Abyffinia hath generally been supposed to be the most difficult. It is therefore much to be regretted, that when an Englishman (fo eminently qualified as Mr. Bruce) hath made fo long a refidence in this unfrequented empire, that the public should not have yet received the very interesting information from him which he is certainly enabled to give them. It is much to be feared, indeed, that the profpect of this communication is a diftant one, and perhaps only to be expected after Mr. Bruce's death, which both his make and health feem to remove the danger of for several years..

A late traveller, however, the Baron de Tott, hath infinuated that Mr. Bruce was never at the fources of the Nile, becaufe Mr. Bruce's fervant (who was with him in Abyffinia) faid at Cairo, that he never accompanied his master to any fuch fpot..

If therefore this infinuation continues uncontradicted, as well as many other reports to the prejudice of our very diftinguished traveller, the publication (whenever it may take place) will not receive the entire credit, which I am persuaded it will most amply deserve.

Having therefore lately procured the means of difproving. this, most ill-founded infinuation of the Baron de Tott, as well as fome other objections which have been circulated against the credit of Mr. Bruce's much to be expected narrative, I think that it is right fuch information fhould be early laid before the public. Imuft at the fame time premise, that though I have the honour to be known to Mr. Bruce, yet our acquaintance is not of the most intimate kind, nor have I feen him for several years. He will not moreover receive the most distant intimation of what I am now publishing, other

A.2.

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