&c. and that of Braſil are not to be paſſed by, without a little Notice. It must be obſerved, that our ſpeculative Mathematicians and Geographers, who are, no doubt, Men of the greatest Learning, ſeldom travel farther than their Cloſets for their Knowledge, &c. are therefore unqualified to give us a good Deſcription of Countrieſ: It is for this Reaſon that all our Maps and Atlaſſes are ſo monſtrouſly faulty, for theſe Gentlemen are obliged to take their Accounts from the Reports of illiterate Men.
It must be noted alſo, that when the Maſters of Ships make Diſcoveries this Way, they are not fond of communicating them; a Man’s knowing this or that Coaſt, better than others, recommends him in his Buſineſs, and makes him more uſeful, and he’ll no more diſcover it than a Tradeſman will the Myſtery of his Trade.
The Gentleman who has taken the Pains to make theſe Obſervations, is Mr. Atkins, a Surgeon, an ingenious Man in his own Profeſſion, and one who is not ty’d down by any narrow Conſiderations from doing a Service to the Publick, and has been pleaſed generouſly to communicate them for the good of others. I don’t doubt, but his Obſervations will be found curious and very ſerviceable to ſuch as Trade to thoſe Parts, beſides a Method of Trade is here laid down with the Portugueſe, which may prove of great Profit to ſome of our Countrymen, if followed according to his Plan.
It is hoped theſe Things will ſatiſfy the Publick, that the Author of the following Sheets conſidered nothing ſo much as making the Book uſeful;tho’ he has been informed, that ſome Gentlemen have rais’d an Objection against the Truth of its Contents, viz. that it ſeems calculated to entertain and divert.If the Facts are related with ſome Agreeableneſs and Life, we hope it will not be imputed as a Fault; but as to its Credit, we can aſſure them that the Sea-faring Men, that is all that know the Nature of theſe Things, have not been able to make the leaſt Objection to its Credit:And he will be bold to affirm,