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 title of
travels; this has been done, wherever, though not under that title, 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 title 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 title 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
titles 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 title. 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.
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