- This curious and rare work, depicts with great fidelity
and naivete, the manners, opinions, government, religion, &c. that
prevailed in the Canaries, when they were first conquered.
652. Essai sur les Isles Fortunees, et l'Antique Atlantide. Par Borry de
Saint Vincent. Paris, 1803. 4to. The author of this work resided for some
time in these Islands; and his work, besides historical information, bears
testimony to his having employed his residence in gaining minute
information respecting their soil, climate, natural history, and
productions; and likewise respecting the manners, &c. of the inhabitants.
There is much learned discussion respecting the origin of the Guanches, and
interesting information regarding their civilization and knowledge.
653. Noticias de la Historia general de las Islas de Canaria. Par D.J.
Dariera y Clavigo. Madrid, 1771. 3 vols. 8vo. Borry de Saint Vincent, who
derived much of his information from this work, justly characterizes it as
a valuable and accurate performance.
The Islands of Madeira, Teneriffe, St. Jago, &c. are described in many
Voyages to the East Indies, particularly in Barrow's Voyage to Cochin
China. In the first volume of Sir Hans Sloane's Jamaica, there is also a
good account of Madeira.
THE SOUTH OF AFRICA.
The Cape of Good Hope being generally visited by ships going to the East
Indies and China, there are many accounts of it and the adjacent
country, in the relation of voyages to those parts. Since it came into
the possession of the British, this part of Africa has frequently become
the ultimate and special object of travellers. The oldest accounts were
published in the Dutch and German languages.
654. Reise Beschriebung, 1660-1667 unter die Africanisken Vaelker besonders
die Hottentiten. Von. J. Breyer. Leips. 1681. 8vo.
655. Reise nach dem Vorgeberg der Guten Hopnung. Von Peter Kolb. Nuremberg,
3 vol. fol. - This voluminous work, originally published in Dutch, was
abridged and published in French, in 3 vols. 12mo. From this abridgment, an
English translation was published in 2 vols. 8vo. in 1738. Both the entire
and abridged work have been frequently published. The reason for this
popularity and general sale, must be sought in Kolben's work, being, for a
long time, the only detailed account of this part of Africa, and from its
enjoying a reputation for accuracy, which subsequent travellers have
destroyed, especially De la Caille, the celebrated astronomer, in the
following work.
656. Journal du Voyage fait au Cap de Bonne Esperance. Paris, 1673.
12mo. - This work is well known to astronomers; but it also deserves to be
perused by those who wish to detect the errors of Kolben, and by the light
which it throws on the manners of the Hottentots.
657. Description du Cap de Bonne Esperance. Amsterdam, 1778. 8vo. - This
work, translated from the Dutch, contains a Journal of Travels into the
interior, undertaken by order of the Dutch Governor. The first part gives a
short description of the Cape, and the adjacent districts, which seems
drawn from the authority of Kolben, in too many particulars; the second
part contains the Journal of the Travels:
