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:
