General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 18 Historical Sketch of the Progress of Discovery, Navigation, and Commerce, from t

Robert Kerr

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pubOne.info present you this new edition. The curiosity of that man must be very feeble and sluggish, and his appetite for information very weak or depraved, who, when he compares the map of the world, as it was known to the ancients, with the map of the world as it is at present known, does not feel himself powerfully excited to inquire into the causes which have progressively brought almost every speck of its surface completely within our knowledge and access. To develop and explain these causes is one of the objects of the present work; but this object cannot be attained, without pointing out in what manner Geography was at first fixed on the basis of science, and has subsequently, at various periods, been extended and improved, in proportion as those branches of physical knowledge which could lend it any assistance, have advanced towards perfection. We shall thus, we trust, be enabled to place before our readers a clear, but rapid view of the surface of the globe, gradually exhibiting a larger portion of known regions, and explored seas, till at last we introduce them to the full knowledge of the nineteenth century

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• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 06 novembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819931560
• Langue: English

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A
GENERAL
HISTORY AND COLLECTION
OF
VOYAGES AND TRAVELS,
ARRANGED IN SYSTEMATIC ORDER:
FORMING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN ANDPROGRESS
OF NAVIGATION, DISCOVERY, AND COMMERCE,
BY SEA AND LAND,
FROM THE EARLIEST AGES TO THE PRESENT TIME.
PREFACE.
The curiosity of that man must be very feeble andsluggish, and his appetite for information very weak or depraved,who, when he compares the map of the world, as it was known to theancients, with the map of the world as it is at present known, doesnot feel himself powerfully excited to inquire into the causeswhich have progressively brought almost every speck of its surfacecompletely within our knowledge and access. To develop and explainthese causes is one of the objects of the present work; but thisobject cannot be attained, without pointing out in what mannerGeography was at first fixed on the basis of science, and hassubsequently, at various periods, been extended and improved, inproportion as those branches of physical knowledge which could lendit any assistance, have advanced towards perfection. We shall thus,we trust, be enabled to place before our readers a clear, but rapidview of the surface of the globe, gradually exhibiting a largerportion of known regions, and explored seas, till at last weintroduce them to the full knowledge of the nineteenth century. Inthe course of this part of our work, decisive and instructiveillustrations will frequently occur of the truth of these mostimportant facts, — that one branch of science can scarcely advance,without advancing some other branches, which in their turn, repaythe assistance they have received; and that, generally speaking,the progress of intellect and morals is powerfully impelled byevery impulse given to physical science, and can go on steadily andwith full and permanent effect, only by the intercourse ofcivilised nations with those that are ignorant and barbarous.
But our work embraces another topic; the progress ofcommercial enterprise from the earliest period to the present time.That an extensive and interesting field is thus opened to us willbe evident, when we contrast the state of the wants and habits ofthe people of Britain, as they are depicted by Cæsar, with thewants and habits even of our lowest and poorest classes. In Cæsar'stime, a very few of the comforts of life, — scarcely one of itsmeanest luxuries, — derived from the neighbouring shore of Gaul,were occasionally enjoyed by British Princes: in our time, thedaily meal of the pauper who obtains his precarious and scantypittance by begging, is supplied by a navigation of some thousandmiles, from countries in opposite parts of the globe; of whoseexistence Cæsar had not even the remotest idea. In the time ofCæsar, there was perhaps no country, the commerce of which was soconfined:— in our time, the commerce of Britain lays the wholeworld under contribution, and surpasses in extent and magnitude thecommerce of any other nation.
The progress of discovery and of commercialintercourse are intimately and almost necessarily connected; wherecommerce does not in the first instance prompt man to discover newcountries, it is sure, if these countries are not totallyworthless, to lead him thoroughly to explore them. The arrangementof this work, in carrying on, at the same time, a view of theprogress of discovery, and of commercial enterprise, is, therefore,that very arrangement which the nature of the subject suggests. Themost important and permanent effects of the progress of discoveryand commerce, on the wealth, the power, the political relations,the manners and habits, and the general interests and character ofnations, will either appear on the very surface of our work, or,where the facts themselves do not expose them to view, they will bedistinctly noticed.
A larger proportion of the volume is devoted to theprogress of discovery and enterprise among the ancients, than amongthe moderns; or, — to express ourselves more accurately, — theperiod that terminates with the discovery of America, andespecially that which comprehends the commerce of the Phoeniceans,of the Egyptians under the Ptolemies, of the Greeks, and of theRomans, is illustrated with more ample and minute details, than theperiod which has elapsed since the new world was discovered. Tomost readers, the nations of antiquity are known by their warsalone; we wished to exhibit them in their commercial character andrelations. Besides, the materials for the history of discoverywithin the modern period are neither so scattered, nor so difficultof access, as those which relate to the first period. After thediscovery of America, the grand outline of the terraqueous part ofthe globe may be said to have been traced; subsequent discoveriesonly giving it more boldness or accuracy, or filling up theintervening parts. The same observation may in some degree beapplied, to the corresponding periods of the history of commerce.Influenced by these considerations, we have therefore exhibited theinfancy and youth of discovery and commerce, while they werestruggling with their own ignorance and inexperience, in thestrongest and fullest light.
At the conclusion of the work is given a selectCatalogue of Voyages and Travels, which it is hoped will be foundgenerally useful, not only in directing reading and inquiry, butalso in the formation of a library.
This Historical Sketch has been drawn up withreference to, and in order to complete Kerr's Collection of Voyagesand Travels, and was undertaken by the present Editor inconsequence of the death of Mr. Kerr. But though drawn up with thisobject, it is strictly and entirely an independent and separatework.
Kerr's Collection contains a great variety of verycurious and interesting early Voyages and Travels, of rareoccurrence, or only to be found in expensive and voluminousCollections; and is, moreover, especially distinguished by acorrect and full account of all Captain Cook's Voyages.
To the end of this volume is appended a Tabular Viewof the Contents of this Collection; and it is believed that thisTabular View, when examined and compared with the Catalogue, willenable those who wish to add to this Collection such Voyages andTravels as it does not embrace, especially those of very recentdate, all that are deserving of purchase and perusal.
W. STEVENSON.
March 30, 1824.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF DISCOVERY,and c. and c.
CHAPTER I.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF DISCOVERY, ANDOF COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE, FROM THE EARLIEST RECORDS, TO THE TIME OFHERODOTUS. B. C. 450.
The earliest traces of navigation and commerce arenecessarily involved in much obscurity, and are, besides, few andfaint. It is impossible to assign to them any clear and definitechronology; and they are, with a few exceptions, utterlyuncircumstantial. Nevertheless, in a work like this, they ought notto be passed over without some notice; but the notice we shallbestow upon them will not be that either of the chronologist orantiquarian, but of a more popular, appropriate, and usefuldescription.
The intercourse of one nation with another firsttook place in that part of the world to which a knowledge of theoriginal habitation of mankind, and of the advantages for sea andland commerce which that habitation enjoyed, would naturally leadus to assign it. On the shores of the Mediterranean, or at no greatdistance from that sea, among the Israelites, the Phoenicians, andthe Egyptians, we must look for the earliest traces of navigationand commerce; and, in the only authentic history of the remotestperiod of the world, as well as amidst the scanty and fabulousmaterials supplied by profane writers, these nations are uniformlyrepresented as the most ancient navigators and traders.
The slightest inspection of the map of this portionof the globe will teach us that Palestine, Phoenicia, and Egyptwere admirably situated for commerce both by sea and land. It is,indeed, true that the Phoenicians, by the conquests of Joshua, wereexpelled from the greatest part of their territory, and obliged toconfine themselves to a narrow slip of ground between Mount Lebanonand the Mediterranean; but even this confined territory presentedopportunities and advantages for commerce of no mean importance:they had a safe coast, — at least one good harbour; and thevicinity of Lebanon, and other mountains, enabled them to obtain,with little difficulty and expence, a large supply of excellentmaterials for shipbuilding. There are, moreover, circumstanceswhich warrant the supposition, that, like Holland in modern times,they were rather the carriers of other nations, than extensivelyengaged in the commerce of their own productions or manufactures.On the north and east lay Syria, an extensive country, covered witha deep rich soil, producing an abundant variety of valuablearticles. With this country, and much beyond it, to the east, themeans and opportunities of communication and commerce were easy, bythe employment of the camel; while, on the other hand, the caravansthat carried on the commerce of Asia and Africa necessarily passedthrough Phoenicia, or the adjacent parts of Palestine.
Egypt, in some respects, was still moreadvantageously situated for commerce than Phoenicia: the trade ofthe west of Asia, and of the shores of the Mediterranean lay opento it by means of that sea, and by the Nile and the Red Sea acommercial intercourse with Arabia, Persia, and India seemed almostto be forced upon their notice and adoption. It is certain,however, that in the earliest periods of their history, theEgyptians were decidedly averse to the sea, and to maritimeaffairs, both warlike and commercial. It would be vain andunprofitable to explain the fabulous cause assigned for thisaversion: we may, however, briefly and, incidentally remark that asOsiris particularly instructed his subjects in cultivating theground; and as Typhon coincides exactly in orthography and meaningwith a word still used in the East, to signify a sudden