A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 18 / Historical Sketch of the Progress of Discovery, Navigation, and / Commerce, from the Earliest Records to the Beginning of the Nineteenth / Century, By William Stevenson

by Robert Kerr; William Stevenson

The most ancient descriptions of these countries are to be found in the collections of M. Thevenot, and Ramusio, already noticed.

671. Lobos's Voyage to Abyssinia, with fifteen Dissertations relating to Abyssinia. By Le Grand. 8vo. 1789.--This account of Abyssinia during the middle of the seventeenth century, though principally relating to church affairs, is yet valuable for its information on the government and manners of the people, and curious, as giving indications or descriptions of several animals and birds, the existence of which had been previously doubted.

672. Travels in Abyssinia. By James Barretti. 1670. 8vo.

673. A new History of Ethiopia. By Joseph Ludolphus. fol. 1684.--Though Ludolphus did not visit this country, yet his work, originally published in Latin, with a commentary and appendix by himself, is well worthy of perusal, as it is full of recondite and important information on the origin of the Abyssinians, the climate, soil, productions, and the natural history, physical and moral state of the inhabitants, &c.

674. Bruce's Travels to discover the Source of the Nile. 5 vols. 4to. 1790.--Account of his Life and Writings, and additions to his Travels. By Alex. Murray. 4to. 1808.

675. Observations on Bruce's Travels. By Warton. 1799, 4to.

676. Observations on the authenticity of Bruce's Travels. Newcastle. 1800. 4to. We have added to the title of Bruce's work, those of two works which remarked on its authenticity; there were also some acute papers on the subject in the Monthly Magazine: the result of these, and of the researches of subsequent travellers, seems to have established the credit of Bruce generally, though it is now known he did not reach the source of the real Nile, and that in some descriptions he coloured too highly. After all these drawbacks, however, his Travels are very valuable, and, with the exception of the tedious annals of Abyssinia, may be perused with interest and profit.

677. Salt's Voyage to Abyssinia, and Travels into the interior of that country. 1809-10: with an account of the Portuguese Settlements on the east coast of Africa. 4to. 1814.

678. Pearce's true account of the ways and manners of the Abyssinians. (In the Transactions of the Bombay Society, vol. 2.)

These two works have extended our knowledge of Abyssinia, especially of the moral state of the people, much beyond what it might have been expected we should have acquired regarding a country formerly so inaccessible. Mr. Salt's zeal, and opportunities of information and observation, have left little to be desired: and from Mr. Pearce, who resided fourteen years in the country, many particulars may be gathered, which only a long residence, and that intimacy and amalgamation with the natives which Mr. Pearce accomplished, can furnish accurately, minutely, and fully.