Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 V13.djvu/31

 TO JOSEPH COREA DE SERRA, MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, &C.

ZACCHEUS COLLINS, MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, &C.

WILLIAM MACLURE, PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, AND MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, &C. &C.

JOHN VAUGHAN, TREASURER AND LIBRARIAN OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, &C. &C.

Gentlemen,

Permit me to lay before you, the humble narrative of a journey, chiefly undertaken for the investigation of the natural history of a region hitherto unexplored. Excuse the imperfect performance of the gratifying task which your liberality had imposed, but which was rendered almost abortive by the visitations of affliction.

If, in so tiresome a volume of desultory remarks, you should meet with some momentary gratification, some transient amusement, or ray of information, the author will receive the satisfaction of not having laboured entirely in vain.