The PREFACE.
The first I have seen among the French, who made any Natural Observations in the West-Indies to Purpose, was John de Lery; He went to Brasile, which Voyage he wrote, and gives a good and pleasant Account of many Things he met with. The next was Andre Thevet, who publish'd an Account of Brasile, under the Name of France Antartique; he went the same Voyage, I think, the Year after de Lery, and writes of the same things, in such a manner, that one would be apt to suspect he had seen Lery's Papers. The next upon this Argument, was Jaques Bouton, who wrote of the Island Martinico, which was the first settl'd of any of the French Islands. His Accounts are but very short; however, from him the other French Writers, I think, took many of their Names of Natural things. J.B. du Tertre wrote of the Caribe-Islands. His Work was pretty Large and Useful; and was contain'd at first in one Volume, printed in in 1654, in 4to and afterwards came out in 3 Vol. in 1667–71. There are therein many Remarks and Observations upon the French-Islands, and for Natural History, many things are figured, which, tho' not very accurately, yet are truer than those of any before him. Mons. Rochefort printed a Book of the Caribes, after du Tertre; he seems to me to have taken many things from the first Edition of du Tertre, and to agree with him in most things: The Figures he gives, I suppose were not drawn upon the Place, but by Memory, and are, for that Reason, not to be regarded. This Book is printed in English, in Folio, under the Title of the History of the Caribe-Islands.
According to the Division of the New-discover'd World, between the Spaniards and Portuguese, the last possess'd themselves of Brasile; Amongst others of that Nation who went thither, was one, suppos'd to be a Jesuit of Elvas, whose Name is ghess'd to be Tr. Manoel, who had the care of the Sick of the College of Baya, made Observations of that Country, and wrote them in a Book in the Portuguese Language: This Book was taken by Mr. Cook of Dartmouth, translated and publish'd by Purchas, p. 1289. Pilgr. part. 4. Tho' this was in itself a very short Relation, and little more than the Names of things, yet falling into the Hands of the Dutch, by being taken Notice of by de Laet in his America, (who had it out of Purchas's Collections,) it gave them occasion to enquire after many things therein mention'd; when they hadconquer'd
