  The Travels and Adventures of JAMES MASSEY. CHAP. I. TO JEREMIAH DUMMER, Esq; SIR, The Recommendation these Travels have been favour'd with from yourself and other good Judges, as a History admirably adapted both to the Entertainment and Instruction of the Reader; and your Commands upon me to translate it, lay me under the strongest Inducement to claim your Patronage. And I humbly conceive that your Retirement from that AGENCY, during which you perform'd so many National Services in cultivating a mutual good Understanding and Commerce between Old and New England, as justly gain'd you the Love and Applause of those who truly understand the Interests of both People, gives you the more Leisure to receive a Dedication. It must be own'd that bright Accomplishments, acquired and improv'd in European, as well as American Universities; The Elegance of your Taste, both in Men and Books; The Politeness of your Conversation; Your Esteem for the Sciences, which are so delicately interwoven in the following Narrative; Your Knowledge in the Belles Lettres; Your long Acquaintance with the Beau Monde; And, what is equal to all, Your generous Disposition to do Good to Mankind;, are Qualities which would have continued you very useful and ornamental in a Public Station. Yet I take Leave to congratulate you on your Preference of a private Life; since not only an innate Principle of Honour, but an easy Fortune, set you above the Temptation of soliciting Employments, and subjecting yourself to Dependencies which often prove Snares to the best of Men, by causing them to deviate from the sacred Paths of Truth and Justice. This probably was the Reason you lately declin'd acting as an Inspector of a GREAT COMPANY'S Affairs, an Office of no little Trust and Confidence, and to which you was unanimously elected by the General Court. I heartily wish you Health and long Life for the Pleasure and Profit of all your Friends, and especially of, SIR, THE PREFACEThe French EDITOR'S LETTER, To M * * * SIR, These are the TRAVELS you heard so much talk of, and was so desirous to see. By what Chance the Manuscript fell into my Hands, I will let you know another time: As soon as I had dipp'd into it, I could not help reading it from the Beginning to the End, and found so many curious and important Passages in it, and so many instructive Dissertations on several Points of Philosophy, as gave me abundant Satisfaction. Many of my Friends, Men of excellent Sense and Learning, have express'd equal Approbation of it, so that I dare say, Sir, you will read it with the same Pleasure. I own to you that at the first Reading I suspected the Author had taken a Traveller's Privilege of mixing a little Romance in his Relation; but when I perus'd it again, and consider'd it a little more particularly, I found nothing in it but what was very natural, and highly probable. And that Air of Candour and Simplicity we meet with every where in the honest old Gentleman the Author, has fully convinc'd me. There are Passages indeed, in certain Conversations upon Points of Religion, which, at first, a little shock'd me, but upon a closer Examination, and finding that the Author, who always was a great Champion for his own Religion, has generally expos'd their Weakness or Falshood, I thought there was nothing in it that could startle a Man well instructed in the Christian Faith, which, God be prais'd, is too well establish'd to fear any thing from the Attacks of Libertines or Infidels: Consequently, we have no need to have recourse to mean Artifices for concealing the force of the Arguments made use of against us, as if we had a bad Cause to defend. I am, &. THE CONTENTS.CHAP. I. Of our Author's particular Studies and Profession; with an Account of his Embarking, and his first Shipwreck on the Coast of Spain. CHAP. II. The Author's Stay at Lisbon, &c. CHAP. III. Of the Author's Second Voyage, and his Shipwreck upon an unknown Coast. CHAP. IV. The Author, with only two Comrades, leaves the rest of the Company, and penetrates into those unknown Countries. The Obstacles he meets with in his Passage, &c. CHAP. V. Continuation of the Adventures of the Author and his Comrades, till they came to an Inhabited Country. CHAP. VI. Of the Discovery of a very fine Country, its Inhabitants, their Language, Manners and Customs, &c. and of the Esteem which our Author and his Comrades gained there. CHAP. VII. A curious Conversation between the Author, the Judge, and the Priest of the Village concerning Religion. CHAP. VIII. The Author is carry'd to the King's Court. He traces the Origin of those Monarchs; describes the Royal Palace, Temple, &c. CHAP. IX. Which contains several very curious Conversations betwixt the King and our Author. CHAP. X. Containing the Ceremonies at the Births and Burials in this Country, the manner of administring Justice, and many other Remarkables. CHAP. XI. More Adventures of the Author, and his Comrade, till their Departure from Court. CHAP. XII. The Author leaves this fine Country; the Ways he contriv'd to get out of it. He meets again on the Sea-Side with some of the Ship's Company with whom he had formerly been cast away upon the Coast, &c. CHAP. XIII. Containing what happened to the Residue of the Ship's Company, during the Author's Absence; and the rest of their Adventures 'till their Departure from this Country. CHAP. XIV. The Author's Passage from the Southern Countries to Goa, where he was imprison'd by the Inquisition. The Story of a Chinese whom he met with there, and the Manner how they got their Liberty. CHAP. XV. Of the Author's Departure for Lisbon: How he was taken and carry'd into Slavery, and what happened to him while he was a Slave. CHAP. XVI. Continuation of the Adventures of Peter Hudde who is mention'd in the second Chapter; and the Author's Arrival at London. |
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