The traveller who presents himself in this little book feels howtedious a person he may prove to be. Most travellers, that he everheard of, were the happy possessors of audacity and rigour, a zeal forfacts, a zeal for Science, a vivid faith in powder and gold. Who,then, will bear for a moment with an ignorant, pacific adventurer,without even a gun?
He may, however, seem even more than bold in one thing, and that is indescribing regions where the wise and the imaginative and the immortalhave been before him. For that he never can be contrite enough. Andyet, in spite of the renown of these regions, he can present neithermap nor chart of them, latitude nor longitude: can affirm only thattheir frontier stretches just this side of Dream; that they borderImpossibility; lie parallel with Peace.
But since it is his, and only his, journey and experiences, his wonderand delight in these lands that he tells of--a mere microcosm, as itwere--he entreats forgiveness of all who love them and their people asmuch as he loves them--scarce "on this side idolatry."
H.B.