During my residence in Brazil, I had no intention of publishing any account of what I had seen and heard in that country. Some time after my return to England, I was encouraged to put together the information which I might be able to impart. The reader will be more disposed to excuse what defects he may find, when he is informed that I went out young, that I did not gather any knowledge of the country in a systematic manner with the idea of giving it to the public, and that the idiom of a foreign language is perhaps more familiar to me than that of my own. But among judicious readers the style of works of this description will be regarded as of little importance. I have had the advantage of Mr Southey's advice and extensive library. I have to thank Dr. Traill for his aid in preparing the Appendix; though as he did not see the whole of it, if there are any errors they must be attributed to me, not to him.
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