THE

ROMANCE OF TRAVEL.

CHAPTER I.

BOTH as regards antiquity and merit, the first Romance of Travel we possess is the Odyssey of Homer. Many incidents related by succeeding travellers, or by the ancient writers, may be clearly traced to the voyages of the adventurous and wise Ulysses, as sung by the greatest of poets; and in several instances the chain of connection is lengthened through two thousand years, and brought down to the voyagers and travellers of the fourteenth century of our era, when we shall find credulous voyagers relating as facts several of the marvels which Homer sang of. But as there existed strong men before Agamemnon, and wise men, and adventurous, before Ulysses, so were there bold explorers of the earth and seas before the time of

"The blind old man of Scio's rocky isle;"

and although not so much as their names is recorded, and scarcely a hint remains of their travels and adventures, we may safely conclude that they were well known to Homer, and were pressed into the service of the poems of that immortal bard.

VOL. I.

B