’The course of Voyages, giving directions to sailors for navigating from one place of the World to another, with particular attention to the Traffic of these Kingdoms.

’An account of all the principal Ports and Harbours of the known World, in which will be laid down the Pilotage, Bearings, depth of water, danger from Sands or Rocks, firmness or uncertainty of Anchorage, and degree of safety from particular Winds.

’An exact account of the Commodities of each Country, both natural and artificial.

’A description of the remarkable Animals in every Country, whether Beasts, Birds or Fishes.

’An account of the Buildings, whether ancient or modern, and of Ruins or other remains of Antiquity.

’Remarks upon the soil, air, and waters of particular Places, their several qualities and effects, the accidents to which every Region is exposed, as Earthquakes and Hurricanes, and the diseases peculiar to the Inhabitants or incident to strangers at their arrival.

’The political State of the World, the Government of Countries, and the Magistracy of Cities, with their particular Laws, or Privileges.

’The most probable and authentic Calculations of the number of Inhabitants of each place.

’The military state of Countries, their Forces, manner of making War, Weapons, and naval Power.

’The Commercial State, extent of their Trade, Number and strength of their Colonies, quantity of Shipping.

’The pretensions of Princes with their Alliances, Relations and Genealogies.

’The customs of Nations with regard to Trade, and receptions of strangers, their domestic Customs, as Rites of Marriage and Burial.  Their particular Laws.  Their habits, recreations and amusements.

’The religious Opinions of all Nations.

’These and many other heads of observation will be collected, not merely from the Dictionaries now extant in many Languages, but from the best Surveys, Local Histories, Voyages, and particular accounts[1], among which care will be taken to select those of the best authority, as the basis of the Work, and to extract from them such observations as may best promote Knowledge and gratify Enquiry, so that it is to be hoped, there will be few remarkable places in the known World, of which the Politician, the Merchant, the Sailor, or the Man of Curiosity may not find a useful and pleasing account, of the credit of which the Reader may always judge, as the Authors from whom it is taken will be regularly quoted, a caution which if some, who have attempted such general works, had observed, their labours would have deserved, and found more favour from the Publick.’

[Footnote 1:  That this is done will appear from the authours’ names exactly quoted.]