An Essay to Direct and Extend the Inquiries of Patriotic Travellers

Full Title An Essay to Direct and Extend the Inquiries of Patriotic Travellers; with Further Observations on the Means of Preserving the Life, Health and Property of the Unexperienced in their Journies by Land and Sea. Also a Series of Questions Interesting to Society and Humanity, Necessary to be Proposed for Solution to Men of all Ranks and Employments, and of all Nations and Governments, Comprising the most Serious Points Relative to the Objects of all Travels. To which is Annexed a List of English and Foreign Works, Intended for the Instruction and Benefit of Travellers, and a Catalogue of the most Interesting European Travels, which have been Published in Different Languages from the Earliest times, down to September 8th 1787
Author(s) / Contributor(s)
Language English
Year 1789
Text Type Treatise
Available Online Yes
Web Link(s)
Prose / Verse prose
Themes
  • ClassModel
  • DescrScheme
  • DissUtility
  • InstrTravelers
  • PractAdvice
  • questionnaire
  • travwritadvice
Activity Zones
  • England
  • France
  • Hapsburg Empire
Authorship Notes Berchtold’s treatise on the method of travel is a late example of an apdoemic text which summaries the genre. The work is largely composed of conventional apodemic advice but is also influenced by the patriotic-philanthropistic-physiocratic milieu in which Berchtold operated. He therefore provides advice on how the traveller is to prepare for his journey, recommends that the traveller focus on gathering knowledge that will be useful to his country, advises autopsy over hearsay, gives advice on taking notes in shorthand and writing them out in longer form in a cypher, as well as some practical advice on travel practicalities and health. The second section is a series of 2443 questions arranged in 37 sections. It combines the tradition of early apodemic tables with Tucker's questions on economy, while Berchtold's own method later greatly inspired Volney's methodology. The second volume also contains a wide bibliography of apodemic texts, though this contains several mistakes. Stagl suggests that ‘Patriotic Travellers’ is strongly influenced by Tucker’s ‘Instructions for Travellers’ (1757) and Lettsom’s ‘The Naturalist and Traveller’s Companion (1772), both of which are described elsewhere in this database. For a detailed account of this work see Justin Stagl, ‘A History of Curiosity’ (1995), pp. 221 – 31.
Edition(s)
Edition An Essay to Direct and Extend the Inquiries of Patriotic Travellers; with Further Observations on the Means of Preserving the Life, Health and Property of the Unexperienced in their Journies by Land and Sea. Also a Series of Questions Interesting to Society and Humanity, Necessary to be Proposed for Solution to Men of all Ranks and Employments, and of all Nations and Governments, Comprising the most Serious Points Relative to the Objects of all Travels. To which is Annexed a List of English and Foreign Works, Intended for the Instruction and Benefit of Travellers, and a Catalogue of the most Interesting European Travels, which have been Published in Different Languages from the Earliest times, down to September 8th 1787
Position full text
Year 1789