of all nations, who were then preparing for the fame fcientific purpose. Thus prepared, he fet out for Italy, through France; and on his arrival at Rome, he received orders to proceed to Naples, there to wait his majefty's further commands. Having stopped a fhort time there, he received orders to proceed to take poffeffion of his confulfhip. He returned without lofs of time to Rome, and thence to Leghorn, where, having embarked on board the Montreal man of war, he arrived at Algiers. While he was providing himfelf with inftruments at London, he thought of one, which, though in a very fmall form and imperfect ftate, had been of great entertainment and ufe to him in former travels; this is called a Camera Obfcura, the idea of which he had first taken from the Spectacle de la Nature of the Abbé Vertot. But the prefent one was conftructed upon his own principles. Its body was an hexagon of fix feet diameter, with a conical top; in this, as in a fummerhoufe, the draughtfman fat unfeen, and performed his - drawing. After Mr. Bruce had spent a year at Algiers, conftant converfation with the natives whilft abroad, and with his manufcripts within doors, had qualified him to appear in any part of the continent without the help of an interpreter. Bufinefs of a private nature having at this time obliged Mr. Bruce to take a voyage to Mahon, he failed from Algiers, after having taken leave of the Dey, who furnished him with the neceffary pafsports, and alfo gave him recommendatory letters to the Bey of Tunis and Tripoli Being difappointed in his views at Mahon, he failed in a final vefiel from that port, and, having a fair wind, in a fhort time made the coaft of Africa, and landed at Bona, a confiderable town. It ftands on a large plain, part of which feems to have been once overflowed by the fea. Its trade confifts now in the exportation of wheat, when, in plentiful years, that trade is permitted by the government of Algiers. The ifland is famous for a coral fifhery, and along the coaft are immenfe forefts of large beautiful oaks, more than fufficient to fupply the neceffities of all the maritime powers powers in the Levant, if the quality of the wood be but equal to the fize and beauty of the tree. After a favourable voyage, he arrived at Tunis, which is a large and flourishing city. The people are more civilized than in Algiers, and the government milder, but the climate is very far from being fo good. Tunis is low, hot, and damp, and deftitute of good water, with which Algiers is fupplied from a thoufand springs. Having delivered his letters from the Bey, and obtained permiffion to vifit the country in whatever direction he should please, he fet out on his inland journey through the kingdoms of Algiers and Tunis. He found at Dugga a large fcene of ruins, among which one building was eafily diftinguishable. It was a large temple of the Corinthian order, all of Parian marble, the columns fluted, the cornice highly ornamented in the very best style of fculpture. In the tympanum is an eagle flying to heaven, with a human figure upon his back, which, by the many inferiptions that are still remaining, feems to be intended for that of Trajan, and the apotheofis of that emperor to be the fubject, the temple having been erected by Adrian to that prince, his benefactor and predeceffor. From Dugga he continued the upper road to Keff, through the pleasant plains inhabited by the Welled Yagoube. He then proceeded to Hydra, a frontier place between the two kingdoms of Algiers and Tunis, as Keff is alfo. It is inhabited by a tribe of Arabs, whofe chief is a marabout, or faint; thefe Arabs are immenfely rich, paying no tribute either to Tunis or Algiers. The pretence for this exemption is a very fingular one. By the inftitution of their founder, they are obliged to live upon lions flesh for their daily food, as far as they can procure it; with this they ftrictly comply, and, in, confideration of the utility of this their vow, they are not taxed, like the other Arabs, with payments to the flate. The confequence of this life is, that they are excellent and well-armed horsemen, exceedingly bold and undaunted hunters. It is generally imagined, indeed, that thefe confiderations, and that of their fituation on the frontier, have as much influence in procuring them exemption from taxes, as the utility of their vow. B 2 From From Hydra he paffed to the ancient Tipafa, another Roman colony, going by the fame name to this day. Here is a more extenfive fcene of ruins. There is a large temple, and a four-faced triumphal arch of the Corinthian order, in the very best tale; both of which are now in the collection of the king. From hence he continued his journey in a straight line nearly S. E. and arrived at Medraflem, a fuperb pile of building, the fepulchre of Syphax, and the other kings of Numidia, and where, as the Arabs believe, were alfo depofited the treasures of thofe kings. Advancing fill to the S. E. through broken ground and fome very barren vallies, which produced nothing but game, he came to Jibbel Aurez, the Aurafius Mons of the middle age. This is not one mountain, but an affemblage of many of the most craggy steeps in Africa. Having proceeded to the north-eaft as far as Tuberfoke, he returned to Dugga, and from thence to Tunis. His next journey through Tunis, was by Zowan, a high mountain, where is a large aqueduct which formerly carried its water to Carthage. Having continued his journey along the coaft to Sufa, through a fine country planted with olive trees, he came again to Tunis, not only without difagreeable accident, but without any interruption from fickness or other caufe. He then took leave of the Bey, and, with the acknowledgments ufual on fuch occafions, again fet out from Tunis, on a very ferious journey indeed, over the defert to Tripoli, the first part of which was to Gabs, and from thence to the island of Gerba. His About four days journey from Tripoli, Mr. Bruce met the Emir Hadje conducting the caravan of pilgrims from Fez and Sus in Morocco, all acrofs Africa to Mecca, that is, from the Western Ocean to the western banks of the Red Sea, in the kingde. of Sennaar. He was a middle-aged man, uncle to the prefent emperor, of a very uncomely, ftupid kind of countenance. caravan confifted of about 3000 men, and, as his people faid, from 12,000 to 14,000 camels, part loaded with merchandise, part with skins of water, flour and other kinds of food; they were a fcurvy, diforderly, unarmed pack, and when our traveller's horsemen, though but fifteen in number, came up with them in the the grey of the morning, they fhewed great figns of trepidation, and were already flying in confufion. When informed who they were, their fears ceased, and, after the usual manner of cowards, they became extremely infolent. Being arrived at Tripoli, he fent an English fervant from thence to Smyrna with his books, drawings, and fupernumerary inftruments, retaining only extracts from fuch authors as might be neceffary for him in the Pentapolis, or other parts of the Cyrenaicum. He then croffed the Gulf of Sydra, formerly known by the name of the Syrtis Major, and arrived at Bengazi, the ancient Berenice, built by Ptolemy Philadelphus. The brother of the Bey of Tripoli, who commanded here, was a young man, as weak in understanding as he was in health. All the province was in extreme con fufion. Two tribes of Arabs, occupying the territory to the west of the town, who in ordinary years, and in time of peace, were the fources of its wealth and plenty, had, by the mismanagement of the Bey, entered into a violent quarrel. The tribe that lived moft to the westward, and which was reputed the weakeft, had beat the moft numerous that was nearest the town, and driven them within its walls. The inhabitants of Bengaz had for a year before been labouring under a fevere famine, and by this accident about four thousand perfons, of all ages and fexes, were forced in upon them, when perfectly deftitute of every neceffary. Ten or twelve people were found dead every night in the streets, and life was faid in many to be fupported by food that human nature fhudders at the thoughts of. Impatient to fly from these scenes, Mr. Bruce prevailed on the Bey to fend him out fome distance to the fouthward, among the Arabs, where famine did not rage with fuch violence. He encompaffed a great part of the Pentapolis, vifited the ruins of Arfinoe, and received neither infult nor injury. Finding nothing at Arfinoe nor Barca, he continued his journey to Ras Sem, the petrified city, concerning which fo many ridiculous tales were told by the Tripoline ambaffador, Caffem Aga, at the beginning of this century, and all believed in England, though they carried falfehood upon the very face of them. B 3 Now Now approaching the fea coaft, he came to Ptolometa, where he met a Greek junk belonging to Lampedofa, a little ifland near Crete, which had been unloading corn, and was now ready to fail. At the fame time the Arabs of Ptolometa told him, that the Welled Ali, a powerful tribe that occupy the whole country between that place and Alexandria, were at war among themfelves, and had plundered the caravan of Mo-rocco, and that the pilgrims compofing it had moftly perifhed, having been fcattered in the defert without water; that a great famine had been at Derna, the neighbouring town, to which Mr. Bruce intended to go; that a plague had followed, and the town, which is divided into upper and lower, was engaged in a civil war. This torrent of ill news was irrefiftible, and was of a kind he did not propofe to ftruggle with; befides, there was nothing, as far as he knew, that merited the risk. He refolved, therefore, to fly from this inhofpitable coaft, and fave to the public, at leaft, that knowledge and entertainment he had acquired for them. He embarked on board the Greek veffel, very ill accoutred, as he afterwards found, and, though it had plenty of fail, it had not an ounce of ballaft. A number of people, men, women and children, flying from the calamities which attend famine, crowded in unknown to him; but the paffage was fhort, the veffel light, and the mafter, as was fuppofed, well accustomed to thofe feas. The contrary of this, however, was the truth, as he learned afterwards, when too late, for he was an abfolute landfman; proprietor indeed of the veffel, but this had been his firft voyage. They failed at dawn of day in very favourable and pleafant weather. It was the beginning of September, and a light and steady breeze, though not properly fair, promised a fhort and agreeable voyage; but it was not long before it turned fresh and cold; a violent fhower of hail came on, and the clouds were gathering as if for thunder. Mr. Bruce obferved that they gained no offing, and hoped, if the weather turned bad, to perfuade the captain to put into Bengazi, for one inconvenience. he prefently difcovered, that they had not provision on board for one day. The |