DEDICATION. V

wonders which have ceased to be marvelled at ; or hair-breadth

escapes, which have now become familiar, and no longer excite an

awe, almost amounting to reverence, for those who return to tell of

them. Our book will, however, possess the advantage of novelty ;

for the country through which we have passed is, even in the pre-

sent day, little known to the general reader ; and its remains have

never been described with sufficient accuracy to make them properly

intelligible. We confess that our narrative will chiefly be found

acceptable to those who are interested in the description of antiqui-

ties, and have pleasure in tracing the connexion between the past

and the present in countries described by ancient poets and historians. We must even allow that those parts of our journal which have

been considered by some as the most entertaining, are those which

we should spare with as little regret as the public would probably

experience in parting with them. Such as our work is, however,

we submit it, respectfully, to the attention, as well as to the indul-

gence of your Lordships ; and shall be happy if the little tribute

which we offer to private worth and public desert, may be found in

some measure deserving of the honour which patronage so distin-

guished has conferred upon it.

If our researches have enabled us to contribute any matter of

interest to that large and valuable fund of pubhc knowledge, which

has accumulated so considerably during your Lordships’ official career, it will be read with some feeling of internal satisfaction by

those who afforded us the means of acquiring it ; and we ourselves

shall look back with pleasure upon labours which have not been

unattended by advantage. If it might have chanced (as we have