ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
“of Vitory, feems to have been that 
of Aglauros, a generous virgin, who 
devoied herfelf for her country. 
After the five chapters follows an 
_explanation of the vignettes. The. 
tail-piece at the end of the 5th 
chapter exhibits the portrait of the 
illuftrious Pericles, copied from a 
very fine antique buft in the collec- 
tion of Mr. Townley. 
Travels to difecver the Source of the 
Nile, n the years 1768-69-79-71- 
72-73, in five vols. By james 
Bruce, of Kinnaird, £4. F.R.S. 
HIS long-expetted work has 
’ now been fome time in the 
hands of the public; and it was re- 
ceived at its firft appearance with 
an eagernefs of curiofity propor- 
tioned to the nature of the fubject, 
It opens with a loyal dedication to 
his majefty, and with a long intro- 
duction, explanatory of the motives 
upon which thefe travels were un- 
dertaken, the order and manner in 
which they were executed, and of 
the reafons which fo long withheld 
them from the public eye. 
The principal motive Mr. Bruce 
refers to the unconquerable {pirit 
raifed in this nation (in the begin- 
ning of his majefty’s reign) by a 
lomg and glorious war, and which 
he obferves very naturally refolved 
itfelf into a fpirit of adventure and 
inquiry at the return of peace. 
- How largely our author partook of 
this fpirit, will beft appear from his 
own words The difcovery of the 
fource of thé Nile was alfo a fubje&t 
of thefe converfations [with the late 
Jord Hallifax] but it was always 
mentioned to me with a kind of dif- 
fidence, as if to be expected from a 
more experienced traveller. Whey 
167 
ther this was but another way of 
exciting me to the attempt, I hall 
not fay ; but my heart in that in- 
ftant did me juftice to fuggeft, that 
this too was either to be atchieved 
by me, or to remain, as it had done 
for thefe laft two thoufand years, a 
defiance to all travellers, and an op- 
probrium to geography.” 
Of the book itfelf, Mr. Bruce ob- 
ferves, that it is a large one, and 
expenfive by the number of en- 
gravings ; that this was not at firft 
intended, but that the journey had 
proved a long one, and matter had 
increafed as it were infenfibly under 
“his hands; that it now fills a great 
chafm in the hiftory of the uni- 
verfe; that it ds not intended to 
refemble the generality of modern 
travels, the agreeable and rational 
amufement of one vacant day, but 
calculated to employ a greater {pace 
of time. He adds allo, that thofe 
who are the beft acquainted with 
Diodorus, Herodotus, and other 
Greek hiftorians, will find fome ve- 
ry confiderable difficulties removed; . 
and that {uch as are unacquainted 
with thofe authors, and receive from 
this work the firft information of the 
geography, c'imate, and manners of 
thefe countries, which are litde al- 
tered, will have no great occafion to 
regret that they have not fearched 
for information in more ancient 
fources. 
The order and matter of the 
work is thus defcribed by Mr. 
Bruce : 
«The work begins with my 
voyage from Sidon’ to Alexandria, 
and up the Nile to the firft catara&, 
The reader will not expect that I 
fhould dwell long upon the particn- 
lar hiftory of Egypt; every other 
year has furnifhed us with fome ac- 
count of it, good or bad; and the twe 
M 4 halt 
