838 Biographical Account of [Ave.. 
tion in the society of Mr. Browne. He found in that distinguished 
traveller, not only an intimate acquaintance with those countries 
which so much interested his curiosity, but a considerable fund of 
learning and information, united with great modesty and simplicity, 
and with much kindness of disposition. By strangers, however, 
Mr. Browne’s character was apt to be misunderstood. Whether 
from natural temperament, or from habits acquired in the East,’ he 
was unusually grave and silent, and his manners in general society 
were extremely cold and repulsive. Even in company with Mr. 
Tennant, to whom he became sincerely attached, he would often 
remain for some time gloomy and thoughtful. But after indulging 
himself with his pipe, his eye brightened, his countenance became 
animated, and he described in a lively and picturesque manner the 
interesting scenes in which he had been engaged, and to which he 
again looked forward. Of the impression left on Mr. Tennant’s 
mind by these interviews, some idea may be formed from the follow- 
ing passage of a letter written by him to an intimate friend soon 
after he had received the account of Mr. Browne’s death. “ I 
recall,” he says, “ the Noctes Aralice which I have often passed 
with him at the Adelphi, where I used to go whenever I found 
myself gloomy or solitary ; and so agreeable to me were these sooth- 
jing, romantic evening conversations, that after ringing his bell, I 
used to wait with some anxiety, fearful that he might not be at 
home.” 
In the autumn of 1812, some years after his journey to Ireland 
with Mr. Tennant, Mr. Browne took his departure from England 
on an expedition which he had long projected, to the unexplored 
‘Tartar city of Samarcand. He first visited Constantinople ; and at 
the instigation of Mr. Tennant made a diligent, but fruitless, search 
for the meteoric stone, which is mentioned to have fallen at Egos- 
potamos in the Parian Chronicle and in Pliny. From Constanti- 
nople he went to Smyrna, where he passed the winter ; and from 
thence to Tabriz in Persia; from both which places he wrote 
several very interesting letters to Mr. Tennant. In one of these he 
mentions, that in passing through Armenia he had satisfied himself 
by mineralogical observations which he had made, that a consider- 
able tract of that country, including Mount Ararat, is of volcanic 
origin. He likewise ascertained, by measuring the temperature of 
boiling water, (at the suggestion of Mr. Tennant) that the city of 
Arzroum, the capital of Armenia, is 7000 feet above the level of 
the sea. 
Most unfortunately for the cause of scientific discovery, Mr. 
Browne perished afterwards (as is well known) by the hands of 
Banditti, near the river Kizzil Ozan, east of ‘Tabriz. Previously 
to his leaving England, when he was setting out on this journey, he 
had made his will, by which he named Mr. Tennant one of the 
executors, and left hima considerable bequest. On opening the 
- packet in which the will was enclosed, a paper was found in My, 
ww. 
