MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 29 



his departure he had the honour of being presented 

 to his majesty George III. who conversed with him 

 on the nature of his expedition, and requested him 

 to make accurate drawings of the ruins he might 

 discover in the course of his travels. To improve 

 his taste and his knowledge of these matters, it was 

 arranged that he should travel through France and 

 Italy, with a view to observe and study the remains 

 of Roman antiquity in the latter country. 



Bruce was overjoyed at the delightful prospect 

 now opened before him ; he sailed from England in 

 June, 1762, and arrived at Rome in the month of 

 August. The paintings, statues, ruins, and other 

 curiosities which he examined during his visits to 

 Naples, Florence, and Bologna, have already been' 

 seen and described by thousands of travellers ; it is 

 only necessary therefore to remark, that on all the 

 particulars he made very minute observations, which 

 indicated the extent of his knowledge as well as the 

 correctness of his taste and judgment. Having en- 

 gaged an artist named Luigi Balugani, and availed 

 himself of every opportunity to improve his own 

 skill in drawing, as also of the Arabic language, he 

 sailed from Leghorn on board the Montreal man-of- 

 war, and arrived at Algiers on the 15th of March, 

 1763. With the view of observing the transit of 

 Venus, which would be visible at that place, he 

 had provided himself with a complete apparatus of 

 instruments, in the selection of which he had been 

 assisted by his friends Admiral Campbell and Mr 

 Russell. 



