MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 3? 



Asia Minor, he proceeded to Castelrosso ; but his 

 fever increasing, he was reluctantly compelled to 

 abandon his object, and taking again to sea, he 

 touched at Cyprus, and then landed at Beiroot near 

 Sidon, on the coast of Phoenicia, in June, 1767* 



His health and constitution had suffered severely, 

 still he resolved to persevere ; but before undertak- 

 ing his bold attempt to reach the fountain of the 

 Nile, he was anxious to visit Syria, and add the 

 ruins of Palmyra to those of Africa. Proceeding 

 by Latikea and Antioch to Aleppo, he was again 

 seized with his relentless malady; and had it not 

 been for the kind attention of M. Belville, a French 

 merchant, and the professional skill of Dr. Russell, 

 physician to the British Factory in that city, it is 

 probable Brace's travels would have ended in the 

 capital of Northern Syria. As soon as his health 

 would permit, he departed for Palmyra, which he 

 reached, after making a narrow escape from the 

 treachery of the inhabitants in fording the Orontes. 

 The view of these stupendous ruins made a strong 

 impression on his imagination, as surpassing any 

 thing he had ever seen. With the assistance of 

 Balugani, he proceeded to sketch the magnificent 

 scene before him, dividing the whole into six angu- 

 lar views; and after finishing thirteen large draw- 

 ings, he and his party quitted that enchanting place, 

 and travelled almost a hundred and thirty miles to 

 Baalbec. 



Having taken a number of drawings of these 

 gigantic ruins, he returned by way of Tyre to the 



