INTRODUCTION. Ivu 



Just before we came in fight of the ruins, we afcended 

 a hill of white gritty ftone, in a very narrow- winding road, 

 fuch as we call a pafs, and, when arrived at the top, there 

 opened before us the raoft aftonifhing, flupendous fight that 

 perhaps ever appeared to mortal eyes. The whole plain 

 below, which was very extenfive, was covered fo thick with 

 magnificent buildings as that the one feemed to touch the 

 other, all of fine proportions, all of agreeable forms, all com- 

 pofed of white ftones, which at that diitance appeared like 

 marble. At the end of it flood the palace of the fun, a 

 building worthy to clofe fo magnificent a fcene. 



It was impofhble for two perfons to think of dcfigning 

 ornaments, or taking meafures, and there feemed the lefs 

 occafion for this as Mr Wood had done this part already. I 

 had no intention to publiih any thing concerning Palmyra ; 

 belides, it would have been a violation of my firit principle 

 not to interfere with the labours of others ; and if this was 

 a rule I inviolably obferved as to ftrangers, every fentiment 

 of reafon and gratitude obliged me to pay the fame refpect 

 to the labours of Mr Wood my friend. 



I divided Palmyra into fix angular views, always bring- 

 ing forward to the firft ground an edifice, or principal group 

 of columns, that deferved it. The flate of the buildings are 

 particularly favourable for this purpofe. The columns are 

 all uncovered to the very bafes, the foil upon which the 

 town is built being hard and fixed ground. Thefe views 

 are all upon large paper ; the columns in fome of them are 

 a root long ; the figures in the fore-ground of the temple of 

 the fu 1 are fome of them near four inches. 



Vol. I. « Before 



