246 



roofs with acute angles would have been highly 

 useful in a country of mountains subject to 

 violent rains. These sloping roofs are known to 

 the natives of the north-west coast of America ; 

 and were known in the south of Europe in the 

 most remote times, as several Greek and Roman 

 monuments prove ; particularly the reliefs on the 

 column of Trajan, and the paintings of land- 

 scapes found at Pompeia, and formerly preserved 

 in the fine collection of Portici. The angle at 

 the top of the roof was obtuse among the Greeks; 

 and a right angle among the Romans, who 

 lived in a less favoured climate than that of 

 Greece. The farther we advance toward the 

 north, the more sloping are the roofs. 



The drawing of the seventeenth plate was 

 made at Rome, after a sketch of my own, by 

 Mr. Gmelin, an artist justly celebrated for his 

 talents, and the great extent of his knowledge : 

 during my last abode in Italy, he honoured me 

 with his particular friendship, and it is to his 

 care, that I am in a great measure indebted for 

 what, in this book, may not appear altogether 

 unworthy of exciting the interest of the public. 



