INTRODUCTION. v 



This difappointment, which was the more fenfible to 

 me, that it was the firft I had met in public life, was pro- 

 mifed to be made up to me by Lord Egremont and Mr 

 George Grenville. The former had been long my friend, 

 but unhappily he was then far gone in a lethargic indifpo- 

 fition, which threatened, and did very foon put a period to 

 his exiftence. With Lord Egremont's death my expectations 

 vanifhed. Further particulars are unnecefTary, but I hope 

 that at leafl, in part, they remain in that breaft where they 

 naturally ought to be, and where I mall ever think, not 

 to be forgotten, is to be rewarded. 



Seven or eight months were paft in an expenfive and 

 fruitlefs attendance in London, when Lord Halifax was 

 pleafed, not only to propofe, but to plan for me a journey 

 of confiderable importance, and which was to take up feve- 

 ral years. His Lordihip faid, that nothing could be more 

 ignoble, than that, at fuch a time of life, at the height of 

 my reading, health, and activity, I mould, as it were, turn 

 peafant, and voluntarily bury myfelf in obfcurity and idle- 

 ness ; that though war was now drawing fail to an end, 

 full as honourable a competition remained among men of 

 fpirit, which mould acquit themfelves bell in the danger- 

 ous line of ufeful adventure and difcovery. " He obferved, 

 that the coaft of Barbary, which might be faid to be jufl at 

 our door, was as yet but partially explored by Dr Shaw, wio 

 had only illuftrated (very judicioufly indeed) the geogra- 

 phical labours of Sanfon * ; that neither Dr Shaw nor San- 



fon 



* He was long a flave to the Eey of Conftantina, and appears to have been a man of .capa- 

 city. 



