INTRODUCTION. 
xiii 
other Royal Donations, though not of such 
extent as those just mentioned, must not, how- 
ever, be here altogether omitted: such are 
a collection of Natural and Artificial Curiosities 
from the N. W. Coast of America, brought 
home, in 1796, by Mr. Menzies ; and several 
single books of great value and utility. 
Lastly, our army in Egypt having acquired, ffl?^ 8 
by the capitulation of Alexandria in 1801, 
many articles of Egyptian antiquities, which 
had been selected and shipped with a view of 
being transported to France : these acquisitions 
were sent to England in 1802, and were imme- 
diately ordered by his Majesty to be placed in 
the British Museum. 
South Se«t 
Curiosities. 
The number of antiquities contained in the Parliament. 
The Hamillo- 
Museum was originally so inconsiderable as manC^usav^ 
scarcely to deserve any particular notice ; but 
this deficiency was amply supplied when, in the 
year 1772, the admirable collection of Sir Wil- 
liam Hamilton, K. B. was added to the Repo- 
sitory. Sir William Hamilton having, during a 
long residence at Naples as his Majesty's Envoy, 
had many favourable opportunities of acquiring a 
great number of articles of Greek and Roman 
antiquity, particularly the largest store then 
known 
