MEMOIR OP BRUCE. 
29 
his departure lie had the honour of being presented 
to his majesty George III. who conversed with him 
on the nature of his expedition, and requested him 
to make accurate drawings of the ruins he might 
discover in the course of his travels. To improve 
his taste and his knowledge of these matters, it was 
arranged that he should travel through France and 
Italy, with a view to observe and study the remains 
of Roman antiquity in the latter country. 
Bruce was overjoyed at the delightful prospect 
now opened before him ; he sailed from England in 
June, 1762, and arrived at Rome in the month of 
August. The paintings, statues, ruins, and other 
curiosities which he examined during his visits to 
Naples, Florence, and Bologna, have already been 
seen and described by thousands of travellers ; it is 
only necessary therefore to remark, that on all the 
particulars he made very minute observations, which 
indicated the extent of his knowledge as well as the 
correctness of his taste and judgment. Having en- 
gaged an artist named Luigi Balugani, and availed 
himself of every opportunity to improve his own 
skill in drawing, as also of the Arabic language, he 
sailed from Leghorn on board the Montreal man-of- 
war, and arrived at Algiers on the 15th of March, 
1763. With the view of observing the transit of 
Venus, which would be visible at that place, he 
had provided himself with a complete apparatus of 
instruments, in the selection of which he had been 
assisted by his friends Admiral Campbell and Mr. 
Russell. 
