32 
MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 
of medicines, which afterwards served as a valuable 
passport in all the countries which he visited. 
No sooner was he relieved from his tedious resi- 
dence of two years and a quarter at Algiers, than 
he prepared for his departure ; and accordingly, he 
sailed on the 25th of August, 1765, for Tunis and 
Tripoli, being furnished with recommendatory letters 
from the Dey to the Bey of both these regencies. 
Proceeding along the coast, he visited Bona, the 
ancient Aphrodisium; on anchoring at Biserta, he 
paid a visit to Utica, not so much (as he says) in 
the expectation of finding any thing remarkable, as 
out of respect to the memory of Cato. He found 
the city a heap of rubbish, but the trenches and 
approaches of the ancient besiegers were still tolera- 
bly perfect. After doubling Cape Carthage, and 
rowing along the bay, he saw several buildings and 
columns still standing under water, by which it 
appears that Old Carthage had owed part of its 
destruction to the sea ; and hence may be inferred 
the absurdity of any attempt to represent the site of 
that renowned city on paper. 
The inhabitants of Tunis he found to be more 
civilized than the Algerines, and living under a 
milder government. Having delivered his letters to 
the Bey, he obtained permission to visit the country 
in any direction he might please ; and about the 
middle of September, he made an excursion into 
the interior, accompanied by his draughtsman, ten 
servants, and a small escort of foot soldiers. From 
