MEMOIR OP BRUCE. 37 
Asia Minor, he proceeded to Castelrosso ; but his 
fever increasing, he was reluctantly compelled to 
abandon his object, and talcing again to sea, he 
touched at Cyprus, and then landed at Beiroot near 
Sidon, on the coast of Phoenicia, in June, 1767- 
His health and constitution had suffered severely, 
still he resolved to persevere ; hut before undertak- 
ing his hold attempt to reach the fountain of the 
Nile, he was anxious to visit Syria, and add the 
ruins of Palmyra to those of Africa. Proceeding 
by Latikea and Antioch to Aleppo, he was again 
seized with his relentless malady; and had it not 
been for the kind attention of M. Belville, a French 
merchant, and the professional skill of Dr. Russell, 
physician to the British Factory in that city, it is 
probable Bruce’s travels would have ended in the 
capital of Northern Syria. As soon as his health 
would permit, he departed for Palmyra, which he 
reached, after making a narrow escape from the 
treachery of the inhabitants in fording the Orontes. 
The view of these stupendous ruins made a strong 
impression on his imagination, as surpassing any 
thing he had ever seen. With the assistance of 
Balugani, he proceeded to sketch the magnificent 
scene before him, dividing the whole into six angu- 
lar views ; and after finishing thirteen large draw- 
ings, he and his party quitted that enchanting place, 
and travelled almost a hundred and thirty miles to 
Baalbec. 
Having taken a number of drawings of these 
gigantic ruins, he returned by way of Tyre to the 
