DEDICATION. 
V 
wonders which have ceased to be marvelled at ; or hair-breadth 
escapes, which have now become familiar, and no longer excite an 
awe, almost amounting to reverence, for those who return to tell of 
them. Our book will, however, possess the advantage of novelty ; 
for the country through which we have passed is, even in the pre- 
sent day, little known to the general reader ; and its remains have 
never been described with sufficient accuracy to make them properly 
intelligible. We confess that our narrative will chiefly be found 
acceptable to those who are interested in the description of antiqui- 
ties, and have pleasure in tracing the connexion between the past 
and the present in countries described by ancient poets and historians. 
We must even allow that those parts of our journal which have 
been considered by some as the most entertaining, are those which 
we should spare with as little regret as the public would probably 
experience in parting with them. Such as our work is, however, 
we submit it, respectfully, to the attention, as well as to the indul- 
gence of your Lordships ; and shall be happy if the little tribute 
which we offer to private worth and public desert, may be found in 
some measure deserving of the honour which patronage so distin- 
guished has conferred upon it. 
If our researches have enabled us to contribute any matter of 
interest to that large and valuable fund of pubhc knowledge, which 
has accumulated so considerably during your Lordships’ official 
career, it will be read with some feeling of internal satisfaction by 
those who afforded us the means of acquiring it ; and we ourselves 
shall look back with pleasure upon labours which have not been 
unattended by advantage. If it might have chanced (as we have 
