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roofs with acute angles would have been highly 
useful in a country of mountains subject to 
violent rains. These sloping roofs are known to 
the natives of the north-west coast of America ; 
and were known in the south of Europe in the 
most remote times, as several Greek and Roman 
monuments prove ; particularly the reliefs on the 
column of Trajan, and the paintings of land- 
scapes found at Pompeia, and formerly preserved 
in the fine collection of Portici. The angle at 
the top of the roof was obtuse among the Greeks ; 
and a right angle among the Romans, who 
lived in a less favoured climate than that of 
Greece. The farther we advance toward the 
north, the more sloping are the roofs. 
The drawing of the seventeenth plate was 
made at Rome, after a sketch of my own, by 
Mr. Gmelin, an artist justly celebrated for his 
talents, and the great extent of his knowledge : 
during my last abode in Italy, he honoured me 
with his particular friendship, and it is to his 
care, that I am in a great measure indebted for 
what, in this book, may not appear altogether 
unworthy of exciting the interest of the public. 
