INTRODUCTION. 
xm 
other Royal Donations, though not of such 
extent as those just mentioned, must not, how¬ 
ever, be here altogether omitted : such are a 
collection of Natural and Artificial Curiosities 
from the N. W. Coast of America, brought 
home, in 1796 , by Mr. Menzies ; and several 
single books of great value and utility. 
Lastly, our army in Egypt having acquired, 
by the capitulation of Alexandria in 1801, 
many articles of Egyptian antiquities, which 
had been selected and shipped with a view of 
being transported to France ; these acquisitions 
were sent to England in 1802, and were imme¬ 
diately ordered by his Majesty to be placed in 
the British Museum. 
The number of antiquities contained in the 
Museum was originally so inconsiderable as 
scarcely to deserve any particular notice ; but 
this deficiency was amply supplied when, in the 
year 177 2 > the admirable collection of Sir Wil¬ 
liam Hamilton, K. B. was added to the Repo¬ 
sitory. Sir William Hamilton having, during a 
long residence at Naples as his Majesty’s Envoy, 
had many favourable opportunities of acquiring 
a great number of articles of Greek and Roman 
antiquity, particularly the largest store then 
known 
South Sea 
Curiosities. 
Egyptian 
Antiquities. 
Parliament* 
The Hamilto¬ 
nian Collection, 
* 
