& 
s 
v/l 
TO THE READER. 
The persons to whose care the publication of this work was 
committed when business called its author abroad again, con¬ 
ceive that they cannot more aptly introduce the second volume 
to the public, than by referring the reader to the author’s 
Preface in his first volume. 
Having from childhood been an ardent lover and sedulous 
practiser of the arts, the study of antiquity, being connected with 
such pursuits, could not but share his attention; and the plains 
of Babylon, described in this volume, afforded him even ampler 
scope than those of Persepolis, depicted in the preceding. His 
second object was Courdistan, a picturesque country and people, 
hardly explored, and which he has now travelled over with much 
careful geographical observation, rendered particularly interesting 
by tracing the march of Xenophon. In several passages of both 
volumes, the author disclaims pretension to three branches of 
natural philosophy; namely, chemistry, botany, and geology ; 
though he frankly brings forward his observations on some of 
their subjects, relying on the principle, that “ one who is ig¬ 
norant of physical science may yet be serviceable to science, 
in relating facts for the consideration of those who are able to 
reason on them.” 
VOL. II. 
* A 3 —a 1 
