VI 
PREFACE. 
Imperial Secretary of State, President of the Academy of Fine 
Arts, &c., a short time previous to the commencement of his 
journey, may be deemed the text on which he has proceeded : 
/ 
Translation of part of a Letter to Sir Robert Ker Porter , §c. 
“ I hasten to communicate to you the result of my observ¬ 
ations on the different travels, given to the world on the 
subject of Persia. My remarks have for their object a distinct 
illustration of those precious monuments of antiquity which yet 
remain at Chehel-minar, or Persepolis; at Mourg-aub, which, 
according to the felicitous explanation of Mr. Morier, should be 
Pasargadae, with the tomb of Cyrus ; and, finally, the beautiful 
relics at Nakshi-Roustam, Be-Sitoon, &c. 
“ When comparing the engravings in the Travels of Chardin, 
Le Brun, and Niebuhr, which represent the same subject, we 
find them so utterly contradictory to each other, as not to bear 
the smallest pretensions to fidelity ; being rather vague memo¬ 
randums, than any thing of veritable outline. I made an 
accurate copy of one of these subjects, as it is represented by 
these three several travellers ; and you may see, by casting your 
eye on the specimen from each, how little dependance is to be 
placed in the pencil of any of the trio. Here, you may observe 
the same figures of the same Persepolitan bas-relief, transmitted 
to us in three perfectly different forms of outline. The bas- 
relief was cut in very hard stone, which I have had an oppor¬ 
tunity of knowing from a fragment that was brought to St. 
