INTRODUCTION. 
Ixix 
Ing-inftruments; their ornaments; their utenlils; which in 
defign and in execution, may vie with whatever modem 
Europe, or claflical antiquity can exhibit ? 
It is a favourite ftudy with the fcholar to trace the re¬ 
mains of Grecian or Roman workmanfhip ; he turns over 
his Montfaucon with learned fatisfachion; and he gazes 
with rapture on the noble collection of Sir William Hamil¬ 
ton. The amufement is rational and inftruCtive. But will 
not his curiolity be more awakened, will he not find even 
more real matter for important reflection, by pafling an 
hour in furveying the numerous fpecimens of the inge¬ 
nuity of our newly-difcovered friends, brought from the 
utmoft receffes of the globe, to enrich the Britifh Mufeum, 
and the valuable repofitory of Sir Afhton Lever ? If the 
curiofities of Sir Afhton’s Sandwich-room alone, were the 
only acquifition gained by our vifits to the Pacific Ocean, 
who that has tafte to admire, or even eyes to behold, could 
hefitate to pronounce, that Captain Cook had not failed 
in vain ? The expence of his three voyages did not, per¬ 
haps, far exceed that of digging out the buried contents 
of Herculaneum. And we may add, that the novelties 
of the Society or Sandwich Iflands, feem better calculated 
to engage the attention of the ftudious in our times, than 
the antiquities , which exhibit proofs of Roman magni¬ 
ficence. 
The grounds for making this remark cannot be better 
explained, than in the words of a very ingenious writer : 
“ In an age (fays Mr. Walton*), advanced to the higheft 
u degree of refinement, that fpecies of curiofity com- 
“ mences, which is bufied in contemplating the progrefs 
“ of facial life, in difplaying the gradation of fcience, and 
* Preface to his Hiftory of Englifh Poetry. 
“ in 
