t h e r ig h t h o n o u r a b l e
THE EARL BATHURST,
t h e r ig h t h o n o u r a b l e
THE LORD YISCOUNT MELVILLE,
& c . & c . &C.
M y L o r d s ,
We beg leave to submit to your inspection our account of
the Proceedings of the Expedition to which we had the honour of
being appointed by your Lordships ; and to express our best thanks
for the flattering encouragement which it receives from the sanction
of your Lordships’ names.
A book of travels in countries so interesting as those to which
our researches have been directed, would once have been considered,
however indifferently it might be written, as a tribute of more than
ordinary value to its patrons. But so much has been effected, during
your Lordships’ administration, for the advancement of science and
general knowledge, that a traveller of our own times appears before
the public, unassisted by the presence of that little cloud of mystery
through which he would formerly have been seen to so much advantage;
and his work must no longer depend for its attractions upon
wonders which have ceased to be marvelled a t; or hair-breadth
escapes, which have now become familiar, and no longer excite an
awe, almost amounting to reverence, for those who return to tell of
them. Our book will, however, possess the advantage of novelty;
for the country through which we have passed is, even in the present
day, little known to the general reader; and its remains have
never been described with sufficient accuracy to make them properly
intelligible. We confess that our narrative will chiefly be found
acceptable to those who are interested in the description of antiquities,
and have pleasure in tracing the connexion between the past
and the present in countries described by ancient poets and historians.
We must even allow that those parts of our journal which have
been considered by some as the most entertaining, are those which
we should spare with as little regret as the public would probably
experience in parting with them. Such as our work is, however,
we submit it, respectfully, to the attention, as well as to the indulgence
of your Lordships ; and shall be happy if the little tribute
which we offer to private worth and public desert, may be found in
some measure deserving of the honour which patronage so distinguished
has conferred upon it.
I f our researches have enabled us to contribute any matter of
interest to that large and valuable fund of public knowledge, which
has accumulated so considerably during your Lordships’ official
career, it will be read with some feeling of internal satisfaction by
those who afforded us the means of acquiring i t ; and we ourselves
shall look back with pleasure upon labours which have not been
unattended by advantage. If it might have chanced (as we have