The Life and Adventures of Bruce, the African TravellerHead, Francis Bond, Sir
History
The Life and Adventures of Bruce, the African Traveller
Head, Francis Bond, Sir
Bruce, James, 1730-1794; Ethiopia -- Description and travel
It would be tedious to enter into a detail of the antiquities,
paintings, and other curiosities which Bruce observed in the course of
his journey, as they have been visited by thousands of Englishmen, and
have been minutely described by travellers of every possible
description. It is only necessary to state that Bruce made very minute
memoranda respecting every remarkable place or object which he
visited;[3] that his catalogue of paintings is very extensive; and that
his notes indicate the variety of his knowledge, the correctness of his
judgment, and the exalted feelings with which he visited those faded
scenes of Roman glory, which, like Byron's "Greece," may be justly
compared to a corpse from which a noble spirit has departed.
While at Naples, he received from slaves, redeemed from the province of
Constantia, descriptions of magnificent ruins which they had seen while
traversing that country in the camp of their master, the bey; and as it
was Bruce's intention not only to take accurate drawings of these, but
also to endeavour to make a map of the country, with observations on its
natural history, and on the manners and language of its inhabitants, he
justly concluded that the packing and repacking, mounting and rectifying
the instruments alone would wholly occupy one man; and he therefore
wrote to several of his correspondents, requesting them to procure him
an assistant. For a long time no one appeared willing to share the
fatigues of such journeys; but at last a young man was engaged who was
then studying architecture at Rome. He was a native of Bologna, named
Luigi Balugani. Besides the assistance of this person, Bruce provided
himself in England with two camera obscuras, the largest of which was
made of separate pieces, folding compactly on hinges: its body was a
hexagon of six feet diameter, with a conical top; in this instrument, as
in a summer-house, the draughtsman sat unseen, and in executing views of
ruined architecture, could do more work in an hour than the readiest
artist, without such assistance, in seven.
After having passed eight months at Naples, Rome, Bologna, and
Florence,[4] during which time he most attentively visited the
antiquities, paintings, cabinets, &c., availing himself of every
opportunity to improve his skill in drawing, he at last received his
despatches from England. Proceeding immediately to Leghorn, Bruce
embarked on board the Montreal man-of-war, and arrived at Algiers on the
15th of March, 1763.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The Bruces of Kinnaird trace their pedigree to that Norman house
which once occupied the throne of Scotland.
[2] See M. Florian's History of the Moors of Spain, published by Harper
& Brothers, 1840.
[3] It appears, from sketches found among his papers, that he intended
to write a dissertation on the ancient and modern state of Rome.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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