In time he began to acquire greater facility of locomotion than he could have anticipated, and which was succeeded by an almost irresistible inclination to visit different parts of his native country, in quest of knowledge or amusement; notwithstanding the limited information, which it may be imagined he would thus derive, he found the impressions produced, afford him not only present, but permanent gratification. To some, this may appear incredible; it must, however, not be forgotten, that the loss of one sense, is uniformly compensated by superior powers of those that remain unimpaired, in consequence of their being more called into action; and it is well known, that the sense of touch, in particular, acquires so great a delicacy, as to afford degrees of information, which under ordinary states it is incapable of: besides this advantage, he acquired an undefinable power, almost resembling instinct, which he believes in a lively manner gives him ideas of whatever may be going forward externally. In the year 1819, his health having for some time suffered from causes which it is unnecessary to mention, the Author became assured that nothing would tend more to re-establish it, than a visit to the highly favoured clime of the southern parts of Europe: while at the same time, and which was, perhaps, paramount to all other considerations, he would be gratifying his desire of obtaining information; he therefore, with this double view, determined to undertake the journey which forms the subject of the present pages;—and is happy to say, that in neither of these objects has he met with disappointment. It may be more difficult to assign satisfactory reasons, for laying before his readers the various incidents which befel him, in this pursuit of health and occupation; for he is not vain enough to imagine, that they could feel interested in his acquisition of the one, or participate with him in the enjoyment of the other. The compilation was, in the first instance, entered upon as a matter of employment and selfish pleasure. None but those who have travelled through countries, and amidst circumstances novel to them, can appreciate the delight experienced from recalling in this way the interesting points of an interesting journey, and fighting as it were, their battles over again. On shewing a portion of the notes thus collected to his friends, their too kind partiality (for such he fears it has been) induced them to think that if published, they might not prove wholly unacceptable to the public, and their solicitations and assurances at length determined him to adopt their suggestions.