The Commander in Chief of thegarrison of Gibraltar having indulgedthe Author of the followingpages with leave of absence, he acceptedan invitation from an amiableFriend, to accompany him on a Voyageto the Levant.

It was with the most heart-feltsatisfaction, that he found himself enabledto profit by so favorable anopportunity of visiting a country, notonly interesting from the precious remainsof antiquity with which it isstill adorned, but from the criticalstate into which it was thrown by thewar already began, which threatened,sooner or later, to involve in it manyof the Powers of Europe, and to callforth the just arm of Great Britain,to check the haughty usurpations ofthe ambitious Court of Russia.

The Author's friends saw his happinessin embarking on such a Tour;and, that they might, in some degree,partake of it, one of them insistedthat he should keep, and transmit him,a regular Journal.

This promise the Author readilygave, and faithfully observed.

The compliments paid to this littlework, first gave him the idea of appearingin print. Aware, however,that the ground he had travelled over,had often been treated upon by muchmore able pens, he for some time suppressedhis hopes of becoming a candidatefor fame in the literary world:but, after the general encouragement hemet, he would have been guilty ofinjustice to himself, and of want ofconfidence in his friends, had he anylonger hesitated to appear before thePublic.