From Mr. GERARD DUCAREL*. "By this time my dear Uncle must have almost given us up, for in the room of three or four, we have now been absent more than five months. As I shall have many more things to say, I will content myself with giving him an account where we have been, and the length of our stay at each place. On the 13th of April we took on board the Algerine Embassador; in eight days arrived at Algiers; our stay was four weeks; in a fortnight's passage got to Tunis; remained there five weeks; before our departure were informed the French Fleet had been seen on the coast, but luckily found nothing of them in our route of five days to Tripoli; continued there four weeks; and in a voyage of eight days re-anchored in the Bay of Tunis. At our arrival every body was astonished to see us, particularly the French, who could hardly believe their eyes; for Admiral Bompart had been there with ten sail of the line five days after our departure; had given out his resolution that we should not escape him; in consequence dispatched two ships to Tripoli, who arrived just after our departure; two to Algiers, to intercept us there, whilst himself blocked up the usual passages. Our escape was owing to making use of one which was not common for large ships. The French officers were in high spirits before their departure; talked of nothing but catching the English Embassador, with his fine presents; and all the medals we had collected were shared in their ideas. After a week's stay, we attempted to sail again from Tunis, but were chased in by two large men of war, and were informed by neutral vessels that no less than five were cruising for us off. After a month's stay, on Sept. the 3d, came in Mr. Bompart, with six sail of the line, and frigates, anchoring without the neutrality of the port. On the 6th, a small vessel arriving, he sailed again. None of their boats came ashore; only the French Consul went off to them. On their going, reports were given out that they resolved, if they cruised a year, we should not escape them; but all this proved mere gasconade, for they went immediately for Toulon. On the 13th, neutral ships arriving, and nothing being seen on the Coast, we sailed, and in a fortnight's passage got to Algiers. Here we learned that two ships had waited for us a long time. Our stay at Algiers was one week; and on the 19th we joined Admiral Saunders with his fleet off Gibraltar. "As our stay was so long at Tunis, my dear Uncle will perceive I had good opportunities of visiting the ruins of Carthage. Almost every day my curiosity led me thither. But oh! how changed! from that City which inclosed fifteen miles of ground, and poured forth armies of 30,000 men at its gates, is now the merest heap of rubbish. Its port is now so covered with sand, blown in by the North winds, that if the Moors did not call it the Port, one This Letter is indorsed, "Received Dec. 20, 1762, from my Nephew Gerard Ducarel, ætat. 17, Midshipman of his Majesty's ship the Windsor, Captain Cleveland." A. C. DUCAREL. VOL. IV. SS would would hardly find the spot; but of that which they made after Scipio's mole had blocked the old one, are very distinct traces. It has been nothing less than a complete harbour, dug with immense labour; length about a quarter of a mile, breadth about sixty fathoms, till you come to the upper part, where it opens into a round bason, with an island in the middle. At its communication with the sea, are the remains of a mole, run out to prevent the North-east winds throwing in the sand; but for want of its being repaired, the mouth is now entirely blocked up with sand. The cisterns, or reservoirs, are the only things which have escaped the devouring hand of time. By the number one would conclude every house had one, besides the small ones, which are scattered every where. There are two sets of larger; the first of these serves as habitations to the Arabs or Moors, who live in them, as the Cyclops of old, cattle and all the household. The cisterns are in number 20; they are 100 feet long; but as they are filled up very high by the Arabs, breadth is not to be determined. Here begins the aqueduct, which may be traced all over the Plain of Tunis to fifty miles distance. In one place some of the arches are intire, about five miles from Tunis, 50 or 60 feet high, and columns 14 or 15 feet square, by which one may judge the labour and pains it cost. The other set are a row of 17 fine arched cisterns, almost entire, 60 foot by 17, in depth about 12 feet. The pipes which brought the water to them are still to be seen, made of brown earthenware; the plaster they laid over them is hard and firm like iron. They lay in a little hollow, very convenient for water to drain down. The Dyrsa or Citadel Hill looks still, from the Country, like a fortification, steep and difficult of access; on it there is a little eminence, which looks artificial, with the remains of winding steps, but rather too low for the Temple of Esculapius. Here they have dug out a number of pillars which support the gable end of houses, angles of walls in Tunis. Towards the sea-side are distinct traces of a triple wall advancing ten or twelve yards into the water. The innermost of these has been arched; the piers of them still remain, ten feet by eight. A number of common sewers are likewise to be seen almost entire, both on the beach and in the sea. The stone moulders, and gives way, whilst the mortar is like rock or iron; by the coarseness it appears to have been mixed with sand, and is laid on in great quantities. "These are all the remains I could perceive of ancient Carthage. At Tripoli there is one pier of a triumphant arch, with the remains of a fine group of figures. As well as at Tunis, the gable ends of houses, and angles of the walls, are supported by fine pillars of marble, granite, and even porphyry. These have been brought from the ruins of Lystra, 20 miles to the Eastward of Tripoli: they are said to be very magnificent. "I inclose, my dear Uncle, a List of the Medals which I have been able to procure him at Tunis and Tripoli. Amongst them is a small one of Alexander Africa Tyrannus, considered as sin gular gular by all writers I have been able to see. By the quantity of rubbish he will see what dirt one is obliged to wade through with these Moors, who if you pick or chuse, would sell none; so the way is to take all, good and bad, for the sake of one which may be worth all the rest. They are to come by the purser of the Windsor, who promises to deliver them with his own hands; as he is always very civil to me, I have no reason to doubt it. Believe me, dear Sir, "Your most dutiful and affectionate nephew, G. DUCAREL." From Miss M. DUCAREL. "MY DEAR UNCLE, Oakley Park, Oct. 23, 1778. "You do not speak of your letters as they deserve, or as I esteem them. Did they not come free, I should ever consider the expence as well bestowed that gave me the pleasure of hearing from you, if it was but two lines; and I always consider myself as much obliged to you for your goodness in favouring me with such frequent and kind letters. No more from Bengal I suppose this year; but the writing time draws near, and as I am to write to my Brother by Mr. Francis and Mr. Chambers, besides the long letter by the first ship, I must soon begin my dispatches. "I find you have made a new publication*. What a source of entertainment, dear Sir, you have within yourself to be able to bring to light things that seemed lost and buried in darkness and oblivion. What I have seen of your publication explains to me two lines in an old Poem published nearly an hundred years ago, that I never understood before: Thus John Tradeskin starves our greedy eyes, "I can hardly give you an account yet what is to be our winter destination, or when I shall have the pleasure of seeing you in town, but I do not suppose it will be long before we leave the country, though the weather is still very fine, and Lord Clive takes the diversion of hunting every day. He talks of spending the winter at Naples, but with a male party only, Lady Clive not having health or spirits for so great an undertaking. I am, dear Sir, "Your obliged and affectionate Niece, M. DUCAREL." From the same. "MY DEAR UNCLE, Berkeley Square, March 12, 1774. "I have copied the following account in haste, having very little time allowed me, therefore I hope you will excuse all the imperfections you may find. The thing is certainly curious, and will amuse you and my Aunt. I am, my dear Uncle, "Your obliged and affectionate Niece, M. DUCAREL." This refers to Dr. Ducarel's Account of the early Cultivation of Botany in England; and more particularly of John Tradescant, a great promoter of that science, and of bis Monument and Garden at Lambeth. By the facetious Dr. William King of the Commons. SS2 Mr. Mr. KELSALL's Account of POMPEII. "After being disappointed several times in our intended excursion to Pompeii, we have at length been (yesterday), and had a most favourable day. This City suffered the same fate, and in the same dreadful eruption of 79 as Herculaneum; but this City was buried in ashes and pumice, whereas Herculaneum was inundated by lava. The latter is at this time a solid rock, and covers the City perhaps 100 feet. Pompeii is only ten or twelve feet under the present surface, and the soil loose and easy to work; yet very little of this ancient City is brought to light: there are no more than 20 or 30 people employed. The most remarkable things you see are, a Gate of the City; a street with different shops, distinguished by their signs; Temples, Parades ; one house in particular, which must have been inhabited by a person of distinction. Think of seeing the house of an old Roman, in perfect preservation, upwards of 1700 years old! The plaister and paintings on the walls are most curious. "There is something inexpressibly melancholy in reflecting on the fate of these places. Adjoining to this house there were large vaults, where we saw a number of Amphora, jars in which they kept their wine. It should seem that at the time of the dreadful shower of ashes which overwhelmed the City, the family took refuge in the cellars, and there perished from suffocation, for here were found 24 skeletons, which remain to this time. In another house we were conducted into the cook-room, where there are several vessels and the skeleton of a woman in the very posture in which she died. In the prisons were found skeletons with fetters on their leg bones. In short, it was pleasing, and at the same time melancholy, to view this monument of antiquity, and to reflect on the devastation of a volcano!" To the Rev. Dr. ZACHARY GREY. "REV. SIR, Inner Temple, Aug. 11, 1742. "Dr. Warren is now with me, and having acquainted me with your design of publishing Hudibras, I communicated a letter to him which I received this morning from an ingenious physician in Hertfordshire, whose name is Dr. Evetts, with whom I am very intimate, who has lately brought out of Warwickshire a Hudibras, with many MS notes by his grandfather, who was an eminent schoolmaster, and, I think, a clergyman. Some of them, he says, are printed, and some are not. If your curiosity should induce you to desire to see it, I will endeavour to borrow the book of my said friend, whom I shall see next week, and shall be much obliged to you for a line by the return of post, because I go into Hertfordshire on Saturday morning. "I remain, Sir, your most humble (though unknown) servant, "AND. DUCAREL. * See before, in this Volume, p. 383. "DEAR see. Wednesday. "DEAR SIR, "My friend Mr. Ducarel is so kind to write to you, as you I desire you will please to direct to him at the Inner Temple, in case you shall answer his letter by to-morrow's post otherwise to direct to him afterwards at Wellwyn in Hertfordshire. In your answer to him pray let him know how he must direct to you afterwards, for I think you are going shortly into Bedfordshire. I am, dear Sir, &c. WM. WARREN." To the Rev. JOHN NIXON *. "DEAR SIR, Doctors Commons, July 7, 1753. "I answer with great pleasure your very kind letter of the 4th, and am very sorry I have no frank to inclose it in. inclosed letters I sent away directly to the penny post. Your "I am very glad to hear that your friend Sir Thomas Cave is about the History of Leicestershire, and he may, upon your account, depend on all the assistance in my power. I have looked over my Collection, and have, to my great concern, nothing by me relating to that County. "On the receipt of yours I immediately wrote to Dr. Rawlinson, who has since called upon me, and informs me, that he bought all Blackborne's Papers, and assures me that there is nothing in them relating to the History of Leicestershire. He advises your friend to consult Valor Beneficiorum, a MS. in the Bodleian Library; and also Bishop Tanner's Papers in the Bodleian likewise; where he says there are many things relating to the County of Leicester.' Vide also many monumental Inscriptions in Le Neve. "The late learned and Rev. Mr. Francis Peck, Rector of Godeby, near Melton, in Leicestershire, a Member of our Society whom I well knew, hath in his Memoirs of the Life of Oliver Cromwell,' 4to, 1740, which I bought of him at that time, published Queries for the History and Antiquities of Leicestershire, which I find he re-printed in that book from a single sheet in folio, in 1729, at the desire of several friends. At the end of these he mentions a MS. of Mr. Burton's hand-writing, sent to him by an unknown gentleman, and afterwards his having since that time purchased another of Mr. Burton's. This Mr. Peck hath left behind him a son who is a clergyman; and I think it would not be improper for your friend to endeavour to purchase his Father's papers†, as I hear he has no taste for Antiquities. "There was very lately in Osborne's Catalogue (price five guineas to the best of my remembrance) Burton's Leicestershire, with many MS notes and additions by the late Rev. Mr. Carte, Rector of St. Martin's in Leicester. This book may by your friend be enquired after, and may prove of service to him. * See the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VII. p. 293. All these papers were afterwards purchased by Sir Thomas Cave; and were subsequently given by his Brother and Grandson, the two last Baronets, to Mr. Nichols, by whom they were incorporated into his History of the County of Leicester. "As |