Family records of the Bruces and the Cumyns

374 JAMES BRUCE OF KINNAIRD.
the French fallen into their hands, and being sold by them to the Spaniards and
other enemies of the Barbary States ; and when British ships presented written
passports provided for them in the mean time, they were not received— indeed
one ship was taken possession of and its crew sold as slaves. The Dey and
the party who supported the renegadoes were alike indignant with the English
consul ; nor was he well supported from home, more than eight months
passing without his letters being answered. The Dey had demanded his
dismissal, and in the autumn of 1764 Mr Bruce was informed by Lord Halifax
that an ambassador was appointed to the Barbary States, and that Mr Kirk
would succeed him as consul at Algiers. No mention was made of the
permission which had induced him to accept that office, and he was constrained
either to make his excursion as a private individual, or entirely to abandon the
principal design of his residence in Barbary.
But by this time the Dey had become aware of the error he had been led
into, and admiring the firmness and integrity with which Mr Bruce had served
his country, not only gave him permission to travel through the inland provinces
of Algiers, but also the most cordial promises of friendship and protection, and
letters of recommendation to the governors of the places which he intended to
visit ; whilst the merchants settled at Algiers (principally Venetians), deeply
regretting the departure of one who had ever faithfully maintained their
interests, presented him with a beautiful gold cup (now at Kinnaird) filled with
sequins.
On the 25th of August 1765 he sailed for Tunis, going on shore to visit the
ruins of Utica and Carthage. At Tunis the English and French consuls were
eager to serve him and to make his stay agreeable. There he made all pre-
parations for his expedition. Mr Lumisden, the talented author of ' Roman
Antiquities,' sent him from Rome a young Bolognese architect and draughts-
man of considerable ability, although still very young, Luigi Balugnani by
name, the only assistant he ever had, and the number of drawings they executed
together is surprising. In the north of Africa, the ruins of Baalbec and
Palmyra ; and in the interior, Tucca, Keff, and Hydra. Near Constantina, where
the Dey had a palace, Mr Bruce discovered the ruins of Cirta, the capital of
Syphax. By Jibbel Aures, Spaitla, &c, where he found magnificent remains of
Roman architecture, he returned to Tunis in February 1766. He next pre-
pared to visit Tripoli ; but here the Dey of Tunis could no longer protect him,
and the Basha promising an escort, but failing to do so, he rashly ventured to
cross the desert attended only by his own suite, ten in number, and being
attacked by a party of Arab horsemen, whom they repulsed with difficult)-,
lost four men in the encounter.