Between 1812 and 1814, Cambridge fellow and cleric Thomas Smart Hughes (1786–1847) and Robert Townley Parker, later an MP for Preston, embarked on a tour of Mediterranean countries, 'those theatres of the most interesting events recorded in the annals of history'. This two-volume account of their travels, illustrated with plates from the drawings of the architect Charles Robert Cockerell, was first published in 1820. In Volume 1, Hughes describes their arrival in Gibraltar, their experiences in Sicily, and their visits to many important classical sites in Greece, noting important historical events that took place at each location and describing the local legends, habits and customs. He quotes freely from other travel writers of the time, as well as from ancient authors and inscriptions encountered on the tour. Included also are anecdotes which render this account vivid and readable, allowing the author's personality and opinions to reveal themselves.