Arrival of Captain Smyth at Derna — Our Party set out from
Cyrene to meet him — Remains of Ancient Forts, and Sarcophagi
observed on the Journey — Marks of Chariot-wheels in the Stony
Track indicative of an ancient Road — Barren Appearance of the
Mountains which rise at the back of Derna — Perilous Descent
from their Summit to the Plain below — Exhausted condition of
our Horses in accomplishing it — Arrive at Derna, where we found
the Adventure, and wait upon Captain Smyth — Description of the
town of Derna — Ravages occasioned by the Plague there — Prompt
Measures of Mahommed Bey in subduing it — Some Account of Mahommed
Bey — Civility and attention received by our Party from Signor
Regignani the British Agent at Derna — Take leave of Mr. Tindall,
who sails on board the Adventure — Departure from Derna on our
road to Apollonia — Gradual increase of Vegetation observed
on the Route — Thickly-wooded Ravines and dangerous Passes on
this Road — Beautiful Stream at Elthroon — Arrive at El Hilal
— Capacious Harbour at that place — Ancient Remains observed
there — Arab Encampment at El Hilal — Dishonest Conduct of
our Chaous — Arrive at Apollonia — No Water to be found there
— Begin to dig a Well in order to procure some, our stock being
wholly exhausted — Bad Success of this attempt — Continue our
Journey to Cyrene — Miss the Path over the Mountain, and lose
our way among the thickets and underwood — Inconvenience of this
mistake to all Parties — Find the right track, and at length
reach the Fountain of Apollo — Rencontre of our Servants with
some female Inhabitants of the Mountain — Singular position of
the Caves which they lived in — Gain intelligence at Cyrene of
a Spring in the neighbourhood of Apollonia — Set out again for
that place — Description of the Road — Architectural Remains,
and beautiful appearance of the Country through which it passes —
Meet with an Hyæna in the dusk of the evening — The forest much
infested by these animals and Jackalls — Peculiarities of both
— Arrive at Apollonia, and find the Spring described to us —
Other Caves in the Mountain — Unwillingness of their Inhabitants
to admit us — Description of the City of Apollonia.
We had been about three weeks at Cyrene, busily employed in walking
over the ground, and in making plans and drawings of the remains
of antiquity which it presented, when news was brought to us from
the Vice-Consul at Derna that H. M. S. the Adventure had arrived
there. As we particularly wished to communicate with Captain Smyth,
we left Mr. Campbell in charge of the tents and set out on our
journey to the eastward. We continued to descend for the first hour,
taking the route of Safsaf, where there are extensive remains of
building, and soon came to a stony, uninteresting country, partially
cultivated, and much overrun with brushwood; at noon we had reached
a place called Tereet where we perceived the remains of ancient
forts and those of some tombs and sarcophagi. We found ourselves
here in the neighbourhood of an Arab encampment, and continuing
our route over a country that appeared to have been cleared for
the purposes of building, arrived by two o’clock at Lamlada,
another ancient station, occupied, like that already mentioned,
by Arabs. The nature of the ground continued very much the same
with that which we had already passed over, except that it was
more hilly; and by five we had arrived at Goobba, where we found
many remains of building and a welcome supply of fresh water from
a spring. We observed that the tombs here had architectural fronts
similar to those which we have spoken of at Cyrene. As the evening
was fast closing in, we did not stop to give these much attention,
but proceeded on to Beit Thiarma where we pitched our tent late at
night. At this place there is a spring of fresh water, built round,
and upon a hill close to it the remains of an ancient fort. We had
reason to conjecture from the frequent remains of building which
we had met with in our journey to this place, as well as from the
occasional marks of chariot-wheels impressed in the rocky soil we
had passed over, that the road which we had taken was the same with
that formerly used in travelling from Cyrene to Darnis now Derna[1].
The next morning we continued our course east-south-east, and
began to ascend by a very bad, stony pathway, which took us four
hours to surmount, winding all the time through olive and fir trees
thickly planted in every direction. About noon we reached the brow
of the range which separated us from the town of Derna, and here
began the most difficult part of our journey, the descent into
the plain below. The face of the mountain is devoid of vegetation,
occasionally polished like glass; and its inclination approaches in
many places far too closely to the perpendicular to render it safe
as a road. Indeed it is in so many parts scarcely practicable,
that we could not help wondering, when we arrived at its foot,
how we had contrived in any way to descend it without breaking our
own and our horses’ necks in the attempt.
There was neither road nor pathway to be found, and we were obliged
to scramble down in the best way we could, sometimes stumbling over
rugged and encumbered parts of the mountain, and slipping along
at others over a hard, polished surface, which was still more
difficult to pass than they were. When we arrived at a descent
more than usually perpendicular, we had the greatest difficulty,
after sliding down ourselves, to make our poor horses follow us;
and it was truly distressing, as well as provoking, to see these
fine animals reduced to a condition in which they did not appear to
have the power of exerting the slightest portion of their natural
energy. Their eyes appeared starting from their heads, and their
nostrils were distended to the utmost extent; a mass of white
foam was collected round their mouths, mixed with blood which the
sharp Mamaluke bit had drawn forth in our endeavours to keep them
from falling down the cliff, and the perspiration which terror and
fatigue (without mentioning the heat of the sun) had drawn forth,
literally ran down in streams from their bodies. They became at
length so helpless and so completely overcome, that we doubted
whether we should ever get them down the cliff at all, and indeed
our own fatigue and continued anxiety would not have rendered us very
effective conductors if the descent had lasted much longer. Yet our
horses had been accustomed to roads of every description, or rather
to countries with no roads at all, and had often laboured through
deep and heavy sands, and over rugged and mountainous passes, in the
course of their journey from Tripoly. They had also an advantage
in having only three shoes, which prevented them from slipping
about so much as they would otherwise have done; and in short
they went through this arduous part of their journey much better
than most horses would have done, and much better perhaps than we
had any reason to expect from the nature of the pass which they
descended. It will scarcely be necessary to add that on reaching
the bottom of the precipice (for so we must call it) we stopped
to recruit the exhausted strength of all parties before we set
out for the town: our horses had had several very heavy falls, but
fortunately experienced no material injury; and after leading them
on till they were sufficiently recovered, we were able to mount
them again and continue our route along the sea-side to Derna,
where we arrived in the evening and found the Adventure at anchor
in the roadstead. We lost no time in waiting upon Captain Smyth,
who informed us that he had succeeded in completing the coast line
between Derna and Alexandria.
The town of Derna is situated at the mouth of a large ravine,
and is built on a low point of land running out from the foot of a
range of barren mountains distant about a mile from the coast. It is
supposed to be built on the site of the ancient Darnis, but there
are scarcely any remains of building at the present day which have
claims to particular notice. It is amply provided with water (the
first requisite for a town in hot climates), and well situated at
the entrance of a large ravine, or fiumara, along which a part of
it is built.
The houses are much better than those at Bengazi and are surrounded
by gardens producing abundance of grapes, melons, figs, bananas,
oranges, greengages, and other fruit; they have also the advantage
of being well sheltered by thick groves of date-trees, which give
a very pleasing appearance to the town, and contribute materially
to the comfort of the inhabitants by forming a perpetual shade. A
delightful stream of water gushes out from the rock above the town,
passing through several streets in its course, and irrigating the
gardens, and even the corn-fields in its neighbourhood. In short the
actual resources of Derna give it a very decided advantage (in point
of comfort) over every other town in the Bashaw’s dominions. A
very pleasant wine (we were told) is made from the grapes of this
place, all of which is consumed by the natives themselves, in spite
of the prophet’s injunctions.
The ravine at the mouth of which the town is situated is of
considerable depth and extent, winding up far into the mountains;
some of the gardens are formed upon its sides, and about them a few
trees occasionally appear, where the soil has been able to lodge. In
the rainy season a considerable body of water rushes down from the
mountains to the sea, and is sometimes so deep and so rapid as to
become wholly impassable: at such times it separates one half the
town from the other and occasions a consequent inconvenience. In
the summer, however, it is dry, and the market is held upon its
shining bed.
It may readily be imagined that natives of Africa complain little
of any inconvenience which fresh water may chance to occasion them;
and we doubt even whether the inhabitants of Derna would not rather
run the risk of losing a part of their town every winter, than be
deprived of the pleasure of seeing and admiring so large a portion of
this valuable fluid, and of enjoying the consciousness that, at least
once a year, they have more of it than they know what to do with.
The water which flows from the spring we have mentioned above was
conveyed through the streets (as the people informed us) by one of
their former Beys, a native of Egypt, who is said to have expended
a considerable sum of money in beautifying and improving the place,
and to have erected a large and handsome mosque which stands in
the centre of the town.
The streets of Derna are for the most part narrow and irregular,
and not without that quantity of rubbish and dirt which may be
supposed indispensable to Arab towns and tastes; but the luxuriance
of its gardens and groves are however quite sufficient to balance
these objections; and the abundance of grapes which overhang the
walls and houses, the terraces, covered walks, and every part of
the town, give it a highly pleasing and picturesque appearance.
On the eastern bank of the ravine is the principal burying-ground of
the place, distinguished in particular by a lofty and handsome tomb
raised on four arches, under which the body is placed, with its usual
simple covering of snow-white cement, and the stone carved turban
at its head. The town is undefended both by sea and land, and may
at any time be destroyed by no greater force than could be brought
to bear against it by a brig of war. Upon a hill at the back of it
are the remains of a castle built some years ago by the Americans;
but the guns are now thrown down, and the castle itself is little
more than a mere heap of ruins. As this is a conspicuous object in
sailing along the coast, the observations for latitude and longitude
were reduced to it. Some large building-stones and fragments of
columns bedded in the walls of the Arab houses are all that we could
perceive of ancient remains in Derna. Above the town there are a few
tombs extant, but in a very mutilated state, excavated in the side
of the mountain. What is called the port affords some protection
for small vessels with the wind from north-west to south-east;
but even these cannot remain with a northerly or north-east wind:
during the fine weather, however, some few anchor in it and load
with corn, wool, and manteca, the produce of the inland country.
The plague has made dreadful ravages at Derna, as is evident by
the number of deserted houses on its outskirts. The year previous
to our arrival it was brought (we were told) from Alexandria, and
the mortality which it occasioned was very considerable: the prompt
measures of the Bey, however, subdued it, who ordered the clothes
of all persons attacked with it to be burnt, their houses to be
properly ventilated, and the streets to be cleared of everything
that was likely to communicate the infection. These exertions
were probably assisted by the general healthiness of the place,
and the constant change of atmosphere produced by the passage of
water through the town: the only remedy we heard of for the disease
was the favourite application of a hot iron to the tumours, which
we understood to have been peculiarly successful in many cases.
Derna is the residence of Bey Mahommed, eldest son to the Bashaw of
Tripoly, who commands the whole district extending from the frontiers
of Egypt (the eastern part of Bomba) to Sidi Aráfi, one short day
west from Grenna. Mahommed Bey is well known for his active and
turbulent spirit, and for his rebellion against the Bashaw’s
authority, which once obliged him to seek refuge in Egypt. His
bold and enterprising measures succeeded in quelling the marauding
tribes of Arabs who infested the country and levied contributions on
the peaceful inhabitants of the towns; but his courage and conduct
were sullied by cruelties which we do not feel inclined to justify
from their necessity, however well we might probably succeed in
attempting to do so before an Arab or Turkish tribunal. Indeed so
many acts of cruelty and extravagance are related of this prince,
that we should scarcely know how to reconcile them with the noble
qualities which many allow him to possess, if we did not know
from experience that such inconsistencies are common in barbarous
countries; and that it is possible for the same man to be cruel
and forgiving, avaricious to extortion, and liberal to profusion,
generous and mean, open and intriguing, sincere and deceitful,
temperate and dissipated, in short anything but cowardly and brave.
We resided while at Derna in the house of the British agent (Signor
Regignani) appointed by the Consul at Tripoly, from whom letters
had been forwarded, which arrived before us, with orders for our
proper accommodation. The Bashaw had also written to his son, Bey
Mahommed, to afford us his assistance and protection, and although
the Bey was absent, collecting the tribute, during the time of our
stay at Derna we had no reason to complain of any want of attention
to the applications which we occasionally made to him. From Signor
Regignani we invariably received the greatest attention and kindness,
and although his influence in Derna was certainly very limited,
and he himself often exposed to unavoidable insult, drawn upon him
in a great measure by his religious persuasion[2], yet there was
nothing which he had it in his power to command, that he did not
very freely afford us.
At Derna we took leave of one of our companions (Mr. Tindall,
a young officer attached to the Adventure), who had accompanied
the Expedition from Tripoly.
The field of our operations, on arriving at Cyrene, was limited
to a comparatively small tract of country, and we were enabled in
consequence to dispense with this gentlemen’s services, which
we knew would be useful on board. We were sorry to part with
Mr. Tindall, who had materially assisted us in our operations,
and whose frank and spirited character, and joyous disposition,
had so often enlivened the frugal board of our little party. We took
our leave at the same time of Captain Smyth and the officers of the
Adventure, from whom we had received many friendly attentions, which
we often look back upon with pleasure. Our arrangements completed,
the Adventure sailed from Derna, and as soon as we had finished plans
and drawings of the town, we set out on our return to the tents.
We left Derna on the second of June, and pursued our course along
the beach towards Apollonia, with the intention of returning
to Cyrene by that route. After travelling along a stony flat
running out from the base of the mountain, we reached El Hyera,
where there is a well of fresh water within a few feet of the sea,
and the remains of a fort upon a small eminence a little above it:
at night we stopped at Bujebàra, close to the cape of the same name,
with which Derna forms a large bay; and which has three rocky islets
lying off it. The mountains, which extend in a range along the coast,
at a distance of from a mile to a mile and a half, are continually
broken by deep ravines which cross the beach in their passage to
the sea, and make the road in some places nearly impassable.
It was curious to observe the gradual increase of vegetation in
passing from Derna to Apollonia by this route: the mountains at the
former place, as we have already mentioned, are perfectly destitute
of any; in advancing, a little underwood is here and there seen,
and a few bushes sparingly dotted about the plain; these increase
by degrees, as the country becomes bolder, and gradually spread
themselves over the sides of the hills, ascending higher and higher
every mile, till, in approaching El Hyera, one continued wood reaches
down from the top of the mountains to the sea. On the third, we
pursued our journey along the coast by a very indifferent road, and
at two miles’ distance from Bujebàra the range comes down close
to the sea and terminates in perpendicular cliffs, along the edge
of which we were obliged to pass to the great risk of our horses and
camels. At the foot of these, which is washed by the sea, we noticed
a small rocky point with a quarry upon it, extending itself in a
semicircular form so as to afford some protection for boats which
might also be hauled upon the sandy beach within it. Eight miles to
the westward of Bujebàra we came to a deep ravine, through which
ran the largest body of water which we had seen in Africa; it is
called Wady Elthroon. The sides of this ravine, which proceeded from
an immense fissure between the mountains, were thickly clothed with
pine, cypress and olive-trees, and the river, which ran with some
rapidity, was studded with small islands covered with oleanders,
which we found in full bloom as we passed. Along the brink of the
stream was spread a beautiful turf, which opened in little plots,
broader or narrower, according to the nature of the ground, on
which we threw ourselves down to take a few minutes rest and enjoy
a long draught of the clear cool water and a short dream of Arcadian
felicity. In truth, the spot was delightful—we scarcely recollect
to have seen a more pleasing one anywhere—and to meet with such
a scene in an African climate was to render the view doubly grateful.
Ascending the opposite side of the ravine, we entered a country
fertile in corn and which seemed to be very well peopled; here we
found some ruins very much decayed and mutilated, apparently those
of an ancient town of small dimensions, which, as its situation will
be found to correspond, we will venture to suggest as the Erythron
of Ptolemy; and indeed the similarity of the names would naturally
lead to this conclusion.
On leaving Elthroon the road took a westerly direction, at the foot
of the range, through a country well cultivated in some parts and in
others overrun with pine-trees. At every mile we were interrupted
by a provoking ravine, which we hardly knew whether most to admire
for its beauty, or to exclaim against for the serious impediments
which it presented. Night brought us to El Hilàl, a mountain so
called. The point of El Hilàl extends to the north-east and forms a
bay of about a mile in depth, in which even large ships might find
shelter with the wind from north to south-east by east. It is in
this spot that Cellarius has placed a naval station and town, and
there are certainly remains at the present day about it indicative
of an ancient site, while the harbour itself would be sufficiently
qualified for a naval station to correspond with that part of the
description. Two ancient forts are seen in ruins on the cliff and
we noticed an ancient tomb which is excavated in the rock, close to
the ravine, retaining still a very handsome façade. Three miles
to the eastward of the forts at El Hilàl are some others, also
in ruins, and the remains of strong walls in the neighbourhood of
stone-quarries, all of which would seem to point out the spot as
an ancient station. This place has also the peculiarity of being
the only part of the coast which can be seen from Cyrene, from
which it is distant about fourteen miles. In Ptolemy’s chart we
find a naustathmos (or naval station) placed on the western side
of this promontory; but we saw nothing that would answer to the
position in that direction. Ras El Hilàl, with Bujebàra on the
south-east, forms an extensive bay; and another with Cape Rasát
on the north-west near the centre of which is situated (now called
Marsa Suza) the Port of Cyrene, Apollonia. From El Hilàl commence
two ranges of mountains extending themselves to the westward,
one along the coast, from it to Ptolemeta, forming the southern
boundary of the plain on which Apollonia is built; the other rising
in a range above these, diverging towards Merge and abreast of Cape
Ras Sem. At El Hilàl we found an Arab encampment and obtained from
it a goat and some corn for our horses. The Bedouins were civil and
obliging, and brought us out a very acceptable present of kuskusoo,
for which we made a suitable return. They would, however, have had
but little reason to be satisfied with the conduct of strangers
whom they had treated with courtesy, if we had not very fortunately
made a discovery on leaving them which our Chaous had not probably
anticipated. We had made it a practice in the course of our journey
to pay the Arabs for whatever we had of them; and although this
practice is considered by Turks not only as superfluous but very
plebeian, we found it more consistent with our ideas of propriety,
and at the same time more politic than if we had adopted a line of
conduct more dignified and less honest.
Our Chaous had received from us a sufficient sum of money to make
a liberal return to the Bedouins of El Hilàl for the corn and the
goat which they had supplied us with; but instead of complying
with our orders on this head he thought it more adviseable to
keep the piasters in his purse than to distribute them as he had
been directed: and we should accordingly have left behind us a
much worse character for liberality than we deserved, if this
discovery had not been made before we took our departure. Chaous
Massoud looked rather foolish when the charge was brought home to
him, too well substantiated to admit of denial, and we afterwards
found that his honesty in other matters was not greater than on the
occasion here alluded to. On our arrival at Grenna we sent him back
to Derna and procured another Chaous from Bey Mahommed. Massoud
was an Egyptian, and took every occasion to show his superiority,
in point of civilization, over the Arabs and Moors of the west. He
was particularly proud of his singing; and as his lungs were nearly
equal to his conceit, was never tired of displaying his fancied
abilities to the utmost extent of his voice, not dreaming for a
moment that any of his auditors could possibly be less amused with
his efforts than himself. With this view, he always kept close to
our side, adapting the pace of his horse to ours, and quavering
without intermission. His voice was good, and had he been able to
moderate it, and to use it only on proper occasions, would rather
have cheered than annoyed us on the road; for his songs had some
subject, and were infinitely preferable to the tiresome monotony
and endless repetition of two or three unmeaning words which
had been so unmercifully dinned into our ears ever since we left
Tripoly. The songs of the Arabs are however not always without a
subject, as the examples which we have of their poetry in England
will testify; but we are obliged to confess that the greatest
attempts at invention which we ourselves noticed in a journey of
seven or eight hundred miles were nothing more than short allusions
to what was going forward at the time, or to something which was in
anticipation. For instance, in ascending a hill, the song of our
Arab companions would be—“Now we are going up the hill—now
we are going up the hill.” And in descending—“Now we are
going down—now we are going down.” Each sentence being repeated
all the time the action alluded to was going forward, without the
slightest variation of any kind. In approaching a town, the song
would consist of something about the time we were likely to arrive
there, or what good things were to be had at the place—eating
being usually the summum bonum. On our return to Bengazi in June
the whole burthen of our camel-driver’s song for three days was
the reward which he expected to have for driving his camels so fast.
It was late in the evening when we arrived at Apollonia, without
having met with a single human being; our road led chiefly over
a stony country intersected by deep ravines, which our horses had
the greatest difficulty in crossing.
We were told at El Hilàl, that we should find Arab tents and plenty
of water at Apollonia, but neither of these had we the good fortune
to meet with, after a long and very diligent search.
We accordingly began to dig a well in the sand, but the water
which drained into it was too salt to drink, and our labour was
wholly thrown away. The day had been hot, and the exertions which
were necessary in getting our horses safely across the deep and
numerous ravines which obstructed our passage from El Hilàl to
Apollonia, had tolerably exhausted the strength of our party before
we arrived at our journey’s end; but the circumstances in which
we were placed had the effect of renewing it for a time, and it
was midnight before we discontinued our search for Arab tents, and
our efforts to procure a supply of water. As no hopes of finding
either appeared to be left us, we gave over the search, and retired
to our tents; the water-skins were carefully drained, and afforded
us something less than a pint, which was divided amongst the party,
consisting of eight, and we laid ourselves down to sleep away the
inconvenience which we had not been able to remedy. At daylight on
the fifth we rose to make our way to Cyrene, which we knew could not,
at all events, be more than half a day’s journey to the southward;
but ill fortune still pursued us, for neither our Chaous, nor the
camel-driver, had any knowledge whatever of the road. As we knew,
from our actual position, that we could not well be mistaken in
the direction of Cyrene, we set out upon the chance of finding some
track which might eventually lead to the point required; and after
following several paths, one after the other, all of which only led
us into the wood and left us, a great part of the day was consumed
without effect. It was too late to think of returning to El Hilàl,
for it would not have been safe to cross after dusk the many deep
ravines which interposed in that route, and we determined to make
our way over the mountains which lay between us and Cyrene, since we
could not find a pass leading through them. We knew that on reaching
the summit of the range we should have a view of the place we were
bound to, which could not, in a straight line, be far from us; but
our project was soon discovered to be more easily projected than
executed: for the sides of the mountain were thickly covered with
wood, among which we were obliged to scramble as we might, and after
dragging our horses for several hours through these impediments,
and over the rough stony ground and slippery parts of the rock, we
found, on reaching the top of one hill, that another was before us,
as difficult to pass as the one we had just surmounted; and that
a thickly-wooded valley must be crossed before we could attain
even the foot of it. By this time the camels which had pursued a
different track were discovered on the opposite side of a ravine,
and we flattered ourselves that they had succeeded in finding the
right path; it was impossible however for us to join them without
retracing our steps, and we knew that we should never have been able
to get our horses down the hill, which had cost them so many leaps
and heavy falls to ascend; nothing therefore was left but to push
on as well as we could, and after four hours’ labour, such as we
never experienced, and have certainly no wish to encounter again,
we reached the top of the range and stopped a few minutes to refresh
our horses, who were covered with foam, and trembling so much with
terror and fatigue that a halt had become unavoidable. They had
been, like ourselves, for nearly two days without water, and the
heat of the weather, joined to the exertions which were necessary,
had rendered thirst doubly annoying. On arriving at the summit of
the range our view was still impeded by wood, and though we climbed
several trees, to look out for an object which might guide us on
the way which still remained for us to take, we could not succeed
in overtopping the forest which lay between us and Cyrene. Our
course was therefore still doubtful, and in a short interval
which we devoted to rest, it was proposed that some of us should
push on in advance, leaving the horses in charge of the others,
and endeavour to find some opening: this was accordingly done,
till our voices could scarcely be heard by each other, but still
without any success. Beyond this distance it would not have been
prudent to go, as we should scarcely have found one another again,
had we ventured to ramble out of hearing. As it was, we experienced
some difficulty in re-assembling our little party, consisting of
four, and began once more to lead our horses forward who were very
unwilling to move. After some further search, we came suddenly on
a path which crossed us at right angles in our course; and as it
was broad and evidently led through the wood, we determined at all
events to follow it. It continued to be practicable and commodious,
to our great relief and satisfaction; and we forgot, for a time,
all our troubles, in the prospect of a speedy release from the
embarrassment which our trip over the hill had brought upon us.
This path was very fortunately the right one, and led direct from
Cyrene to Apollonia; but as it came into the plain at some distance
from the point at which we began to ascend, and was wholly concealed
by the wood which covered the sides of the mountain, it escaped
our observation altogether, till we crossed it at the top of the
range. After following it for some time we came to an open space,
and were gratified with a view of Cyrene, which in the course of
a few hours more we reached, and found ourselves once again by the
side of the fountain which appeared to us, after our long abstinence,
more attractive and beautiful than ever.
We found on inquiry that our camels and baggage had not arrived,
a circumstance which rather surprised us, as we expected from
the view which we had had upon the road that they would have
been in advance of us. Two men were immediately despatched in
search of them, carrying a skin of water which we knew from our
own experience would be acceptable, and after sun-set we had
the pleasure of seeing them arrive without any material loss or
accident. It appeared that the road up the mountain which they had
been observed to take terminated abruptly at the foot of a precipice,
a circumstance which greatly surprised them, for the track which
they followed was undoubtedly trodden, and, as it seemed to them,
very recently. No outlet, however, was on any side visible, and as
they stood pondering on the object of a road which led only to the
base of a high perpendicular cliff and was closely hemmed in by
thickets and brushwood, they thought they heard a mill at work,
the sound of which seemed to come from above[3]. As they looked
up with astonishment towards the side of the mountain, from which
the noise apparently came, they clearly heard a soft female voice
issue from it, and soon perceived two very pretty young Arab girls
looking out of a square hole on the side of the precipice, at the
height of about an hundred and fifty feet above their heads—the
place being not only inaccessible from below but equally so from
above, and indeed on all sides of it, owing to the smoothness and
perpendicular surface of the cliff in which it was formed.
When their surprise was a little abated our servants requested some
water, but were told that there was none in the house; the girls
inquiring at the same time where our people were going, and if they
belonged to the English at Grenna. They replied in the affirmative,
and said they had lost their way. One of the females then asked how
many the party consisted of, and were answered, fifteen, though there
were only two; the remainder, it was added, were close at hand in
the wood. This embellishment was intended as a defensive measure
to conceal the actual weakness of the company, for the elevated
position of their fair auditors had not made the most favourable
impression upon our servants; who suspected that persons living
so far out of reach, must have stronger reasons for moving so far
from their fellow-creatures, than was consistent with honesty and
peaceable intentions. Accordingly when the girls had explained
that the road which they were seeking led over the plain below,
(where their fathers, they said, were cutting corn,) our wanderers
turned to retrace their steps and descend the mountain-path as fast
as possible; not a little anxious with regard to the reception they
might experience on their route from neighbours of a more formidable
description than the elevated little personages who had addressed
them. As they began to descend one of the girls again called to them,
and letting down a long rope made of twisted skins with knots in
it two feet apart, desired them to make their water-skin fast to
the end of it, with which, as the skin was empty, they willingly
complied, choosing rather to run the risk of losing it altogether
than to forego a possible chance of getting it replenished. The
skin was quickly hauled up, and disappeared through the hole,
leaving its owners in anxious suspense, not so much on account of
the hide itself as of its anticipated contents. They had however
no reason to repent of their confidence, for the skin very shortly
made its appearance again and proved to be nearly full of water, to
the delight of our thirsty attendants; who after expressing their
gratitude for the supply, continued their journey with renewed
strength and spirits, and arrived at Cyrene in the evening, as we
have already mentioned above.
We found Mr. Campbell in quiet possession of the tents. He had had
a good deal of trouble with our escort Boo Buckra, who had caught a
fever, and nearly lost his life in consequence of repeatedly cramming
himself with bazeen immediately after he had been physicked and bled.
On arriving at Cyrene we began to make inquiries respecting the water
which we had been told we should find at Apollonia, and discovered
that a spring in reality existed, at a short distance only from the
place, but situated in the depth of a ravine, so as not to be easily
perceived. We had observed the remains of an aqueduct, leading in
the direction of this very ravine, and had an idea of exploring
the wady in search of the spring which originally supplied it. But
finding no stream crossing the plain or issuing from the ravine
(or wady) in question, we concluded that it existed no longer; and
as we had little time to spend in curiosity determined upon pushing
on as fast as possible to Cyrene, where we knew that our resources
were certain. Having made this discovery, which secured our supply
of water, we determined to return without delay to Apollonia, and
remain there till the fast of Rhamadàn should be concluded, during
which time no Mussulman is allowed to eat or drink while the sun
is above the horizon, and consequently the excavations would go on
but slowly which we had already begun at Cyrene. Apollonia remained
to be explored and laid down in our map, as no opportunity had been
hitherto enjoyed of bestowing more than a slight inspection upon it.
While we were making the necessary arrangements for our departure,
Shekh Aàdam, a man of some influence in the place, waited upon us
with an order from Bey Mahommed enjoining him to render us every
assistance in his power. We thought him accordingly a very proper
person to accompany us in our visit to Apollonia, as his knowledge
of the country would probably be of service in our researches, while
his influence at the same time might prevent interruption. We had not
indeed met with a single individual either at or in the neighbourhood
of the place, excepting the two fair tenants of the cliff who dwelt
among the haunts of the eagle; but as Arab tribes have in general
no fixed habitation, but move as the season or circumstances direct,
we could not tell how long we might remain unmolested in our rambles
among its antiquities. Shekh Aàdam was in consequence attached to
our party; and we again left Cyrene, on the 7th of June, with the
intention of proceeding direct to Apollonia.
The road which leads to that place from the fountain winds along
the foot of the upper range on which Cyrene is situated, and then
taking a north-easterly direction, through a tolerably level and very
fertile country, passes through the ruins of an ancient village,
where a number of sarcophagi are still visible, ranged on either
side of the path. Here the road turns more to the northward, and
leading through a wood, over some stony hills, continues along a
ridge between two deep ravines to the brow of the mountains which
overlook Apollonia, down which it then winds in a zigzag direction,
till it reaches the plain on the sea-coast below at no great distance
from the port[4].
The whole of this road has been anciently paved, excepting the
parts which have been cut through the rock, where deep marks of
chariot-wheels are still observable. It has also had tombs on both
sides of it, extending the greater part of the way, and has been
defended by forts, the remains of which are visible near the edge
of the lower range of hills. The country through which it passes is
highly interesting and beautiful; near Cyrene it has been cleared
from the wood which originally covered it, and appropriated to
the cultivation of grain: this part is fertile in the extreme,
and is succeeded by beautifully undulating ground overspread with
flowering shrubs, which thicken as they approach the top of the
lower range, where they are lost in dark forests of pine extending
themselves down to the beach. The intermediate space between the
corn-land and the forest has probably been laid out in villas and
country residences, for we observed many ground-plans of buildings
scattered over it which are not those of tombs or military works. As
this part is wooded, the remains are not visible till they are very
closely approached, so that there are probably many which have never
been visited and certainly many which we never examined ourselves;
not indeed owing to want of inclination, but to the circumstance
of our not having more time at our disposal than was necessary for
objects of more immediate importance.
On our return to Apollonia, by the road which we have just described,
we noticed several excavated chambers in similar positions to those
which our servants had mentioned: they were cut in a ravine to
the westward of our path, many hundred feet above the level of the
torrent, in places apparently inaccessible. We found, on inquiry,
that whole families resided in them, ascending and descending
by means of ropes; and indeed we ourselves could see persons in
some of them who appeared to be reconnoitring our movements. It
was late in the evening before we reached the plain upon which
Apollonia is situated, and so dark in the thicker parts of the
wood which reaches from the top to the bottom of the hills that we
could scarcely distinguish our way. As we were leading our horses
down a very steep part of the road we came suddenly upon a large
hyæna, which we should not have seen if he had not been perched
upon a mass of rock somewhat higher than our heads, lying close
by the side of the path. The foremost of our party had drawn a
horse-pistol and was in the act of presenting it to this unwelcome
visitor, when he opened a howl which so startled our horses that we
had the greatest difficulty in holding them, and turning himself
round, walked slowly up the side of the hill, evidently in no way
disconcerted at our appearance. As we did not wish to fire if it
could have been avoided, we made no attempt to molest him in his
retreat; for the report of our fire-arms would have alarmed the
whole forest, which we understood to be much infested by hyænas and
jackalls. As it was, the dismal howl which our shaggy friend uttered
was echoed immediately by the shrill cries of numberless jackalls,
none of which, however, were we able to see, and the plain was
reached without interruption. We had been so much accustomed to the
cry of the jackall, an animal very common in northern Africa, that
it would not of itself have engrossed our attention for a moment;
but although we had very frequently been disturbed by hyænas,
we never found that familiarity with their howl or their presence
could render their near approach an unimportant occurrence; and the
hand would instinctively find its way to the pistol before we were
aware of the action, whenever either of these interruptions obtruded
themselves closely upon us either by night or by day. It must,
however, be confessed that the cry of the jackall has something
in it rather appalling, when heard for the first time at night;
and as they usually come in packs, the first shriek which is
uttered is always the signal for a general chorus. We hardly
know a sound which partakes less of harmony than that which is at
present in question; and indeed the sudden burst of the answering
long-protracted scream, succeeding immediately to the opening
note, is scarcely less impressive than the roll of the thunder-clap
immediately after a flash of lightning. The effect of this music is
very much increased when the first note is heard in the distance,
(a circumstance which often occurs,) and the answering yell bursts
out from several points at once, within a few yards, or feet, of
the place where the auditors are sleeping. The jackall can never
be a formidable animal to anything but sheep and poultry, unless,
perhaps, when the number assailing is very great; but it is usually
so little molested by the Arabs, whose dogs protect their live-stock
from harm, that we have frequently gone close up within a few yards
of one, before he would turn to walk away. The same indifference
in retreating is also peculiar to the hyæna, who not only walks
away very slowly when advanced upon, but appears at the same time
to have a limping motion, as if he were lame of one leg. The hyæna
most commonly seen in the north of Africa is that which is striped
in the back, black and grey; its paws are scarcely more formidable
than those of a large dog, but its teeth and neck are very strong,
and there is no animal fiercer when wounded or closely attacked.
We arrived at Apollonia late in the evening, and set out early
the next morning, to find the spring which was said to exist in a
neighbouring ravine. We followed the course of the aqueduct mentioned
above, which appeared to us to finish at the mouth of the wady; but
our companion, Shekh Aàdam, pointed out to us a spot where it was
continued over the hill and along the side of the precipice: this
was probably done to avoid the rush of water which thunders down
the vallies after rain, and brings with it large stones, trunks of
trees, and other matters, sweeping everything before them in their
course. As the aqueduct was constructed of stone, and covered over
apparently with the same materials, besides being coated in the
inside (or water-course) with cement, there does not seem to be any
objection to its having been carried out of the level. We proceeded
up the ravine nearly a mile and a half, and then came to a stream of
water issuing out of the rock at some distance above, which descended
in little cascades and was lost in the bed of the wady. The sides of
this ravine are nearly perpendicular, and about five hundred feet
in height: near the top we observed two caves, situated as those
were which have already been described; and had some conversation
with the people who appeared at the entrance of them. We made them
understand that we should like to ascend and pay them a visit in
their aërial abodes, but as they seemed to be unwilling to admit
us, we did not press the subject any further[5]. The lower parts of
the ravine are thickly covered with pine, olive, and carob trees,
and the whole has a very wild and picturesque appearance.
The town of Apollonia, now called Suza Hammàm, from the number of
wild pigeons that frequent it, is situated at the bottom of an open
bay, formed between Ras El Hilal and the cape known by the name
of Ras Sem. It stands close to the sea, upon a small eminence,
or long narrow slip of elevated ground; and is situated at the
extremity of a fertile plain, which extends itself from the foot
of a ridge of mountains, distant a mile and a half from the sea
coast, and running in an east and westerly direction. The length
of the city may be reckoned at nearly three thousand English feet,
and its greatest breadth at scarcely more than five hundred. It has
been completely surrounded by a very strong wall, with quadrangular
turrets on three of its sides, and circular ones of much larger
dimensions on the remaining side (that to the westward). As the
wall has been carried along the brow of the hill, more attention
has been paid to its strength than to its symmetry, but the turrets
are for the most tolerably equidistant, being about eighty yards
apart. The two circular turrets at the north-western angle of the
wall have been built with even greater attention to solidity than
other parts of this well-defended town; for they have been exposed
for ages past to the wash of the sea without suffering any material
injury. On the northern and north-eastern sides, however, the sea
has made considerable inroads, and very few traces of the wall are
there remaining, some parts being wholly without any. The east end
of Apollonia appears to have been fortified as a citadel, for which
its elevated position above the rest of the town appears to have been
admirably adapted. The cliff on which it stands rises perpendicularly
from the lower part of the city, and could only be approached by a
narrow pass and by a gate in the outer wall. The walls themselves
are here doubled and still rise, though not entire, to a height
of thirty and forty feet. The quarries which have been excavated
about this and other parts of the walls, serving the purpose of
an excellent fosse, contribute also very materially, as will be
observed in the plan, to the strength of the city of Apollonia. The
entrances to the town are all of them narrow (the widest of the
gates being no more than five feet across); and their positions,
in the angles formed by the wall with the turrets, are remarkably
well chosen for the purposes of security and defence. There appear to
have been seven gates on the south side of the city, including that
belonging to the citadel, and one, near the centre, on the western
side, which are all that we were able to discover any traces of:
indeed this number of gates, for the size of the city, will be
considered unusually large; and were it not for the intervention
of the quarries between the city walls and the plain, would have
tended to weaken the position. Opposite the largest of the gates on
the south side of the town is a spacious semicircular excavation,
the sides of which rise perpendicularly to a considerable height,
and which appears to have formed an approach to the gate here alluded
to. Close to this is a remarkably strong fort, built with sloping
sides, like those at Ptolemeta, and others already described in the
Syrtis. Here also pass the remains of the aqueduct which formerly
supplied the town from a spring of most delightful water, situated
at the extremity of the ravine which we have mentioned above, and
distant nearly four miles from the town. The sea has encroached very
considerably at Apollonia; and it is difficult to say, in what the
shelter of the harbour consisted: the line of coast is too strait
to afford any protection; and it seems probable, that the small
island to the northward of the town, and a reef of rocks a little
to the south-westward of this, constituted the only shelter which
it afforded. We had imagined, that a communication might formerly
have existed between the island and the reef of rocks here alluded
to; but it soon appeared that the water was much too deep between
these, to allow of any such idea being reasonably entertained. The
same cause would also have operated very effectually in preventing
the construction of an artificial communication between the points
which we have just mentioned; for the heavy sea which rolls into
the port in windy weather would soon have swept away anything less
than the Breakwater at Plymouth. Had such a communication ever
existed, the harbour would have been a most excellent one; but as
we cannot suppose that it ever did, from the reasons which we have
stated above, we may conclude, perhaps, that vessels usually laid
under the lee of the island, and that when this was impracticable,
they were drawn up on the beach. We may believe at the same time,
that what art could effect in the flourishing periods of Cyrene was
done for the improvement and the security of its port, as we find
it to have been with regard to the defence of the town[6]. Extensive
remains of building, apparently the foundations of a quay, are still
visible, stretching out from the beach into the sea, at the depth
of a few feet under water. Some quarries, which have been formed in
the rock to the north-eastward of the town, are also now under water;
and the insulated tomb, which forms so striking an object in the view
we have given of Apollonia, is always surrounded by the sea when
the wind sets in strong from the northward[7]. Other tombs on the
beach are likewise filled on these occasions; as well as some large
cisterns to the north-eastward of the town, through which the water
roars with a noise like thunder, and dashes up through the apertures
formed in them above. The cisterns here alluded to were probably
appropriated to the use of the vessels in the harbour, which might
have been watered from them very conveniently; and they might at
all times have been kept filled with excellent water by means of the
aqueduct mentioned above. We have already noticed the encroachments
of the sea upon the land, which we ourselves have had occasion
to observe in several parts of the coast from Tripoly to Bengazi,
as well as those mentioned by other writers on the coasts of Tunis
and Algiers. The present state of Apollonia affords another decided
instance of the advance of the sea to the southward; and portions of
the elevated ground on which the front of the town has been built are
continually falling in from this cause. The scene of the principal
theatre situated without the wall, to the eastward of the town, has
been wholly swept away by the waves, although the quarry in front
of it must have greatly contributed to break the force of the sea in
this quarter. It will be seen by the plan of the town of Apollonia,
that a part of this theatre is built against the wall of the citadel,
and the other part against the high ground behind the subsellia. The
seats appear in consequence to have been approached from above,
we mean, from the ground on a level with the uppermost range;
and as the greater number of the ranges are still very perfect,
the effect of the whole building is that of a stupendous flight
of steps leading down from the elevated ground against which they
lean to the beach on a level with the orchestra. It is this effect,
we presume, which induced Signor Della Cella to notice the seats
of the theatre as a “magnificent staircase[8];” and it must
be confessed that a more noble flight of steps will not often
be seen than the one which is in question. This building, like
those of a similar nature at Cyrene and Ptolemeta, has no interior
communications; and the body of the people appear to have entered
from above, as we have already observed. It is probable, however,
that some approach to the orchestra (where the seats allotted to
persons of rank were usually placed) was contrived from the lower
ground upon a level with it; but the whole of that part has been
so completely washed away, that we had no means of ascertaining
what arrangements had been made there. The road to the theatre
appears to have been through the quarries to the south-eastward
of the town; and the gates by which the audience approached it
were probably the two which lie to the eastward of the aqueduct,
and that which was appropriated to the citadel[9].
Within the walls, to the southward of the town, there appears
to have been a small building of a circular form, sunk below
the level of the soil about it, in which there are traces of
several ranges of seats, which might have belonged to a small
theatre of some description, perhaps to an Odeum; but the whole
is so much buried with soil, in which grass (when we saw it) was
growing, that it would be impossible to obtain any details of it,
without a good deal of previous excavation. It will be seen by a
reference to the plate, p. 500, in which those details are given,
that the ground-plans of some of the buildings of Apollonia may
be made out with tolerable certainty[10]. The Christian churches,
in particular, are very decided; as well as the remains of a
noble building of a similar form at the western extremity of the
city. The handsome marble columns, which now encumber the structures
which they once contributed so materially to adorn, afford evident
proofs that no expense had been spared in the erection of these
magnificent buildings; for the material of which their shafts
are composed is not found in this part of the coast of Africa,
and must have been transported at great labour and cost from
the quarries of distant places[11]. On the centre of the shaft
of some of these columns we found the figure of a large cross
engraved; they have all been originally formed of single pieces,
some of which still remain entire, and would be no unappropriate
or inconsiderable ornaments to churches of modern construction. The
discovery of these splendid monuments of Christianity in a country
now labouring under ignorance and superstition, afforded pleasing
memorials of early piety, and recalled the active times of Cyprian
and Anastasius, of the philosophic Synesius, (himself a Cyrenean)
and other distinguished actors in those memorable scenes which
northern Africa (from Carthage to Alexandria) once presented to an
admiring world. But the grass is now growing over the altar-stone,
and the munificence which gave birth to the structures here alluded
to is visible only in their ruins[12].
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: This observation is not applicable to the latter part
of the ground we travelled over, which could not certainly have
ever formed part of a road either ancient or modern; and it was
wholly owing to the ignorance of our Chaous, who persisted that we
were in the right track, that we were induced to attempt it.]
[Footnote 2: Signor Regignani was of the Jewish persuasion,
and it is well known that in Mahometan countries the Jews are a
persecuted race.]
[Footnote 3: The mill used for grinding corn by the Arabs is nothing
more than a small flat stone on which another is turned by the hand,
and this is usually placed in the lap of the women, who are the
only millers and bakers in Arab families.]
[Footnote 4: Apollonia, formerly the port of Cyrene.]
[Footnote 5: These are the caves which we have given in the drawing,
p. 493.]
[Footnote 6: The port of Apollonia is mentioned by Scylax, in
conjunction with that of Naustathmos, as having been secure against
all weathers; and his description of the little rocky islands and
projecting points in this neighbourhood is, even at the present day,
very correct.]
[Footnote 7: We are sorry to say that this view, with some others,
which we could have wished to introduce, have been unavoidably
omitted.]
[Footnote 8: Sulla spiaggia v’hanno maestosi ruderi di caseggiati,
con avanzi di _magnifica scalinata_ presso al mare. (p. 155.)]
[Footnote 9: These remarks will be better understood by a reference
to the plan of Apollonia annexed.]
[Footnote 10: We had proposed to give these plans in a separate
plate, upon a larger scale, but a subsequent arrangement has
prevented us from doing so, and we refer to them accordingly as
they are found in the plan of the city.]
[Footnote 11: Probably from the shores of the Red Sea, where there
is a great variety of coloured marble.]
[Footnote 12: The bishopric of Ptolemais was transferred to
Apollonia (then called Sosuza), as that of Cyrene had been formerly
to Ptolemais. The present Arab name of the port is Marsa Susa,
which is evidently a corruption of the Christian appellation of
this ancient harbour of the Cyrenaica.]
[Illustration: Engraved from a Drawing taken on the spot by
Henry Beechey.
ARCHITECTURAL FRONT OF THE DORIC EXCAVATED TOMBS AT CYRENE.
_Published June 1827, by John Murray, London._]