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diff --git a/78462-0.txt b/78462-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0524e99 --- /dev/null +++ b/78462-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7910 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 78462 *** + HISTORY + OF + RECENT DISCOVERIES AT CYRENE. + + +[Illustration: FRONTISPIECE + +EASTERN END OF THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, del., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + + + HISTORY + OF THE + RECENT DISCOVERIES AT CYRENE, + MADE DURING AN + EXPEDITION TO THE CYRENAICA IN 1860-61, + UNDER THE AUSPICES OF HER MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT. + + BY + CAPTAIN R. MURDOCH SMITH, R.E. + AND + COMMANDER E. A. PORCHER. R.N. + + DAY & SON, + LITHOGRAPHERS TO THE QUEEN AND TO H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES, + 6, GATE STREET, LINCOLN’S INN FIELDS, LONDON, W.C. + 1864. + + [_All rights of Translation and Reproduction are reserved._] + + + + + TO + HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF SOMERSET, K.G. + FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY, + IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE PROMPT AND VALUABLE ASSISTANCE + AFFORDED TO THE AUTHORS, + DURING THE PROSECUTION OF THEIR LABOURS, + THIS VOLUME + IS RESPECTFULLY AND GRATEFULLY DEDICATED. + + + + + PREFACE. + + * * * * * + + +THE Cyrenaica, although bordering on the shores of the Mediterranean, +and very little removed from the most civilized nations in Europe, has +been rarely visited by travellers, either for pleasure or antiquarian +research, owing perhaps to the supposed difficulty presented by the +country itself, and by the character of the people inhabiting it. + +The former, however, is not only beautiful, but fruitful. The number of +olive-trees, now entirely neglected, to be seen everywhere, shows that +at one time the inhabitants cultivated this plant to a considerable +extent, and enjoyed the advantages of superior husbandry; but this is no +longer the case, and the ground now only yields scanty crops of wheat +and barley, and indifferent pasture for the rearing of cattle, sheep, +and goats. Were the character of the people different and any authority +acknowledged amongst them, the present desolation would give place to a +different state of things; but this change can hardly at present be +expected; and so long as the sentence, passed ages ago, “his hand shall +be against every man, and every man’s hand against him,” remains +unrevoked, the same restlessness under control and indifference to all +social comfort, which now exist, will still characterize the +inhabitants. The natural beauty of the country, however, is still +unaltered, and plains and hills, well wooded in many parts, meet the eye +in every direction, and render it one of the finest provinces in +Northern Africa. + +Another reason perhaps why Cyrene has not been explored so much as other +localities, is that there are few remains of its former grandeur visible +above the ground. Were the vast piles of magnificent architecture now +gathered in confused heaps on the sand-banks at Thebes and Luxor to be +seen at Cyrene, travellers, no doubt, would have made it a greater +object of attention than they have done. But all the splendour of the +ancient Cyrenaica, with few exceptions, lies buried below the surface of +the earth; and here, over the palaces of kings and the remains of former +magnificence, the Arabs pitch their tents and the camels browse. + +Before commencing the narrative recorded in the following pages, it will +be interesting to mention the principal travellers who have visited the +country for scientific purposes during the last two centuries. + +The first we hear of was Lemaire, who, during the time he was the French +Consul at Tripoli, explored the country in 1706, by direction of Louis +XIV. He was followed by Paul Lucas, who visited it twice, in 1710 and +1723. After him Doctor Thomas Shaw travelled, in 1738, over those parts, +as well as a considerable portion of North Africa, and left an +interesting account of his discoveries, and of the manners and customs +of the inhabitants. + +A French gentleman, Monsieur Granger, a physician by profession, +accomplished the overland journey from Egypt to Cyrene in 1760, in +company with a robber chief, to whom he promised a high reward on his +return. Under this dangerous protection he copied several of the +inscriptions that were found there; but these, with his journal, were +unfortunately lost before his return to Europe. Our celebrated +Abyssinian traveller James Bruce also visited parts of the country +1768-72. + +In the present century the first person who visited Cyrene was an +Italian, Doctor Cervelli. In 1812, the Pacha of Tripoli, wishing to +punish the revolt of his son, the Governor of Derna, sent an armed force +into the province, and Doctor Cervelli accompanied the expedition, and +collected during his journey some interesting information, which was +published by the French Geographical Society. A few years after, in +1817, the same Pacha despatched a second expedition against some +turbulent Arabs at Merdj (Barca), and this party was accompanied by +another Italian, Della Cella, who travelled as Physician attendant on +the Bey, and published an account of his travels, which was translated +into English in 1822; but his hurried visit did not allow him sufficient +time to collect much valuable information. Cyrene was also visited by P. +Pacifique, a missionary from Tripoli, who added some fresh information +to that given by Della Cella. + +In 1820, a Prussian, General Minutoli, formed a project of making a +complete tour of the Cyrenaica, and was accompanied by savants and +artists to make his journey of greater importance. As soon as he had +arrived at the foot of Mount Catabathmus, which is situated above half- +way from Egypt, he lost three of his Europeans, and this misfortune and +the obstacles the Arabs opposed to his party so disheartened him that +he returned to Alexandria without accomplishing his object. + +The ill-success of the Prussian general left the country still +insufficiently explored for scientific purposes, and this induced two +travellers, Captain Beechey and M. Pacho, to undertake the task. + +Captain Beechey and his brother started from Tripoli by land, making the +circuit of the Syrtis Major, and explored the whole of the country in +1821-2, drew very correct plans, and fixed the astronomical positions of +all the principal towns, and wrote a detailed account of their travels. +A surveying vessel at the same time examined and laid down the coast- +line. + +This party had hardly returned when Pacho, a French artist, visited the +country, in 1824-6, and his travels were published in Paris by M. Didot +in 1827, in a quarto volume of text, and another containing 100 well- +executed plates in folio. He was not aware, when he started, what +discoveries Captain Beechey and his brother had made, as their work was +not published for some years afterwards; and therefore it was a matter +of great regret to him to find on his return that many of his own +researches, which had cost him so much labour and trouble, had been +anticipated by his predecessors. + +Since these two principal works of Captain Beechey and M. Pacho were +published, M. Delaporte, the French Consul at Tangier, has contributed +to the Geographical Society of Paris the result of his exploration, and +M. Vattier de Bourville, during the time he was French Consular Agent at +Benghazi, in 1848-9, collected a large number of vases and terra-cotta +ornaments from the tombs at that place, which are now deposited in the +Louvre, and also made a short visit to Cyrene. + +The intrepid traveller Dr. Barth passed over this country before he +commenced his more hazardous expedition to Timbuctoo and the central +regions of Africa; and lastly Mr. James Hamilton, in 1855-6, who +afterwards proceeded inland from Benghazi, across part of the Sahara, to +the oases of Augila and Siwah, on his way to Egypt. + +Few of the travellers just mentioned remained any time in the country, +and it was quite evident that no attempt at excavation to any extent had +ever been made before our arrival, as sculpture in excellent +preservation was found a few feet under the surface, on the most +promising sites, where people would naturally be led to commence their +researches. + +The valuable works of Beechey and Pacho before mentioned have left but +little for future visitors to record, and as all the principal monuments +left standing have been accurately drawn and described, it would be +superfluous for us to go over the same ground again. The following pages +will therefore be principally devoted to an account of the excavations +that were carried on by my companion and myself and will also contain a +description of the site of Cyrene, its Necropolis, and the surrounding +country, together with a brief notice of the sculptures discovered. + +The ten plates of unedited Greek inscriptions have been lithographed in +fac-simile from impressions of the originals reduced by photography, and +a selection from the sculpture has been photographed by Mr. Francis +Bedford. + +In the absence of Captain Smith, who is at present professionally +employed in Persia, I take this opportunity of thanking the Government +authorities and the Trustees of the British Museum for their assistance +from the commencement of the undertaking until its close, and also to +the officers and crews of the _Assurance_ and _Melpomene_, who +cheerfully and efficiently carried out the orders of the Admiralty in +the removal of the sculpture from Cyrene to the place of embarkation. + +Also to Mr. C. T. Newton for his useful advice during the time we were +in the country, and for his valuable assistance whilst these pages were +going through the press; and to Mr. W. S. W. Vaux, of the British +Museum. + + E. A. PORCHER. + + + + + CONTENTS. + + * * * * * + + + CHAPTER I. + + HISTORY OF CYRENE. + +Derivation of the names Cyrenaica and Pentapolis — Causes which led to +the country being colonized by a body of Dorians from Thera — Battus, +the leader of this band, first takes possession of the island of Platea, +and afterwards removes to Cyrene — Coalescence of the settlers with the +Libyans — The dynasty of the Battiadæ — Constitution drawn up by +Demonax, and granted by Battus III. — Attempt to overthrow it by his +successor, Arcesilaus III., aided by his mother Pheretime, which is +unsuccessful, and ends by his being murdered at Barca — The town is +besieged by Aryandes, Satrap of Egypt, and taken by treachery — Brutal +revenge of Pheretime on the inhabitants — Extinction of the dynasty — +Condition of the new republic, and alliance with Alexander the Great — +Becomes subject to Egypt — The names of the towns are changed — The last +king of the Egyptian dynasty, Apion, leaves the country to the Romans by +his testament, which is afterwards reduced by them to a province — +Insurrection of the Jews, and a great massacre of the Romans and +Cyrenæans — Sufferings of the population from the attacks of the Libyan +barbarians, and by the ravages of locusts, plagues, and earthquakes — +The Persian Chosroes overthrows the remains of the Greek colonies, which +are finally overrun by the Arabs — Peculiar manner in which the +boundary-line was fixed between Carthage and Cyrene — Eminent +philosophers who lived at Cyrene — Description of the country and its +former products — Recent history of the country. — _Page_ 1. + + CHAPTER II. + + PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPEDITION. + +Reasons which led to the expedition being undertaken — Peculiar +difficulties from the nature of the country — Equipment, with assistance +of the Foreign Office and other authorities in England to carry it out — +List of the outfit. — _Page_ 7. + + CHAPTER III. + + TRIPOLI. + +Leave Malta in the gunboat _Boxer_, and arrive at Tripoli — The Meshia — +Position of the Castle and the Pacha’s harem — Visit to the artillery +and cavalry barracks — Unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Turkish +government by Ghomer during the late Russian war — Notice of Tripoli, by +John Ogilby. — _Page_ 10. + + CHAPTER IV. + + BENGHAZI. + +Leave Tripoli, and arrive at Benghazi — Adopt it as our base of +operations — The wretched state of the town, and the plague of flies — +The Castle and the principal buildings — Make friends with the Arab +shiekhs, and engage an Arab of Cyrene as an attendant — Buy two horses +and other necessaries for the journey — Manner in which auctions are +conducted — Camels procured, with the assistance of the Kaimacam — Visit +the ancient Necropolis and the river Lethe — The unsafe state of the +harbour — The loss of a brig off the entrance of it — The distance where +fresh water is procured. — _Page_ 13. + + CHAPTER V. + + JOURNEY BETWEEN BENGHAZI AND CYRENE. + +Leave Benghazi — Rainy and stormy weather — Arrive at Gŭsr Merdj, and +hospitality of the Mudir — Description of the Plain and Castle — Resume +our journey through a beautiful country, abounding in game — Encamp at +Gŭsr Biligadem — Arrive at Cyrene, and select a tomb near the Fountain +of Apollo for our residence — Our workmen try to desert at Merdj. — +_Page_ 18. + + CHAPTER VI. + + CYRENE. + +The native name of Cyrene — The position of the ruins, with the +configuration of the country — The Fountain of Apollo — General +description of the Necropolis — A detailed account of the different +kinds of tombs — The present aspect of the city — The ancient roads to +Apollonia and along the Wady Bil Ghadir — Picturesque grandeur of the +Wady Mûchgûn. — _Page_ 25. + + CHAPTER VII. + + COMMENCEMENT OF THE EXCAVATIONS. + +Visit from Mohammed El Adouly — Commence the excavations at two tombs in +the Wady Bil Ghadir — These not proving successful, remove the men to a +temple near the southern gate of the city — Discover the statue of +Bacchus — The novel mode of removing it — Subsequent excavations in a +building adjoining a theatre, and afterwards in the Temple of Apollo — +Discover the colossal statue of Apollo; supposed statue of Hadrian; head +of Minerva; the portrait-head of Cnæus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus, +with its pedestal and inscription; a bronze portrait-head; Jupiter +Ammon; a group representing the nymph Cyrene strangling a lion; Diana +Venatrix — Description of the temple. — _Page_ 38. + + CHAPTER VIII. + + EMBARKATION OF THE STATUES ON BOARD THE _ASSURANCE_. + +Examination of the country between Cyrene and the coast — Arrival of +H.M.S. _Assurance_ — Obliged to anchor off Ras El Hilal, on account of +the weather — The next day steams to Marsa Sousah, and disembarks the +waggons and stores — Several camels collected to take the stores up to +Cyrene — Trouble with the Arabs before they start — The waggons are +obliged to be taken to pieces, and carried up the Augubah on men’s +shoulders — Difficulties of taking the waggons across the country and +the descent of the Augubah — They are successively taken to the beach, +embarked on board the _Assurance_, and the vessel leaves for Malta. — +_Page_ 44. + + CHAPTER IX. + + DEALINGS WITH THE ARABS. + +The position of the Zauyah — Threatening messages sent from the Achwani +and their shiekh, “Sidi Mustapha” — The Arabs attempt to prevent our +passing, and a number of our stores stolen by them — Appeal to the Mudir +of Ghegheb for assistance, and the way it was given — The two culprits +are apprehended with great formality, and quietly allowed to escape a +few days afterwards — The Mudir is dismissed for his conduct — Osman +Aga, the Bash-Cavass, is sent to our assistance — Our reputation as +doctors, and the curious application of the fair sex for keteebus — The +wandering habits and mode of life of the Bedouins — Forms of salutation +— Habit of swearing — Universal use of firearms. — _Page_ 48. + + CHAPTER X. + + VISIT TO THE OTHER TOWNS OF THE PENTAPOLIS. + +The ruins of Apollonia and its harbour — Visit Imghurnis, and on our +second visit badly received by the Arabs — Excursion to Derna — Pass the +ruins of Gabiout Younes, Tirt, Lamloudeh, and Beit Thamr on our way — +Reside with M. de Fremeaux, the Vice-Consul — Visited on our arrival by +the Mudir and Kologhassi — The beauty of the little town of Derna — Its +luxurious gardens and abundance of water — The anchorage of Sousah +Hamema — Longer journey to Teuchira and Ptolemais — Pass by Gŭsr +Biligadem, Libiar Il Gharib, and Merdj — The present state of Teuchira — +Arrival at Ptolemais — The great gateway in the western wall still +standing, and a number of enormous reservoirs in the centre of the city +— Large tomb to the westward of it — Miss the road on our return to +Merdj — Hospitably received there again by the Mudir — Return to Cyrene +— Serious disturbance between the Arabs of the Haasa tribe and the Mudir +of Ghegheb — The castle attacked during the night, the shiekhs +liberated, and a number of men killed — They appeal to us for assistance +— The waterworks at Safsaf. — _Page_ 57. + + CHAPTER XI. + + CONTINUATION OF THE EXCAVATIONS. + +The large temple near the Stadium — A few inscriptions found in it, but +all the sculpture wantonly destroyed — Visit of H.M.S. _Scourge_, +bringing Mr. W. Denison, a carpenter sent by the British Museum — +Celebration of the festival of the Melood — Proceed to Derna in the +_Scourge_, and return by land — Smith visits Benghazi to obtain workmen +and money — One of the negroes stolen by the Arabs — The smaller temple +near the Stadium — Statue of Minerva — The immediate neighbourhood of +the Temple of Apollo — Several inscriptions, statues, and heads of +different sizes discovered here — A seated Egyptian figure, colossal +female statue, nude statue of Bacchus, &c. — A palace, in which were +found the torso of a Roman emperor in armour, a large female draped +statue, busts of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, a female bust, three +heads, and three inscriptions — Make a road down the Augubah, and +improve the road between Cyrene and the coast — The Temple of Venus — +Large quantity of sculpture found in it: Venus Euploia, and another +Venus with Cupid by her side seated on a dolphin, Pan, Aristæus, three +female busts with curious head-dresses, heads of Minerva and Perseus, +and a slab of marble in relief of Cyrene strangling a lion. — _Page_ 71. + + CHAPTER XII. + + FINAL EMBARKATION. + +Arrival of H.M.S. _Melpomene_ — A large party of men are landed from the +ship, and start for Cyrene with three waggons — Serious disturbance with +the Arabs — The means taken to preserve peace — All the sculptures are +successively embarked — We finally leave Cyrene, and arrive at Malta. — +_Page_ 78. + + CONCLUSION. + + * * * * * + + APPENDICES. + +No. I. (contributed by Dr. C. SCHROFF). — The Thapsia Garganica — +Difference between the properties of this plant and the Silphium of the +Ancients. — _Page_ 87. + +No. II. — Description of the Sculptures found at Cyrene. — _Page_ 91. + +No. III. — List of Sculptures found on various sites at Cyrene. — _Page_ +99. + +No. IV. — Inscriptions discovered or found at Cyrene. — _Page_ 109. + + + + + ILLUSTRATIONS. + + * * * * * + + + FRONTISPIECE.—EASTERN END OF THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE. + + PLATE. + + 1. GENERAL MAP OF THE CYRENAICA _To face page_ 6 + + 2. TRIPOLI _Ditto_ 10 + + 3. BENGHAZI _Ditto_ 14 + + 4. AMOR BON ABDI SEYAT AND SHEIKH BOCHLEGA 14 + + 5. SUPPOSED ENTRANCE TO THE RIVER LETHE 16 + + 6. CASTLE AND VILLAGE OF MERDJ (BARCA) 20 + + 7. MUDIR’S ROOM IN THE CASTLE OF MERDJ 21 + + 8. ENCAMPMENT NEAR A ROMAN FORTRESS (GUSR _To face page_ 22 + BILIGADEM) + + 9. INTERIOR OF OUR TOMB OF RESIDENCE 23 + + 10. OUR WORKMEN—SALEH, MOHAMMED, AND ABDULLAH 24 + + 11. WESTERN HILL OF CYRENE, WITH ENTRANCE TO THE _To face page_ 25 + FOUNTAIN OF APOLLO + + 12. FOUNTAIN OF APOLLO _Ditto_ 26 + + 13. GENERAL VIEW OF ONE OF THE HILLS IN THE _Ditto_ 27 + NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + + 14. LARGE TOMB AT THE EASTERN END OF THE 27 + NORTHERN NECROPOLIS + + 15. TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS 23 + + 16. RANGE OF TOMBS IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS _To face page_ 28 + + 17. INTERIOR OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS _Ditto_ 29 + + 18. TOMBS TO THE WESTWARD OF WADY BIL GHADIR 29 + + 19. A TOMB EMBELLISHED WITH FIGURES IN THE 30 + NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + + 20. TOMB FOR 105 SARCOPHAGI IN THE NORTHERN _To face page_ 30 + NECROPOLIS + + 21. INTERIOR OF A PAINTED TOMB IN THE NORTHERN _Ditto_ 31 + NECROPOLIS + + 22. INTERIOR OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS 31 + + 23. INTERIOR OF A TOMB CUT IN THE SIDE OF A 32 + QUARRY IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS + + 24. INTERIOR OF A LARGE TOMB IN THE NORTHERN _To face page_ 32 + NECROPOLIS + + 25. TOMBS IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS _Ditto_ 33 + + 26. TOMBS (CALLED BY THE ARABS “KINISSIEH”) IN 33 + THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS + + 27. LARGE TOMB ON THE FACE OF THE WESTERN HILL 34 + OF CYRENE + + 28. BUILT TOMB ON THE SOUTH-WEST SIDE OF CYRENE _To face page_ 34 + + 29. RUINS OF THE CHRISTIAN CITY OF CYRENE _Ditto_ 35 + + 30. WADY MUCHGUN, TWO MILES TO THE WESTWARD OF _Ditto_ 36 + CYRENE + + 31. PLAN OF AN ORNAMENTED AND PAINTED TOMB IN _Ditto_ 36 + THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + + 32. PLAN OF A TOMB FOR 105 SARCOPHAGI IN THE _Ditto_ 36 + NORTHERN NECROPOLIS + + 33. PLAN OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS _Ditto_ 36 + + 34. PLAN OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS _Ditto_ 36 + + 35. PLAN OF A LARGE TOMB IN THE NORTHERN _Ditto_ 36 + NECROPOLIS + + 36. PLAN OF A BUILT TOMB ON THE SOUTH-WEST SIDE _Ditto_ 36 + OF CYRENE + + 37. ELEVATION OF THE INTERNAL FAÇADE OF A TOMB _Ditto_ 36 + IN THE WESTERN NECROPOLIS + + 38. TOMBS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF WADY BIL GHADIR 37 + + 39. MOHAMMED EL ADOULY 38 + + 40. PLAN OF THE CITY OF CYRENE _To face page_ 38 + + 41. PLAN OF THE CITY OF CYRENE, TO SHOW THE _To face page_ 40 + POSITIONS FROM WHICH THE PLANS AND SKETCHES + WERE MADE + + 42. INTERIOR OF MOHAMMED EL ADOULY’S TENT 54 + + 43. ARAB ARMS OF THE CYRENAICA 55 + + 44. WADY LEBAIATH, BETWEEN CYRENE AND APOLLONIA _To face page_ 57 + + 45. EASTERN CITY WALL AND RUINS OF APOLLONIA 57 + + 46. RUINS OF IMGHERNIS _To face page_ 58 + + 47. DERNA _Ditto_ 60 + + 48. CASTLE OF DERNA 61 + + 49. ARAB CAMP NEAR TEUCHIRA 64 + + 50. RUINS OF PTOLEMAIS _To face page_ 64 + + 51. GATEWAY IN THE WESTERN WALL OF PTOLEMAIS 66 + + 52. TOMBS TO THE WESTWARD OF PTOLEMAIS _To face page_ 66 + + 53. PLAN OF A CONSPICUOUS BUILT TOMB TO THE _Ditto_ 66 + WESTWARD OF PTOLEMAIS + + 54. INSCRIPTIONS OVER THE ENTRANCES TO THE TOMBS 67 + AT PTOLEMAIS + + 55. PLAN OF THE LARGE TEMPLE NEAR THE STADIUM AT _To face page_ 71 + CYRENE + + 56. PLAN OF THE SMALLER TEMPLE NEAR THE STADIUM _Ditto_ 74 + AT CYRENE + + 57. PLAN OF THE TEMPLE OF VENUS SITUATED TO THE _Ditto_ 76 + SOUTH-WEST OF THE TEMPLE OF BACCHUS + + 58. ENCAMPMENT OF THE PARTY FROM H.M.S. 81 + MELPOMENE, NEAR THE HEAD OF THE AUGUBAH + + 59. CENTRAL WADY AND SLOPE OF THE EASTERN HILL _To face page_ 82 + OF CYRENE + + 60. THAPSIA GARGANICA 87 + + * * * * * + + PHOTOGRAPHS. + + PLATE. + + 61. BACCHUS. + + 62. APOLLO CITHARŒDUS. + + 63. THE EMPEROR HADRIAN. + + 64. MINERVA AND A MALE HEAD. + + 65. CNÆUS CORNELIUS LENTULUS MARCELLINUS + (PROPRÆTOR OF CYRENE). + + 66. BRONZE ICONIC HEAD. + + 67. APHRODITE AND FEMALE TORSO. + + 68. ICONIC FEMALE STATUE. + + 69. BUST OF THE EMPEROR ANTONINUS PIUS. + + 70. BUST OF THE EMPEROR MARCUS AURELIUS. + + 71. APHRODITE EUPLOIA. + + 72. APHRODITE AND EROS. + + 73. ICONIC FEMALE FIGURE. + + 74. FEMALE BUST OF ROMAN PERIOD. + + 75. HEAD OF PERSEUS. + + 76. THE NYMPH CYRENE OVERCOMING A LION, AND + BEING CROWNED BY LIBYA. + + * * * * * + + INSCRIPTIONS. + + PLATE. + + 77. Containing numbers 1 to 5 + + 78. Ditto ditto 6 + + 79. Ditto ditto 6 „ 7 + + 80. Ditto ditto 8 „ 11 + + 81. Ditto ditto 12 „ 14 + + 82. Ditto ditto 15 „ 17 + + 83. Ditto ditto 18 „ 23 + + 84. Ditto ditto 24 „ 26 + + 85. Ditto ditto 27 „ 28 + + 86. Ditto ditto 29 „ 32 + + + + + ERRATA + + * * * * * + + + In General Map of the Cyrenaica, facing page 6, place a line under + Apollonia for the ancient name. + + Page 10, line 8 _for_ Caimakam, _read_ Kaimakam. + + Page 25, line 3 _for_ Grenuah, _read_ Grennah. + + Page 37, line 5 _for_ Mûchqûn, _read_ Mûchgûn. + + Page 54, line 8 _for_ El Douly’s, _read_ El Adouly’s + (_under the woodcut_). + + Page 71, line 39 _for_ Plate 6, _read_ Plates 78, 79, No. 6. + + Page 71, line 40 _for_ Plate 8, _read_ Plate 79, No 7. + + + + + DISCOVERIES AT CYRENE. + + * * * * * + + CHAPTER I. + + +BEFORE beginning the narrative of our expedition to the Cyrenaica, we +shall recall, for the convenience of the reader, a few of the leading +facts connected with the history of that country. + +Accounts, more or less detailed, of the origin and progress of the Greek +colony, of which Cyrene was the capital, are given by Herodotus, Strabo, +Sallust, &c. In modern times these fragmentary and often contradictory +accounts have been carefully collated and examined by the learned Dane, +Thrige, in his work entitled “Historia Cyrenes, Havniæ, 1819.” The +subsequent great work of Mr. Grote, and the several articles relating to +Cyrene in Dr. William Smith’s Classical Dictionaries, contain everything +of importance that the learned criticism of those distinguished scholars +has been able to authenticate regarding the history of the Pentapolis. +We have, therefore, with Dr. Smith’s kind permission, compiled the +following compendium from the articles _Cyrene_, _Cyrenaica_, _Thera_, +_Battus_, &c., in the Dictionaries of Classical Geography and Biography. + +The Cyrenaica or Pentapolis was the name of an extensive tract of +country in the North of Africa, bounded on the east and west by the +respective territories of Egypt and Carthage, and on the north and south +by the Mediterranean and the Desert. The name _Cyrenaica_ was derived +from the capital city, Cyrene, and properly denoted the country as a +whole; while _Pentapolis_ was a collective name given to the five great +cities of Cyrene, Barca, Teuchira, Hesperides, and Apollonia, with their +several territories and dependencies. The Romans, therefore, who looked +upon the country as a single province of the empire, called it +Cyrenaica; whereas, in the time of the Ptolemies, when the country was +practically a confederacy of separate colonies, it was generally known +by the federal name of Pentapolis. + +Cyrene, the capital of this country, and the most important Hellenic +colony in Africa, was founded in B.C. 631, by a body of Dorian colonists +from Thera (Santorin), an island in the Ægean Sea belonging to Sparta. +Battus, the leader of this band of colonists, was the son of +Polymnestus, a Theræan noble, his mother, according to some accounts, +being a Cretan princess. Considerable doubt exists regarding the origin +of his name: Herodotus believes that it was the Libyan word for “king,” +while others suppose it to have been derived from βατταρίζω, and to have +been expressive of an alleged impediment in his speech. No less doubt is +there as to the cause which led to the colonization of Cyrene. According +to the account of the Cyrenæans, as given by Herodotus, Battus, having +gone to consult the Delphic oracle about the removal of the physical +defect above mentioned, was enjoined to lead a colony into Libya; while +the story of the Theræans, as recorded in the same author, was, that +this injunction was laid on their king, Grinus, and that he pointed to +Battus as a younger and fitter man for the purpose. According, again, to +a fragment from the historian Menecles, preserved by Tzetzes, and the +scholiast to Pindar,[1] Battus was driven forth from Thera by civil war, +and was ordered by Apollo not to return to his country, but to betake +himself to the continent. Justin gives a strange mixture of the two +stories in Herodotus with the fable of Apollo’s love for the nymph +Cyrene. Amidst these conflicting statements, the one certain is, that +Battus led forth his colonists in obedience to the Delphic oracle, and +under a belief in the protection of Apollo. + +Sailing to the then almost unknown shores of Libya, Battus and his +followers took possession of the island of Platea, in the Gulf of Bomba, +which they seem to have mistaken for the mainland. Hence, after two +years of suffering, and after again consulting the oracle, they removed +to the opposite shore, and resided in the well-wooded district of Aziris +for six years, at the end of which time some of the native Libyans +persuaded them to leave it for a better locality, and conducted them +through the region of Irasa to the actual site of Cyrene. Though Irasa +was deemed so delectable a region that the Libyan guides were said to +have led the Greeks through it in the night lest they should settle +there, the spot at which their journey ended was scarcely inferior for +beauty and fertility to any on the surface of the globe. + +The site of Cyrene was in the territory of the Libyan tribe named +Asbystæ, and with them the Greek settlers seem from the first to have +been on terms of friendship very similar to those which subsisted +between the Carthaginians and their Libyan neighbours. The Greeks had +the immense advantage of commanding the abundant springs and fertile +meadows, to which the Libyans were compelled to resort when the supplies +of the less-favoured regions further inland began to fail. A close +connection soon grew up between the natives and the Greek settlers; and +not only did the former imitate the customs of the latter, but the two +races coalesced to a much greater extent than was usual in such cases. +It is very important to bear in mind that the population of Cyrene had a +very large admixture of Libyan blood by the marriages of the early +settlers with Libyan wives. The native Libyans, however, were altogether +excluded from political power, which was in the hands exclusively of the +descendants from the original settlers, or rather of those of them who +had already been among the ruling class in the mother state of Thera. + +The dynasty of the Battiadæ lasted during the greater part of two +centuries, from B.C. 630 to somewhere between 460 and 430; and comprised +eight kings, bearing the names of Battus and Arcesilaus alternately. +After the foundation of Cyrene, little is known of Battus I. He appears +to have been vigorous and successful in surmounting the difficulties +which beset the infant colony, in making most of the natural advantages +of the country, and in subjugating the native tribes. He governed with +mildness and moderation, and executed various public works, of which the +most celebrated was the road which he made for the sacred procession to +the temple of Apollo. His subjects worshipped him as a hero, and +dedicated a statue of him at Delphi, representing him in a chariot, +driven by the nymph Cyrene, with Libya in the act of crowning him. + +Nothing of importance is recorded in the reign of his son, Arcesilaus +I., about B.C. 590-574; but that of his successor, Battus II., marks the +most important period of the monarchy. In this reign, Cyrene received a +great accession of strength by the influx of a large number of colonists +from various parts of Greece, principally, perhaps, from Peloponnesus, +and from Crete and the other islands, whom the State invited over under +the promise of a new division of lands (probably to enable herself to +make head against the neighbouring Libyans), and who were further urged +to the migration by the Delphic oracle. This influx apparently giving +rise to further encroachments on the Libyan tribes, the latter, under +Adicran, their king, surrendered themselves to Apries, king of Egypt, +and claimed his protection. A battle ensued in the region of Irasa, B.C. +570, in which the Egyptians were defeated—this being the first time, +according to Herodotus, that they had ever come into hostile collision +with Greeks. This battle seems to have finished the war with Egypt; for +we read that Amasis, the successor of Apries, married Ladice, a Cyrenæan +woman of the house of Battus. By the same victory, too, the sovereignty +of Cyrene over the Libyans was confirmed. It was also most probably in +this reign that Cyrene began to occupy the neighbouring region with her +colonies. + +The misfortunes of the monarchy began in the reign of Arcesilaus II., +surnamed the “Oppressive,” about B.C. 554-544. By attempting to subvert +the constitution and establish a despotism, he caused a revolt of the +Libyan Periœci. His brothers, Perseus, Zacynthus, Aristomedon, and +Lycus, who instigated this rebellion, withdrew from Cyrene, and founded +the city of Barca. In his attempt to quell the insurrection, Arcesilaus +was signally defeated in a battle fought at Leucon or Leucoë, in +Marmarica, in which 7,000 of his soldiers were slain. He was afterwards +treacherously killed by his own brother Learchus. The intestine troubles +of Cyrene during the latter part of his reign, gave the inhabitants of +the new city of Barca an opportunity of extending their power over the +whole of the west part of the Cyrenaica, including the district on the +coast (as far as Hesperides), where we find the important post of +Teuchira belonging to them. According to Servius, they carried their +arms on land far west over the region of the Syrtes, towards Carthage, +and acquired such a maritime power as to defeat the Phœnicians in a +naval battle. + +Battus III., or the “Lame,” son of Arcesilaus II., reigned from about +B.C. 544 to 529. During his reign, the Cyrenæans, under the advice of +the Delphic oracle, called in the aid of Demonax, a Mantineian, who drew +up for them a new constitution, by which the encroachments of the royal +house on the people were more than recovered, and the king was reduced +to political insignificance, retaining, however, the landed domain as +his private property, and also his sacerdotal functions. The political +power, in which it would seem none but the descendants of the original +colonists had any share, was now extended to the whole Greek population, +who were divided by Demonax into three tribes: (1) the Theræans, who +still retained the native Periœci; (2) Greeks from Peloponnesus and +Crete; (3) Greeks from the other islands of the Ægean. A senate was also +constituted, of which the king appears to have been president. In other +respects, the constitution seems to have resembled that of Sparta, which +was, through Thera, the original metropolis of Cyrene. + +Pheretime, the widow of Battus III., and mother of his successor, +Arcesilaus III., joined with her son in an attempt to overturn the new +constitution of Demonax. Their first efforts were unsuccessful, and they +were driven from Cyrene; but Arcesilaus, who had taken refuge in Samos, +returned with a fresh band of colonists, chiefly from Ionia, took +Cyrene, and executed cruel vengeance on his opponents. He endeavoured to +strengthen his position by making submission to Cambyses, king of +Persia. From a superstitious fear of the woe denounced against him by an +oracle for his cruelty in the hour of success, or, perhaps, driven out +of the city by his subjects, he fled to his father-in-law, Alazir, king +of Barca. There, certain exiles from Cyrene, uniting with the Barcæans, +attacked both kings in the market-place, and killed them. His mother, +Pheretime, thereupon applied for aid to Aryandes, who had been appointed +Satrap of Egypt by Cambyses. Aryandes, who welcomed this opportunity of +effecting the conquest of Libya, collected a powerful army and fleet; +but, before commencing hostilities, he sent a herald to Barca, demanding +to know who had slain Arcesilaus. The Barcæans, having collectively +taken the act upon themselves, the desired pretext was gained, and +Aryandes despatched the expedition. After a siege of nine months, the +city was at last taken by treachery, and given over to the brutal +revenge of Pheretime. Those of the citizens who were supposed to have +had most share in her son’s death she impaled all round the circuit of +the walls, on which she fixed as bosses the breasts of their wives. +Those who were clearly guiltless of the murder were allowed to remain in +the city, but the rest of the inhabitants were sent to Persia, where +Darius settled them in a village of Bactria, still called Barca in the +time of Herodotus. After the siege of Barca, Pheretime retired with the +Persian army to Egypt, where, according to Herodotus, she died of a +loathsome disease, for having “provoked the jealousy of the gods by the +excessive indulgence of revenge.” Regarding her history, the following +remark is made by Grote:—“It will be recollected that in the veins of +this savage woman the Libyan blood was mixed with the Grecian. Political +enmity in Greece proper kills, but seldom, if ever, mutilates or sheds +the blood of women.” + +The Persians ravaged great part of the country, and extended their +conquests as far as Hesperides; and though they were even inclined to +attack Cyrene on their way back to Egypt, they left the city unmolested. +The result of the victory of Arcesilaus and Pheretime was the overthrow +of the equitable constitution established by Demonax. + +Of Battus IV., the successor of Arcesilaus III., nothing is known, +except that he was surnamed the “Handsome.” + +Arcesilaus IV., the last of the kings of Cyrene, is the prince whose +victory in the Pythian Games, B.C. 466, is celebrated by Pindar. From +his odes, it also appears that Arcesilaus IV. endeavoured to make +himself despotic, by getting rid of the nobles of the state. It is +probable that the city Hesperides was founded by him, with the view of +securing a retreat for himself in the event of a successful rebellion of +his subjects. It is not known whether he died by violence or not; but +after his death royalty was abolished, and his son, Battus, who had fled +to Hesperides, was there murdered, and his head was thrown into the +sea,—a significant symbol of the utter extinction of the dynasty. This +was probably about B.C. 450. + +Of the condition of the new republic we have very little information. As +to its basis, we are only told that the number of tribes and phratriæ +was increased; and as to its working, that the constant increase of the +democratic element led to violent party contests, in the course of +which, various tyrants obtained power in the state; among whom are named +Ariston and Nicocrates. When Alexander the Great invaded Egypt, the +Cyrenæans made an alliance with him, and after his death their whole +territory was made subject to Egypt by Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, B.C. +321. The country appears to have flourished under the Ptolemies, who +pursued their usual policy of raising new cities at the expense of the +ancient ones, or restoring the latter under new names. Thus Hesperides +became Berenice; Teuchira was called Arsinöe; Barca was entirely +eclipsed by its port, which was raised into a city under the name of +Ptolemais; and Cyrene herself began to decay in consequence of the +favours bestowed upon its port Apollonia. After these changes, +_Pentapolis_ became the common name of the country. + +The last king of the Egyptian dynasty, Apion, an illegitimate son of +Ptolemy Physcon (on whose death, in B.C. 117, he had obtained the +government), left the country to the Romans by his testament in the year +B.C. 95. At first, the Romans granted the cities their freedom, and +bestowed upon them their former royal domain, only exacting a tribute; +but quarrels soon broke out between the different states, and after +Lucullus had made, by order of Sylla, a vain attempt to reconcile them, +the Romans applied their usual last remedy, and reduced the country to a +province, under the name of Cyrenaica (probably in B.C. 75), which was +united with Crete on the conquest of that island in B.C. 67. In the +division of the provinces under Augustus, the united province, under the +name of Creta-Cyrene, Creta et Cyrene, or Creta simply, was constituted +a senatorial province under the government of a proprætor, with the +title of proconsul, who had a legatus and one, if not two, quæstors. +Under Constantine, Crete and Cyrenaica were made separate provinces, the +latter being called Libya Superior, and placed under the government of a +Præses. It should be observed, that under the Romans the eastern +boundary of the province, which divided it from Marmarica, was formed by +an imaginary line drawn southwards from Axylis, a town somewhat to the +west of the Chersonesus Magna. + +The decline of the country in prosperity may be dated chiefly from the +reign of Trajan, when the Jews, large numbers of whom had settled there +under the Ptolemies, rose in insurrection, massacred 220,000 Romans and +Cyrenæans, and were put down with great difficulty and much slaughter. +The loss of population during these bloody conflicts, and the increasing +weakness of the whole empire, left the province an easy prey to the +Libyan barbarians, whose attacks were aided by the ravages of locusts, +plagues, and earthquakes. The sufferings of the Pentapolis from these +causes, in the beginning of the fifth century, are pathetically +described by Synesius, the bishop of Ptolemais, in an extant oration and +in various passages of his letters; and at a later period by Procopius. +In A.D. 616, the Persian Chosroes overthrew the remains of the Greek +colonies so utterly, as to leave only the gleanings of the harvest of +destruction to the Arab conquerors, who finally overran the country A.D. +647.—(Gibbon, VIII. 227, and IX. 444.) + +At the height of its prosperity, Cyrene possessed an extensive commerce +with Greece and Egypt, especially in the medical drug called Silphium: +with Carthage its relations were always on a footing of great distrust, +and its commerce on the west frontier was conducted entirely by +smuggling. At what period its dominion over the Libyan tribes was +extended so far as to meet that of Carthage at the bottom of the Greater +Syrtis is disputed, some authorities referring it to the republican age, +others to the period of the Ptolemies. Regarding the manner in which +this boundary was settled, the following romantic story is told by +Sallust:— + +“The indefinite nature of the boundary between the territories of +Carthage and Cyrene was the cause of many wars between them. After +various alternate successes and defeats, they entered into the following +agreement,—that certain persons deputed by each state should leave their +home on an appointed day, and that the place where the parties might +meet should be considered as the boundary of the kingdoms. + +“Two brothers, named Philæni, were appointed on the part of Carthage, +who contrived to travel faster than the deputies from Cyrene; but +whether this was occasioned by accident or the indolence of the +Cyrenæans, I have not been able to ascertain. Stormy weather might +undoubtedly occasion delays in such a country, as well as it is known to +do at sea; for when violent winds prevail in level and barren tracts, +the sand which is raised by them is driven so forcibly into the faces +and eyes of those who cross them, that their progress is considerably +impeded. So soon as the people of Cyrene were aware of the ground which +they had lost, and reflected on the punishment which would await them in +consequence on their return, they began to accuse the Carthaginians of +having set out before the appointed time; and when a dispute arose on +the subject, they determined to brave everything rather than return home +defeated. In this state of affairs, the Carthaginians desired the Greeks +to name some conditions of accommodation; and when the latter proposed +that the deputies from Carthage should either be buried on the spot +which they claimed as the boundary, or allow them to advance as far as +they chose on the same conditions, the Philæni immediately accepted the +terms, and, giving themselves up to the service of their country, were +buried alive on the spot where the dispute had occurred. On the same +spot, two altars (Aræ Philænorum) were consecrated to their memory by +the people of Carthage, and other honours were also decreed to them at +home.” + +By a comparison of the accounts of Ptolemy, Strabo, Pliny, and Mela, the +Aræ Philænorum appear to have been situated near the bottom of the +Greater Syrtis. At the time of Hannibal’s expedition to Italy, B.C. 217, +they formed the eastern boundary of the Carthaginian territory.—(See +Beechey, p. 220.) + +Cyrene held a distinguished place in the records of Hellenic science. As +early as the time of Herodotus, it was celebrated for its physicians: it +gave its name to a philosophic sect founded by one of its sons, +Aristippus; another, Carneades, was the founder of the Third or New +Academy at Athens; and it was also the birthplace of Eratosthenes, who +may be called the founder of astronomy, and who raised geography to the +rank of a science; of the poet Callimachus, who boasted a descent from +the royal house of Battus; and of the eloquent rhetorician Synesius, who +afterwards became Bishop of Ptolemais. + +The portion of the Cyrenaica actually occupied by the Greek +colonists—viz., from the Boreum Promontorium on the west to the +Chersonesus Magna on the east—was, in respect of position, formation, +climate, and soil, one of the most delightful regions on the surface of +the globe. Its centre is occupied by a moderately elevated table-land, +whose edge runs parallel to the coast, to which it sinks down in a +succession of terraces, clothed with verdure, intersected by mountain +streams running through ravines filled with the richest vegetation, well +watered by the frequent rains in winter, and sheltered by the mass of +the mountain from the sands and hot winds of the Sahara. The various +terraces enjoyed a great diversity of climates, and produced a +corresponding variety of flowers, vegetables, and fruits; and the +successive harvests, at the different elevations, lasted for eight +months out of the twelve. The table-land extends some seventy or eighty +miles in breadth between the Sahara and the coast, but it is only on its +N. and N.W. slopes that it enjoys the physical advantages now described. + +Among its products were corn, oil, wine; all kinds of fruit, especially +dates, figs, and almonds; cucumbers, truffles, cabbage, box, and +saffron; flowers, especially roses, from which exquisite perfumes were +extracted; and, above all, the plant for which the country was +especially celebrated,—viz., silphium or laserpitium,—which produced the +valuable article of commerce already referred to. The district was also +famous for its honey, its ostriches, and its horses, large studs of +which were kept at Cyrene and at Barca. + +Of the more recent history of the Cyrenaica there is little to be +related. In consequence of the Arab occupation, the whole country +relapsed into a state of barbarism, from which it has never emerged, the +only important event in its history being its conquest by the Turks +under Solyman the Magnificent, who took its modern capital, Tripoli, in +1551. Since that date, as part of Tripoli, it has formed a nominal +portion of the Ottoman empire, owning a greater or less degree of +subjection to the authority of the Sultan. Soon after its conquest by +Solyman, it gradually fell, like Egypt, Tunis, and Algiers, into the +power of an hereditary dynasty of Beys, who were all but independent of +the Turkish government. In 1808, when this dynasty was expelled by +Sultan Mahmoud, the state of Tripoli became a mere province or Pachalik, +which has ever since been regarded as an integral portion of the +Sultan’s dominions. + + + + +[Illustration: Pl. 1. + +CYRENAICA. CORRECTED FROM THE SURVEYS OF CAPTS. SMYTH BEECHEY & SPRATT +R.N. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + + CHAPTER II. + + +FROM the short sketch of the ancient history of Cyrene given in the last +chapter, the reader will be at no loss to discover the reasons which led +us to undertake an expedition, for the purpose of examining the ruins of +that distinguished city. The simple fact of its having been the capital +of a flourishing Greek colony, afforded presumptive evidence of the +existence of interesting and valuable remains; and the absence of any +stationary population on its site, after the date of the Arab conquest, +favoured the hope that such remains would be found in a comparatively +perfect condition. + +In many places, such as Athens, Rome, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, &c., the +great obstacle to the recovery of the objects of ancient art, that lie +buried among the ruins, is the occupation of the sites by modern towns. +Where such occupation has been uninterrupted, the probability of the +existence of extensive remains is, moreover, greatly diminished; +inasmuch as the successive generations of inhabitants have not +unfrequently made use of the materials of the ancient city in the +construction of their own buildings, and wantonly destroyed the statues +and other sculptures, as relics of Pagan idolatry. + +In the case of Cyrene, however, it was almost certain that the site of +the city had been unoccupied for upwards of 1,000 years; so that it was +highly probable that whatever sculptures and other remains had escaped +destruction at the hands of the early Christians and first Arab +conquerors, must soon have been hid from view by a luxuriant vegetation, +and, except in the most elevated situations, become gradually buried +beneath the surface of the soil. From such considerations it was to be +concluded, _à priori_, that many remains of the ancient Cyrene were +still in existence,—a conclusion confirmed by the testimony of all the +travellers who had visited the actual site. + +Although there were thus sufficient grounds for regarding Cyrene as a +good field for excavation, there were circumstances peculiar to its +position and the present condition of the country, which made it very +doubtful whether such excavations could be carried on successfully. One +great obstacle lay in the fact of its inland position in a mountainous +country, from which it was to be feared that heavy and fragile objects, +such as marble statues, could not be conveyed to the coast for +embarkation, except at excessive cost of time, labour, and money. +Another no less important consideration was the character of the present +inhabitants of the country, the Bedouins, a fanatical race of wandering +Arabs, proverbial for their rapacity and violence. Moreover, Cyrene +could only be reached by a long land journey from Benghazi, or Derna, +the only places on the coast at which the caravan required for such a +journey could be procured; and also the only places in the country where +the authority of the Turkish Government was more than a name. + +Before fitting out a regular expedition for the purpose of excavating, +it was therefore advisable to gain sufficient information to form a +proximate estimate of the cost and chances of success of such an +undertaking; and this could only be obtained by an actual visit to +Cyrene, and a careful examination of the country between the city and +the coast. It struck me, when stationed at Malta, after the close of the +expedition to Halicarnassus and Cnidus, in which I had been associated +with Mr. C. T. Newton, that a reconnoitring excursion might be made to +the Cyrenaica at little or no expense to the Government; the only +absolute necessaries for its accomplishment being the use of a small +vessel for, at most, two or three months, the sanction of the Foreign +Office, and leave of absence from military duty. At that time (the +spring of 1860) there was a small sailing schooner lying in Malta +harbour, called the _Kertch_, which, I thought, would answer the purpose +admirably. A few men from H.M.S. _Hibernia_, to which she was a tender, +would be a large enough crew; and being only a sailing vessel, she would +cost nothing in fuel. I talked over the project with Commander Porcher, +then Lieutenant of the _Hibernia_, who at once expressed his willingness +to join me in the undertaking. + +Our proposal was to visit the Cyrenaica at our own expense, for the +purpose of examining the country with a view to a subsequent _working_ +expedition, provided the Foreign Office sanctioned the proceeding, and +the Admiralty allowed the _Kertch_ to be placed for a short time at our +disposal. We thought it desirable to have some such vessel, not only to +take us to the coast of Barbary, but to remain there while we made our +journeys inland. She would thereby serve as a “base of operations,” and +would be of special use in the event, which was not unlikely, of our +being obliged, by the hostility of the Arabs, to beat a hasty retreat. + +This proposal I submitted to Sir John Burgoyne, Inspector-General of +Engineers, and to Mr. Newton, by both of whom it was cordially approved +of. On their joint recommendation, Lord Russell kindly sanctioned the +project, applied to the Admiralty for the means of carrying it into +execution, and furnished us with letters of recommendation to her +Majesty’s agents in Barbary, and a Firman which he had obtained in our +favour from the Turkish Government. In reply to Lord Russell’s +application, the Admiralty stated, that as the _Kertch_ was urgently +required for other services, she could not be given in the way we had +suggested; but, if his Lordship wished it, that orders would be given to +provide us with a passage as soon as possible to the coast of the +Cyrenaica. This offer being accepted, orders were immediately sent to +Admiral Sir William Martin, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean +fleet, to send us to Benghazi, or such other place as we preferred, as +soon as there was a vessel available for that purpose. We were at the +same time informed that H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, and the Duke of +Somerset, First Lord of the Admiralty, had been pleased to grant us +leave of absence for an indefinite period. + +The want of a vessel like the _Kertch_, to remain with us during our +excursion, caused, of course, a considerable modification of our plans. +Instead of having our supplies and the means of retreat more or less at +our own disposal, we should be obliged, by the new arrangement, simply +to take our chance among the Arabs, and get on in the best way we could, +the expense at the same time being greatly increased. We were thankful, +however, for what we had got, and began at once to make the necessary +preparations for the expedition. + +On account of the want of harbours on the coast of the Cyrenaica, our +original intention was to have started in July, and to have returned to +Malta before the winter. Considerable delay, however, took place before +a vessel could be had, and it was already winter when everything was +ready for our departure. + +It is always difficult to know what to take on a long journey in an +uncivilized country. One is apt to forget a number of things that are +really useful and even indispensable, and perhaps still more so, to take +a great many that are afterwards only in the way. For the benefit of +future travellers, therefore, we give the following list of our outfit, +in which, fortunately, we found little that was either superfluous or +deficient. + +_Materials, &c._—Two double circular tents complete with storm guys and +pegs; two small portable wooden trestle bedsteads, made to roll up and +be carried in waterproof bags; two field-hospital cork mattresses +(rolling up), two pillows, four blankets, and two rugs, all carried in +two waterproof bags; two iron folding chairs; cooking apparatus, +consisting of a large saucepan, a kettle, a gridiron, and tea and coffee +pots; a few knives, forks, and spoons, and some tin dishes, plates, and +cups; a lantern (talc), and a large supply of candles and lucifer +matches; a few simple medicines, some lint, sticking plaster, an axe, +two small hatchets, two saws, six spades and pickaxes, a crowbar, a coil +of 1½-inch rope, a ball of whipcord, a hammer, and some nails. + +_Provisions._—Two bags of ship’s biscuit, a bag of rice, a large supply +of tea, coffee, sugar, and salt, packed in tin boxes; two dozen tins of +preserved meats to be used on emergencies only; two small cheeses; some +spices, such as mustard, pepper, and curry-powder; two dozen of brandy. + +Besides the above,—guns and revolvers, and a good stock of ammunition; +English saddles, bridles, &c.; personal luggage, such as clothes, books, +instruments, &c., as little as possible. + + + + + CHAPTER III. + + +ALL our preparations being completed, we embarked, with our two Maltese +servants, on board H.M.’s Gunboat _Boxer_, 2nd Master Gulliver +commanding, and left Malta for Tripoli, Nov. 19, 1860. Our object in +going there was to have our Firman presented to the Pacha or Governor- +general of Barbary, who resides at Tripoli, and has subordinate +Kaimakams, or Lieutenant-governors at Mourzouk and Benghazi. After a +stormy passage, we reached Tripoli on the evening of the 21st, where we +were most kindly welcomed by Colonel Herman, H.M.’s Consul-general, +whose liberal hospitality we enjoyed during our stay. He had already +presented the Firman, and seen that the most favourable orders regarding +us had been forwarded to the Kaimakam of Benghazi. The evening before +our departure, he entertained the Pacha at dinner, on which occasion we +had the opportunity of becoming personally acquainted with His +Excellency, who knew a little French, took his wine freely, played a +fair game of billiards, and in every respect was quite unlike the ideal +Osmanli. + +Eastern towns bear such a resemblance to each other that it is difficult +to give a distinctive description of one in particular. The houses, +streets, and bazaars of Tripoli might be part of Constantinople or +Smyrna. The inhabitants, however, are very different; instead of the +slow gait and placid expression of the Turks, they have an unpleasantly +wild and active appearance not at all reassuring to the traveller. +Besides the Arabs, who form the great bulk of the population, there are +a considerable number of Jews and Maltese. + +The most prominent feature of Tripoli is the Meshiah or date-gardens, +which occupy some six or eight square miles along the shore to the +eastward of the town. Throughout their extent, they are so thickly +planted, that the ground is almost completely shaded by the dense +foliage of the date-palms. After traversing the Meshiah, one is much +struck with its abrupt termination. From a luxuriant garden, the +visitor, without warning, suddenly finds himself in the desert,—a bare +undulating expanse of sand, stretching away to a range of distant hills. + +The most conspicuous building in the city is the Pacha’s harem, close to +the Eastern gate. By a strange freak of a former Pacha, part of it has +been painted a bright red, which gives it an odd appearance in the midst +of the surrounding mass of whitewashed walls. This building was the +residence of the Karamanli Beys before Barbary was taken possession of +by the Turks; and shortly before the fall of that dynasty, it was the +scene of the murder of his brother by Yusuf Bey, in the presence of +their mother—one of those domestic tragedies so common in the houses of +Eastern rulers. + +The government of Barbary and Fezzan is now similar to that of other +Turkish provinces, being administered by a Pacha appointed by the Porte. +As is the case with most Turkish governors, his tenure of office is +usually very short, seldom, in fact, exceeding a year. + +In the western part of the town, near the shore, stands the Castle, an +irregular old building very much in need of repair. It contains the +Medjlis or council chamber and the other public rooms of the Pacha, and +is garrisoned by two or three battalions of regular infantry. A few +years ago, the town was thrown into a state of consternation by the +mutiny of the troops composing the garrison, who besieged the Castle, +and threatened the town with destruction, if their arrears of pay were +not settled and some other demands complied with. The firmness of the +Pacha, and a few timely concessions, with difficulty restored +subordination. + +[Illustration: Pl. 2. + +TRIPOLI + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +Besides the Infantry in the Castle, there is a considerable force of +Artillery and Cavalry quartered in the Meshiah. When we told the General +that we should like to see their barracks, he sent one of his aides-de- +camp to show us over them. The two barracks (Artillery and Cavalry) are +very pleasantly situated near each other, about a mile and a half from +the town. We found them remarkably clean and well kept, and the stores +of arms, clothing, &c., in perfect order. + +In addition to the regular troops, many of the native Arabs are retained +by the Government as irregular cavalry, called Koralié. They are similar +to the Bashi Bozouks of other parts of Turkey, and are employed +principally in the collection of the tribute. + +During the late Russian war, an attempt was made to overthrow the +Turkish government, and restore the rule of the Karamanlis. The head of +the rebellion was a descendant of one of the last Beys, a chief named +Ghomer, who had been kept a prisoner for some years at Constantinople, +but had either escaped or been released. So many of the native tribes +were in his favour, that for some time he was powerful enough to set the +government at defiance. He seems, besides, to have been a man eminently +well fitted for carrying on irregular warfare. Several expeditions sent +against him ended in failure and disaster; but his army was at last +completely defeated by a force under the immediate command of the Pacha, +who on that occasion was accompanied by Colonel Herman, to whose +judicious counsel he was much indebted for its fortunate result. After +his defeat, Ghomer wandered as a fugitive, with a price set on his head, +until, at last, he fell into the hands of some of the Pacha’s followers, +by whom he was slain. One of his most active partisans was an +Englishman, who, on the suppression of the rebellion, was taken prisoner +and sent for trial to Constantinople; but on reaching the Dardanelles, +he was quietly released by order of the Sultan. + +The following quaint sketch of the history of Tripoli is given in a work +published in 1670, entitled “Africa; being an Accurate Description of +the Regions of Egypt, Barbary, Libya, and Billedulgerid, the Land of +Negroes, Guinee, Æthiopia, and the Abyssines, &c. &c., by John Ogilby, +Esquire, Master of His Majesty’s Revels in the Kingdom of Ireland.” + +“This city and State (Tripoli) hath from the beginning had Lords of +greatest eminency; as first the Romans, to whom it did Homage and +Fealty, when they were Masters of Africa; but as their strength and +glory declined, shrouded themselves under the protection of the Kings of +Morocco, Fez, and Tunis, which have possessed it by right of Birth: but +when the Inhabitants saw themselves oppressed by the Tyranny of Mukamur, +Son of Hesen, King of Tunis, they threw the yoke off their Necks, first +by a general Revolt, then expelling the King’s Lieutenant, and all other +his officers, and at last electing from among themselves one whom they +made their Ruler or Magistrate, putting all the Revenue and Support of +the State into his hands. In the beginning this new Lord ruled with all +gentleness; but afterwards degenerating into all sorts of Tyranny, his +brother in law revenged the cause of the City by killing him. Freed from +this Viper of their own breeding, they impowered a courtier of Prince +Abubacer, who had been a Recluse or Hermit who held the command a few +months, till Ferdinand, King of Arragon and Castile, sent Don Pedro de +Navarre thither with an Army, who surprized the city, made all the +Inhabitants Slaves, and brought them away; together with their Governour +and his Son, whom he sent first to Messina, from thence to Palermo, +where the Emperor Charles V. set him at liberty, dismissing him home to +Tripoli, which the Christians, as we said, had dismantled and made +untenable in all parts except the castle, which they furnished with a +brave wall, whereon they planted divers great Cannon. + +“The young Prince being come to Tripoli, repeopled it, in the name and +on the behalf of the Emperor Charles; but in the year 1533, together +with Tunis, Byserta, Susa, Monaster, and the Island of Zerby, was +regained by Barberossa, who was scarcely warm in it before the Emperor +Charles reassaulted and took it, forthwith making a Present of it to the +Knights of Malta, who possessed it till the year 1551, when, under the +reign of Solyman the Magnificent, Sinan Bashaw came and besieged +Tripoli; to whom after a short time it was delivered upon honourable +articles; among which one was, That the garrison should march out with +Bag and Baggage, and be provided of convenient shipping to Malta by +Sinan; but, contrary to the conditions, most of them were plundered of +their Goods: two hundred of the Moors, who had served the Maltese, were +put to the Sword, and most of the Knights of Malta sent to the galleys, +and the rest the Bashaw took and made slaves. + +“After this victory Sinan appointed Morat Aga to be Viceroy, and ever +since the Grand Seignior sends from Constantinople every three years a +Beglerbeg or Bashaw thither to support his Conquests. + +“About the year 1598, Sidi Haga, a Marabout, or Priest, designing to +make himself a Master of the city and kingdom, with the assistance of +the meaner sort, began a notable Rebellion; upon the first intelligence +whereof, Assam Bassa, Admiral at Sea, sailed thither with sixty galleys +and some soldiers, from Tunis and Algier, on a sudden fell into the +Marabout’s Quarters, whose own men, finding their error, in some measure +to mitigate the fury against themselves, set an end to their mutiny by +presenting their Captain’s head to Sinan, who sent it to the Grand +Seignior. + +“In this condition Tripoli continued until about the year 1600, when the +authority of the Bashaw was diminished by the soldiers and their +commanders, in the same manner as Kara Osman did at Tunis, since which +time Mahomet Bey, a Grecian Renegado, of the ancient house of the +Justinians, hath so laid his business, that having got the Banner of +Tripolis from the Grand Seignior, after he became Master of the Castle, +would not endure the Bashaw any longer, but began to rule with full +authority, yet still pretending a subjection to the Turk; and to +preserve his favour, as an acknowledgement and homage, he frequently +sends over many costly presents, and slaves: But at length this Bey +became so powerful, that nothing was done but by his peculiar command. +For he took soldiers at his pleasure, without the knowledge of the +Divan, or Militia, and placed them in the Castle, for the security of +his own person, that he might not be trepanned into his Ruin by the +Policies of the Great Turk: and in this posture of Government it +remained and doth still; only in 1667, the Moors made a dangerous +Insurrection; but it proved only to the loss of their own heads.” + + + + + CHAPTER IV. + + +AFTER spending four days very pleasantly at Tripoli, we reluctantly took +leave of Colonel and Mrs. Herman, and started for Benghazi, in the +_Boxer_, on the 25th. There being little coal to spare, we went under +sail, and as the winds were light and variable, we did not reach +Benghazi till noon of the 30th. + +Shortly after we had anchored, the late Mr. Frederick Crowe, H.M.’s +Vice-Consul, came on board, and most kindly invited us to take up our +quarters at his house. Our original intention was to have gone on to +Derna, and made it the starting-point of our journey to Cyrene, as the +distance from that place was much less than from Benghazi. By Mr. +Crowe’s advice, however, we gave up this idea, and resolved to adopt +Benghazi as our “base of operations.” He told us that as there was not +at that time a single European at Derna to assist us, we should have +great difficulty in forming a caravan, and making the necessary +arrangements for our journey. We were therefore easily induced to accept +his kind offers of hospitality and assistance. + +At the landing-place we were received by some officers sent by the +Kaimakam, who informed us that rooms had been prepared for our +accommodation at the Castle. Saddle-horses also were in waiting, out of +compliment rather than for use, the distance to the Castle being only +some fifty yards. After the exchange of the usual salutations and fine +speeches, the ceremonial reception came to an end, and the officers +retired. Immediately afterwards we were happy to find ourselves under +the hospitable roof of Mr. Crowe. The following day the _Boxer_ left to +return to Malta. + +Benghazi, built on the site of the ancient Hesperides or Berenice, +occupies the point of a narrow strip of land between the sea and a +shallow salt lake or lagoon. A belt of palm-trees behind the town, and +the solitary minaret of a mosque, are the only objects that rise above +the monotonous level of the surrounding country, and give any +distinctive character to the scene. We must, however, except some half- +dozen bent and melancholy-looking palms on Juliana Point, on the +opposite side of the entrance to the harbour. For upwards of twenty +miles inland from Benghazi, the country is an unvaried undulating plain, +with hardly a single feature to mark one part of it from another. A few +juniper and baturne shrubs grow here and there. The sketch we have given +is taken from the northward of the town near the meat-market, and a few +yards in front of the only windmill in the country. + +The streets and houses in the town are wretched in the extreme. The +houses, if such they may be called, are all built of small stones +plastered and held together with mud. The consequence is, that the town +is half laid in ruins every winter by the rain, and as but few of the +fallen houses are ever rebuilt, the miserable appearance of the streets +may easily be imagined. Whitewash, so liberally used by the Turks, and +which gives such an air of comfort and cleanliness to many of their +villages, is here unknown. The streets, encumbered with the ruins of +fallen houses, are, moreover, filthy to a degree unknown in the worst of +European cities. + +No account of Benghazi would be complete without mentioning the plague +of flies, to which it is at nearly all seasons subject. During meals, a +partial escape from their persecution may be effected by darkening the +room, and thereby inducing them to settle on the ceiling. Even then, +however, they are perpetually crawling into the cups and plates, +notwithstanding the efforts of a servant “told off” for the very purpose +of driving them away. It is almost unnecessary to add that fleas abound, +as in other Eastern places. + +[Illustration: Pl. 3. + +BENGHAZI + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +The following graphic and accurate description of the Benghazi flies is +given by Beechey:—“On account of the filth and rubbish and the stagnant +pools in the town, Benghazi is proverbial for flies, and every part of +the town, both within and without the houses, may truly be said to swarm +with them. Among the various annoyances with which the place abounds +these are perhaps the most serious of any, or, at all events, they are +those from which it is least possible to escape; there is, in fact, no +chance of avoiding them. They follow you everywhere from place to place, +settle on every part of the arms, legs, and body, which the heat of the +weather obliges you to leave uncovered; creep obstinately into the +corners of the eyes and up the nostrils, into the hollows of the ears +and the corners of the mouth when it is closed; and often fly down the +throat, nearly choking you, when it is open. At meals, every part of the +dishes and their contents are covered as soon as they are produced, and +every fluid becomes a trap for as many of these insects as can crowd +over its surface. In short, there is literally no riding or walking, no +reading or writing, no eating or resting one’s self in any part of +Benghazi in comfort for them; and if at night they take up their +accustomed position on the ceiling, and give place to the fleas and +mosquitoes, the first dawn of morning finds them on the wing, and all +alive to recommence their operations.” + +The Castle, which stands on one side of the entrance to the harbour, +consists of a number of houses enclosed by a quadrangular wall with +round flanking towers at the corners. The masonry is very little +superior to that of the rest of the town; in fact, the walls are so +badly built that they would soon collapse under the concussion of the +fire of their own guns. One range of houses is used as a barrack for the +wing of an infantry regiment, another as the prison, and the remaining +buildings as the residence and council-chamber of the Kaimakam. + +The English Consulate, and a few two-storied houses lately built close +by it, give a respectable appearance to the part of the town near the +Castle. When we were at Benghazi, some missionaries from the Propaganda +at Rome were building in this quarter a good substantial house and +chapel, which promised to become by far the finest structure in the +town. The object of this mission is not so much to attempt the +conversion of the native Arabs, as to attend to the spiritual wants of +the Christians of the place, who are almost all Maltese. The mission +consists of one priest and two or three lay brethren, all of the +Capuchin order of friars. + +[Illustration: PLATE 4.—AMOR BON ABDI SEYAT AND SHEIKH BOCHLEGA. + +_From a Photograph._] + +One of the first things we had to attend to at Benghazi was the question +of escort. By order of the Pacha, the Kaimakam was required to furnish +us with an adequate one; but Mr. Crowe advised us to go as independently +of the Turkish authorities as possible; as he thought rightly, that all +the soldiers the Kaimakam could send with us could afford little +assistance if the Arabs actually turned against us, and would, probably, +by their very presence, only provoke hostility. We therefore declined +the Kaimakam’s offers of protection in this respect, and contented +ourselves with a circular letter addressed to his subordinates, the +Mudirs of Merdj, Ghegheb, and Derna. Meantime, Mr. Crowe sent for some +of the principal sheikhs of the tribes on our proposed route, in order, +if possible, to enlist them in our favour. Some of them fortunately +happened to come to Benghazi a few days afterwards, when Mr. Crowe asked +them to pay him a visit at the Consulate. When they came, he told them +of our intended journey to Cyrene, and said that we should prefer their +protection to that of the military escort offered by the Kaimakam. They +replied that they were very happy to be able to do anything in return +for the benefits he had conferred on them, and especially for the +restraint which his presence exercised upon the unlawful and oppressive +conduct of the Pachas. They then gave us letters to the sheikhs of the +principal tribes on our route, and ordered an Arab from the +neighbourhood of Cyrene to accompany us on our journey, and remain with +us afterwards. This man, Amor Bon Abdi Seyat, proved in the end of the +greatest service. He is shown on the left of the annexed sketch, and the +other was one of our friends at Cyrene, Sheikh Bochlega. + +The question of escort settled, the next thing to be attended to was our +equipment for the journey. In this, as in all our arrangements, we were +greatly assisted by Mr. Crowe. We were also much indebted to Mr. +Cesareo, a merchant of Benghazi, who afterwards accompanied us to +Cyrene, at Mr. Crowe’s request. The Kaimakam undertook to procure as +many camels for hire as we required. Our horses we bought at an auction, +which is worthy of some notice, as it was conducted on rather a curious +principle. The auctioneer walks about the bazaar, showing whatever is +for sale, and calling out the last bid for it. When no one will bid +more, the article is “knocked down” to the highest bidder, not at the +sum offered by himself, but at the next highest. In bidding, therefore, +against other people, the best plan is to allow them to run the price up +till it has nearly reached the sum one is willing to pay, and then to +offer a much larger price. This, of course, deters them from offering +more; and the article is obtained at the smaller sum which they had bid +for it. Our two horses bought in this way cost £14. + +A great many necessaries for the journey had to be got, which, had we +been left entirely to ourselves, we might have forgotten. Among the most +important of these were skins for carrying water, called “girbehs,” and +a leather bucket for drawing it. The _girbeh_ is a whole goat-skin +tanned inside, with the hair left on outside. To our stock of provisions +we added another bag of biscuit and a large bag of onions. We also +bought a dozen Barbary mats, which added greatly to our comfort, both on +the journey, and afterwards during our stay at Cyrene. They make an +excellent covering for the floor of a tent, for which purpose they are +much to be preferred to rugs or carpets. Being made of thin strips of +reed, they are not injured by the rain, and can be dried at once by +simply rubbing them with a cloth. Their special excellence, however, is +that they afford very little harbour for fleas. + +We laid in a good stock of coarse-grained powder to be used as +“bakshish,” or presents. As the importation and sale of gunpowder are +prohibited, it is smuggled on shore by the traders of Benghazi, who +charge the Arabs a price proportionate to the risk they run in procuring +it, or the sum they expend in bribing the officers of the Custom-house. +For this reason, powder is often more useful to the traveller than money +itself. By Mr. Crowe’s advice, we also took for “bakshish” some printed +cotton handkerchiefs, and some leaf tobacco for chewing. Somewhat to our +surprise, we found smoking almost unknown, and the habit of chewing +tobacco very prevalent among the Arabs. They use with it a kind of +saltpetre, called “natron,” obtained, as we were told, from the salt +lakes of Fezzan. + +Of the ancient city very few remains are now visible. At the back of the +Castle, where the ground rises a little, the sea has washed away the +soil, and thereby formed a steep face or escarp, in which some +foundations may be seen cropping out; but, unfortunately, the tomb of a +Marābut or saint, and the surrounding public burial-ground, prevent any +excavation being made. + +During the twelve days that we remained at Benghazi, we made several +excursions with Mr. Crowe in the neighbourhood. The most interesting +locality is at the head of the shallow lagoon about two miles from the +town. Here a succession of mounds and other irregularities in the +surface of the ground mark the position of the ancient cemetery. About +eleven years ago, some rather extensive excavations were made here by M. +de Bourville, French Vice-Consul at Benghazi. His labours were rewarded +by finding a number of valuable vases, and some sculptures of later +date, all of which are now deposited in the Louvre. Judging from the +appearance of a tomb which Mr. Crowe had recently opened, the necropolis +seems to have consisted of tombs built underground. His attention was +attracted to the spot in which this tomb was afterwards discovered by +noticing the hollow sound of his horse’s footsteps when riding over it. +After digging two or three days, his workmen found the entrance in the +end wall, only a few feet below the surface. The interior resembled, in +plan, many of the rock sepulchres at Cyrene and elsewhere, consisting of +an oblong centre chamber with lateral recesses for the sarcophagi. It +was built throughout of isodomous masonry, without mortar. Besides a +large plain marble sarcophagus, it contained two small ones, also of +marble, and highly ornamented with figures in bas-relief. These were +afterwards sent by Mr. Crowe to the British Museum, where they may be +seen among the sculptures from Cyrene. + +There is an old Arab at Benghazi, formerly employed by M. de Bourville +both there and at Teuchira, who now spends his time in digging in the +cemetery. His operations are, of course, on a very limited scale; but by +digging small holes at random all over the place, he has found a great +many vases, terra-cotta figures, &c., which he sells to the Maltese +merchants in the town. We were inclined to engage him to go with us to +Cyrene; but as he considered himself entitled to about as much pay as a +dozen workmen, we had to dispense with his services. + +[Illustration: PLATE 5.—SUPPOSED ENTRANCE TO THE RIVER LETHE.] + +Beyond the cemetery, in the extensive plain of Benghazi, there are +numerous natural hollows or chasms, with steep rocky sides, some of +which still bear the marks of having been used as quarries. Moistened by +the drainage of the surrounding ground, the soil at the bottom of many +of them is covered with a luxuriant vegetation. One of them, about four +miles from Benghazi, known as the “Garden of Osman,” is pretty fairly +cultivated, and contains a well of excellent water. The verdure of these +spots, resembling, as they do, oases in a desert, has given rise to the +conjecture that they are the gardens of the Hesperides. + +We also visited a remarkable place, supposed, with a greater degree of +probability, to be an entrance to the subterranean river Lathon, which +has usually been identified with the Lethe. About a mile from the Garden +of Osman we were conducted to the edge of an abrupt ravine, about 100 +feet deep, with a dark-looking cavern at the bottom. Leaving our horses +above, we descended the ravine, and entered the cave. At the entrance it +was low and narrow; but after descending a few yards, it suddenly +expanded to a height of fifteen and a width of about forty feet. Some +thirty yards from the entrance we came to the margin of a sheet of +water, which extended as far as the eye could reach. One of our Arab +attendants waded in with a lighted torch, but was obliged to return on +account of the depth of water, after going about fifty yards. Whether +the water is really a river, or only a large subterranean pool, it is +difficult to say. We wished to explore it further, but could not get a +boat at Benghazi small enough to be portable. Some years ago, it was +determined to sink a shaft to the cavern some distance from the mouth, +for the purpose, probably, of making the large supply of water +available; but through an error in the bearings taken by the +superintending officer, the shaft was sunk in the wrong place, and +consequently the water was never reached. The good work was then +abandoned as unlucky, and has not since been resumed. + +The harbour of Benghazi is very unsafe, and cannot be entered by vessels +drawing more than six feet of water. The channel at the entrance is +narrow, with a reef of rocks on each side. The outside anchorage is +quite open and unsheltered, so that vessels lying there have to put to +sea when it blows hard from seaward. Instead of doing anything towards +improving the harbour, the authorities do not even prevent vessels from +discharging their ballast into it, and thereby making it gradually +worse. The day before we left, we saw a brig belonging to Benghazi +wrecked on the rocks off the Castle. She had come from Leghorn with a +general cargo, and anchored off the harbour during a stiff breeze from +the S.W., the pilot thinking it unsafe to attempt to enter until the +wind moderated. Her anchors, however, soon gave way, and she drove on +the rocks, where she soon became a total wreck. Had the crew and the +people on shore exerted themselves, they might have saved the greater +part of the cargo; but, with true Mahomedan indifference, they looked on +until it was too late to save more than one or two boat-loads. + +The water in the wells at Benghazi is very brackish; so much so, that +the inhabitants are obliged to bring water from sweet wells at some +distance from the town. Some of these are about two miles off, near the +end of the belt of palm-trees; but the best water comes from the wells +on the opposite side of the lagoon. It is carried in skins, or small +breakers, on the backs of camels and donkeys, whose drivers appear to be +the only industrious class of the whole community. + + + + + CHAPTER V. + + +ON the morning of the 12th December, our other preparations being +completed, we commenced loading the camels. The distribution of the +baggage was a very tedious operation, owing chiefly to the quarrelling +of the drivers with each other, every man trying to get as light a load +as possible for his own camel. The baggage required on the journey had +to be kept separate from the rest, and each load had to be divided so as +to balance on the camel’s back,—a complicated arrangement, which led to +endless wrangling on the part of the drivers. It was only after +summoning to our aid the Kaimakam, who threatened them with imprisonment +and bastinado, that we at last got the caravan under weigh. It consisted +of ten camels, on two of which our Maltese servants were mounted, four +camel-drivers and four blacks on foot, and Mr. Cesareo, two guides, and +ourselves on horseback. We left late in the afternoon, and were +accompanied some distance by Mr. Crowe, and his interpreter Mr. Levi. It +was with great regret that we bade him adieu, although little thinking +that we should never see him again. We had spent twelve days with him +most pleasantly, and his kind hospitality had made even Benghazi a +second home to us. + +We halted for the night at the “Garden of Osman” mentioned above. This +is a favourite resting-place for caravans starting from Benghazi, as it +has a well of excellent water, with which the Arabs fill their “girbehs” +before proceeding on their journeys. Here we pitched our two tents, one +for our servants and baggage, and the other for Mr. Cesareo and +ourselves. The following morning, after filling our water-skins and +loading the camels, we started at half-past eight, and rode straight +across the plain in the direction of the hills. Before we had reached +them, however, the rain, which had been threatening all the morning, +began to pour in torrents. Further progress was impossible, as the +camels could hardly keep their feet on the soft slippery ground; and we +were consequently obliged to halt about the middle of the day at the +foot of the range of hills known as the Augŭbah of Benghazi. We chose +the best site for encamping we could find, but had great difficulty in +pitching our tents, on account of the high wind and the softness of the +ground, which by this time was saturated with water. We had to make use +of our storm guys, as the ordinary ones were much too short to keep the +tents up by themselves. It was nearly evening before we had everything +snug for the night. Our efforts to light a fire, after innumerable +failures, were finally successful, and soon after dark we had a splendid +bonfire, which had a most cheering effect. The appearance of our little +camp was very striking,—camels kneeling round the tents, horses picketed +here and there, and groups of wild-looking Arabs crouching near the +fire, while all around was perfect darkness. Our Barbary mats proved a +great luxury, as the ground had become a perfect puddle with the +trampling of men and animals. Before we got under the shelter of the +tents, we had ample opportunity of testing the utility of the Arab +burnouses we had bought in Benghazi. The burnous—the origin of the +graceful one worn by ladies in Europe—is a long grey and white striped +woollen cloak with a hood, made throughout in one piece, without seams, +and woven thick and close enough to be waterproof. It is specially +adapted for riding, as it forms a sort of _tente d’abri_ for both horse +and horseman. In fine weather it may be rolled up and strapped to the Ds +of the saddle like a cavalry cloak. + +The following day, the 14th, the weather was fine; but we were unable to +start, as the ground was still too slippery for the soft flat feet of +the camels. Meantime, two Arabs arrived, who were sent by the Kaimakam +to act as guides or escort; thus increasing our total number to +seventeen. We would willingly have dispensed with their presence, as +they only added to the number dependent on our rather slender stock of +provisions; but as the Kaimakam insisted on their accompanying us, we +thought it ungracious to send them back, and allowed them to remain. We +spent the day pleasantly enough, walking about the neighbouring hills +and ravines, and shooting partridges. We found neither golden plovers +nor sand-grouse, although they had been very plentiful near Benghazi. + +Next morning, as the weather continued fine, we struck our tents, packed +up, and started about half-past nine. We ascended the Augŭbah by a +rugged path winding through a ravine, until we emerged on an extensive +plateau. For some miles the surface was undulating, with here and there +patches of trees and brushwood. In many places the landscape was very +pleasing, and somewhat resembled an English park on a large scale. +During summer the aspect is very different, as the verdure entirely +disappears under the scorching rays of the sun. As we proceeded, the +scene became less and less diversified, until we found ourselves +traversing what appeared a boundless plain, with neither tree nor shrub +to be seen. Some two or three miles to our left, the ground rose +slightly, forming a range of low hills parallel to our route. We saw +very little game, and were only able to add one partridge to our stock. +Shortly before sunset, we turned off our track to the low hills on the +left, where we pitched our tents in a very pretty spot among shrubs and +small trees, about a hundred yards from a Bedouin encampment. A good +fire soon cooked our dinner, which, on this occasion, was improved by +the addition of some mushrooms gathered during the day. + +The following morning, the 16th, we started about nine, and continued +our route across the plain nearly in a due easterly direction. There was +a strong southerly wind all day, which was so bitterly cold, that we +were glad to wrap ourselves in our comforters and burnouses for +protection. We were rather astonished at the time to find the cold so +piercing; but we afterwards observed that the south wind, proverbially a +hot one in summer, is invariably the coldest in winter; a fact which may +be accounted for by the effect of the great tract of elevated land which +extends far to the southward, compared with the moderating influence of +the Mediterranean on the north. After riding about eighteen miles, our +path, for four or five miles, lay through a thick wood of juniper and +cedar trees, which for a time sheltered us from the biting wind. When we +had passed the wood, we saw the castle of Merdj about three miles +distant, near the south-western end of the plain of the same name. +Shortly after four o’clock we arrived at the Castle, where we were +warmly welcomed by the Mudir, Hadji Achmet Bin ’l Agha, who had just +arrived from Barca, a district under his rule, to the southward of +Benghazi. Our camels did not arrive till after dark. + +Hadji Achmet made us as comfortable as possible in his only room, and +gave us the most sumptuous dinner that could be provided. + +During the night the rain began again, and continued at intervals all +next day, so that we were obliged to remain two days until the ground +dried. The delay, however, was not unpleasant, as Hadji Achmet did +everything in his power to make our stay agreeable. He was particularly +jovial and good-humoured; so much so, that it was impossible to be out +of spirits in his company. He enjoyed hearing amusing stories, and had a +fund of them of his own, which he told with great glee. He was descended +from an old and powerful family in Mesurata, near Tripoli, and as +commander of the Koralié, had rendered good service to the Sultan’s +Government during the rebellion of Ghomer. It was by him that Ghomer was +at last taken and slain. + +The castles of Merdj and Ghegheb were built about fifteen years ago by +the Turks, and are always occupied by one or two companies of regular +Turkish troops. They were intended as a means of overawing the Arabs, +and assisting the Mudirs in collecting the tribute. They have utterly +failed in attaining the former object; but, inasmuch as they afford a +comparatively safe residence for the Mudir and his money-chest, they may +be said, in some degree, to have accomplished the latter. The Castle or +Gŭsr (Arabicè) of Merdj is a quadrangular casemated building with round +flanking towers at the angles, in each of which an old 9-pounder +carronade is mounted on a superannuated carriage. The garrison at this +time consisted of ninety cavalry, fifty infantry, and three officers. +The room to the left of the entrance is the Mudir’s, that on the right +the prison, and the remainder barracks and stables. The four marble +pillars shown in the Plate were found near the spot, and placed here to +ornament the Mudir’s room. Two of the capitals, of a mixed Corinthian +order, stand near them at the end of the room; the other two are +imitated in stucco. The Castle, although very dilapidated in appearance, +is strong in reality, being built for the most part of squared blocks of +stone found on the spot. It stands a little elevated above the +surrounding plain, on a small plateau formerly the site of Barca, an +offshoot of Cyrene, which attained to considerable size and importance, +and was one of the five cities which constituted the Pentapolis. Remains +of the ancient city may be seen in the materials of which the Castle is +built, and in the walls of the few wretched houses which have sprung up +near it; but none of them are worthy of any note. Near the gate of the +Castle, however, there is a deep well lined with masonry, evidently of +ancient date, which was discovered during the building of the Castle by +some workmen, who were digging for blocks of stone. It yields an +abundant supply of water, which, although very brackish, is a great boon +to the surrounding country during summer. + +[Illustration: PLATE 6.—CASTLE AND VILLAGE OF MERDJ (BARCA).] + +The plain of Merdj is of great extent, measuring upwards of twenty miles +in length, and from six to eight in breadth. It is perfectly level, and +is surrounded by ranges of hills, of which those on the east rise to a +height of about 500 feet above the plain. As seen from the hills, it +appears to have been at one time the bed of a lake. Its elevation above +the sea is probably about 1,000 feet. The soil is a deep rich loam, +about one third of which is under cultivation, and yields abundant crops +of wheat and barley. The rest of the plain is good grazing land, and is +much frequented by Arab encampments with their flocks during the early +part of summer, before the pools which have formed in winter are dried +up. + +The weather having cleared up, we again got the caravan together, and +started on the morning of the 19th. The ground was still rather soft, so +that the camels could only walk at a slow and cautious pace. Our kind +host had loaded us with as many provisions as we could carry; among +other things, a sheep, bread, butter, and dates, and barley for the +horses. We shall always have a pleasant recollection of Gŭsr Merdj and +its hospitable Governor, Hadji Achmet Bin ’l Agha (Pilgrim Achmet the +Son of the Ruler). + +[Illustration: PLATE 7.—MUDIR’S ROOM IN THE CASTLE OF MERDJ.] + +After crossing the plain in a north-easterly direction, we reached the +hills about mid-day. As we approached the verge of the plain, the +country became well wooded, the hills at the base being covered with +olives, and higher up with pines and junipers. A large quantity of oil +might be made every year from the olives; but the Arabs are either +ignorant of its value or too careless to take the trouble of collecting +the berries, which are left to be eaten by the goats. The remainder of +the day’s journey was chiefly through thick woods, in which we saw, for +the first time, the arbutus, which was then in full bloom, being covered +with both flower and fruit. The berries are of a bright red colour, +somewhat resembling strawberries in appearance, and, although not +luscious, are by no means disagreeable when quite ripe, notwithstanding +Pliny’s remark that they are called _unedo_, because he who has eaten +one will never wish to eat another. The bark is useful for tanning +purposes, and good charcoal has been made from the wood. + +After travelling eight hours, we encamped for the night by some wells in +an open cultivated plain. The camels, as usual, were late in coming up, +and it was quite dark before we got the tents pitched. While waiting for +their arrival, we shot a good many golden plover. + +The following day, we continued our journey through a very beautiful +country, the track passing over a succession of hills, from the summits +of which we had many extensive views. The valleys, enclosed by the well- +wooded sides of the hills, were frequently quite picturesque. To relieve +the monotony of the march, we used to ride on some miles ahead of the +caravan with one or two of the guides, until we reached a likely place +for game, where, leaving our horses in charge of the guides, we walked +about the covers shooting what we could find till the caravan came up. +In this way, we kept up our supplies without being obliged to encroach +on our small stock of preserved meat. This day we got a couple of hares, +seven partridges, and twenty-five golden plovers. We encamped at night +in the bottom of a ravine, where we found some water in the hollows of +the rock. + +Next day, the 21st, we passed over a similar tract of country, the +features of which, however, became more strongly marked as we advanced, +the hills becoming higher and steeper, and more frequently intersected +by rugged ravines. Towards evening, we encamped by the side of an +ancient hill-fortress, doubtless of Roman construction, called by the +Arabs Gŭsr Biligadem, which occupies a most commanding position on the +top of a hill. The scenery in the immediate neighbourhood is very +beautiful, and the view from the Castle is one of the finest and most +extensive in the Cyrenaica. The Castle is an oblong building, measuring +160 feet by 80, with a square flanking tower in the centre of each of +the longer sides. It is still wonderfully perfect, the walls in some +parts still standing to a height of 40 feet. Traces of a ditch and +counterscarp may also be seen on two of its sides. It is built +throughout of large squared blocks without mortar, and each wall is +double, consisting, in fact, of two walls built close to each other, but +without any connecting bond. Over the entrance, there is a double arch, +the inner one of which is built on the radiating, and the outer on the +more ancient horizontal principle. Near the Castle, there is a large +well, now choked up, and a number of tombs cut in the sides of the rock. + +Forts in similar positions occur in different parts of the Cyrenaica, +none of which, however, are nearly so perfect as Biligadem. They were +most probably built by the Romans soon after they acquired possession of +the country, and were placed so as to protect the communications between +the different cities. + +The following day, the 22nd, we started as early as possible, in the +hope of reaching Cyrene before sunset; but, owing to an error on the +part of the guide, night overtook us about four hours’ distance from our +destination. Immediately after leaving Biligadem, we descended into a +deep narrow ravine with rocky sides, called the Wady Il Aggur, the +bottom of which was covered with pines of immense size. Under the pines, +there was a perfect thicket of smaller trees and shrubs, such as the +carub or locust-tree, the juniper, oleander, &c. After winding along +this Wady for five hours without seeing any possible means of exit, we +turned up a smaller ravine to our left, and managed to climb to the top. +Soon afterwards, we passed the Zauyah El Beidah, the only modern +building we had seen after leaving Benghazi, except the Castle of Merdj. +A _Zauyah_ in Barbary is a sort of Mahomedan monastery and mosque +combined. The resident devotees, called _Achwan_, who, except in the +matter of celibacy, somewhat resemble monks, are under a chief, called +the _Sheikh El Zauyah_, a man of immense influence, as we afterwards +learned by most unpleasant experience. They belong to the sect of El +Senoussy, so called from the name of the founder, who died not many +years ago. Their chief object appears to be the revival of the +fanaticism and intolerance of the good old times of the true faith. + +As it began to get dark soon after we had passed the Zauyah El Beidah, +we were obliged to halt and encamp for the night. + +[Illustration: Pl. 8. + +ENCAMPMENT NEAR A ROMAN FORTRESS (GŬSR BILIGADEM) + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +Next morning, the 23rd, we started at nine, and after a three hours’ +ride, arrived at Cyrene soon after midday. It was a cold gusty day, and +before we had reached our destination, the rain was falling in torrents. +The mist prevented our seeing to any distance; but the country +immediately around us, being perfectly destitute of trees and even +shrubs, looked desolate in the extreme. Meantime, we sought temporary +shelter from the storm in some rock tombs near the Fountain of Apollo. +When the rain had somewhat abated, we selected the cleanest and most +convenient of them for our future residence, and immediately set to work +to clear out the earth and rubbish with which it was nearly filled. When +the caravan arrived, some three hours afterwards, the drivers were so +impatient to be off, that they would not even stay to assist us in +getting the baggage under shelter. Our first night in our new quarters +was certainly rather cheerless. Bags and boxes soaked with the rain lay +in confusion on the muddy floor of the tomb, and no dinner could be had +for want of a fire to cook it. + +We spent the whole of the next day in making our quarters as comfortable +as possible. The tomb we ourselves occupied was at the bottom of a steep +hill about 250 yards from the Fountain, and almost overhead there was a +long range of larger chambers also cut in the rock, which we used as +servants’ quarters, kitchen, stable, &c. Our room had two doors or +openings, one of which we built half-way up with stones and mud, leaving +the upper part open to serve as a window. The mats which we had bought +at Benghazi made an excellent carpet, and one of them suspended over the +entrance was a good substitute for a door. In the course of time, we +gradually improved our quarters by paving the entrance with tiles, +making steps up to the kitchen, &c. We contrived to build quite a +respectable door with rough planks cut from the trunks of trees. + +[Illustration: PLATE 9.—INTERIOR OF OUR TOMB OF RESIDENCE.] + +Having found on our arrival at Tripoli that our firman gave us authority +to dig for sculptures, and remove such as we found, we were anxious +before leaving Benghazi, to engage a few workmen to accompany us. Mr. +Crowe accordingly got us four negroes, whose liberation from slavery he +had recently obtained from the Kaimakam. Three of them having only just +been brought from the interior, could hardly speak a word of Arabic. +They seemed very glad to go with us, and all went well till we reached +Merdj, where we were told one morning, to our astonishment, that they +had enlisted as soldiers. Our friend, the Mudir, immediately ordered +them to be brought before him, but the only explanation he could get +from them was, that they preferred becoming soldiers to being killed. +They appeared to be highly indignant about something, and determined not +to go on with us. Some soldiers were also interrogated, but no +explanation could be elicited. It afterwards came out, however, that +some of the black soldiers had assured them that we were taking them +into the desert to cut their throats, and look for treasure with their +blood. The Mudir, with great difficulty, induced them to remain with us, +but it was some days before they were quite convinced of the innocence +of our intentions. + +[Illustration: PLATE 10.—OUR WORKMEN—SALEH, MOHAMMED AND ABDULLAH. + +_From a Photograph._] + +[Illustration: Pl. 11. + +WESTERN HILL OF CYRENE, WITH ENTRANCE TO THE FOUNTAIN OF APOLLO + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + + + + + CHAPTER VI. + + +THE site of the ancient city of Cyrene is called by the Arabs, +_Shahat_—a name which is rather indefinite, as it includes, besides the +city, the adjoining district to the east, north, and west, that to the +southward being called _Grennah_, a corruption evidently of the original +Greek name. As the Fountain of Apollo is well known throughout the +Cyrenaica, the traveller desirous of visiting Cyrene should ask for +_’Ain Shahat_, the Fountain of Shahat. + +To understand the position of Cyrene, it is necessary to consider the +general configuration of the country. From near Benghazi on the west to +beyond Derna on the east, a range of hills about 1,000 feet high runs +nearly parallel to the shore, at a distance from it varying from one to +three miles. This range in the neighbourhood of Cyrene forms the +northern or seaward boundary of a belt of table-land about eight miles +in breadth, the southern or inland boundary of which is a second range +of hills parallel to the first, and rising about 1,000 feet above the +table-land. An upper plateau extends many miles inland from the summit +of this interior range, at an elevation of nearly 2,000 feet above the +level of the sea. + +The lower range is exceedingly steep, and in many parts precipitous; so +that, except at particular places, it is quite impassable. The upper +range, on the other hand, although steep, is not precipitous, and is +intersected by numerous ravines or _wadys_ leading from the plateau +above. Thus the face of this range presents to the eye a succession of +rounded ridges, with intermediate furrows of various depths. Cyrene +stands on the edge of the upper plateau, and occupies the summits of two +of the ridges and the upper part of the intervening furrow. + +One of the principal features of this site is this furrow or ravine +between the two hills on which the city is built. It begins near the +eastern wall of the city, and widens as it descends towards the face of +the hills, where it is bridged across, so to speak, by a massive +retaining wall, behind which it is partially filled up and levelled, so +as to form an artificial platform. The Fountain of Apollo here issues +from a passage in the rock on the western side, and the water, after +traversing the platform, falls over the retaining wall into the ravine +below. + +This copious fountain of delicious water doubtless led the original +Greek colonists to settle at Cyrene. The excavated channel from which it +flows is in many respects so remarkable, that it deserves more than a +cursory notice. The following description, which was verified by Captain +Porcher, is given by Beechey:— + +“The channel is formed entirely in the rock from which the stream +issues, and runs in an irregular course for nearly a quarter of a mile +into the bowels of the mountain. The sides and roof of the passage are +flat, where time and the action of the current (which is very strong) +have not worn them away; but the bottom is encumbered with stones, +bedded fast in a quantity of clay which has accumulated about it and +against the sides. The general height of this subterranean channel is +scarcely five feet, an elevation which we found rather inconvenient, for +it obliged us to stoop a good deal in advancing; and as it would not +have been possible to examine the place properly, or, indeed, to have +preserved the light, without keeping the head and body in an upright +position, we usually found the water making higher encroaches than its +chilling cold rendered agreeable. + +“In some places, however, where there appear to have been originally +flaws or fissures in the rock, the roof was irregular, and there was +room to stand upright, an occurrence of which we very gladly availed +ourselves, to the great relief of our knees. We found the average width +from three to four feet, although in the places just mentioned it was +occasionally as much as six feet; and were it not for the clay which has +been collected against the sides, we should often have suffered from +their roughness. From the irregularity of the course of the passage we +were obliged to take bearings very often, and at each time we stopped +for this purpose we took down the distance, measured with our chain, +between the point we stopped at and the last; so that, after much +trouble, we succeeded in obtaining a tolerably correct plan of the +whole. The length and course of the channel will be seen in the plan of +Cyrene. Within forty feet of the end of the channel (that is to say, +about 1,300 feet from its beginning at the foot of the cliff) it becomes +so low that a man cannot advance further without creeping upon his hands +and knees, and then finishes in a small aperture scarcely a foot in +diameter, beyond which, of course, it is impossible to penetrate. + +“We observed, after continuing our route for some time, that the clay +which we have already mentioned had been washed down in considerable +quantities by the current, was occasionally plastered against the sides +of the passage, and smoothed very carefully with the palm of the hand; +in this we thought we perceived that something like letters had been +scratched, which we should scarcely have thought it worth while to +examine, had we not been curious to know what Europeans had visited the +place before us. Our first conclusion was that some of our own party had +taken this method of writing their names on the wall; and it never for a +moment occurred to us, that the characters, whatever they were, which +might be traced on so perishable a surface, were of more than very +recent formation. Our surprise may, in consequence, be readily imagined, +when we found, on a closer examination, that the walls of the place were +covered with Greek inscriptions; some of which, from their dates, must +have remained on the wet clay for more than fifteen hundred years. They +consist, of course, chiefly in a collection of names; many of which are +Roman, and the earliest of the most conspicuous dates, which we remarked +and copied, were those of the reign of Diocletian. They are, in general, +very rudely scratched, with a point of any kind (a sword, or a knife, +perhaps, or the stone of a ring) and often with the point of the +fingers. + +“Several hours had elapsed from the time of our entering the channel to +that of our reappearance at its mouth; and we really believe that the +Arabs of the place, who had collected themselves round the fountain to +see us come out, were extremely disappointed to find that no accident +had befallen any of our party, in spite of the demons so confidently +believed to haunt its dark and mysterious recesses. For our own parts, +we could not help laughing very heartily at the ridiculous appearance +which each of us exhibited on first coming to the light, covered as we +were from head to foot with the brown clay accumulated in the channel of +the fountain, which had adhered too closely to be washed away by the +stream, although its current, as we have mentioned, was extremely +rapid.” + +The mouth of the channel is in an open chamber cut in the face of the +cliff, the bottom of which is about five feet lower than the bed of the +stream, which falls over in a little cascade. Immediately above the fall +the bottom of the channel is deepened and widened so as to form a cavity +about six feet long and two feet deep. Filled, as it always was, with +the clear, cool water of the fountain, a more delicious bath could +hardly be imagined. It was, in fact, a perfect luxury during the long +summer of our residence at Cyrene. The water was of the uniform +temperature of 55° Fahrenheit, fresh and cool in summer, and not too +cold in winter. + +[Illustration: Pl. 12. + +FOUNTAIN OF APOLLO + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +The face of the cliff over the entrance to the chambers is marked by a +channel cut in the rock, into which the pediment of a portico appears to +have been inserted, as shown in the sketch Plate 11. On a part of the +cliff, at right angles to this face, and immediately over the entrance +to the fountain is the following inscription:— + + LΙΓΔΙΟΝΥΣΙΟΣΣΩΤΑ + + ΙΕΡΕΙΤΕΥΩΝΤΑΝΚΡΑΝΑΝ + + ΕΠΕΣΚΕΥΑΣΕ + +Λιγ Διονύσιος Σώτα ἱερειτεύων τὰν κράναν ἐπεσκεύασε. This inscription is +published, Böckh, Corpus Inscriptionum, III. No. 5134. + +[Illustration: Pl. 13. + +GENERAL VIEW OF ONE OF THE HILLS IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +Nearly parallel to the centre ravine, is another bounding the city on +the south, called the _Wady Bil Ghadir_, or Valley of Verdure, which +extends across the lower plateau to the sea. Several fountains pour +their waters into it at Cyrene, so that even in the height of summer it +quite justifies the name it bears. Its western side, which is very steep +and rugged, is clad with fine old cypresses, and lower down, the myrtle +and oleander grow in luxuriant abundance. The form of the city is nearly +that of a right-angled isosceles triangle, the hypothenuse of which, +facing the N.W., is formed by the general line of the face of the hills +overlooking the lower plateau. Of the two sides containing the right +angle, the southern is formed by the Wady Bil Ghadir, and the eastern, +by an artificial line on the upper plateau, between the Wady Bil Ghadir +and the face of the Cyrene range. + +[Illustration: PLATE 14.—LARGE TOMB AT THE EASTERN END OF THE NORTHERN +NECROPOLIS.] + +From this description, it will be seen that the city is naturally +defended on two of its three sides, by a deep rugged ravine and the +steep faces of a high range of hills. The remaining side, the east, is +defended by a wall still distinctly traceable, the continuation of which +is so carried along the edge of the Wady Bil Ghadir, and over the brows +of the hills into the central ravine, where it joins the massive +retaining wall already mentioned. The _enceinte_ being thus completed, +the summit of the western hill was chosen with great judgment for the +citadel. On its exterior sides are the Wady Bil Ghadir, several hundred +feet deep, and the steep face of the hill itself cut into a succession +of escarps and terraces of rock. Quite unassailable on two of its sides, +and nearly so on a third, the citadel is cut off from the rest of the +city by an inner wall of defence, well provided with flanking towers, +which is carried along the edge of the centre ravine and across the hill +to the Wady Bil Ghadir, where its junction with the main wall of the +city is marked by the conspicuous ruins of a lofty tower. + +[Illustration: PLATE 15.—TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS.] + +By far the most striking remains of the former grandeur of the city are +the cemeteries, which consist, for the most part, of tombs hewn out of +the solid rock, many of which are still, in very perfect condition. They +extend for miles in every direction outside the walls of the city, but +the most remarkable are in the steep face of the range of hills +overlooking the lower plateau, and in the sides of the ravines by which +this range is intersected. The cemetery in the Wady Bil Ghadir, and on +the face of the hill beyond it, is the most picturesque, and probably +the most ancient, while that immediately below the city, to the N. and +N.E., is the most extensive. The tombs on the upper plateau, to the +southward of the city, are generally built above ground, except in the +sides of small ravines, where sepulchres are excavated in the scarped +face of the rock. + +[Illustration: Pl. 16. + +RANGE OF TOMBS IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +The tombs on the faces of the hills are generally arranged in long +terraces, the rock being cut or stepped into a series of perpendicular +escarps in which the tombs are excavated. The roads which follow the +terraces in front of the escarps, are consequently flanked on one side +by tombs for a considerable distance from the city. Besides these rows +or streets of tombs, others occur irregularly, where the formation of +the rock happens to be adapted for their excavation. There are some, +also, wholly or partially built, and on the slopes between the terraces +the rock is frequently cut into groups of single sarcophagi. The +excavated tombs are of almost endless variety. In some, the façade is +cut out like the front of a small temple, with columns, architraves, +pediments, &c., nearly all of which are of the Doric order. The columns, +with the recess behind, form a portico over the entrance to the tomb, +which generally consists of a rectangular chamber, with recesses round +the sides for the reception of the sarcophagi. + +[Illustration: Pl. 17. + +INTERIOR OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +[Illustration: PLATE 18.—TOMBS TO THE WESTWARD OF WADY BIL GHADIR. + +_From a Photograph._] + +In tombs of this description, but without porticoes, the entrance is +simply a doorway cut in the face of the rock, in some instances +perfectly plain, in others embellished with lintels and pilasters, or +with busts, as in Plate 19. The interior of this one is shown in Plate +33, and shows that the peculiar form of the chamber depended on the +soundness of the rock. The chamber itself is usually without ornament of +any kind, but in many tombs its walls are adorned with fresco-painting +or carving. The sarcophagi are frequently arranged in tiers, in long +narrow recesses, with three or four placed lengthways in each tier, as +shown in Plates 20 and 32. In some cases, the sarcophagus is simply a +trough, like a horse’s manger, cut longitudinally in a niche in the side +of the chamber, as shown in the section (Plates 17 and 31); in others, +where the tomb consists of a single chamber, or a succession of +chambers, without recesses or niches, the sarcophagi are either placed +on the floor or dug out of the rock beneath it, like shallow graves. + +The above are the principal varieties of the construction of what may be +called the _chamber_ tombs. + +Among the painted tombs, the only one that remains to exhibit the skill +of the artist is situated on the side of a ravine, in the middle of the +Northern Necropolis, and immediately under a range of tombs shown in +Plate 16. The exterior is perfectly plain, and contains only a small +chamber with a sepulchral vault in the centre. All the walls were +originally covered with paintings; and by the appearance of the colours +that are still left, and come out, when wetted, as bright as the day +they were put on, show that the former inhabitants must have understood +the art to perfection, as the damp of so many centuries has not yet +obliterated them. + +On one side is a procession, composed of thirty-six figures, performing +a solemn march; some having on rich dresses, whilst others are covered +with very little drapery, giving the idea of the lower classes of the +people of Cyrene taking their subordinate part in the festival. At the +head of the painting is a piece of furniture, near which are some young +people employed in cooking,—no doubt, showing what followed their +popular festivals. Near the end are three mitred people standing near a +pedestal, and a table covered with crowns and palm-leaves. A number of +Greek names are scratched over the picture, denoting, probably, the +people shown in the drawing. + +The paintings on the opposite side to this have nearly disappeared, and +the other two are occupied with hunting scenes, and a variety of games. + +[Illustration: PLATE 19.—A TOMB EMBELLISHED WITH FIGURES IN THE NORTHERN +NECROPOLIS.] + +In one part a deer and hares are seen escaping from dogs, and a hunter +in the act of letting loose another. Near this there is a group of +wilder animals, such as a bull attacked by a lion, a leopard and gazelle +chased by dogs, and spears flying about in all directions. These seem to +allude to the worship of Diana, one of the principal divinities of the +Cyrenians. + +On the remaining side are gladiators attacking each other with short +swords, and defended by shields,—boxing, wrestling, and chariot-races. + +These last may be particularly noticed, as the Cyrenians were extremely +eminent for their equestrian talents, and especially for their skill in +charioteering; and seem to have excelled all the neighbouring nations so +much in this sport, that they sought to perpetuate their fame by having +their coins struck with them. + +[Illustration: Pl. 20. + +TOMB FOR 105 SARCOPHAGI IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +All these paintings were published by Pacho, as well as others that have +now disappeared; and, to give the reader some idea of how these tombs +were formerly ornamented, and the expense the inhabitants must have +incurred to embellish this city of their dead, we will give a short +account of one that was seen both by Pacho and Beechey. A series of +paintings were found on the metopes of the frieze in the interior, and +the walls were coloured light green, making the chamber appear as though +it was intended more for a habitation for the living than a receptacle +for the dead. These appear to have been the different occupations of a +black slave. First, a friendly conversation; then the education of a +young girl; the pride of dress; the relaxation of the swing; the bath, +so necessary in this warm climate; and, lastly, the death-bed on which +the negress is laid, with her eyes closed, and the white Cyrenian +standing by her side in the attitude of grief, lamenting her decease. + +[Illustration: Pl. 21. + +INTERIOR OF A PAINTED TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +By the description of these two tombs the reader can easily understand +what a magnificent necropolis this must formerly have been; and when the +exteriors, as well as the interiors, were ornamented with sculpture, +combined with the beautiful scenery around, the traveller would have +been well repaid by a visit to it. + +[Illustration: PLATE 22.—INTERIOR OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS.] + +In Plate 21 is shown the interior of a tomb in the Northern Necropolis, +where the painting is still very perfect and the colours bright. + +In Plate 17 is a highly ornamented tomb adjoining the Kenissieh, with +the height of eleven feet. The shells over three of the sarcophagi are +cut out of the solid rock, and are in as good a state of preservation as +when they were first sculptured. The niche on the right and the nearest +to the entrance was ornamented round the arch with a band of bright +vermilion, and the centre filled up with garlands, birds, and three +figures, the centre and largest one with wings. + +In Plate 22 is seen a smaller tomb, also with shells more gracefully +shaped, and equally in as good a state of preservation. + +Quarries were met with in many places, and these, after the buildings in +the vicinity had been erected, and when no longer required, were also +converted into tombs, according to the general practice of the Greeks. +Plate 23 shows the interior of one that has been used for this purpose, +situated on the upper part of the hill in the Northern Necropolis. It +had a large chamber measuring 27½ feet in length, and 13 feet in +breadth. + +[Illustration: PLATE 23.—INTERIOR OF A TOMB CUT IN THE SIDE OF A QUARRY +IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS.] + +A class, perhaps not less numerous, consists of tombs without chambers, +the sarcophagus recesses being cut directly into the face of the rock. +These recesses, which contain several tiers of sarcophagi, like those +already described (Plates 20 and 32), run into the rock perpendicular to +the line of the escarp, or nearly so. Each tomb consists of from one to +ten or twelve such recesses, separated from each other by thin +partitions. Their fronts are quite as varied as those of the chamber +ones, some being perfectly plain, while others have the ends of the +partitions made to represent columns or pilasters, surmounted by +architrave, frieze, and cornice. In some tombs of this description, +where the rock fails, the _Order_ is completed with masonry. In the +western cemetery, many of these _recess_ tombs, if we may so call them, +are provided with porticoes like those already mentioned, and +consequently have an outer façade with columns, and an inner one with +pilasters, like the front of a Greek temple. The inner façades, not +being exposed to the action of the weather, are still in an almost +perfect state of preservation. Even in the minutest detail of the +architecture they are finished with the greatest care and nicety, the +fluting of the pilasters, the moulding of the cornice, &c., having that +peculiarly delicate sharpness for which the buildings of the Greeks are +so remarkable. Plate 37 represents one of these internal façades, +showing the colours as they still exist. + +[Illustration: Pl. 24. + +INTERIOR OF A LARGE TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +[Illustration: Pl. 25. + +TOMBS IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +In tombs of all kinds the entrances to the chambers, and the openings of +the recesses, have been closed by single slabs of stone, either quite +plain or panelled like a door. + +The tombs are as various in size as in design. In some, the chamber is +not more than six feet square, and hardly high enough to stand upright +in, while others may be found with a total length of seventy, and a +height of from ten to fifteen feet. + +[Illustration: PLATE 26.—TOMBS IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS (CALLED BY THE +ARABS “KENISSIEH”).] + +One of this length is shown in Plates 24 and 35, which was the longest +we saw for a single tomb. A short distance from this one, higher up the +hill, and flanking the path that led to Marsa Sousah, was a much more +extensive range of tombs, which were called by the Arabs the Kenissieh, +and seems from the great number of sarcophagi to have been used as a +public cemetery. A plan of the interior has been given by Pacho, and the +exterior is shown in Plate 26, and extended to a much greater depth into +the side of the hill, as it measured 128 feet by 68 feet in breadth. In +the interior we found a large marble sarcophagus, and two marble +pedestals with the following inscriptions:— + + ΑΡΓΕΙΟΣ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕ + + ΕΝΙΟΣ LΚ + + ΑΡΓΕΙΟΣ + + ΔΕΙΝ + +The _built_ tombs are constructed on the same principles as the +excavated ones. The greater number of them contain two compartments, +similar to the recesses, with four sarcophagi in two tiers in each +compartment (Plates 28 and 36); but many other kinds occur, some of +which are of great size. Unlike the rock tombs, which from their nature +are almost indestructible, most of these are now in ruins. + +Fewer inscriptions exist in the tombs than might have been expected. +Those which we found were generally only a list of names. + +The sites of the cemeteries seem to have been chosen with great care, as +they occupy many of the finest positions around the city. Those on the +faces of the hills command a magnificent view of the lower plateau, +bounded in the distance by the sea. One of these is shown in Plate 27. +It is situated to the westward of the Temple of Apollo, and immediately +below the theatre in that quarter, and had the finest external façade. +It was originally ornamented by a colonnade of six pillars, 75 feet in +length, and by its size and finish was doubtless intended for some +family of importance. The principal room measured 41 feet by 37 feet, +with a height of 15 feet, and in it were found fragments of marble +sarcophagi, with elaborate bas-reliefs. It is now used by the Arabs as a +large granary for their corn, and has lost some of its beauty in +consequence of the falling away of the middle part of the colonnade from +the rock to which it was joined. The ravines, also, which have been +selected are remarkable for their picturesque beauty. On the upper +plateau, to the southward and eastward of the city, where most of the +built tombs are to be found, every undulation of the surface is taken +advantage of. In addition to the large cemeteries in the more immediate +neighbourhood of the city, the roads in all directions are flanked by +tombs for several miles, like the Via Appia, at Rome. + +[Illustration: PLATE 27.—LARGE TOMB ON THE FACE OF THE WESTERN HILL OF +CYRENE.] + +The various plans and sketches we have given will, it is hoped, enable +the reader to form a pretty accurate idea of the appearance of these +truly wonderful cemeteries. In regard to extent, variety, and wonderful +preservation, the Necropolis of Cyrene, as a whole, is probably quite +unrivalled. + +[Illustration: Pl. 28. + +BUILT TOMB ON THE SOUTH-WEST SIDE OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +Of the city itself very little remains to be seen. A few walls cropping +a foot or two above the surface of the ground, and some broken columns, +mutilated statues, and blocks of stone strewn about in different places, +are almost the only objects that attract the attention of the traveller +on first walking over the site of the city; but many traces of former +buildings are discovered on a more minute examination of the ground. As +already stated, a central valley traverses the city from south-east to +north-west, dividing it into two portions, the Eastern and Western. Of +the two, although nearly equal in extent, the Western contains by far +the greater number of remains of ancient buildings; but the part of the +city most thickly covered with ruins is the artificial platform at the +mouth of the ravine, in front of the Fountain of Apollo. On the south- +eastern side of the city, around the head of the valley, the ground is +covered with ruins of a much later period. Their general style and +appearance leave little doubt of their being the remains of the +Christian city of Cyrene, in the time of the Byzantine empire. + +[Illustration: Pl. 29. + +RUINS OF THE CHRISTIAN CITY OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +We shall presently have occasion to describe the remains of the +principal buildings, in giving an account of our excavations. + +Many of the ancient roads can be easily traced for several miles from +the city. The one to Apollonia, the seaport of Cyrene, is quite distinct +the whole way, a distance of about twelve miles. Passing the city wall +on the side of the eastern hill, opposite the Fountain of Apollo, it +descends to the lower plateau by a uniform incline about two miles in +length, through the north-eastern cemetery, on the face of the range. +For the greater part of the descent it is made by cutting into the side +of the hill, the escarp thus formed being taken advantage of for the +excavation of tombs, as already explained. Where a sufficient width is +not obtained by simply cutting into the rock, the road is widened by +embanking and revetting the lower side. In the descent of the lower +range, the road is similarly constructed. Great skill is shown by the +way in which it is laid out, so as to reduce the steepness of the +gradient as much as possible. Another road, similar in every respect to +this one, leaves the city at the large retaining wall at the mouth of +the centre Wady, and descends to the lower plateau along the face of the +western hill. Many roads also exist on the comparatively level ground of +the upper plateau. Of these, the most important is the one by which we +first approached the city, and which, without doubt, was the great +highway of the west leading to Barca, Ptolemais, Teuchira, and Berenice. +It enters the city by a gateway in the southern wall, near the head of +the Wady Bil Ghadir. But perhaps the most remarkable road, if we +consider the care and labour shown in its construction, is the one +leading down the Wady Bil Ghadir, and along the face of the hills to the +westward of the city. It leaves the city by the gate of the western +road; whence, after making a sudden bend to the north, it follows the +bottom of the Wady to near its mouth. In one place, where the bottom of +the ravine is very narrow, the rock is cut away like a wall on each side +to make room for the road. At this point, and at intervals lower down, +may be seen the remains of an aqueduct cut in the rock to convey the +water of the various fountains in the valley round the face of the +citadel hill. It could not possibly have led to the city itself, and was +therefore most probably made for the irrigation of gardens on a lower +level. The greater part of it is an open conduit cut in the face of the +rock; but at some points it is cut like a small tunnel. + +On the south of the citadel, where the ravine approaches the face of the +range, its bed falls abruptly to the level of the lower plateau, causing +the stream from the fountains above to pour over the rocks in a +succession of waterfalls. The road, which to this point had followed the +bottom of the Wady, had consequently to be turned to the left along the +face of the hill, which at this corner becomes a sheer precipice both +above and below. The road is carried round it by means of a huge +retaining wall built up to the proper level from the bottom of the +cliff. It is still nearly perfect throughout its entire length, except +at the end in the ravine, where a few of the stones have been displaced. +About the middle of the wall, the cliff recedes some 30 or 40 feet, and +as the wall is carried straight across, a platform of considerable size +is thereby formed. Here a copious fountain of delicious water issues +from a cavity in the face of the cliff, from which a small aqueduct cut +in the rock runs along the side of the road for several miles. Close to +the fountain it was formerly hollowed out into a series of troughs, so +arranged that, by the overflow of each passing to the next, they were +always full,—a slight indication of the attention paid by the Cyrenians +to the wants of the horses, for which their country was so celebrated. +One can easily fancy the citizens of Cyrene halting in their evening +drives at this beautiful spot to water their horses and enjoy the +extensive view of the magnificent scenery around. On one hand is the +high and rugged face of the cliff overhanging the ravine below; on the +other the steep hill of Cyrene rising from the beautiful valley of +verdure at its base; while far below lies the varied surface of the +lower plateau, stretching away for miles to the dark blue line of sea +beyond. + +The following graphic description of this scene is given by Beechey:— + +“The steep sides of the descent are thickly overgrown with the most +beautiful flowering shrubs and creepers, and tall trees are growing in +the wildest forms and positions above and below the roads. The Duke of +Clarence (when the choice of his death was proposed to him) had a fancy +to be drowned in a butt of Malmsey: and we think, if we found ourselves +in a similar dilemma, that we should pitch upon some part of this +charming ravine, as the spot from which we could hurl ourselves through +myrtles and oleanders into the pure stream which dashes below, with more +pleasure than one could leap with from life into death in most other +places that we know of. We must, however, confess that, in passing along +the dangerous parts of the galleries here alluded to, no such fancy ever +entered our heads; and we took especial care, notwithstanding the beauty +of the descent, to keep closer to the high rock on one side of the road +than to the edge of the charming precipice on the other.” + +From this point the road winds along the face of the hill towards the +westward, gradually descending to the level of the plain. Near the +platform it is flanked on the left by a most picturesque row of +excavated tombs, the interior façade of one is given in Plate 37. Before +reaching the plain, the road crosses a small ravine, which contains a +larger number of highly finished tombs than any other part of the +Necropolis. One of them, published by Beechey, had a suite of +allegorical figures painted on the metopes of the inner façade; but on +visiting it we were much disappointed to find the beautiful front +completely destroyed, the whole of the entablature being roughly cut +away, evidently for the purpose of obtaining the paintings.[2] It is to +be hoped that they at least were safely removed, and that this beautiful +tomb was not destroyed altogether in vain. It is, doubtless, right and +proper that the remains of ancient art brought to light by excavation, +or which, from their position, are liable at any moment to destruction, +should be removed to a place of safety, where they may be studied and +admired; but it is certainly carrying out this practice to an +unwarrantable extent to destroy a beautiful structure that has survived +the ravages of two thousand years, for the sake of what by itself is of +comparatively little value. + +[Illustration: Pl. 30. + +WADY MŬCHGŬN, TWO MILES TO THE WESTWARD OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +[Illustration: Pl. 31. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF AN ORNAMENTED AND PAINTED TOMB IN THE NORTHERN +NECROPOLIS. BY COMMANDER E. A. PORCHER R.N. + +Day & Son, Lith. to the Queen] + +[Illustration: Pl. 32. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS, CAPABLE OF HOLDING +105 SARCOPHAGI. BY COMMANDER E. A. PORCHER R.N. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +[Illustration: Pl. 33. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS. BY COMMANDER E. A. +PORCHER R.N. + +_Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen_] + +[Illustration: Pl. 34. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS. BY COMMANDER E. A. +PORCHER R.N. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +[Illustration: Pl. 35. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF A TOMB IN THE NORTHERN NECROPOLIS. BY COMMANDER E. A. +PORCHER R.N. + +_Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen_] + +[Illustration: Pl. 36. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF A BUILT TOMB ON THE S.W. SIDE OF THE CITY. BY COMMANDER +E. A. PORCHER R.N. + +Day & Son, Lith. to the Queen] + +[Illustration: Pl. 37. + +ELEVATION OF THE INTERNAL FACADE OF A TOMB IN THE WESTERN NECROPOLIS OF +CYRENE. Shewing the Colours as they now exist, by Commander E. A. +Porcher R.N. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields.] + +About a mile from the face of the range, the Wady Bil Ghadir is joined +in the lower plateau by the continuation of the central ravine of the +city. The space thereby enclosed is an almost perfectly level plain, +about a mile in length and three-quarters of a mile in breadth. The soil +is exceedingly rich, and yields at the present day the finest crops of +grain in the country. Spread like a map at the base of the hills, +directly in front of the city, it seems specially suited for a large +ornamental garden, and was most probably laid out as such by the +inhabitants of Cyrene. It lies immediately below the Fountain of Apollo, +and an aqueduct, as we have already mentioned, conveyed to it the stream +from the fountains of the Wady Bil Ghadir; so that there was a +sufficient supply of water available for its irrigation even during the +droughts of summer. It is, moreover, protected by the high hills of +Cyrene from the scorching blast of the _Gibli_—a wind from the desert +that not unfrequently destroys all the vegetation exposed to it. With +its trees and flowers thus perpetually refreshed and protected, it must +have formed one of the most pleasing features in the beautiful landscape +seen from the city and terraces above. + +Besides the Wady Bil Ghadir, two other ravines in the immediate +neighbourhood of Cyrene are remarkable for the picturesque grandeur of +their scenery, the Wady Mûchgûn to the west, and the Wady Leboaitha to +the east of the city. The former, the widest and deepest Wady in the +range, is filled with fine old olive-trees, many of which are covered in +summer with clusters of honeysuckle. + +The upper plateau around Cyrene is destitute of trees. Hardly a shrub is +to be seen in this direction within three or four miles of the city. +Grass, however, grows luxuriantly, so that the surface of the ground, +except during the heat of summer, quite resembles the green sward of old +pasture-land in England. + +[Illustration: PLATE 38.—TOMBS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF WADY BIL GHADIR.] + +The comparatively limited scope of the present work not admitting of +further illustration, the reader is referred to the archives of the +British Museum for other interesting details of this Necropolis. + + + + + CHAPTER VII. + + +HAVING fairly established ourselves in our sepulchral residence, and +made every arrangement for our future comfort that the means at our +disposal rendered possible, we began to examine the remains of the city. +Our attention was at first specially directed to the tombs, in which we +hoped to discover small ornaments, vases, terra-cotta figures, and other +_portable_ objects. We were greatly assisted during our first rambles +over the ruins by an Arab of considerable influence in the Cyrenaica, +Mohammed El Adouly. He was a native of Benghazi, but having married the +daughter of one of the Sheikhs of the Haasa tribe, who occupy the +country in the neighbourhood of Cyrene, he kept his flocks, and spent +the greater part of the year, in that district. One of the letters given +us by the Sheikhs assembled at the Consulate was addressed to him, and +Mr. Crowe, with whom he was well acquainted, had also sent him a special +message regarding us. The day after our arrival at Cyrene he paid us a +long visit, bringing with him the welcome present of a camel-load of +milk and butter. He proved our constant friend during the whole time of +our residence in the country, and on many occasions was of great service +to us. Not being entangled in the perpetual feuds of the rival tribes +around us, he was equally respected by all, so that we could hardly have +had a safer friend. He was, besides, a man of much shrewdness and +intelligence, and had profited greatly by his travels in early life. He +had more than once been engaged in slave expeditions to Mourzook and +Soudan, and had visited Constantinople, Alexandria, and Malta. He was +withal a good Mussulman, although he confessed to having in his younger +days been latitudinarian in his conduct, if not in his creed. In person +he was a man of immense size, and had altogether a most imposing +appearance. + +[Illustration: PLATE 39.—MOHAMMED EL ADOULY. + +_From a Photograph._] + +The day immediately after his first visit he returned to show us the +“lions” of the place. After we had seen a few of the tombs in the north- +eastern cemetery, he took us to the hill beyond the Wady Bil Ghadir, +where he showed us an excavated tomb in which a number of objects had +been discovered by M. Bourville. It was a large square chamber cut in +the rock, with the ruins of some kind of building in front: two marble +statues without heads were lying near it. + +[Illustration: Pl. 40. + +PLAN OF CYRENE + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +As every _open_ tomb had doubtless been rifled long ago, we were +anxious, if possible, to discover some under the surface of the soil, in +the hope that they might still remain intact. In many of those cut in +the scarped sides of the hills we found the fronts partially covered by +the earth washed down from above, and therefore thought it probable that +others existed which had been wholly covered. We accordingly looked for +a place where such tombs were likely to be found, and at last chose, as +the most promising spot, a heap of ruins lying against an artificial +escarp near the tomb opened by M. Bourville. + +The following day, the 27th of December, we commenced our excavations at +this place. At first the work went on but slowly, owing to the +inexperience of the blacks, who were quite ignorant of the use of the +tools, which they now handled for the first time in their lives. For +some time, therefore, we had to do the most of the digging ourselves. +Although it may seem a very simple matter to teach an able-bodied man to +use a pickaxe and a shovel, it is a much more tedious process than may +be supposed. As every railway contractor knows, a “navvy” has to serve a +good long apprenticeship before he is fit to take his place in a regular +gang of excavators. + +Our great difficulty, however, with the blacks was to make them +understand the use of a crowbar. When a stone was too heavy to lift, or +was so placed that it could not be rolled, their only resource was to +try to break it. It was long before we could get them to see the power +of the lever, and still longer before they could apply it themselves. +After five days’ hard work, in clearing away the ruins of the building +from the face of the escarp, we reached the rock at the bottom, about +twelve feet below the original surface, but without finding an entrance +as we had expected. As it was evident that nothing was to be discovered +here, we left this place on the 1st of January, 1861, and removed to a +rock-tomb in the Wady Bil Ghadir, where the absence of any remains of +buildings made the work much easier. After a day and a half’s digging we +came to a doorway, five or six feet below the surface, closed by a +single slab of stone, of which one of the upper corners was broken away +sufficiently to allow a man to enter. Inside we found a plain square +chamber with recesses, partially filled with the earth that had been +washed in through the doorway. It was impossible to enter the chamber +without breaking the long, thin stalactites which covered the roof and +almost touched the floor. Nothing, however, remained either in the +chamber or the recesses—a result fatal to our hopes of discoveries in +the tombs, as it proved that this one, at least, had been rifled, not +recently, but before it became buried, a sufficient period having +afterwards elapsed to allow the formation of the stalactites. This being +the case, we concluded that other tombs, even if now covered with earth, +had probably shared the same fate. + +For this reason we abandoned the tombs, and turned our attention to the +remains of buildings within the walls of the city. After a careful +examination of several places, we chose a prominent site near the +southern gate, marked in the plan “Temple of Bacchus.” In the centre of +a large oblong platform, enclosed by a massive colonnade and a well- +built _peribolus_ wall, the position of the temple itself was marked by +a low mound of earth, with a few blocks of stone and marble showing here +and there above the surface. The exterior of the two side-walls of the +temple had been partially laid bare by a former excavator, M. Bourville, +as the Arabs informed us. Part of the gateway in the southern +_peribolus_ wall is still standing, and is one of the most conspicuous +objects in Cyrene. The ruins of the colonnade, which is of the Doric +order, are nearly all above ground. + +We began work at this temple on the afternoon of the 2nd, by digging +along the outside of the western wall. The earth was filled with +fragments of pottery and blocks of stone belonging to the building. +Among the latter were portions of a frieze with triglyphs, a proof that +the temple was of the Doric order. The stone was the same as in almost +all the buildings in Cyrene,—a friable yellow sandstone, containing a +great many fossil shells. + +After finishing a trench along the western side, we began to dig inside +the temple at the western end, going gradually eastward. We were soon +rewarded for our labour by the discovery of a very perfect marble statue +of life size. The head and both hands were gone, but otherwise the +figure was uninjured, the surface being almost without a scratch. It was +lying on the floor of the temple near the north-western corner, about +four or five feet underground. Two days afterwards the figure was all +but completed by the discovery of the head and left hand, near the same +place. The head, that of a youth, wreathed with grapes and vine-leaves, +and the hand holding a cluster of grapes, at once identified the statue, +as one of Bacchus. The drapery falling from the left shoulder across the +right knee left the greater part of the figure nude. This statue is +given in Plate 61. The first thing to be thought of was its immediate +removal to a place of safety, as the Arabs, in their hatred of images, +would have considered its destruction a very meritorious act. But how to +transport it without tackle or other mechanical appliances was rather +puzzling. Meantime we pitched a tent close by, in which the blacks were +stationed to act as a guard, while we made preparations for the work of +removal. Carrying it was out of the question, owing to its great size +and weight; and no vehicle, however rude, existed in the country. Having +finally fixed on a sledge as the only means available, we went to a wood +on the side of the hill beyond the north-eastern cemetery to look for a +tree that would answer the purpose. We selected a good large cedar, +which we felled, after a hard day’s work, with small hatchets, our only +felling-axe having been lost or stolen during the journey from Benghazi. +We then trimmed the trunk and lower branches into a very serviceable +sort of sledge, the under side being cut as smooth as possible, and +grooves made in it for the lashings. We also cut some spars to use as +levers. With these and the coil of small rope we had brought from Malta +we set to work the following day. By placing slings under the shoulders +of the statue, and heaving on them with the spars, we got the figure +into an upright position. The sledge, well covered with mats, was then +lashed firmly to its back, care being taken to have the lashings well +padded, to prevent their chafing the surface of the marble. The sledge, +with the statue attached, was then gradually lowered by means of the +spars, and a drag-rope made fast to it. By dint of hauling and shouting +we got about halfway to our tomb before dark, when we again pitched the +tent and set the guard for the night. Next day we tried the experiment +of yoking in a camel, which proved quite successful. In the course of +the forenoon the statue was safely deposited in our kitchen, where it +was afterwards covered with a tent and walled up. We were not sorry when +our labour was over, as, notwithstanding every contrivance for saving +our hands, they had got sadly torn and blistered. + +We completed the excavation of the temple in nineteen days. Besides the +Bacchus, we found two small marble statuettes, and a leopard in stone, +rather smaller than life, with a collar of vine-leaves, but saw no +inscriptions. The temple, very small in size, had no _pteron_, and +consisted only of a _cella_ and _pronaos_, or _portico_. The front, +which was towards the east, contained four columns, the two outer of +which were engaged in the lateral walls. At the western end of the +_cella_ there was a built pedestal, about two feet in height, on which +without doubt the statue stood. The whole of the interior bore traces of +having been faced and paved with thin slabs of marble. + +On the 21st of January we removed to the place marked on the plan of the +city immediately above the theatre, on the side of the road leading up +the centre ravine. There were several broken statues lying on the +surface, and another was uncovered in the course of our excavations, but +as they were all of late date and inferior style, we did not think them +worth the trouble of removal. We also came on the bases of some unfluted +marble columns _in situ_, but were unable to follow up the line thus +pointed out, owing to the surrounding ground being sown with barley. +While digging at this place, we turned up a great many thick, square, +flat tiles, with which we paved part of the floor of our tomb. + +[Illustration: Pl. 41. + +PLAN OF CYRENE To shew the positions from which the plans and Sketches +were made + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +On the 31st of the month we commenced the excavation of the building in +front of the fountain, marked on the plan “Temple of Apollo.” Although +the form of the building could be easily traced, very little of it +remained above ground. We began by clearing out, down to the level of +the pavement, the space between the columns and the wall of the _cella_ +along the western and northern sides, on both of which we found parts of +the columns _in situ_ and fragments of the entablature, all of the Doric +order. The stone was the same as that of the Temple of Bacchus. The +building is particularly mentioned by Beechey, who supposed it to be the +Temple of Diana. We were inclined, however, from the first to consider +it the Temple of Apollo, on account of its commanding position +immediately in front of the fountain; and our opinion was confirmed +before we commenced its excavation, by finding two inscriptions among +the ruins, both of which referred to that deity. + +Our space for digging was very limited, all the surrounding ground, and +even the eastern half of the temple itself, being covered with crops of +grain. We would, willingly have bought them up, but found it impossible +to do so, owing to the strong religious feeling of the Arabs, who regard +the fruits of the soil as the immediate gift of God, and would resent +their destruction as an act of sacrilege. The soil, once it has received +the seed, becomes sacred, and can no more be desecrated by the excavator +than a Greek church or a Turkish burial-ground. + +After digging along the west and north sides as far as we could for the +crops, we commenced inside the _cella_, at the north-west corner. +Cramped as we were for want of space, we were obliged to throw the +_deblai_, as we proceeded, into the trench we had already excavated +outside. The first object we found was a small draped female statue, +unbroken, about 3 feet 6 inches in height. A few days afterwards we +discovered a colossal statue of Apollo himself, lying on the floor of +the temple, about ten feet below the surface of the ground. The head was +broken off, and the body in three pieces; but as the fractures were +clean and sharp, and their edges unchipped, we hoped that the whole +figure might afterwards be put together without difficulty. When this +was actually done, after the arrival of the sculptures in England, the +parts were all found to fit each other so accurately that the fractures +were barely perceptible. The trunk of the tree, the lyre, the serpent, +the bow and quiver, and some of the folds of the drapery, were found +piecemeal, in a great many fragments, which we collected carefully. The +statue, as it now stands, without the slightest restoration, in the +British Museum, is built up of no less than 121 separate pieces. A +Photograph of it is given in Plate 62. Near it was a large square +pedestal on which it had once stood. + +Its removal to our tomb proved a most tedious and difficult operation, +on account not only of the great weight of each of the three parts, and +the depth at which they were discovered, but also of the very tender way +in which they had to be handled to prevent the thin sharp edges of the +fractures from being chipped and bruised. Our troubles were increased by +the conduct of the blacks, who thought this a favourable opportunity for +advancing the most extravagant claims for remuneration. Some ridiculous +notions had been put into their heads by the Arabs, during our absence +for a few days at Derna. All our appeals and offers of a compromise were +rejected; and as we would not yield to their absurd pretensions, they +went off, and left us to get the Apollo to our tomb without them. As +this was impossible, we were reduced to the necessity of reburying the +statue to protect it from the Arabs. Our good fortune, however, had not +deserted us. Two days afterwards, three negroes, sent by Mr. Crowe, +arrived from Benghazi, and we were enabled to resume work. With their +assistance and that of some of our Arab friends, we deposited the Apollo +in safety in our tomb, after several days’ very hard work. The sledge +was used as before, and a camel yoked in to help us to drag it. On the +former occasion, when the road was pretty smooth, and for the most part +down-hill, the camel did very well; now, however, the road was rough and +all up-hill, and as the camel, although an excellent beast of burden, +was quite unaccustomed to pulling, he would do nothing when he found he +could not walk away with the load easily. We had, consequently, to +unyoke him, and drag the sledge, foot by foot, ourselves. + +Our new labourers, with whom the work of instruction had, of course, to +be recommenced, remained till the 20th of April, when they had to leave +us for harvest-work at Benghazi. We then tried some Arabs, but were soon +glad to get rid of them, as they gave us a great deal of trouble and did +very little work. By this time, however, we had completed the excavation +of the temple, nearly as far as our space allowed. We accordingly +proposed to spend a few weeks in making excursions to different parts of +the country, and to resume operations at Cyrene after the end of the +harvest. + +It was evident from the first that many of the ruins at the Temple of +Apollo were of much later date than the building itself. The _Cella_ was +full of rubble walls and arches, roughly built of the materials of the +more ancient building; and the eastern half was paved with coarse +mosaic, about nine feet above the original floor of the temple, and, +consequently, only two or three below the surface of the ground. Under +this pavement there was a horizontal layer of broken columns resting on +others which stood in rows on the floor of the temple. + +Near the middle of the _Cella_, a draped male statue, about seven feet +in height, but broken in two, was found lying on the tesselated pavement +(Plate 63). The head, which was of a separate piece from the body, from +which it could be removed at pleasure, fitted into a socket,—a somewhat +barbarous expedient for making the statue of a deceased emperor do duty +as his living successor’s, after the simple change of the head and the +name. Close to the statue we found a broken marble pedestal, on which +the following fragment of an inscription could be deciphered. + + αὐτ]οκράτορα [Καίσ]αρ[α + + Τρ]αϊανὸν Ἀ[δριαν]ὸν + + Σε]βασ[τόν. + +It may be presumed from this inscription that the statue represents the +Emperor Hadrian. We also found on this spot a large marble slab, on +which was the inscription, No. 26. We removed it to our tomb, like the +others, by means of the sledge. Imbedded in the earth, between the feet +of the statue, we found a head of Minerva, rather smaller than life, +quite uninjured, with the single exception of the point of the helmet, +which was a little broken. (_See_ Plate 64.) + +In the same part of the temple as the Apollo, that is, in the western +half of the _Cella_, we found a head life-size, identified by an +inscription as the portrait of Cnæus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus, the +first Roman proprætor of Cyrene. (_See_ Plate 65.) The inscription (No. +1) was cut on the face of a square block of marble, on which stood a +square pedestal, 10 inches broad and 5 feet high, having at the top a +deep socket, into which the head was fitted. The back of the head was +cut flat, as if it had rested against a wall. + +As our workmen had all left, we were unable at this time to complete the +excavation of the interior of the _Cella_. The whole of the eastern +half, between the mosaic pavement and the floor, we had to leave +untouched, until the month of August. One of the most remarkable things +which we then discovered was a bronze portrait head, in an excellent +state of preservation (Plate 66), lying on the original floor of the +temple, 11 feet beneath the mosaic pavement. Near it were some small +bronze fragments of horses, &c., very much injured, as if by fire; +several terra-cotta lamps, and a quantity of fragments of gold-leaf +mixed up with the earth. We also discovered several marble heads of +different sizes, a number of inscriptions, eight small statues, varying +from 2½ to 4 feet in height, and part of a leg of a colossal statue of +very fine style. Of the small statues the most remarkable were a figure +of Jupiter Ammon, a group representing the nymph Cyrene strangling a +lion, and a huntress, probably Diana Venatrix, accompanied by a dog. + +The temple was of the usual form and construction, although it might be +remarked that its length was somewhat great in proportion to its +breadth, and that the entrance was not in the west but in the east +front. In these two respects, however, we found all the temples of +Cyrene which we examined, alike. The entrance being in this position, +the statue of the deity must have been placed at the west end facing the +east, contrary to the following recommendation of Vitruvius: “The +temples of the gods should be so placed that the statue, which has its +station in the _Cella_, should, if there be nothing to interfere with +such a disposition, face the west, in order that those who come to make +oblations and offer sacrifices, may face the east when their view is +directed toward the statue; and those who come to impose upon themselves +the performance of vows, may have the temple and the east immediately +before them. Thus the statue they regard will appear as if rising from +the east and looking down on the suppliants.”[3] + + + + + CHAPTER VIII. + + +WHEN our workmen left us, and the excavations were stopped in the end of +April, we had a considerable collection of valuable sculptures in our +tomb, but were still uncertain whether we should be furnished by the +Government with the means of sending them home. To determine the best +method of conveying them to the shore, should the means of doing so be +granted, we had carefully examined the country between Cyrene and the +coast. The greatest difficulty to be overcome was the descent of the +Augubah, or lower range of precipitous hills near the sea, to which our +attention was, therefore, specially directed. We soon found, however, +that little or no choice was left us, the only practicable pass near +Cyrene being on the track of the ancient road to Apollonia, now called +Marsa Sousah. It was evident that the transport of the statues over such +a road would be a work of great labour and considerable difficulty; but, +at the same time, we thought it quite a feasible undertaking. We +accordingly sent a report of our proceedings to Lord Russell as early as +the month of February, soon after the discovery of the Bacchus, and +enclosed a detail of the means we considered best adapted for the +carriage of that statue and such others as might afterwards be found. +His lordship readily granted the required means, and, at his request, a +man-of-war, with all the stores and appliances we had suggested, was +ordered to proceed to Marsa Sousah to embark the sculptures. Owing, +however, to the want of communication with Europe, we did not receive +the reply to our report until after the actual arrival of the vessel in +the month of May. About the same time a letter reached us from Mr. +Panizzi, principal Librarian of the British Museum, informing us that +the Trustees had voted us a subsidy of £100 towards defraying the +expenses of the expedition. + +H.M.S. _Assurance_, Commander C. M. Aynsley, arrived off Marsa Sousah on +the 10th of May, but finding a strong breeze blowing towards the shore +from the north-west, she steamed on about fifteen miles to the eastward, +and anchored in a more sheltered position behind Ras El Hilal. As the +fact of our being at Cyrene was by this time well known throughout the +country, the officers of the _Assurance_ had no difficulty in finding an +Arab to whom they could make themselves understood, and who was +forthwith despatched with a letter to inform us of their arrival. After +walking all night he reached our quarters early in the morning. As we +had hitherto received no letters from England, we were most agreeably +surprised by the good news he brought us, and gave him an unusually +liberal backshish in consequence. Independently of the encouragement and +assistance given us by the arrival of the vessel, we were, of course, +delighted with the prospect of seeing some of our own friends and +countrymen after our solitary residence of five months among negroes and +Bedouins. We immediately saddled our horses and started for Ras El Hilal +without delay, accompanied by the Arab who brought the letter, and by +our friend Amor Bon Abdi Seyat and his brother. Great part of the road +along the shore from Marsa Sousah was over sharp rocks and across deep +rugged wadys, so that it was with difficulty that we reached Ras El +Hilal after an eight hours’ ride. We there found some of the officers on +shore shooting, with whom we went on board for the night, leaving our +horses in charge of Amor and his brother. + +Ras El Hilal, behind which the _Assurance_ was anchored, is the site of +the ancient Naustathmus, of which almost no remains are now to be seen. + +The following morning, May 12th, the wind having moderated, the vessel +steamed round to Marsa Sousah, and anchored about half a mile from the +shore. A party of thirty blue jackets and marines, who were all that +could be spared from the ship, were immediately landed, under the +command of Lieutenant Luard, R.N., and encamped on the beach. The +waggons and stores of all sorts were then disembarked, and two ship’s +carpenters sent to Cyrene to make packing-cases for the marbles. Amor +and his friends meanwhile scoured the country in all directions to get +camels to carry the plank and stores up to Cyrene, but had considerable +difficulty in finding a sufficient number, as the Arabs were all at work +getting in their harvest. After two days’ delay we at last got about a +dozen collected at the camp on the beach. Besides those required for the +carriage of the planks and stores to Cyrene, a number of camels were +wanted to accompany the working party with the waggons to carry the +sailors’ tents and baggage, and keep them supplied with water. An +arrangement was accordingly made with the drivers, by which we agreed to +pay a certain sum _per trip_ for each camel carrying a load to Cyrene, +and a certain sum _per diem_ for each camel that remained with the +waggon party. The tents and baggage were consequently placed in one +heap, and the stores for Cyrene in another, the drivers being allowed to +distribute the work among themselves as they pleased. The usual tiresome +wrangling over the division of the loads ensued, as a matter of course, +and on this occasion it lasted all day. Towards evening the different +burdens were at last adjusted, and the camels loaded. We congratulated +ourselves that we were now on the point of effecting a start, when the +owners of the camels that were loaded with the sailors’ baggage changed +their minds, and said they would either go up to Cyrene or not go at +all. Argument and expostulation were in vain; they coolly unloaded the +camels and took their departure. We were accordingly obliged to pitch +our tents again for the night, and remain where we were as patiently as +possible. + +Next day we fortunately met our friend Mohammed El Adouly, who undertook +to supply us with a sufficient number of camels, and to superintend the +drivers himself. We were thus saved a great deal of trouble and delay, +as he carried out his contract to our entire satisfaction. + +We started from Marsa Sousah with the two waggons on the 14th, and +reached the foot of the Augubah the same night. Next morning we dragged +the waggons one at a time up the slope of the hill, until further +progress became impossible. The only way of getting them to the top was +by unscrewing all the connecting bolts, and carrying the separate pieces +on the men’s shoulders. Owing to the steepness of the narrow rocky path, +and the weight of the wheels and many of the other pieces, this was a +work of great labour; but the sailors had made up their minds that it +must be done, and they did it accordingly. It was only after three days’ +incessant toil that they got everything to the top, when the waggons +were again put together, and the journey resumed in the usual way. Our +progress, however, was slow; as, throughout a great part of the way, a +road had to be cleared and made before it was possible to get the +waggons dragged along. Except at one or two places, the party was barely +strong enough to drag one waggon at a time, although our numbers were by +this time increased by the arrival of seven blacks from Benghazi. + +Our usual method of proceeding was as follows:—We got up at daybreak, +had breakfast, and started with the waggons before sunrise. We remained +at work till eight or nine o’clock, when the party returned to the camp +and rested till about three in the afternoon, when the tents were struck +and packed with the baggage on the camels. From the distance traversed +in the morning, it was easy to foresee what point would be reached +before night. A convenient place for encampment was therefore chosen +after the morning’s work, and two or three men were sent on with the +baggage in the afternoon, to pitch the tents and cook the men’s supper, +before their arrival with the waggons at sunset. The men worked most +cheerfully, and seemed quite to enjoy the change from shipboard. After +supper, their great amusement was to build large bonfires all round the +camp, for the purpose, as they said, of keeping off the wild beasts. +Even after their hard day’s work, they used to sit round the fires +telling stories and singing songs till far into the night, much to the +wonder of the Arabs and negroes who were in the camp. + +Meantime the carpenters had packed the statues, so that on our arrival +at Cyrene on the 24th, the loads for the waggons were ready. On one +waggon we placed the Bacchus and the largest of the small statues, and +on the other the Apollo in three cases. The smaller objects, such as +heads, statuettes, &c., were packed in small boxes to be carried by +camels. We were obliged to leave three of the largest of the small +figures, and also the statue of Hadrian, as there was no room for them +in the waggons, and they were too heavy for the camels. + +We started from Cyrene on the morning of the 29th, and, taking only one +waggon at a time, reached the plain at the base of the hills the same +night. The five following days were spent in crossing the lower plateau +to the top of the Augubah, where we arrived on the 3rd of June. The +wheels of the waggons were by this time considerably shaken by the heavy +jolting over rocks and stones, but still remained unbroken. + +We had now to face our chief difficulty, the descent of the Augubah. +After considering every possible way in which it could be done, we +decided on lowering the waggons straight down the face of the hill by +means of tackle. The least rugged part of the hill being selected, our +first care was to provide the means of making fast the lowering tackle, +which was done by placing heavy boat’s anchors in holes cut for the +purpose in the rock. The front axle of the waggon was then lashed to the +body of the carriage to prevent the fore wheels from getting locked +against the sides of the waggon, and thereby upsetting it. A tackle, +consisting of a 3½-inch rope, rove through two double blocks, was then +made fast to the anchors, and to the centre of the fore axle, and the +waggon lowered slowly, hind wheels foremost. About one-third of the way +down, there was a nearly level ledge or terrace, forming part of the +ancient road to Apollonia, which served as a convenient halting-place +from which to make a fresh start. To reach this point, however, the +waggons, as they were being lowered, had to be guided in a slanting +direction across the face of the hill, which was safely done with the +first waggon by means of handspikes. Not content to “let well alone,” we +unfortunately thought to improve upon this simple method in the lowering +of the other one. In addition to the anchors already in position, +another was placed some distance to the right, and directly above the +part of the terrace to which the waggons had to be taken. After the +waggon had been lowered to a convenient place, the standing part of the +tackle was to be transferred from the first anchor to the second one, +thereby causing the waggon, when the lowering was continued, to slant +across to the right until it was directly under the second anchor, to +which the whole tackle was then to be transferred, and the waggon +lowered straight down to the halting-place on the terrace. It was, in +fact, an application of the principle of the _whip_ used for taking +weights over a ship’s side. Unfortunately, the second anchor was not +properly placed in the hole made for it. The petty officer sent to look +after it, instead of letting it remain as we had left it, thought he had +improved its hold by placing it horizontally in a cleft of the rock, so +as to act not as an _anchor_, but as what is called a _toggle_. The +result was, that whenever it felt the indirect strain of the slanting +motion of the waggon, it at once tilted up and lost its hold. To our +horror, away went the waggon at a tremendous pace, and the anchor after +it almost flying. For a second or two the destruction of the waggon and +the Apollo seemed inevitable, as it was heading straight for a precipice +two or three hundred feet in height, when, to our relief, it gave a +great bound, and landed itself in a large cavity in the rock. Strange to +say, not even a spoke of a wheel was broken. With considerable +difficulty we got it out of its lodgment, and along the terrace to the +part selected as the starting-point for the further lowering to the +bottom of the hill. Here the face of the hill presented a continuous +slope, about 400 yards in length, and so steep that it was impossible to +climb it at some parts, except on hands and feet. All the ropes the ship +could afford were spliced to make a tackle of sufficient length. The +anchors were again placed in holes cut in the rock, and the fore axles +of the waggons lashed as before. The great danger to be avoided was the +_serging_ of the waggon, caused by the elasticity of such a length of +tackle. To prevent this, a few men with handspikes went with the waggon +to keep it moving as uniformly as the nature of the ground would admit. +Both waggons reached the bottom without accident, and were saluted on +their arrival there by three hearty cheers from the whole party. + +The following day the _Assurance_ anchored abreast of the Augubah, and +the waggons were dragged to the beach, where a triangle was set up in +water deep enough for a loaded boat. The waggons were then run under it, +and the cases, one by one, weighed and lowered into the ship’s boats. On +the same day, Mohammed El Adouly’s camels brought down the last of the +smaller cases; so that before night everything was on board. + +For the success of all the operations connected with the transport and +embarkation of the statues we were greatly indebted to Captain Aynsley, +the officers, and crew of the _Assurance_, and particularly to +Lieutenant Luard and the working party under his command. He was himself +indefatigable in his exertions to get the work carried on, and his +orders were most cheerfully obeyed by the men, whose “pluck” and +determination overcame every obstacle. + +Early the following morning, the 8th of June, the _Assurance_ left for +Malta, and we returned to our solitary residence at Cyrene. + + + + + CHAPTER IX. + + +BEFORE resuming the narrative of our excavations, we may here give some +account of our dealings with the Arabs, and of the excursions which we +made to different parts of the Cyrenaica before the arrival of the +_Assurance_. + +Not long after our arrival at Cyrene we had a specimen of the kind of +difficulties we were likely to meet with not unfrequently. Walking one +day round the face of the hill opposite the fountain, we were met by an +Arab who, in very expressive language, ordered us to turn and leave the +place at once. For some time we could not exactly make out what had so +stirred up his indignation, but afterwards found that it was our +presence within the limits of the _Zauyah_. Thinking the Zauyah was +probably one of the tombs converted into a mosque, we told him we had no +wish to desecrate it, and asked him to show us where it was, that we +might avoid it in future. To our astonishment, the boundary he pointed +out included the whole side of a hill, which formed one of the most +interesting parts of the north-eastern cemetery. To give up the right of +visiting so large a portion of the necropolis was out of the question, +especially as submission on our part would only encourage the _Achwan_, +or devotees of the Zauyah, to further acts of aggression. We therefore +determined to contest the point, which we did by walking within the +proscribed boundary nearly every day. Several threatening messages +reached us from the Sheikh of the Zauyah, who, professing himself our +friend, said he could not control the rage of the Arabs if we continued +to pollute the sacred enclosure by our presence. This Sheikh, Mustapha +by name, was considered one of the greatest saints in the country, and +was respected and feared accordingly. He was always called _Sidi_ +Mustapha, a title bestowed upon Marabouts, or holy men, and equivalent +to _Rabbi_—my lord or master. Originally one of the greatest thieves in +Mesurata, he had suddenly become intensely religious, and joined the +fanatical sect of _El Senoussy_ during the late revival of Mussulman +bigotry. He, with others, had left Mesurata, and travelled about the +country trying to stir up a crusade against the Christians. He was now +settled down as the Sheikh of the Zauyah of Shahat. + +Matters continued in this unsatisfactory state for nearly a month, till +one day, when we were walking along the forbidden path, an Arab sallied +forth from a tomb above us and began pelting us with stones. He was +immediately joined by others from different directions, all in the +highest state of excitement. Some of the more indignant were for +shooting us at once, and one man had actually levelled his gun, but was +prevented from firing by some of his cooler friends. Meantime such a +number of Arabs had assembled that it would have been foolishness for us +to attempt going farther. Sidi Mustapha, by whom the whole thing had +evidently been planned, now appeared on the scene, and pretended to try +and pacify the enraged crowd. After several unsuccessful efforts, +turning to us, he said, “You see it is just as I told you; and if this +goes on, I shall not be able to prevent their shooting you, if you +remain at Cyrene at all.” We had, of course, to retire, but told his +lordship that we had come to Cyrene for a special purpose, and had no +intention of leaving until that was accomplished. Moreover, that we +would see that the two men who had thrown stones and threatened to shoot +us were duly punished for their offence. + +Shortly before this time a tent and some other articles had been stolen +from our tomb, and although the Arabs must have known well enough who +the thieves were, we could find no trace of our lost property. We +therefore determined to test the value of our firman, by requesting the +Mudir of Ghegheb to punish the two Achwani of the Zauyah, and to compel +the tribe near Cyrene to deliver up the thief, our object in doing so +being, if possible, to show the Arabs that we were not to be offended +with impunity. Porcher and Cesareo accordingly went the day after the +disturbance to the castle of Ghegheb, were they saw the Mudir, Lemin Ben +Sitewi, an old Arab, who had been Mudir under the Karamanlis before the +occupation of the country by the Turks. When he saw the firman, and was +informed of the object of the visit, he promised that everything should +be done at once to our satisfaction. The two Achwani should be +apprehended and kept in prison at Ghegheb until he had communicated with +the Pacha at Benghazi, and our lost property should either be +immediately restored, or the tribe mulcted of its value, which was +estimated at 3,000 piastres (£24). He said he had no doubt that the +thief, and probably one of the principal intriguers against us, was a +neighbour of our own, Mabrook Jerébi, who was, therefore, to be +immediately apprehended. + +So far as promises went, all this was satisfactory enough; but +performance, as usual, was quite the reverse. In conducting business of +any kind with officials in Turkey, there is never the slightest +difficulty in making the preliminary arrangements and stipulations. +During an interview everything is settled exactly as you wish, and you +come away impressed with the idea that you have managed your business +very cleverly, and that the authorities in Turkey are, after all, not +half so bad as they are called. You soon discover, however, that here +your real difficulties begin. If what is promised is ever actually +performed, it is only after the most vexatious shuffling and delay, for +which plausible excuses are never wanting. A Turkish official seems to +reason with himself somewhat in this way:—“I do not wish to disturb my +peace of mind by arguing with this man; I must, therefore, promise +everything he wishes, reserving the question of performance for private +consideration afterwards. Should he afterwards be so exacting as to +insist on the fulfilment of my promises, I am quite unfit for my post if +I cannot coin sufficient excuses to satisfy him. A judicious repetition +of the promises, and the partial performance now and then of some of +them, will keep matters all right for a time, and, meanwhile, ‘something +may turn up.’ Should the worst come to the worst, I shall, after all, +have to do no more than I promised at the first.” + +Such is the almost invariable method of conducting business; so that, in +proportion as a man becomes an adept in the art of delay, his reputation +as a clever administrator increases. The Turks, and I believe Easterns +in general, pride themselves on their superiority to Europeans in this +kind of sharpness. Hence a common saying among them, “Frangestan +marafat, lakin Arabestan akl,” “Europe for talent, _but_ the East for +cleverness,” the force of the word _lakin_ showing the higher esteem in +which the _akl_ is held. We are, perhaps, too apt in this country to +sacrifice the _suaviter in modo_ to the _fortiter in re_, but in Turkey +the tendency is quite the reverse. + +The above was thoroughly exemplified in our dealings with Lemin Ben +Sitewi. The day after Porcher’s interview, Lemin’s Kiayah, or Secretary, +with a number of mounted Koralié, came to Cyrene for the ostensible +purpose of carrying out the orders for the apprehension of the +offenders. They took Mabrook Jerébi, whom we had never accused, but said +they could not get the two Achwani as they did not know their names. +When we gave them the names, they went again to the Zauyah, but returned +immediately, saying the men were gone away and could not be found. On +our saying that this was not the case, as we had seen them only a few +hours before, they said that the fact was that both the men were the +servants of Sidi Mustapha and could not be taken without his consent, +which it was impossible to obtain that day, as he was from home. On his +return, however, which was expected the following day, they would come +again to Shahat and apprehend the men without fail. Seeing the way in +which the matter was likely to end if left in the hands of the Mudir, we +told the Kiayah to inform his master that if the men were not taken +within three days, we would communicate the whole of the affair through +the Consul to the Pacha at Benghazi. + +After waiting some days, and hearing no further tidings of the actions +of the Mudir, we sent a courier to Benghazi with a letter to Mr. Crowe, +in which we gave a full account of the matters as they stood, and +requested him to take whatever steps he thought advisable. He at once +called on the Kaimacam and insisted on his sending the most stringent +orders to the Mudir to have the men apprehended and sent to Benghazi. A +messenger was accordingly sent to Ghegheb with orders to the Mudir to go +himself to Cyrene without delay and seize the men. After bringing them +before us for identification, he was to send them to Benghazi to be +dealt with by the Kaimacam himself. He was also to pay us the 3,000 +piastres and levy the amount on the tribe guilty of the theft. + +In consequence of these orders, Lemin made his appearance at our +quarters one morning accompanied by a large retinue of Sheiks, +Chavasses, and Koralié. After informing us of the object of his visit, +he handed over to us 1,500 piastres, alleging the emptiness of the +public chest as his reason for not bringing the whole sum. He also said +that the two men had been sent for and would be brought before us in the +course of an hour or two. Expecting further difficulties and excuses, we +were certainly somewhat surprised by the actual arrival of the +prisoners, who, however, seemed unaccountably cool and unconcerned. This +the Mudir explained by whispering to us that they were not aware of the +object for which he had called them, but had come with the idea that +they were only to make an apology for their conduct and depart in peace. +He even received them with a gracious “Salaam Aleikoum,” and bade them +be seated. After a short pause he turned to us and asked if these were +the men of whom we complained. When we said that they were, he called +out “Bring the ropes.” The Chavasses immediately ran in and with a great +pretence of activity and violence disarmed and pinioned the prisoners. +They were then led off ignominiously by the mounted attendants, who, to +make escape impossible, held them by long ropes attached to their +pinions. They were followed by the Mudir and his retinue, the whole +cavalcade moving off in the presence of a large concourse of Arabs who +had meantime assembled round our tomb. The whole scene was quite +dramatic. + +We soon discovered that the drama had been rehearsed with a view to its +effect, not on the assembled Arabs, but on ourselves. Within a week we +heard that the prisoners were again at liberty, having, according to the +Mudir, slipped their shackles in a miraculous manner, and escaped during +the night when on their way to Benghazi. This feat, however, lost all +its supernatural character in our eyes, when looked upon in connection +with the purse of dollars previously subscribed by the Arabs and given +to the Mudir. His superior cleverness on this occasion cost him dear, +for on our again applying to Mr. Crowe, he was deprived of office and +sent as a prisoner to Tripoli, whence he was not allowed to return to +Benghazi until all his money had found its way into the coffers of the +Pacha. Thus after two months’ delay, our dignity was finally and +publicly vindicated. + +About the same time the Kaimacam sent his Bash-Chavass, or head +policeman, Osman Aga, to Cyrene, to remain with us as long as we thought +his presence desirable, and to keep a good look-out on the doings of the +Achwani of the Zauyah. Long before his arrival, however, Sidi Mustapha, +seeing the turn affairs were taking, went off to Augila, and did not +return until he heard of the coming of the _Assurance_, in which he +thought we would take our departure. Although the Achwani committed no +open act of hostility towards us, they caused us a great deal of trouble +indirectly, by interfering with our servants. Our principal servant, +Amor Bon Abdi Seyat, was bound to us by too secure a tenure to be much +affected by their opinions, as he not only received liberal and frequent +bakshish, but was, with his whole family, exempted from the payment of +the _miri_, or tribute, so long as he remained in our employment. Some +of the other servants, however, the Achwani threatened with their +vengeance if they remained longer in our service. They were particularly +bitter against an old woman, Fatima, who ground the corn and made the +bread of the establishment. Her services were absolutely indispensable, +inasmuch as an Arab, or even a negro, would rather eat raw corn or +starve than grind the wheat or barley himself. Of all employments, this +of grinding corn is peculiarly a woman’s, and is never done even by +boys. On the other hand, the sewing and washing of both men’s and +women’s clothes are done by the men. Fatima’s office of Nufaga being, +therefore one of the most important in our household, the Achwani made +special efforts to deprive us of her services, telling her that they +would cut her hands off after we were gone if she remained another day +with us. They even went beyond threats, for one day when she was at the +Zauyah for something or other, they got hold of her and gave her a +beating. As this was a more tangible offence than mere threats, we put +in force against them a law of retaliation recognized by the Arabs, by +which they were compelled to pay old Fatima the sum of twenty-five +dollars. + +With these exceptions our intercourse with the Arabs was usually of a +friendly nature. During the first two months of our stay at Cyrene, we +were greatly indebted to Mr. Cesareo, whose knowledge of the language +and acquaintance with the habits of the people were of the greatest +service. He left us to return to Benghazi, in the beginning of March, +after which time we had to transact our business with the Arabs in the +best way we could without assistance. Our transactions consisted chiefly +in making bargains for barley, wheat, butter, sheep, and bullocks. +Concluding a bargain was always a very tedious affair, and seeing it +properly carried out afterwards was much more so. One great cause of +this was the absence of any definite standard of measurement; the only +measure of capacity for both solids and liquids being the _wugga_, or +oke, which, however, was little more than a name, the wugga of one Arab +being sometimes half as much again as that of another. This, of course, +caused endless disputes; and as we found the oke daily becoming “small +by degrees and beautifully less,” we were obliged at last to adopt an +arbitrary wugga of our own. When this, after long opposition, was fairly +established, we were saved a great part of the previous trouble and +annoyance. + +The public disgrace of the Mudir had a very salutary effect on the +Arabs, and was, no doubt, one of the principal causes of their general +good behaviour toward us afterwards. Another was that they had gradually +become accustomed to our presence, and were less hostile in proportion +as we became better acquainted with each other. The tribes we met in +other parts of the country, and those from the southward, who came to +the neighbourhood of Cyrene late in the summer, took no pains to hide +their great hatred of the Nazarenes. The following is an instance of +this feeling. Some Arabs who were assembled in our tomb, were talking +about a report that had reached us of a violent earthquake in Malta and +Sicily, by which many thousand people had perished. One of the Arabs +present, on being told, in answer to a question, that all these people +were Christians, muttered in a low, expressive tone: “_El Hamdu +’lillah!_” (Praise be to God!) + +We gained considerable influence by our reputed skill as doctors, +although we disclaimed any pretensions to a knowledge of the healing +art. People came with diseases of every kind, in the expectation that +they were at once to be cured. Knowing nothing of the nature or causes +of disease, they look upon it as a supernatural visitation, and +therefore conclude that it is only to be abated or cured by supernatural +means, of which medicine and written charms (_kiteeba_) are the most +effectual. The latter, being altogether mysterious, are held in the +highest esteem. Owing to the ignorance of the people, the few among them +who can read and write are looked upon with a respect somewhat allied to +fear; and if, in addition to the accomplishments of reading and writing, +a man has the reputation of being a marabut, or saint, he is treated +with the greatest reverence. Such men are called _fikkis_, and not +unusually turn their reputation to good account by selling written +charms to their credulous clients. As we were often seen reading and +writing, the Arabs became fully convinced that we must be great fikkis, +although, as Christians, we could not have derived our power from the +proper quarter. Applications for kiteebas were, therefore, very +frequent, not only in cases of sickness, but also for the remedy of all +sorts of domestic troubles and grievances. A woman, for instance, came +for a kiteeba to enable her to retain the undivided affections of her +husband, and thereby restrain him from taking another wife. A man whose +hopes of marrying the object of his affections had been frustrated by +the enmity of her relations, wanted one to overcome their opposition and +secure the success of his suit. One young lady begged for a kiteeba that +would get her a husband, and another asked for one to prevent her being +married to a man she disliked. In vain we tried to persuade the people +that charms were valueless, and that the idea of their efficacy was kept +up by the fikkis solely for their own advantage. The belief in their +power was too deeply rooted to be shaken by anything we could say, and +our unwillingness to write them was attributed to mere churlishness. +This being the case, we were often obliged to act as sorcerers to get +rid of importunate applicants. In giving a kiteeba, we took care at the +same time to recommend the use of such natural means as we thought most +conducive to the desired result, and enforced our advice by saying, that +the kiteeba was so written that it could have no effect if the means +recommended were not adopted. If the desired result was obtained, the +success was, of course, ascribed to the virtue of the charm; and if not, +the failure was attributed to a final cause,—it was _mektub_, written as +the will of God in the Book of Fate. + +The wandering habits of the Bedouins are a necessary result of the form +of their property and of the physical condition of the country in which +they live. As the various tribes are in a perpetual state of feud or +open war among themselves, agriculture is but little attended to, and +property consists almost entirely of flocks and herds, which, being +moveable, are better adapted than crops to a lawless state of society. +For mutual protection, a number of families belonging to the same clan +or subdivision of a tribe live together and form an encampment, which +consists generally of from six to twelve tents, with one family in each. +The flocks belonging to the camp graze on the surrounding pastures, and, +during summer, drink the water that remains in the pools which form +during the rains in winter. In a short time the grass and water within a +convenient distance of the camp are consumed, and it becomes necessary +to move to another place. The tents are then struck, and, with the +smaller children and the few rude articles that belong to the household, +are carried by camels and oxen; the men mount their horses, and the +women follow on foot to drive the flocks. + +In fixing on a spot for a camp, two points have to be attended to; good +grazing-ground for the animals, and a sheltered and secluded position +for the tents. On this account a thicket of brushwood is frequently +selected, in the centre of which a space is cleared for the camp, and +enclosed by a rough fence of shrubs and branches, which keeps in the +cattle during the night, and serves to a great extent as a line of +defence, as it is impossible to pass it without attracting the attention +of the numerous watch-dogs on duty inside. + +These dogs bark all night without intermission, and give warning of the +approach of a stranger by a special howl of peculiar fierceness. One +would naturally imagine that a dog given to perpetual barking, and in +this respect like the boy in the fable who cried “wolf,” would be of +comparatively little value as a watch. The Arabs, however, think +otherwise. They say truly that if a dog barks all night he cannot +possibly fall asleep, and that the change in his bark on the approach of +an intruder is quite sufficient to arouse the soundest sleeper. His +usual bark is a warning to the enemy that the sentries within the camp +are awake, and to his master it is a perpetual report of “all’s well.” +The hoarse voices of the dogs, the plaintive grumbling of the camels, +and the bleating of scores of lambs and kids, joining with the shrill +cries of the surrounding jackals, form a midnight chorus the reverse of +musical. + +The flocks are generally tended by the young men and the children, while +the women are chiefly employed in grinding the barley for the use of the +family, churning butter, and weaving haircloth for tents and camel-bags. +In good years, that is, when there has been plenty of rain in winter and +spring, there is a considerable surplus of wheat and barley, which the +Arabs take for sale to Benghazi and Derna. Such, however, is their +improvidence, that little or no provision is made against a season of +drought, so that they are not unfrequently reduced to poverty and +starvation by the death of their cattle and the failure of the crops. In +ordinary years, a large quantity of butter is made. The only churn in +use is simply a goat-skin, which the women fill with milk and rock +backwards and forwards on their knees until the butter forms. The +buttermilk, called _Leben_, is one of the principal articles of food. +The butter (_Zibda_) when made, is melted in a pot, and salt added in +certain proportion. The curd part of the butter having sunk to the +bottom, the oily part is poured off into goat-skins prepared for the +purpose. This clarified butter, called _Semen_, is the only form in +which it is eaten by the Arabs, the _Zibda_ being considered unclean. It +is exported in large quantities to different parts of Turkey. + +The dish in most general use among the Arabs is a thick kind of barley +porridge called _Bazeen_, seasoned with whatever they happen to have at +the time. The favourite condiment, however, is red pepper of capsicums, +which they consume in astonishing quantities when they have an +opportunity. When they wish to be luxurious, or to do honour to a +stranger, some melted _Semen_ is poured into the middle of the dish, and +in this each guest dips the _bolus_ of bazeen which he has kneaded with +his fingers into convenient size and shape for swallowing. When the +dish, or rather trough, is cleared, copious draughts of _leben_ finish +the repast. + +A kind of unleavened bread is sometimes eaten, but as its preparation is +not so simple as the Bazeen, it is considered rather a luxury. It is +made in the following manner:—A large fire is kindled, and into it are +thrown a number of stones about the size of the fist; when they are +thoroughly heated, some of them are laid on the embers so as to form a +flat surface, on which the dough is placed and beaten out with the hand +to an average thickness of about an inch and a half. This cake is then +covered with the rest of the stones, and the red embers of the fire are +raked over the whole. In a few minutes the bread is cooked, and is eaten +at once before it cools. It is usually torn into small pieces, and +served up in a bazeen-dish with melted semen, in which form it is called +_Hobsa Mitruda_. + +Wheaten bread is very rarely eaten; but the mode of baking it deserves +notice. A large wide-mouthed earthen pot, called _Taboona_, is placed on +the ground, and a fire kindled inside and around it. The dough is +kneaded in the usual manner in a wooden dish, and formed into flat round +loaves about three-quarters of an inch in thickness, and six or eight +inches in diameter. The _Nufaga_ taking one of these in her hand, sticks +it against the inside of the taboona, to which it adheres until it is +baked. Bread made in this way is called _Hobsa Taboona_, and if +carefully baked and quite fresh is very palatable. + +Meat is never eaten except on such great occasions as a marriage feast, +or when it can be got for nothing. On such occasions it is devoured +alone without either salt or bread. Tea, coffee, and sugar, are all but +unknown. + +The tents are of very simple construction, consisting simply of a broad +piece of haircloth stretched over two upright poles. The two ends and +the back are usually pegged down pretty close to the ground, and the +front left open. The cloth is generally made up of alternate strips of +black and white or black and brown. The cords, as well as the cloth, are +made of hair. The tents contain nothing but the most indispensable +articles; such as water-skins, butter-skins, camel-bags, a hand mill, +wooden bazeen-dishes, &c. The beds, if there are any, are simply bits of +haircloth or matting spread on the floor, and the barracans, or _Jered_, +worn by day are the only bedclothes during the night. When the weather +is very cold, the Arabs have rather an ingenious way of keeping +themselves warm. They dig a space under their beds about six inches in +depth, and fill it up with stones that have been heated in the fire, +over which they spread some twigs and leaves, and the mat on which they +sleep. By this arrangement the beds are kept warm for several hours. + +[Illustration: PLATE 42.—INTERIOR OF MOHAMMED EL ADOULY’S TENT.] + +The affairs of state of a tribe are settled by a _Medjlis_ or general +assembly of all the men belonging to it. These assemblies are called on +even the most trivial occasions, and sometimes last for several days. +The speeches are generally confined to the sheikhs; but any one is at +liberty to give his opinion. There is no particular method in the way in +which they arrive at a conclusion. After a great deal of talking, the +general mind of the meeting seems to become understood, and action is +taken accordingly. With a few exceptions, the sheikhs do not seem to +possess the power or influence usually attributed to them. The original +signification of “_sheikh_” (pronounced _shaich_, _ch_ guttural), is +simply “_old man_.” + +The form of salutation among the Arabs is very peculiar. When two people +meet, they strike the palms of their hands against each other and kiss +them. Then commences a perfect torrent of questions on both sides +regarding each other’s welfare, but to which answers are never given: +such as, “Peace!” “Peace be with thee!” “How are you?” “How are you?” +“Peace!” “How are you?” “Peace be with thee!” “Are you very well?” +“Thanks be to God!” “How are you?” “Are you very well?” “What is your +colour?” “What is your colour?” “Peace be with thee!” and so on for +several minutes. After a pause, if they have nothing else to say, they +begin again _da capo_, “How are you?” &c., &c. One subject they are +never tired of asking about, viz., the price of grain, butter, and other +commodities at Benghazi and Derna. A man returning from either of these +places is therefore subjected by all the people he meets to a most +tedious cross examination on this interesting topic. Although they may +have asked the same questions immediately before, they receive the +answers with some such exclamation of surprise as Wallah! Mashallah! &c. +If you happen to be travelling from Benghazi, you get dreadfully “bored” +by the perpetual series of questions: “How much is barley?” “Ha, +Mashallah!” “How much is wheat?” “By God!” “How much is barley?” “God is +great!” “How much are bullocks?” “By God, it is good!” and so on until +you move off. Even then, however, so long as you are within earshot, the +same questions are shouted after you, so that just before you are +released by the distance from further interrogation, you may detect the +faint reply, “God is great!” and some such forgotten inquiry, as, “How +much are donkeys?” + +[Illustration: PLATE 43.—ARAB ARMS OF THE CYRENAICA.] + +The habit of swearing is very prevalent, the most trivial statements +being accompanied by the oath “_Wallah!_” or “_Wallahi!_” (By God!) If +the truth of the statement is doubted, this oath is repeated thrice in +succession with great emphasis: “Wallahi, Wallahi, Wallahi!” Its +impressiveness being much weakened by continual use, other forms of +asseveration are frequently added, such as: “Hakh El Senoussy!” (The +truth of Senoussy!), and even “Hakh Sidi Mustapha!” (The truth of Sidi +Mustapha!”), both of which expressions are considered much more solemn +by the Cyrene Arabs than the usual “Wallahi!” + +The universal use of firearms is caused in a great measure by the +prevalence of the law of retaliation, or _Vendetta_. If a man of one +tribe or camp is killed by a man of another, his friends endeavour to +avenge his death by killing the manslayer, or, failing him, any one +belonging to his camp. A man is, consequently, quite uncertain whether +every thicket he passes may not conceal an enemy lying in wait to take +his life, and he is therefore constantly armed for the purpose of acting +in self-defence. The wearing of arms has thus become almost a necessity. +The prohibition by the Government of the sale and use of firearms and +gunpowder is of no effect, owing to the want of power to enforce it. For +the same reason the Government takes no cognizance of any crimes but +such as directly interfere with the collection of the tribute; so that +the Arabs are left at perfect liberty to indulge their propensities for +murder, robbery, and theft as much as they please. Let the reader +imagine a country some miles in length, inhabited by a proud, passionate +race of barbarians, who are divided into innumerable tribes and +families, mutually jealous of each other, with no fixed dwelling-places, +and under no restraint from the force of public law,—and he will have a +fair idea of the state of Barbary at the present day. + +[Illustration: Pl. 44. + +WADY LEBAIATH, BETWEEN CYRENE AND APOLLONIA + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + + + + + CHAPTER X. + + +PREVIOUSLY to the arrival of the _Assurance_, we made several excursions +to different places in the Cyrenaica, the first of which was to Marsa +Sousah, for the purpose of examining the road, with a view to the future +transport of the Bacchus and other statues. Accompanied by Cesareo and +Amor, we started from Cyrene on the 14th of January, and reached Marsa +Sousah in four hours. The present Arab path follows the ancient road, +which is distinctly marked by the deep tracks of the chariot-wheels. +After crossing the lower plateau, the road approaches the head of the +Augubah, through a dense wood of juniper, carub, and olive trees; on +emerging from which it is carried across a sort of saddleback between +two exceedingly picturesque wadys, about 1,000 feet in depth. A sketch +of one of which is given in Plate 44. + +[Illustration: PLATE 45.—EASTERN CITY WALL AND RUINS OF APOLLONIA.] + +The remains of the ancient city of Apollonia are not of great interest, +and seem generally to belong to a comparatively late period. The city +wall can be easily traced throughout its circuit, some parts of it still +standing to a considerable height. Just outside the wall, on the eastern +side of the city, is a theatre in a very perfect state of preservation, +and within the wall the ground is almost covered with the ruins of +ancient buildings. Among these are the remains of two temples, +distinguishable by the heaps of fallen columns, capitals, and +architraves. Of the two, one is of white marble, and the other of a +coarse Cipollino marble streaked with green, which has probably given +rise to the erroneous report that large columns of _verde antico_ are to +be found among the ruins of Apollonia. In the immediate vicinity of the +city are a number of plain tombs cut in the rock, now used as grain- +stores by the few Greek traders who occasionally visit this place for +the purchase of the produce of the country. In a mass of ruins within +the city we found two Latin crosses engraved on blocks of marble, almost +the only decided relics of Christianity we met with in the Cyrenaica. On +the northern side of the city there were some ancient tanks, and traces +of an aqueduct could also be made out. The harbour, which is too small +and shallow for even the coasting vessels of the present day, is +protected from seaward by some rocky islets at its entrance. + +As we had no tent with us, we took up our quarters for the night in the +outer chamber of an ancient tomb, where we were visited in the evening +by a neighbour troglodyte, a skipper from Candia. He spoke the +inarticulate Turkish patois common to all Candiotes, and, although he +looked more like a Greek than a Turk, called himself a Mussulman. He was +buying up all the grain and butter he could get from the Arabs, while +waiting for his vessel, which was gradually collecting a cargo at +different places along the coast. Some of his sailors were with him to +assist in keeping guard at night, as the Arabs were continually on the +look-out for an opportunity of robbing him. He told us he had +established himself in a tomb with a single narrow entrance, so that he +could defend himself against considerable odds. We gave him some powder +and bullets, for which he was very thankful, as his stock was by this +time nearly expended. + +During the night we were aroused by a creeping, rustling sound close to +us, which made us instinctively seize our guns and revolvers. While +straining our eyes to detect an Arab assassin in the surrounding +darkness, the cause of alarm, in the form of a huge porcupine, suddenly +emerged from an inner chamber of the tomb, rushed through the +smouldering fire that was burning in front, and made his escape amid a +cloud of sparks and flame. + +Our friend the Candiote told us there was a much better anchorage than +Marsa Sousah at a place called Sousa Hamema, about fifteen miles to the +westward. On further inquiry regarding it, he said that its excellence +consisted in the fact that a vessel could _get away_ from it if a storm +came on from seaward, whereas it was almost impossible to beat out of +Marsa Sousah in the teeth of a northerly wind. We resolved to visit it +on the first favourable opportunity. + +We returned to Cyrene the following day in a perfect torrent of rain, +from which, however, we were well protected by our burnouses, which had +been equally serviceable as beds the night before. + +Shortly after this, we visited a place called Imghernis, spoken of by +the Arabs as full of ancient ruins. It is situated near the edge of the +upper plateau, about eight miles from Cyrene. A number of walls and +buildings are still standing, some of them to the height of about thirty +feet. They seem, however, to be of a late period, and almost no traces +of marble are to be seen. In the neighbourhood are a good many tombs, +both built and excavated, some of which are of evidently much earlier +date than the ruins of the town.[4] There were also several large +reservoirs cut in the rock, and roofed over with long flags of stone. + +On the occasion of a second visit which we paid to Imghernis some time +afterwards, we were greatly annoyed by a tribe of Arabs, who surrounded +us, and in the most dictatorial manner ordered us to leave the place. +They threatened to shoot us, and for some time seemed on the point of +actually trying to do so. Amor, however, meanwhile advised them for +their own sakes not to attempt violence, telling them quietly that all +who had in any way thwarted us at Cyrene, including the Mudir and Sidi +Mustapha himself, had suffered in consequence; and that they might rest +assured that the Consul at Benghazi would have ample vengeance for any +injury we might receive. After some time, they showed their faith in the +soundness of his advice by moving off; and although we remained at +Imghernis all night and part of next day, we saw no more of them. + +[Illustration: Pl. 46. + +RUINS OF IMGHERNIS + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +Our next excursion was to Derna; one object of our trip, among others, +being to pay a visit to Mr. De Fremeaux, the British vice-consul, who +had very kindly sent us from time to time such supplies as we required +which Derna could afford. We started with Cesareo from Cyrene on the +26th of February, taking with us Amor’s brother, Abderrahim, and a camel +to carry a tent and baggage. Two hours and a half after starting, we +passed a few indefinite ruins at a place called Labrak, the scene, some +thirty years ago, of the great battle between the tribes of Birasa and +Haasa, the former under their redoubtable Sheikh Bou Bakr Ben Hadood. +The Haasa were completely defeated, and 700 of them are said to have +been buried on the battle-field. + +An hour and a quarter further on, and a little to the left of the road, +are a few ruins called by the Arabs Gabiout Younes, where there is an +arched gateway of recent date still standing nearly perfect. About a +mile beyond, are the ruins of what seems to have been a place of some +importance, now called by the Arabs Tirt, where we found a small Zauyah, +containing a rude building used as a mosque. The Arabs who were +loitering about the place gave us a malicious scowl as we passed, but +did not interfere with us. No traces of architectural buildings were to +be seen. + +From Tirt we rode about seven miles through a wood of arbutus and +juniper, over a rough stony road, to Lamloudeh (Lebdis), where there are +the remains of a town of considerable extent. Among the ruins are a +number of very perfect arches and tombs, and also some large reservoirs +at which we watered the horses and filled our water-skins. From +Lamloudeh we continued our journey till sunset, when we halted for the +night, encamping on the side of a hill called Kubbeh, where we found two +fountains of good water, and some tombs excavated in the rock. + +The following morning we started early, and rode about ten miles over a +monotonous undulating country containing neither shrub nor tree. In this +plain we passed some ruins on a slight eminence, close to the road +called Beit Thamr, and a little further on, some tombs cut in the rock. +We then entered a wood of arbutus, juniper, and olive, which, with a few +breaks, extended to the head of the Augubah, where we first came within +view of the seashore, and in the distance, away to the eastward, the +town of Derna. The neighbouring hills are perfectly bare, so that the +town, with its luxuriant date-gardens, forms quite an oasis in the stony +desert around. The Augubah is similar to that of Marsa Sousah, being in +fact part of the same range of mountains. The descent is very steep, and +in some places where the surface of the rock has been worn smooth, it is +very difficult for the horses to keep their feet. We got to the plain at +the bottom in half an hour, after which we had a two hours’ ride over +loose stones and shingle before we reached the town. The whole distance +from Cyrene is sixteen hours, or about fifty miles. + +On our arrival we were most hospitably received by Mr. De Fremeaux, who +kindly furnished us with quarters at his house. He had himself arrived +only a month before to succeed Mr. Aquilina, who had occupied the post +of unpaid consular agent at Derna for upwards of a quarter of a century, +during which time he was generally the only European in the place. In +the course of the evening we were visited by the Kolaghassi (Major) +commanding the troops, and the recently appointed Mudir, to whom we had +given a passage in the _Boxer_ from Tripoli to Benghazi. The Kolaghassi, +who indulged in an amount of snuff perfectly astonishing, seemed, from +the compound effect of tobacco and raki, to be in an incipient state of +_delirium tremens_. The Mudir, an Albanian by birth, had spent the last +twenty years in Barbary and Fezzan. Both were profuse in their offers of +friendship, and the Mudir, on returning to the castle, sent us as a +present a Roman silver coin and a small silver sphinx which had been +found in the neighbourhood. + +The town of Derna, with its gardens, covers a small triangular plain, +formed by a projection of the seashore from the base of the range of +hills already so frequently referred to. The shingly bed of a deep wady, +which recedes several miles into the range, divides the small plain and +the town into two distinct portions. On the eastern side are the two +villages of Upper and Lower Bou Mansour; and on the western, a village +on a spur of the hills called Il Maghar, Derna proper lying immediately +below, and a small detached village, called Gebéli, near the projecting +headland. The whole assemblage of villages constitutes the town of +Derna, which is supposed to occupy the site of the ancient Darnis. The +remains of a few ancient walls may be traced in different parts of the +town; and the name of the village on the spur, Il Maghar (the cave or +rock-tomb), denotes the existence there of ancient sepulchres. + +The beauty and fertility of the little plain of Derna are owing to the +copious stream of fresh water which flows down the bed of the wady. Some +two or three miles above the town the water is collected into an +artificial aqueduct, by which it is led into the town, and thence +distributed over the surrounding fields and gardens by means of small +lateral branches. To insure the regular supply to every man’s property, +a “Chief of the Water” is appointed, whose duty it is to see that a +supply is sent to every district in succession, and to prevent any one +from diverting for his own use the stream that for the time belongs to +his neighbour. Water-stealing is very properly considered a serious +crime, and is punished accordingly. + +The houses are built with lime, and are altogether much superior to +those of Benghazi. Most of them, too, are whitewashed, which gives the +town a clean, wholesome appearance. Derna proper is surrounded on all +sides by luxuriant gardens, and appeared to us a perfect Paradise after +the wild and uncultivated country we had been accustomed to; but whether +a stranger, coming direct from Malta or Candia, would be equally struck +with its beauty it is difficult to say. Fruits and vegetables of all +kinds grow in abundance, particularly dates, melons, figs, grapes, +pomegranates, and bananas. The thick groves of tall palm-trees form a +conspicuous and beautiful feature in the scene. + +The town contains a large mosque, a bath, a market-place, a small +bazaar, and a castle built at the same time as those of Merdj and +Ghegheb. There is a considerable export trade in grain, butter, and +wool, chiefly to Canea, in Crete. In the bazaar are shops or stalls of +different kinds, most of which belong to Jews. The town Arabs being to +some extent civilized, look down on their brethren, the Bedouins of the +country, and think them fair game for any amount of deception and +practical joking. An instance of this occurred in the case of our camel- +driver. While lounging about the bazaar, an auctioneer showed him a pair +of pistols he was selling at the time, and asked him what he thought of +them. “Wallah! zain” (By God! good), was the reply. In a short time the +auctioneer returned, bawling out a large price as the last bid, and +handing the pistols to the camel-driver, again asked his opinion of +their quality. “Wallah! zain!” repeated the camel-driver. “Well, no one +has bid higher than you, so here they are, and give me the money.” “But +I never bid for them at all! I have no money to buy such pistols as +these!” “No money! Never bid! Did you not say ‘Wallah! zain!’ when I bid +a price for you? Wallahi! if you do not pay you go to prison.” The other +Arabs in the bazaar took up the chorus, “Wallahi! you shall go to +prison. We’ll have none of your Bedouin tricks here!” and to the castle +prison he was hauled off accordingly. He was, of course, released when +his companion, Abderrahim, came and told us of his misfortune. + +[Illustration: Pl. 47. + +DERNA + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +We returned the visit of the Mudir, and also called on the Kolaghassi, +who told us that if we would come to the castle the next day he would +have the troops turned out and put through their drill in our presence. +He considered himself a great tactician, and showed us a Turkish book on +military movements, illustrated with diagrams, by the study of which he +said he had acquired his proficiency. When we went to the castle on the +following morning, after the usual pipes and coffee, he showed us the +barrack-rooms, &c., which were all in very good order. He pointed out +with great pride some fantastic arabesques in red and black with which +the white-washed walls were covered, informing us that they were all +designed by himself. They forcibly reminded us of the way in which a +small boy delights to ornament a blank wall with a piece of chalk. The +two companies of infantry were by this time drawn up for inspection. +Their clothing was certainly not of the best quality, but their arms +were good and in excellent condition. Some manœuvres were then executed +in an open space in front of the castle. The men drilled very steadily, +although impeded in their movements by the clumsy formation of three +ranks, and the interference of the supernumeraries, whose chief +occupation seemed to consist in kicking the shins of the men in the rear +rank. + +On the last day of our stay we rode about five miles up the wady, +accompanied by Mr. de Fremeaux. The sides are very steep, and in many +places quite perpendicular; and the stream which flows along the bed +causes a luxuriant growth of reeds and oleanders, which give the ravine +a most picturesque appearance. + +[Illustration: PLATE 48.—CASTLE OF DERNA.] + +Before leaving Derna we examined the shops in the bazaar and bought +everything useful we could find. On the fourth day after our arrival we +left for Cyrene, which we reached without incident the following day. It +was during our absence that our workmen made the first discoveries of +sculpture at the Temple of Apollo. + +On the 3rd of April we visited Sousah Hamema (Phycus), the anchorage +spoken of by the Candiote skipper. It is confounded by Beechey with +Apollonia, which he calls Marsa Sousah Hamema. The one place is Marsa +Sousah and the other Sousah Hamema, so named from the number of rock- +pigeons (hamem) which frequent its neighbourhood. The distance from +Cyrene, seven hours or twenty-one miles, was greater than we had been +led to believe. From the foot of the Cyrene range we crossed the lower +plateau in a north-western direction, and descended the Augubah to the +plain on the shore by a steep rocky tract exactly similar to those on +the roads to Marsa Sousah and Derna. About two hours to the westward of +this point, we reached Sousah Hamema, which occupies the point called +Ras Sem, a name which seems to have become obsolete, as none of the +Arabs we spoke to were acquainted with it. The harbour is simply a small +bay not half a mile wide, and perfectly open to the north. We found a +small schooner from Canea at anchor outside. Remains of buildings were +to be seen on both sides of the bay, and also a considerable number of +rock tombs. The eastern side, however, which contained the greater +number of these, was occupied by one of those pests of Barbary, a +Zauyah, which prevented our making an examination of it. As there was +nothing of interest to detain us, we left in the evening to return to +Cyrene. Night overtook us in the plain at the foot of the Augubah; but +after dark we saw at some distance the light of a fire, which guided us +to an Arab camp, where we passed the night. The following day we +returned to Cyrene by a path some five or six miles to the eastward of +the one by which we had gone to Sousah Hamema the day before. In +traversing the lower plateau, both going and coming, we very often +passed the traces of ancient roads, and the remains of tombs and other +buildings, which clearly showed that the whole plain had at a former +period been thickly inhabited. + +Having now examined the sites of all the cities of the Pentapolis except +Teuchira and Ptolemais, we proposed to visit those places before the hot +weather set in for the summer. The month of April is by far the most +agreeable season for travelling in this part of Africa. The water which +has collected here and there during the winter is not yet dried up by +the heat of the sun, so that a sufficient quantity for replenishing the +water-skins can always be obtained without much trouble. The heavy rains +which make a winter journey so unpleasant, are by this time past, the +weather is cool and bright, and the country is covered with a varied +vegetation which adds greatly to the beauty of the scenery. Later in the +year, the traveller would fail to recognize many a lovely valley which +he had admired only a month or two before. + +We left Cyrene on the 13th of April, accompanied by Amor and three of +his friends in the capacity of guides and escort, with a camel to carry +our tent, bedding, and provisions. Taking the road to Merdj and +Benghazi, we passed close to the Zauyah El Beidah and along the +beautiful Wady Il Aggur to Gusr Biligadem, where we encamped for the +night. Many parts of the road, and particularly the eight or nine miles +through the Wady Il Aggur, were rich and beautiful beyond description. +Trees and shrubs were in full bloom, and flowers of endless variety hung +in clusters from the branches of the trees, twined up the faces of the +cliffs, and covered the fresh greensward at our feet, filling the air +with the most delicious perfume. Roses, honeysuckle, myrtle, and +oleander grew in great profusion. The country sometimes appeared a +literal bed of roses. + +While riding along the wady, we noticed that the partridges, when +disturbed, had the peculiar habit of alighting on trees, in which +position we shot three or four of them. + +Our next day’s journey was also through a very fine country, the road +passing over a succession of hills and valleys. The hills were generally +overgrown with juniper, arbutus, and brushwood, with occasionally trees +of larger growth, such as the oak, the carub or locust-tree, and the +olive; and the valleys were either sown with grain or left fallow for +pasture. After travelling eight hours and a half, we pitched our tent in +a gully near an Arab camp, where we were soon joined by a large party of +Arabs on their way to Benghazi. They were all very civil, and the women +in the camp prepared a huge dish of bazeen for our supper, besides +supplying us liberally with water and leben. We shared with the company +the partridges we had shot, and gave them what they had never seen +before,—a cup of tea. The partridges were cooked _au naturel_ in a very +primitive manner, being simply thrown into the fire as they were, +feathers and all. + +It may be mentioned here that the Arabs are much more scrupulous than +the Turks regarding the sin of eating unclean animals, or such as have +not been killed by a Mahommedan according to the requirements of the +Koran. When an animal is to be killed, the operator, before cutting its +throat, turns its head in the direction of Mecca, and invokes a +blessing. The short prayer, the look towards the Gibli, and the letting +of blood afterwards, are the three essential forms which must in all +cases be complied with. The attention paid to this law was of great +convenience to us when shooting in the company of our Arab attendants, +as it saved us the trouble of picking up the game we killed. Whenever a +bird fell, one of the Arabs was sure to rush after it, knife in hand, to +take its life in an orthodox manner before it had given its final kick. +They could thus partake with a clear conscience of what we had shot +during the day; otherwise they had to content themselves with a piece of +dry bread or biscuit for dinner. The Arabs themselves hardly ever shoot, +powder and lead being much too valuable to throw away on any game less +noble than man. + +About half an hour after starting on the following morning, the 15th, we +came to a group of ancient wells, some four or five in number, called +the “Libiar Il Gharib.” They were carefully lined with masonry, and +contained a good supply of excellent water. Many such wells and cisterns +still exist as the monuments of a former age; but, with a few rare +exceptions, they are now choked up and dilapidated. We halted here for +about an hour to draw water for the camel and the horses, and to let the +Arabs have their breakfast. From Il Gharib the same hilly country +continued for about three hours, after which the road emerged on the +large plain of Bograta, which is surrounded by hills, and contains a few +half-ruined wells. We halted a few minutes at a camp near the end of the +plain, where we drank camel’s milk for the first time. It is considered +wholesome, but is certainly not very palatable, as it tastes somewhat +like cow’s milk mixed with salt. Leaving Bograta, the road led through a +gorge in the mountains, from the mouth of which we looked down upon the +great plain of Merdj, stretching away to the south and west as far as +the eye could reach. + +We had heard from Benghazi that our old friend Hadji Achmet Bin ’l Agha +had resigned his governorship, and was at Benghazi on his way home; so +that, on our arrival at the castle in the afternoon, we were most +agreeably surprised to find him back again as hearty and hospitable as +ever. He gave us a most cordial welcome, and seemed truly delighted to +see us. He had none of the ceremonial politeness so common in the East, +but was really a downright honest, good-hearted fellow, a perfect John +Bull, both in appearance and disposition. + +As it was past noon when we arrived, we stayed all night at the castle, +where, besides Hadji Achmet himself, we found the newly-appointed Mudirs +of Ghegheb and Derna and a military kaimacam, who had been sent from +Tripoli as receiver-general of the miri, or tribute, from the country +east of Benghazi. They were accompanied by Suliman Captan, one of the +most remarkable men in the country. He was the grandson of a Scotch +captain, who had turned Mahommedan, and settled in Tripoli, where he +became a sort of admiral under the Beys of the Karamanli dynasty. +Suliman Captan was Mudir of Ghegheb immediately before Lemin Ben Sitewi, +and during his tenure of office acquired a great reputation for the +courageous manner in which he kept the Arabs under his control. The +tribes about Cyrene still retained a lively recollection of his own +rule. On one occasion, however, his boldness nearly cost him his life. A +tribe of Arabs having refused to pay their miri, he went to their camps, +attended by only eight soldiers, to insist upon payment. Thinking this a +favourable opportunity for paying off many an old score, the tribe +surrounded him in overpowering numbers, determined to take his life. +Nothing daunted, he cut his way through the whole mob, and succeeded in +gaining the castle, although with no less than four bullets in his body. +A broad scar right across his forehead marks the track of a ball from +which he can have escaped with his life only by a hair’s breadth. + +The new Mudir of Ghegheb, as we were informed by a letter from Mr. +Crowe, had received the most stringent orders from the Kaimacam to +attend to our requisitions, and afford us every assistance in his power. +He seemed a weak, mild individual, not at all fitted for the difficult +task of extracting the due amount of tribute from the unruly tribes he +had to deal with, and still less to be of much use to us, should we ever +have occasion to require his intervention on our behalf. We were told by +Hadji Achmet that the Pacha of Tripoli, aware of his weakness, had +appointed as his official adviser the famous Bou Bakr Ben Hadood, the +head of the large tribe of Birasa, who had been governor of the Ghegheb +district for many years, both under the Karamanlis and the Turks. On our +return to Cyrene, we found that this appointment had stirred up the +wrath of our neighbours, the Haasa, who had never forgiven Bou Bakr for +their signal defeat by him at Labrak. Their mutual hatred and fear gave +rise, as we shall presently see, to serious disturbances. + +[Illustration: PLATE 49.—ARAB CAMP NEAR TEUCHIRA.] + +We remained at Merdj till the middle of the following day, when we +started for Teuchira. The road led, in a north-western direction, from +the castle over a level grassy plain, which gradually sloped up to the +brink of the Augubah, near which we pitched our tent for the night, +close to an Arab encampment. The country was better cultivated and more +thickly inhabited than any part of the Cyrenaica we had yet seen. Early +next morning, the 17th, we descended the Augubah by a much better road +than those at Marsa Sousah and Derna, and reached the ruins of Teuchira +in about two hours, the distance from Merdj being altogether about +eight. We encamped in one of the large quarries, to the eastward of the +city. + +Teuchira, named by the Ptolemies, Arsinoë, is now called Tocra, an +Arabic corruption of its original name. It stands on the sea-shore, +about two miles from the foot of the Augubah, and about 38 miles from +Benghazi (Hesperis). The remains of the ancient city are of +comparatively little interest, and consist for the most part of +indefinite heaps of ruined buildings belonging to the period of the +Roman occupation of the country. The city wall, rebuilt by the Emperor +Justinian, is in good preservation, and in many places still stands to +its original height. In its circuit of nearly a mile and a half, there +are altogether twenty-six quadrangular towers, which project from the +general line of the wall, for the purpose of flank defence. Within the +walls, we could distinguish the sites of several temples and churches, +in one of which we observed a Greek cross deeply engraved on a stone; +but not a vestige of marble was anywhere to be seen. Outside the city +are a number of quarries, in the sides of which there are many excavated +tombs. These are generally plain chambers, devoid of ornament of any +kind; a few, however, are painted, and some of them contain inscriptions +cut on small faces sunk in the face of the rock, which have a remarkable +resemblance to mural tablets in churches at the present day. + +[Illustration: Pl. 50. + +RUINS OF PTOLEMAIS + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +The country in the vicinity abounded with partridges, quail, snipe, +pigeons, and doves. The weather on the day of our arrival was very +disagreeable, squalls and heavy showers coming on at frequent intervals. +Next day, the 18th, was little better; but as we had passed a most +comfortless and sleepless night amid swarms of fleas, and as nothing of +interest remained to be seen, we started about mid-day for Tolmeitah +(Ptolemais). + +There was a very fair road following the line of the shore the whole +way. We saw no remarkable ruins, although we occasionally passed the +remains of ancient buildings. Towards evening we came within view of a +high building that marks from a great distance the situation of +Tolmeitah. As we approached, we found that it was a large tomb of +excellent construction, about half a mile to the westward of the city. +It was now getting dark, and we pitched our tent in an ancient quarry +between the large tomb and the western gate of the city, choosing this +spot, as at Tocra, on account of the shelter it afforded from the wind. +The distance from Tocra was altogether seven hours and a half, or about +twenty-five miles. Some Arabs, who had halted for the night in the next +quarry to ours, were very anxious to sell us part of a dead camel, and +seemed quite astonished when we told them we would not have it if they +offered it for nothing. The animal they said had broken down, and they +had cut its throat “to save its life,” so that the flesh was perfectly +good for food. + +The two following days were spent in examining the ruins under the +guidance of the Arabs of a small encampment we found near the foot of +the hills. We were sorry to hear from them that we had just missed +meeting an English man-of-war, which had anchored off Tolmeitah the day +before our arrival. From their description we conjectured rightly that +it was the _Medina_, Captain Spratt, then surveying the coast, +preparatory to the laying of the Malta and Alexandria telegraph cable. +Three of the officers, accompanied by an interpreter, had landed and +remained on shore half the day. + +The position of Ptolemais is very similar to that of Teuchira and +Apollonia, the only difference being that at Ptolemais the ground rises +more rapidly from the shore to the foot of the hills, which at this +point come to within a mile and a quarter from the coast. The city, +which is nearly square in form, occupies the whole breadth of the slope +between the hills and the sea, and is inclosed by walls which can still +be distinctly traced. The great gateway in the western wall is still +standing, and is remarkable for the excellence of its masonry. It is +built of massive ashlar-work without mortar, the stones of which are +laid in alternate courses of “headers” and “stretchers,” like English +bond brickwork. The faces of the stones are roughly dressed, and the +joints deeply sunk like the “rustic” work of the present day. The +otherwise unbroken surface of the walls is thereby relieved, and the +general appearance of the building greatly improved. + +The eastern wall of the city follows the side of a small ravine leading +to the sea from one of the Wadys in the range of hills above. At a point +nearly opposite the centre of the wall, this ravine is spanned by the +arch of a bridge still standing, which appears to have been built for an +aqueduct, which we could trace distinctly for some distance from the +city. Within the walls the aqueduct led in the direction of a series of +enormous reservoirs near the centre of the city, which were pointed out +to us by one of the Arabs. Guided by him, we crept underground through a +small opening into a chamber, about one hundred feet long and twenty +feet broad, completely arched over, from which we passed through a +series of about half a dozen similar vaults, all of apparently the same +size, and connected with each other by doorways in the walls below the +springing of the semicircular arches of the roofs. They were beautifully +built of ashlar-work, and lined with cement, but were so filled up with +rubbish that we could not make out either their exact length or their +number, as only parts of them were clear enough to allow a passage. In +one or two of them there was a little water, to which some goats had +found their way by a larger opening than that by which we entered. They +were, doubtless, built by the Romans, and must have been of the greatest +benefit to the city, as the country along the shore is much more liable +to droughts than the high land beyond the Augubah. “We are informed,” +says Beechey, “that the town of Ptolemeta suffered at one time so +severely from want of water, that the inhabitants were obliged to +relinquish their houses and disperse themselves about the country in +different directions. The reparation of the aqueducts and cisterns of +the town, which, it seems, had fallen into decay, restored Ptolemeta to +its former flourishing state; and this act is recorded among many others +of a similar nature performed at the command of Justinian in the eulogy +of that emperor by Procopius. As Ptolemeta is unprovided with springs, +the care of its reservoirs and aqueducts must have been at all times +peculiarly essential; and we find that its buildings of this class are +among the most perfect of its existing remains.” + +[Illustration: PLATE 51.—GATEWAY IN THE WESTERN WALL OF PTOLEMAIS.] + +Close by the entrance to the reservoirs stand three Ionic columns, the +most conspicuous objects among the ruins of the city. They seem to have +formed part of a colonnade which surrounded a space paved with mosaic +immediately over the reservoirs. There are some Corinthian and Doric +columns lying on the ground, which also appear to have formed part of +the same colonnade. There is no trace of building within the inclosure. + +Between the reservoirs and the sea are the remains of a very large +building, the walls of which are still standing to a considerable +height, although there is nothing left to denote with certainty what the +nature of the building was. It may, very probably, have been a Roman +bath. + +[Illustration: Pl. 52. + +TOMBS TO THE WESTWARD OF PTOLEMAIS + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +[Illustration: Pl. 53. + +PTOLEMAIS. PLAN OF A CONSPICUOUS TOMB ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE CITY. +BY COMMANDER E. A. PORCHER R.N. + +Day & Son, Lith. to the Queen] + +Close to where the western wall touches the shore, there is a small +harbour protected by a projecting point of land, and a small rocky +island, which were at one time connected by an artificial pier. The +space thus inclosed is so shallow, and so limited in extent, that it can +only have been available for a few light vessels. + +Of all the remains of Ptolemais, the most prominent is the large tomb to +the westward of the city, which we passed on the evening of our arrival +(Plates 52 and 53). It is 55 feet in height, and is still in very +perfect condition. It is built on a square platform of rock with scarped +sides, about five or six feet above the surrounding ground, and contains +a central chamber which occupies the whole length of the tomb, with +lateral recesses for the reception of the sarcophagi. Close to the +entrance is a staircase, which we found sufficiently perfect to enable +us to climb to the top. In the neighbourhood are a number of quarries +containing excavated tombs similar to those at Teuchira, many of which +have the names of the occupants inscribed on the face of the rock. + +[Illustration: PLATE 54.—INSCRIPTIONS OVER THE ENTRANCES TO THE TOMBS AT +PTOLEMAIS.] + +Our last night at Ptolemais was a very uncomfortable one, on account of +a very strong gibli, or southerly wind, which nearly choked us with +clouds of dust and sand, and necessitated our turning out every half- +hour to hammer in the pegs of the tent. We packed up at daybreak, and +after paying a last visit to the ruins, started for Merdj about the +middle of the day on the 21st. After riding about two miles to the +westward of the city, we turned up one of the wadys to our left, and +commenced the ascent of the Augubah. The strong gibli was still blowing, +so that although we were greatly sheltered by the range of hills, it +made our journey very fatiguing and unpleasant. When about half-way up, +we found that our guides had mistaken the path, and brought us to a +regular _cul de sac_, from which there was no exit but by returning as +we came, or climbing what appeared the insurmountable hill in front. We +chose the latter alternative, and after nearly an hour’s exertions, +reached the top with our horses, where we lay down under some bushes to +wait for the camel. We soon found, however, that it was impossible to +get him up, so we left the drivers to seek the proper pass, while we +rode on in the direction of Merdj. It was difficult to find a way across +country among the almost impassable wadys by which we were surrounded; +but after a two hours’ ride we had the satisfaction of seeing before us +the great plain of Merdj, dotted over with Arab camps. Thoroughly +parched by the exertion of climbing, and the burning heat of the gibli, +we hurried to the nearest tents for something to quench our thirst. The +cool fresh leben, which was readily offered us by the women, was +peculiarly refreshing. + +A little after sunset we reached the castle, where we were greeted by +the cheery welcome of our kind friend Hadji Achmet. A really sumptuous +dinner of bread, rice, mutton, and eggs, was soon prepared and most +heartily partaken of. Fatigued as we were with a hard day’s work after a +sleepless night, we thoroughly enjoyed the luxury of sleeping on the +soft bed-quilts so mindfully provided by our host. + +The camel with our baggage arrived the following day at 11 o’clock; and +about the same time Amor, whom we had sent with letters from Teuchira to +Benghazi, made his appearance. As there was now nothing to detain us, we +started at three in the afternoon for Cyrene, after taking leave of +Hadji Achmet, who, as usual, loaded us with presents of corn and +provisions. The hot gibli was now blowing more fiercely than ever, and +felt as if it came from the mouth of a furnace. The air was so thick +with impalpably fine sand that even the sun was invisible. Several +square miles of the plain around us were covered with magnificent crops +of nearly full-grown wheat, which I found, on a subsequent visit, were +utterly destroyed by this day’s gibli. Between nine and ten o’clock we +reached the Libiar Il Gharib, near which we passed the night in a hollow +of the rock, which was preferable to the tent during the hot wind. +Wrapped up in our burnouses, we slept soundly, notwithstanding the rain +which came on in the night, and from which the overhanging rock only +partially sheltered us. The following day we continued our journey, and +encamped at night at our old halting-place, Gusr Biligadem. The gibli +had by this time given way to a fresh cool breeze from the north, which +completely transformed the aspect of the country. Next day (the 24th) we +reached our quarters at Cyrene, glad to find ourselves again at home. +During our absence of twelve days, we had travelled over about 250 +miles, the distance in hours being as follows:— + + From Cyrene to Zauyah El Beidah 3½ hours. + + „ „ Gusr Biligadem 9 „ + + „ „ Gusr Merdj 25 „ + + „ Merdj to Teuchira 7¾ „ + + „ Teuchira to Ptolemais 7½ „ + + „ Ptolemais to Merdj 5½ „ + + „ Merdj to Libiar Il Gharib 7 „ + + „ „ Gusr Biligadem 16 „ + +During the fortnight that elapsed between our return to Cyrene and the +arrival of the _Assurance_, a serious disturbance arose in the country, +caused, as already mentioned, by the appointment of Bou Bakr Ben Hadood +as the official adviser and associate of the new Mudir of Ghegheb. +According to custom, the sheikhs of the different tribes, and among +others the ten sheikhs of the Haasa, among whom we lived, went to the +castle to pay their respects to the newly-appointed governor. Before +this time, however, Bou Bakr had told the Mudir that the Haasa sheikhs +were a rebellious, turbulent set, whom he should seize and imprison on +the first favourable opportunity. Their coming to the castle on a +peaceful errand was accordingly taken advantage of for carrying this +sage advice into execution. The men of the tribe, on learning that their +sheikhs had fallen into the power of their old enemy, appealed to us for +assistance, and requested us to write to the consul at Benghazi, to +obtain the liberation of their chiefs. We told them that, as the matter +in no way concerned ourselves or any one in our service, it was +impossible for us to interfere. They thereupon called a medjlis, or +assembly of the whole tribe, in which it was determined to release the +sheikhs by force before further evil should befall them. They +accordingly assembled, to the number of about 1,000, in the +neighbourhood of the castle, and attacked it at midnight. The gate soon +yielded to their blows, and the garrison was at their mercy. Some firing +had meantime taken place, in which six Arabs and two soldiers were +killed or wounded. The prisoners were immediately released; but the +castle was searched in vain for Bou Bakr, who had wisely retired the day +before to the camps of his own tribe of Birasa. + +The sheikhs, however, were no sooner at liberty than they began to +reflect on the unpleasant position they were placed in by the rash zeal +of their followers. The Sultan’s castle had been attacked, and the +Sultan’s soldiers killed; and although they themselves had been +prisoners at the time, they knew that it would be vain to disavow their +complicity in the act of their tribe. Such an open and violent insult to +the Government must, they feared, be in some way avenged by the Pacha, +who might possibly send hosts of soldiers to exterminate the tribe. At +all events, they would suffer severely by being excluded from their only +markets, Benghazi and Derna, by the fear of their falling into the hands +of the Pacha. A Medjlis was called to deliberate on their difficulties, +at which it was determined to make a second application to us for +assistance. The sheikhs accordingly came to our quarters, and in the +name of the whole tribe begged us to intercede in their behalf. They +urged that they had been imprisoned simply to gratify Bou Bakr, and for +no offence of their own; nevertheless, that, to preserve the peace, they +had represented to the Mudir that they could not answer for the +consequences if at least one of their number were not allowed out of +prison to control the passions of the Arabs, while the remaining nine +were retained as hostages. As this was refused, and they were all kept +in close confinement, they knew nothing of what was going on until they +heard the firing and battering at the gate of the Castle during the +assault. It would, therefore, be unjust to punish them for a crime of +which they were perfectly innocent, and it would even be hard to hold +the tribe responsible for its actions when suddenly and treacherously +deprived of the advice and guidance of their only chiefs. It was +certainly wrong to attack the Castle; but what was to be expected in the +circumstances; and had they not warned the Mudir of the consequences of +his own act? Besides, by appealing to us in the first instance, the +tribe had taken the only peaceable means they had of obtaining the +release of their sheikhs. + +We asked them why they did not tell or write all this to the Pacha, who +was the proper judge of their conduct. Their answer was, “You know +yourselves well enough what the result would be; our remonstrances would +never be listened to, and we or our messengers would only be seized and +imprisoned with irons: our only hope in a case like this is in the +Consul.” We said that if the Consul interfered, the Pacha had a perfect +right to say, “Are the Haasa Arabs Englishmen? This is none of your +business.” “There is no chance,” replied they, “of his saying anything +of the kind; when the Consul speaks, the Pacha must obey.” + +As we knew very well that the Pacha had not the power to punish the +tribe, we thought it probable that he would be glad of any excuse for +saving his dignity by pardoning the offence. We therefore believed that +our intercession would be as welcome on the one side as on the other; +and, if successful, that it would be most useful to ourselves, by +establishing our influence over the tribe in whose country we resided. + +Mr. Crowe having left for England, we wrote to the above effect to Mr. +Aquilina, then acting as vice-consul at Benghazi, and requested him to +use his own discretion in bringing the matter before the Kaimacam. He +immediately called at the Castle, and read a translation of our letter +to the Kaimacam, who, as we had conjectured, readily promised to pardon +the tribe. We soon after received a letter from the Kaimacam himself, +informing us that, in consequence of our intercession, he had been +pleased to forgive the Haasa the very serious crime of which they had +been guilty, on condition of their good behaviour and prompt payment of +the Miri in future. + +This letter reached us soon after the arrival of the _Assurance_, when +Mr. De Fremeaux was with us on a visit from Derna. Immediately after its +receipt, we summoned the sheikhs to a meeting, at which Mr. De Fremeaux +read and explained the letter of the Kaimacam. Highly delighted with the +happy termination of their difficulties, they were profuse in their +expressions of thanks, and said that they and their tribe were now our +servants for ever. + +Immediately after our return from Ptolemais, and before the above +disturbances took place, we went to pay a visit to the Mudir at Ghegheb, +where we also found Bou Bakr and some of his sons. Although nearly +seventy years of age, he seemed as strong and active as a man of thirty. +It is said that although Cyrene was the site selected for the existing +castle, Bou Bakr, who was Mudir at the time of its erection, had it +built, for obvious reasons, in the territory of his own tribe at +Ghegheb. It is exactly similar in construction to the Castle of Merdj, +and stands on a slight eminence in a sheltered position surrounded by +hills. The country in the neighbourhood is bare and desolate; the only +recommendation of the site being an abundant spring of excellent water, +which issues from the rock under the southern wall of the Castle. About +seven miles and a half from Cyrene, we passed a most remarkable place, +called by the Arabs Safsaf, where there are a number of reservoirs +similar to those at Ptolemais, but on a much larger scale. One of them, +which is cut in the rock and lined with cement, is about sixty yards in +length, and is still in very perfect condition. It is covered with a +continuous semicircular arch, which springs from near the ground-line. +Although in a great measure filled up, it contained a large quantity of +water when we saw it. These cisterns appear to have been built by the +Romans for the supply of Cyrene, as an aqueduct may be traced a great +part of the way to the large reservoirs, also Roman, at the south-east +corner of the city. Safsaf was evidently chosen as the site of the +waterworks of Cyrene on account of its position, which is rather above +the level of the city, and is surrounded by higher ground, which could +be easily drained into the reservoirs. The distance is considerable; but +there is no other point nearer Cyrene so well adapted for the purpose. + +[Illustration: Pl. 55. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF THE LARGE TEMPLE AT THE N.E. END OF THE CITY NEAR THE +STADIUM. BY COMMANDER E. A. PORCHER R.N. + +_Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen_] + + + + + CHAPTER XI. + + +IT will be remembered that while the _Assurance_ was with us, seven +blacks, sent by Mr. Aquilina, arrived from Benghazi, and assisted in the +transport of the statues. With these men we recommenced work on the 9th +of June, by beginning the excavation of the large temple in the eastern +part of the city, near the Stadium. The site seemed very promising, both +on account of the extent and the apparently undisturbed state of the +remains of the building. In fact, we had been prevented solely by want +of workmen from digging here long before, as the temple was by far the +largest, if not the most important, in Cyrene. We began as usual at the +western end of the building, where we soon came to a large pedestal, 20 +feet square, and 10 feet in height above the pavement. The total length +of the temple, which consisted of _Pronaos_, _Cella_, and _Posticum_, +was 169½ feet, by 58 feet in breadth. The interior of the _Cella_, 108 +feet in length, was ornamented on each side with a marble colonnade of +the Corinthian order. The bases of most of the columns were found _in +situ_ on square pedestals, projecting from the lateral walls. They were +two feet in diameter, with an intercolumniation of seven feet. The wall +of the _Cella_ was built of stones of immense size, the surface of some +of them measuring upwards of 40 square feet. Enough of the wall was left +to show the manner in which it was built. The courses were alternately +of long blocks of stone, about a foot deep, and equal in breadth to the +thickness of the wall, and of large slabs laid on edge, back to back; +care being taken to have the work well bonded. The marble _peribolus_ +wall of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built in an exactly similar +manner, strength being, in both cases, sacrificed to appearance. + +The exterior colonnade consisted altogether of forty-six columns; viz. +seventeen on the sides and eight on the ends or fronts of the building. +As in all the temples of Cyrene, the entrance was in the eastern front. +The order was Doric, and the stone was the same as that of the temples +of Bacchus and Apollo. As nearly as we could make out, the columns, +which were fluted, were six feet in diameter at the base; but as they +were much worn away, it was impossible to measure them very exactly. +They had all fallen outwards, and many of the capitals, measuring nine +feet in diameter, were to be seen cropping out above the surface of the +ground. The architraves and beams must have been of great size, as the +columns were 14 feet apart centre from centre, and 18 feet from the face +of the wall of the _Cella_. The building stood within two degrees of due +east and west. + +In the course of our excavations we came upon innumerable fragments of +sculpture, evidently of excellent style; but nothing was found in the +least degree perfect. Amongst them we found, in the middle of the +_Cella_, between the pillars, a male head in white marble, much +mutilated, being nearly cracked in two and the nose broken off. It had +been well executed, and the lips still retained a bright light-red +colour. This head is rather larger than life. Even the marble columns of +the interior of the _Cella_ were broken in small pieces, which could not +have been the result of natural causes. Although the appearance of the +remains clearly showed that the temple had been wantonly destroyed by +the hand of man, the discovery of fragments of good style induced us to +continue the excavation of the building. + +In the _Pronaos_, and close to the entrance, we found a block of marble +measuring 4′ 6″ × 2′ 1″ × 1′, with the inscription given in Plates 78, +79, No. 6, and on the opposite side of the _Pronaos_, a smaller slab, +measuring 1′ 4″ × 1′ 3″ × 3″, with the inscription in two columns given +in Plate 79, No 7. Both these contain lists of names, probably of +persons contributing to some public subscription. + +We also found fragments of an inscribed architrave of sandstone, and +some pieces of copper and iron; among which may be mentioned a circular +piece of iron, half an inch in thickness, with two handles like a small +tub without a bottom. It was 8½ inches in diameter, and 6½ inches in +height. + +As there was no hope of finding anything undestroyed, we abandoned the +building, after spending seven weeks in its excavation, the only part +left unfinished being the centre of the _Cella_, which was covered with +enormous blocks from the side walls. Outside the _Cella_, we only dug +sufficiently far to discover the exact positions of the columns of the +peristyle. + +On the 17th of June, only nine days after the departure of the +_Assurance_, we were most agreeably surprised by the unexpected +appearance at our tomb of a large party of naval officers, consisting of +Captain Jones and some of the officers of H.M.S. _Scourge_. They were +the bearers of a telegram and a letter from Mr. Panizzi, by which we +were informed that the trustees of the British Museum had voted us a +further sum of £500, and had sent out a carpenter, Mr. Wm. Dennison, to +assist in packing the statues, &c. He arrived in the _Scourge_, and +remained with us till our departure from the country. Although there was +little carpenter’s work to be done till near the close of the +expedition, he was of great service in superintending the workmen. + +The _Scourge_ had anchored off Marsa Sousah early in the morning, when +Captain Jones and the rest of the party immediately started for Cyrene, +guided by the directions given them by the officers of the _Assurance_. +They lost their way, however, in climbing the Augubah, and did not reach +Cyrene till nearly sunset, much fatigued by their long day’s wandering +under a burning sun. + +The following day, the 18th of June, being the anniversary of the birth +of the Prophet, there was a great gathering of the Arabs on the upper +plateau near Cyrene to celebrate the festival of the _Melood_, which we +attended as spectators by the invitation of the sheikhs. When the men +were all assembled, they dismounted and ranged themselves in a line of +two ranks, with their horses picketed in the rear. A long prayer was +then repeated aloud by the whole line, who made the usual prostrations +together, like a regiment at drill. Prayers over, they remounted their +horses, and the tournament began. An open level space being chosen, +those about to engage in the games placed themselves in two irregular +lines, facing each other, about 150 yards apart, the mere spectators +like ourselves remaining at the sides. The object of the game, or rather +exercise, is to show the skill of the rider in handling his weapons and +directing his horse when at full gallop. A man, for instance, breaks out +from one of the lines, and canters carelessly toward the other. +Presently another horseman dashes after him in pursuit, and they tear +along, _ventre à terre_, till they come close up to the opposite line, +when they unsling their guns, aim, and fire at each other, at the same +moment wheeling sharply to the right-about to avoid running into the +line in front. At other times a number of men gallop straight up to the +opposite line, deliver their fire, and wheel when at full speed, within +a yard or two of the stationary line. Sometimes two horsemen engage in a +sort of running duel, each man riding at full speed, and using pistols, +blunderbuss, gun, and bayonet. Collisions at the wheeling-point were not +unfrequent; and as the horses were always going at a great pace, it was +wonderful that no one was killed. Some of the men were bruised and their +horses lamed, and one man had several ribs broken. In consequence of the +general introduction of firearms, this kind of amusement has taken the +place of the older lance exercise and the throwing of the jereed. + +The _Scourge_ being about to proceed to Alexandria to assist in laying +the Malta telegraph cable, Captain Jones kindly offered to give us a +passage to Derna if we wished to revisit that place. As we were in want +of a number of things, we were glad to avail ourselves of the +opportunity of going. We accordingly left Cyrene with Captain Jones and +the other officers on the afternoon of the 18th, and got on board the +same night. We started the following morning at daybreak, and anchored +off Derna late in the afternoon, when we went ashore, and occupied our +old quarters at Mr. De Fremeaux’s house, the _Scourge_ leaving soon +after for Alexandria. Captain Jones had previously most kindly allowed +us to take from the ship everything likely to prove useful to us. We +remained at Derna two days, buying articles in the bazaar, and waiting +for our horses and camels, which we had sent by land from Cyrene. When +these had been somewhat rested after their arrival, we started on our +return journey, and by travelling all night, with only an hour or two’s +halt, reached Cyrene within twenty hours. Among other things which we +brought from Derna were some thin deals, with which we furnished our +tomb with a table, shelves, &c. + +By this time our money was beginning to run short, and we hardly knew +how we were to get a fresh supply. The trustees of the British Museum +having given us authority to draw bills on them to the amount of £500, +we were anxious, if possible, to get more workmen, and carry on our +excavations on a larger scale during the remaining months of summer. As +writing was apt to cause delay, I determined to go to Benghazi myself +for the purpose of getting both money and men. I started on the +afternoon of the 6th of July, accompanied by a single mounted Arab; and +as time was now an object of great importance, I took no camels, and +consequently had neither water nor baggage of any kind. By halting only +a few hours each night, I reached Merdj at mid-day on the 8th, and left +the same evening for Benghazi. Travelling all night and all next day, we +arrived at Benghazi shortly after sunset on the 9th; thus accomplishing +the whole journey of 160 miles in three days, and without water after +leaving Merdj on the evening of the 8th. It was, of course, most +fatiguing work both for man and horse, especially during the day, when +the heat of the sun and the want of water were together almost +intolerable. + +As it would have been unsafe to carry a sum of money with me, Mr. +Aquilina gave me two orders, one on Mr. De Fremeaux, at Derna, and the +other on our friend Mohammed El Adouly, from both of whom we were to +draw the amount in instalments as we required it. This proved, as was to +be expected, a most convenient arrangement, although a Bedouin camp +seemed an odd place for negotiating bills and keeping a banker’s +account. + +I had no difficulty in getting as many workmen as I wanted. The morning +after my arrival Mr. Aquilina sent for the Sheikh Il Abid, or chief of +the negroes, and told him that I wanted twenty good strong blacks to go +to Cyrene, on the terms of five Turkish piastres (10_d._) a day and food +for each man. These wages were very high for the country; but we had +found it impossible to keep men at Cyrene, at such a distance from their +wives and families, except by paying them so highly that they did not +like to give up the work; and it was always difficult to get workmen to +supply the places of those who left, as the blacks were afraid to come +to Cyrene by themselves, on account of the danger of being seized and +re-enslaved by the Arabs on the way. It was therefore advisable to pay +such wages as would not only induce the workmen to remain with us after +they came, but, by making dismissal from our service a severe +punishment, would give us the means of enforcing obedience. + +At an appointed hour, the Sheikh appeared at the Consulate with fifty or +sixty men, all eager to be engaged; but as it would have been difficult +to feed such a number, and as we had only a very limited supply of +tools, I at first selected only twenty. Before leaving Benghazi, +however, I was induced to take eight more, which, with the seven we +already had at Cyrene, made up our number to thirty-five. + +Soon after my arrival at Benghazi, I was visited by the Kaimacam in +state, attended by the “heads of departments;” viz. the Colonel +commanding the troops, the Cadi or Judge, the Collector of customs, and +the Sheikh El Beléd, or chief of the town. Suliman Captan and some of +the principal Arab inhabitants also called; so that I was obliged to +devote an entire day to returning the visits. I found that the arrival +and stay of the _Assurance_ had become magnified by report into a much +more formidable affair than it was. The Kaimacam told me that he had +been officially informed that an English fleet had come to Marsa Sousah +and disembarked several thousand soldiers, who were to be employed in +occupying the country; and that the laying of the telegraph was only a +part of a general scheme of conquest. I had some difficulty in +disabusing his mind of the impression that we had some ulterior object +in view in the works we were carrying on at Cyrene. Our statues and +waggons, according to the general belief, were artillery; our road to +the coast, a military one for the use of the army of occupation; and our +excavations, forts and batteries. + +There was, of course, considerable delay in getting fairly started on +the journey from Benghazi with such a number of blacks. By Mr. +Aquilina’s advice I gave every man a small advance of pay, to enable him +to get his own provisions for the journey; thereby saving me the trouble +of providing for such a number. As there were no water-skins for sale in +the bazaar, I had to send all over the town to get a sufficient number, +and the endless debates with camel-drivers had to be undergone as usual. + +At last, everything being ready and the men collected, we started on the +afternoon of the 12th, and after filling the water-skins at the Garden +of Osman, halted for the night near the foot of the Augubah, about six +hours’ distance from Benghazi. Although the blacks knew there was no +more water to be got till we reached Merdj, it required the greatest +vigilance to keep them from drinking the whole of the contents of the +girbehs before the morning. About mid-day on the 14th we arrived at +Merdj, where I was very sorry to find our good friend Hadji Achmet Bin +’l Agha suffering from a violent attack of fever. Long before our +arrival, the blacks, with their usual improvidence, had eaten all the +food they had provided for the whole journey, and I was obliged to look +out for a fresh supply. There was no bread to be had; but I fortunately +got a sufficient quantity of dates to serve for the remainder of the +distance. + +After halting a day at Merdj, we resumed our journey at daybreak on the +16th. Shortly after passing the Libiar Il Gharib in the afternoon, I +happened to be riding by myself through a wood about a mile ahead of the +caravan, when my attention was attracted by about a dozen Arabs seated +under a tree near the path, with their horses standing beside them. They +looked rather suspicious, and commenced talking rapidly to each other as +I came up; but as this was nothing unusual, I rode on, thinking that +they were probably a travelling party halted for a rest. In a few +minutes, however, I heard a loud shouting and screaming in the rear, and +on hastening back to see what was the matter, I saw the negroes running +in all directions, and in such a state of terror that it was some time +before I could make out what had happened. I finally learned that the +Arabs whom I had passed in the wood, had charged into the straggling +caravan, and seized one of the negroes. While some of them were binding +him on the back of a horse, the others formed a circle round him with +their bayonets at the “charge,” and threatened to shoot any one that +interfered. When their prisoner was secured, they rode off with him into +the wood, and before I came up they had all disappeared. In the course +of the evening I found out with some difficulty who the perpetrators of +the outrage were; but although I at once wrote to Benghazi, nothing was +ever done in the matter, the Kaimacam being unwilling, or more probably +unable, to apprehend the offenders. + +Next day we passed Gusr Biligadem, and leaving the caravan, halted near +the Zauyah El Beidah: I rode on the same night to Cyrene. The blacks +arrived the following day, and told me that the Achwani of the Zauyah +had refused to give them even a drop of water, because they were in the +service of “Christian dogs.” + +By the time I reached Cyrene, the excavation of the large temple near +the Stadium was almost finished, and the smaller temple near it had just +been commenced. Before we had dug far, we found unmistakeable proofs +that the latter building, like the former, had been purposely destroyed. +It was built on a small rocky eminence which commands one of the finest +views to be had within the walls of the city. The _Ædes_, consisting of +_Cella_ and _Pronaos_, occupied the summit, the surrounding rock being +cut in terraces, so that the peristyle was on a lower level than the +_Ædes_. Like other temples, it stood nearly east and west. In the +western end of the _Cella_ were two courses of a pedestal measuring 26 +feet by 15, a little to the east of which the floor of the _Cella_ sank +two feet. The eastern front had so entirely disappeared, that a +satisfactory plan of the entrance could not be made, and the positions +of the columns marked on the Plan are partly conjectural. The columns +themselves, many fragments of which were lying around the temple, were +deeply fluted, and of the Doric order, and measured 4 feet 5 inches in +diameter. In the eastern or lower part of the _Cella_ we discovered a +few fragments of sculpture of very fine style, but so small and so few +in number, as to make us only sorry that there were no more. The most +perfect of these fragments were two small marble statuettes, probably of +Venus and the nymph Cyrene, which have been photographed together (Plate +67); and perhaps the most remarkable were three or four parts of a +colossal male head now put together in the British Museum. As it +measures 1 foot 8 inches in height, the statue to which it belonged must +have been 11 or 12 feet high; but not another fragment of it was to be +seen. + +[Illustration: Pl. 56. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF THE SMALLER TEMPLE NEAR THE STADIUM. BY COMMANDER E. A. +PORCHER R.N. + +_Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen_] + +Shortly before this time, we had discovered a statue of Minerva, and +another female dressed statue, rather larger than life, at the place +marked on the Plan “Statue of Minerva.” Both statues were but little +injured, so that we hoped, by digging some distance round the place, to +find the heads. We therefore employed more than half our force in +excavating at this place and at the other points near it marked on the +Plan; but we discovered nothing. The removal of the two statues to our +tomb was the first occasion on which we made use of the stone-trucks +brought by the _Assurance_. In the course of the excavations, we found +several _frusta_ of fluted marble columns, which no doubt formed part of +the building to which the statues belonged. The small building between +the statue of Minerva and the wall of the citadel was probably a +monument. + +On the 31st of July we returned with our whole force to the Temple of +Apollo and its immediate neighbourhood. As already mentioned, it was +only now that we were able to complete the excavation of that building. +Besides the sculptures found in the Temple itself, we discovered on its +northern and eastern sides altogether four statues, four statuettes, +fourteen heads of different sizes, and seven inscriptions. A seated +figure, rather larger than life, which was lying on the surface, was +noticed by Beechey, who thought it was Diana; but which we made out to +be Archippe, of the family of the Ptolemaic dynasty, from the following +inscription on the base:— + + ΑΡΧΙΠΠΑΝΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ + + ΕΥΙΝΙΕΡΙΤΕΥΟΥΣΑΝΠΤΟΛΕ. + +It was in a very imperfect state of preservation, owing to its long +exposure on the surface of the ground. + +Near it we found what appeared to be a copy of itself on a small scale, +so much alike in every respect were the two figures. The girdle +encircling the waist was distinctly striped on both edges with bright +vermilion. The most remarkable of the large statues found at this place +was a colossal female figure, seven feet in height, in very good +condition; most probably a portrait of one of the queens of Egypt +(Photograph Plate 68). The head was separate, and the body broken in +two, the lower half of which was found in an upright position, and the +upper half lying across it, with the head on the top. Another statue, +life-size, discovered here, was a draped figure, the portrait of an old +man; and among the smaller statues may be mentioned a nude figure of +Bacchus, 3 feet 7 inches in height. + +At the western end of the platform, near the large theatre, we excavated +the small building marked on the Plan, in which we found a statuette and +some small marble heads. We also examined the ruins toward the eastern +end of the platform, but found no traces of sculpture in any of them. + +We finished the above excavations near the Temple of Apollo on the 14th +of August, after which we tried nine separate buildings in different +parts of the city without success. On the 23rd we commenced the +excavation of the building to the westward of the Temple of Bacchus, +marked “Palace” on the Map. Our attention was attracted to this place by +the torso of a Roman emperor in armour, which had been seen forty years +before by Beechey, who was of opinion that it was the statue of one of +the Ptolemies. Considering the number of years it must have lain exposed +on the surface of the ground, the marble was in a wonderfully good state +of preservation. After removing it to our tomb, we commenced digging in +the immediate neighbourhood of the spot in which it was found. In the +course of our excavations we found traces of a large building consisting +of several rooms, some of which had their walls and floors veneered with +thin slabs of marble. The division of the building into separate rooms, +its central and prominent position in the city, and the nature of the +sculpture we discovered in it, led us to believe that it had most +probably been the palace of the Roman governor. Lying on the floor about +four feet below the surface, we found a large female draped statue in +very good condition, measuring 5 feet 11 inches in height, but without +the head, which we failed to discover. We also found busts, life-size, +of Antoninus Pius and another Roman emperor, quite uninjured (Photograph +Plates 69 and 70); a female bust well preserved, three heads, and three +inscriptions. These sculptures, as they were found, were all thickly +coated with an incrustation of sand and lime, which has been most +successfully removed in the British Museum by frequently steeping them +in warm water. + +From the 3rd of September little excavation was done for a fortnight, +most of our workmen being employed in improving and repairing the road +to Marsa Sousah, preparatory to the removal of the statues when a vessel +should arrive. The point that particularly required our attention was +the Augubah, near the shore, which had caused so much trouble and delay +when the _Assurance_ was with us. On that occasion, we had discovered +the track of the ancient road winding round the faces of the hills at a +comparatively easy slope; and we now resolved to make it, if possible, +practicable for the waggons. In many parts it was almost quite hidden +with brushwood, and in others it had totally disappeared, owing to the +slip of its embankment or retaining-wall, caused by the rush of water +down the steep face of the hill during the heavy rains in winter. By +clearing away the brushwood, restoring cuttings and embankments, and in +some places making an entirely new section, we succeeded in forming a +road by which it was possible to take the waggons up and down the +mountain without resorting to the laborious and tedious expedients which +we had formerly been obliged to adopt. We also cleared and improved our +old road the whole way from Cyrene. + +Meantime, a few men had been employed digging at the site marked “Temple +of Venus,” a little to the south-west of the Temple of Bacchus. When the +road to Marsa Sousah was finished, we employed all the workmen at this +building, the excavation of which we had barely finished when H.M.S. +_Melpomene_ arrived on the 26th of September. Of the temple itself +nothing but the foundations remained, although it yielded a large amount +of sculpture. + +The _Ædes_, which consisted of _Cella_ and _Pronaos_, was 84 feet in +length by 35 feet in breadth. No trace of a peristyle could be found. +The floor of the western half of the _Cella_ was on a higher level than +that of the rest of the building, access being had to it by flights of +steps in front and at the sides, as shown in the Plan and Section. At +the corners of the steps were two circular pedestals, on the northern of +which faint traces of an inscription could be seen, although it was too +much worn away to be deciphered. In the eastern part of the _Cella_ were +six large pedestals of sandstone _in situ_, on which, in all +probability, stood the statues which we found near them. As the floor of +the Temple was covered with only three or four feet of soil, we +completed the excavation of the whole building in little more than a +week. We found statues and other pieces of sculpture in every part of +it, but did not discover either the principal statue or any inscription +by which the Temple could certainly be identified. Our reason for +calling it the “Temple of Venus,” was that we found in it altogether +statues or statuettes of that goddess. One of these, a small nude figure +of Venus Euploia, is remarkably graceful (Photograph Plate 71). In some +of the other figures she is represented half-draped, with Cupid by her +side, seated on a dolphin (Photograph Plate 72). Three of the statues +discovered in this temple were life-size, or rather larger. One of them +is the figure of a female, perhaps a queen, with a very peculiar head- +dress (Photograph Plate 73), and the two others, which may be called a +_pair_ of statues, represent hunters equipped for the chase. The smaller +statues, besides those of Venus, were, one of Pan, 3 feet 11 inches in +height, and a draped one, 4 feet 8 inches in height, of Apollo or +Aristæus resting on a rod encircled by the coils of a serpent. Both of +these figures were all but perfect, and that of Pan still retained much +of its original colouring. We also discovered three female busts in very +perfect condition, two of which, of life-size, had curious high head- +dresses, somewhat Elizabethan in appearance (Photograph Plate 74). The +other, which is considerably smaller, is of a peculiarly transparent +marble resembling alabaster. Some heads were also found besides those +belonging to the statues and statuettes; among which may be mentioned a +perfect one of Minerva, smaller than the similar head found in the +Temple of Apollo, and a small marble head of Perseus (Photograph Plate +75). A slab of marble was also found, containing in relief a +representation of Libya crowning with laurel the nymph Cyrene, who is in +the act of strangling a lion (Photograph Plate 76). Beneath the group, +and on the same slab, are four lines of inscription which explain the +allegorical myth which forms the subject of the sculpture. + +[Illustration: Pl. 57. + +CYRENE. PLAN OF A TEMPLE TO THE S.W. OF THE TEMPLE OF BACCHUS. BY +COMMANDER E. A. PORCHER R.N. + +Day & Son, Lith. to the Queen] + +In the Temple of Venus we discovered altogether six statues of various +sizes, twenty-nine small statuettes, three busts, twenty-six separate +heads, including those which belonged to the statues and statuettes, one +bas-relief, and three inscriptions. About ten yards to the eastward of +the Temple we saw the two pedestals containing the inscriptions copied +by Beechey. + + + + + CHAPTER XII. + + +OWING to the want of means of communication with England, we had not yet +(September) received answers to our letters sent home by the _Assurance_ +in June, so that we were quite uncertain about the arrival of a ship. In +writing to Lord Russell and Mr. Panizzi, we had recommended that a much +larger vessel than the _Assurance_ should be sent, as it was of +importance to save time by having a working party on shore large enough +to take three waggons at a time. In the case of the _Assurance_ we had +found that thirty men, which was the largest number that could be +spared, were about the proper force for a single waggon. Three waggons +would therefore require ninety men, a number as large as we could safely +undertake to supply with the necessary water, camels, &c. + +We had also recommended that the vessel sent should arrive at Marsa +Sousah before the middle of September, to insure our having time enough +for the transport and embarkation of whatever statues we might find, +before the fine summer weather should break up. As the very lightest +wind from the north caused a heavy surf all along the beach, it was +impossible to carry on boat operations except in perfectly calm weather. +Day after day, however, passed without any word of the arrival of the +vessel, and we began to contemplate our continued stay in the country +for another winter, and to consider how we might best occupy the time. +As we had already dug every promising spot at Cyrene not occupied by the +crops of the Arabs, we purposed going to Benghazi to dig in the ancient +cemetery there, previously burying all the marbles we could not carry +with us, to protect them from being destroyed by the Bedouins. If the +vessel came in the following year, they could be exhumed with little +difficulty. + +Since the end of August I had been confined to the tomb, and most of the +time to bed, by a severe attack of fever, caused, most probably, by +fatigue and exposure at night during the journey to Benghazi in July. +With one of our party thus laid up on the “sick list,” and with a +prospect every day more certain of a further residence of eight months +in the country, we looked with some anxiety for the expected ship. As +usual on such occasions, the number of false alarms was so great that we +at last paid little attention to them. Our Maltese servants, quite +beside themselves with excitement at the chance of soon returning to +Malta—their “Fiore del mondo,”—stood gazing at the sea from morning to +night, and raised a shout of joy whenever they detected the slightest +speck on the distant horizon. + +Their hopes were at last realized on the 26th of September, by the +appearance of a large frigate standing in towards Marsa Sousah, which +proved to be H.M.S. _Melpomene_, Captain Ewart, from whom we soon after +received a note announcing his arrival. As I was still unable to leave +the tomb, Porcher went down to the ship by himself early next morning, +to make the necessary arrangements with Captain Ewart, and to accompany +the working party, while I remained to look after the packing and other +affairs at Cyrene. Our friend Mohammed El Adouly had, unfortunately for +us, gone to Benghazi; so that we had not the benefit of his assistance, +as on the former occasion. The chances of difficulties and +misunderstandings were, moreover, much increased by the presence of a +large number of Arabs from the southward, who had lately come to water +their flocks till winter at the springs in the neighbourhood of Cyrene. +Having no occupation at this season of the year, they wandered about +perfectly idle, and therefore in readiness for any mischief. Even before +the arrival of the _Melpomene_, they had subjected us to considerable +annoyance, and were becoming daily more and more unfriendly in their +general demeanour; and there was little doubt that the large addition to +our numbers brought by the _Melpomene_ would proportionately add to +their hatred of the “dogs of Nazarenes,” as we were not too courteously +called. There were, consequently, more than the usual difficulties with +the numerous camel-drivers we required, who adopted a peculiarly +insolent tone in dealing with us. In the course of the subsequent +operations, they frequently refused to take any loads but such as they +themselves selected, and sometimes struck work altogether, thereby +causing us a vast amount of unnecessary trouble. + +Owing to the excellent arrangements made by Captain Ewart while on the +passage from Malta, everything was ready for beginning the work +immediately after the arrival of the ship. The working party had already +been told off and thoroughly equipped and organized. The shafts of the +waggons had been taken off and long capstan bars substituted, by which +the guiding or steering was greatly facilitated—a point of some +importance, as it was only by means of such powerful levers that the +heavy waggons could be guided with ease and safety over the rough and +stony roads. The drag-ropes, too, were fitted with canvas straps to pass +over the men’s shoulders, by means of which the dragging was done much +more easily than by hand. + +All the plank and other stores required for packing the statues were +landed immediately after the arrival of the ship, and sent up to Cyrene +as rapidly as we could get camels to carry them. Ten carpenters and a +guard of ten marines under the command of Lieutenant Saunders, R.M., +came up to Cyrene the same day, and the work of making cases and packing +was begun at once under the superintendence of Mr. Dennison. A working +party of ninety men, fully equipped with tents, water-breakers, +provisions, &c., was then disembarked under the command of Lieutenant +Carter, R.N., ten camels with their drivers being told off to attend to +their wants. The waggons, three in number, were the artillery platform +waggons of the service, the same as those used by us on the former +occasion. Each waggon had its own “crew” of thirty men, under the +immediate command of one of the three midshipmen attached to the +party,—Messrs. Jackson, Cane, and Wade. + +The ship was anchored about two miles to the westward of Marsa Sousah, +directly opposite our new road over the Augubah, in nearly the same +position as the _Assurance_ had taken up for the embarkation of the +statues in June. As communication with the shore was very liable to be +interrupted by the heavy surf on the beach, Captain Ewart caused a depôt +of provisions and fresh water to be established on land under the +protection of a guard. From this depôt, which was replenished from time +to time as the state of the weather permitted, the working party could +at all times draw its supplies, and the cases of sculpture brought down +from Cyrene could be safely left in charge of the guard, until a +favourable opportunity occurred for taking them on board. This +arrangement was the more necessary as we knew that the transport of the +objects too heavy to be carried by camels would require three if not +four trips of the waggons. Moreover, at so late a season of the year, a +continuance of fine weather could not be reckoned upon, and the ship +herself might not improbably be obliged by an equinoctial gale to put +out to sea. + +Every precaution being thus taken to insure the success of the +operations, the working party started from the depôt with the waggons on +the morning of the 28th. Our new road proved quite practicable, and the +party reached the summit of the Augubah and encamped there the same +night. They arrived at Cyrene the following day, by which time the +carpenters had a sufficient number of statues packed to load all the +waggons. The 30th was occupied in securing the cases on the waggons, and +on the 1st of October the party started for the shore. The descent of +the Augubah was accomplished without accident, and the cases were safely +deposited at the depôt on the evening of the 2nd. Two other trips were +afterwards made with equal success, although not without serious +apprehension on our part of a violent interruption by a tribe of hostile +Bedouins. + +Ever since the arrival of the marines and carpenters at Cyrene, scores +of “ugly-looking” Arabs kept prowling about our tomb with the evident +design of picking a quarrel with us. Occasion for doing so was likely to +occur at any moment, and especially when we absolutely refused to comply +with some extravagant demands on the part of the camel-drivers. An open +quarrel, however, was fortunately avoided until the first arrival of the +large waggon party. + +The sailors, who were then encamped on the hill opposite our tomb, were +in the habit of washing and bathing at the Fountain of Apollo, a +practice at which the Arabs became greatly enraged. One evening, a +little before sunset, as we were sitting down to dinner, we suddenly +heard a few shots fired, and immediately afterwards, the loud screeching +by which the Arabs were wont to call each other to an armed gathering. +Numbers soon answered to the cry, and came pouring into the Wady from +all directions. On inquiring into the cause of the disturbance, we +learned that some sailors and marines had been bathing as usual at the +fountain, when a number of Arabs, annoyed at what they thought their +indecency, began pelting them with stones. A marine had thereupon loaded +his rifle with blank cartridge, and fired in the direction of the Arabs, +thinking thereby to frighten them away. His foolish act had, as might +have been expected, a totally different result. In less than an hour, +the Wady in front of our tomb was swarming with armed men. As we had in +this instance been the aggressors, we at once sent Amor for the sheikhs +of the collected force, and explained to them that we quite disclaimed +the act of the marine, whose rashness, however, was somewhat excused by +the previous conduct of the Arabs. The sheikhs, who seemed peaceably +disposed, replied that the whole disturbance had been caused by our men +occupying the fountain all day, and preventing the Arab women from +coming to fill their waterskins. As there was some truth in this, we +promised that in future the men should be allowed to use the fountain +only at particular times; and we requested the sheikhs to come to us, if +at any time they had cause of complaint, and not to speak to our men, +who knew nothing of their language. The Arabs, only partly pacified by +our assurances, remained where they were all night, and spent great part +of the following morning in firing at marks close to our tomb, for the +purpose of making an imposing show of their power to treat us as they +pleased. + +This disturbance was hardly settled when a certain Sheikh Said ’M Rubbut +made his appearance at the head of his tribe, and demanded a large sum +of money, under the pretence of harbour dues, or something of the sort. +On our refusing to pay it, he went off in great wrath, vowing vengeance +on our whole party. The following day, he returned with a similar +demand, but this time for the much smaller sum of 200 piastres (18_s._). +On our again refusing to acknowledge his right to any sum, however +small, he lowered his tone considerably, and said that, having no wish +to quarrel with us, he would forego his claim, but begged two or three +bullock-skins which were of little or no value to us. To a request in +this form we willingly acceded, as we were anxious at all hazards to +keep the peace until the marbles were safely taken to the beach. By this +time the waggons were on their way to the depôt on the shore, after +their second trip to Cyrene. + +The day after the departure of the waggon party, Sheikh Said again paid +a visit to our tomb, and told me that he was not satisfied with the +skins, and that he would not allow the waggons to pass, unless I paid +him a large _bakshish_ besides. Seeing that his object was simply to +levy “black mail,” and that yielding in any way to his demands would +only encourage him to make further exactions, I refused to give him +anything, and ordered him to leave the tomb. With the threat that none +of us should leave the country alive, he went away, and encamped in the +lower plateau, near a steep ravine which the waggons had to cross. He +there barricaded the road with trunks and branches of trees, and for two +days prevented any communication between Cyrene and the working party or +the ship.[5] Some of our camels on their way from the depôt, laden with +planks, were seized and detained. Our retreat from Cyrene was +effectually cut off, and we were altogether in rather a helpless state. + +In this dilemma, I thought of the sheikhs of the Haasa, whom we had +befriended after the attack of the Castle of Ghegheb, and who had then +expressed their desire to repay us in any way in their power. I +accordingly sent for Husseim and Hadji Hassan, the two head sheikhs of +the tribe, and after reminding them of our interference with the Pacha +on their behalf, told them that they could never have a better +opportunity of proving the sincerity of their gratitude than now, by +ridding us of the presence of Sheikh Said and his followers. I also +assured them, that as we were living in the territory of the Haasa, of +which Sheikh Said’s tribe was a subdivision, they themselves would be +held responsible by the Consul for our safety. They at once promised to +request Sheikh Said to depart peaceably, and if he refused to do so, to +drive him away by force. With some of their subordinate sheikhs, they +immediately went to carry their promise into effect, and returned after +two or three hours with the intelligence that Sheikh Said had gone when +they ordered him, and that the road was therefore quite clear. + +[Illustration: PLATE 58.—ENCAMPMENT OF THE PARTY FROM H.M.S. “MELPOMENE” +NEAR THE HEAD OF THE AUGUBAH.] + +Although he had thus apparently obeyed the order of the sheikhs, he had +by no means given up the game. Foiled at Cyrene, he merely shifted his +ground, and lay in wait for the waggon party in a wood at the top of the +Augubah, hoping, no doubt, to extract something from them by his +threats. The waggons soon afterwards came up from the shore, and halted +for the night. The tents were no sooner pitched than Sheikh Said and +some of his followers entered the camp, and threatened Porcher and the +whole party with utter destruction if he did not agree to give him a +bakshish. Porcher had not yet heard of our two days’ siege at Cyrene, +but gave him the same answer I had done; viz., a point blank refusal. +The sheikh thereupon left the camp, and collecting all the men of his +tribe, placed them in a large open space at the foot of the Cyrene +range, while he himself came up to our tomb to offer me, as he said, a +last chance. I told him I had already given him an answer, and that if +he wanted to attack us we were quite ready to receive him. On his +departure, I again called upon the head sheikhs for assistance, and they +again obliged him to move off; so that the waggon party reached Cyrene +for the third time without an actual encounter. + +The friendly interference of the principal sheikhs of the Haasa had thus +been of great service to us hitherto, by preventing a collision which +must have led to very serious consequences. Had it come to blows or +bloodshed, even the Arabs who were most friendly to us would have been +compelled to take side with their brethren against the Christians. With +thirteen miles of bad road and close cover between Cyrene and the coast, +we must have suffered great loss in fighting our way to the shore +against overwhelming numbers. Such a result had fortunately been +avoided; but we now began to have doubts of the good faith of the +friendly sheikhs, and to suspect that, after all, they might be in +secret league with our enemies. We were led to fear that this was the +case by the pertinacity and confidence shown by Sheikh Said, and by the +fact that Hussein and Hadji Hassan acted in concert with our old foe +Sidi Mustapha, who was loud in his denunciation of Sheikh Said’s acts. +We naturally thought that if the heads of the Haasa and the chief of the +Zauyah were sincere in their professions of friendship, Sheikh Said +would not presume to threaten and annoy us. + +Affairs being in this state, we thought it advisable to apply to the +Mudir of Ghegheb for protection, although we had little hope of his +rendering us any really efficient assistance. Our object was rather to +put ourselves in the right, by being able to say that we had appealed to +the only representative of the Government in the country. I was still +too weak to ride as far as Ghegheb, or I should have gone to see the +Mudir before now; but Porcher went immediately after his arrival at +Cyrene with the waggons. The Mudir himself, he found, was absent, and +the Kolaghassi or Major who was acting in his place said that all he +could do was to send two Koralié with letters to Sidi Mustapha and the +sheikhs Hussein and Hadji Hassan. + +Finding that no assistance was to be expected from the Mudir, and that +we must rely solely on our own resources for protection, we were anxious +to get everything on board as soon as possible, especially as every +day’s delay seemed only to add to the difficulties of our position. We +therefore determined to make the third trip of the waggons the final +one, although, by doing so, we were obliged to leave behind us the large +statue of Archippe and some of the inscriptions. Future visitors to the +ruins of Cyrene will probably find the statue where we left it, at the +western end of our upper range of tombs, and the inscriptions in a +subterranean chamber almost immediately beneath the same spot.[6] + +The 10th and 11th were spent in loading the waggons, packing up our +personal effects, and collecting the necessary number of camels. We made +our preparations as quietly and secretly as possible, in the hope of +giving the slip to Sheikh Said and his friends, by reaching the shore +before he should hear of our departure from Cyrene. Meantime, the road +to the coast was clear, and everything promised a peaceful termination +to our long sojourn among the Bedouins. On the night of the 11th, +however, one of our Arab servants brought us word that Sheikh Said, +having heard of our intended movement, was again in position on the road +with a larger force than ever, determined to fight us if we did not +satisfy his demands. + +Early next morning, the marines were paraded under arms, and told off in +two parties to act as advanced and rear guards to the main body with the +waggons and camels. It was some time, however, before everything was +ready for a start. Crowds of Arabs collected round our tomb, clamouring +and struggling with each other for the empty bottles and other articles +which we were to leave behind. At last the camels were loaded, and we +were on the point of beginning our march, when, somewhat to our +astonishment, we saw a number of Arabs coming up the Wady, among whom we +recognized Sheikh Said and our former friends Sheikhs Hussein and Hadji +Hassan. It seemed as if our suspicions of these Haasa sheikhs were, +after all, but too well founded, and that they were now openly +associated with our enemy, in order to share with him the expected +booty. + +[Illustration: Pl. 59. + +CENTRAL WADY AND SLOPE OF THE EASTERN HILL OF CYRENE + +E. A. Porcher, delt., T. Picken, lith. + +London. Published July 1st. 1864 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the +Queen &c., Gate Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen] + +Such, however, was not the case. Leaving the other Arabs who were with +them, the two sheikhs came up to our tomb and told us that, having +accidentally heard that Sheikh Said was again in arms against us, they +had hurried off during the night to the position taken up by him in the +lower plateau, and, by threatening himself and all his followers with +instant death, had compelled him to come to make his submission to us. +As no blood had actually been shed, they had given him their word that +we should not injure him. On being assured that we would respect the +safe-conduct they had given, they brought up their prisoner, who +forthwith, in the most abject terms, expressed sorrow for his past +offences, and begged to be forgiven. Thus, fortunately, ended an affair +which, but for the gratitude of the powerful tribe we had formerly +befriended, would, in all probability, have resulted in a great loss of +life. + +To insure us from further molestation, Sheikhs Hussein and Hadji Hassan +accompanied us to the beach, where we induced them with some difficulty +to intrust themselves to leave _terra firma_, and pay a visit to the +ship. When they came on board, Captain Ewart made them a liberal and +most welcome present of powder, and at their own earnest request I gave +each of them a certificate of good conduct addressed to the English +vice-consuls at Benghazi and Derna. + +The waggon party reached the head of the Augubah the same night, and on +the following morning descended to the plain, where they were met by the +ship’s band, who escorted them to the beach. Before evening everything +was safely embarked. + +The narrative of the excavations would be incomplete without mentioning +a small dressed statue of a girl found near the central theatre of +Cyrene, by some of the sailors, who spent the two days before our +departure in digging for “images” on their own account. For want of a +more appropriate name, her discoverers gave her that of the ship: +“Melpomene.” + +While getting the last of the cases on board, on the afternoon of the +13th, we observed a steamer coming along the shore from the westward, +which was soon made out to be H.M.S. _Medina_, commanded by Captain +Spratt, C.B., who was then engaged in testing and correcting the charts +of the coast between Tripoli and Alexandria. He had previously written +to inform us of his intended visit to Cyrene; but his letter did not +reach us until after the arrival of the _Medina_ herself. Unfortunately +it was now too late to think of going, as Sheikh Said and his followers +were doubtless eager to have revenge for their late humiliation. +Immediately before coming to Marsa Sousah, the _Medina_ had anchored for +a few hours at Sousah Hamema, for the purpose of taking some +observations on shore with the artificial horizon. The party that landed +for this purpose, having crossed by chance the limits of the Zauyah, +were indignantly ordered off by the saintly Achwani, who would not have +hesitated to enforce obedience by firing on the intruders. + +The last duty we had to perform before our departure was the +distribution of bakshish among our friends and attendants. Of these, +Amor Bon Abdi Seyat, who had stood by us well during the whole of our +residence in the country, had the greatest claim on our gratitude. +Honesty, in our sense of the word, was a quality of which, in common +with his countrymen, he could form no conception, and to which he, +consequently, had no pretension. But he refrained from actual theft, and +had discernment enough to see that in honesty, that is, in _limited_ +peculation, lay his best policy; inasmuch as the periodical bakshish +which he received varied inversely as the amount he gained by illicit +means. In every respect he was probably the best man we could have got +in the country. Naturally quick-witted, active, and courageous, he had +acquired considerable influence over the men of his tribe, which, on +more than one occasion, he exerted with success in our behalf. As a +farewell gift, we gave him our two horses and a large supply of powder. + +It was not without regret that we finally left our temporary home at +Cyrene. The beauty of the scenery and the interesting nature of our +occupations had combined to render our residence in the country a most +agreeable one. We had occasionally suffered considerable annoyance and +anxiety; but, on the whole, our relations with the Arabs had been much +more satisfactory than might have been anticipated. Several +considerations, however, now induced us to return to Malta in the +_Melpomene_. As a ship could not approach the coast with safety during +winter, we should have had to remain at Cyrene at least six or seven +months, before another vessel could be sent to visit us; and this period +we were afraid we should not be able to employ to much advantage in the +way of excavation. Immediately after the first rains, the Arabs begin to +sow their crops, which, at Cyrene, cover nearly the whole site of the +ancient city. During the previous winter, we had examined nearly every +promising spot that was left unoccupied. Very little digging, therefore, +could be done until the ground was again clear after the harvest in May, +as the Arabs would on no account allow their crops to be interfered +with. We should, consequently, have been obliged to remain in the +country a whole year, for the chance of finding more sculptures during +the five or six months of the following summer. There was no doubt that +many statues were still to be found; but as we had already excavated all +the prominent sites in the city, in many of which we discovered nothing, +further operations must have been carried on almost at random. For these +and other reasons, we made up our minds to leave Cyrene, and return to +Malta in the _Melpomene_. + +At daylight on the morning of the 14th we weighed anchor, and sailed for +Malta. It was well that we had got all the cases of sculpture on board +the day before; for we had hardly left the coast when a breeze sprang up +and rapidly freshened to a gale, which would have made it quite +impossible to communicate with the shore, and would have obliged the +ship herself to put to sea for safety. After a stormy passage of three +days, we reached Malta on the 17th, just in time to correct a report +sent from Benghazi by the new submarine telegraph, to the effect that, +in an attack made upon us by the Arabs of Cyrene, one of us had been +killed and the other wounded. + +At Malta the sculptures were transferred to H.M.S. _Supply_, Master +Commander Balliston, in which vessel they were soon afterwards safely +conveyed to England. + + + + + CONCLUSION. + + +BEFORE taking leave of the subject of the Cyrenaica, it will not be out +of place to offer a few remarks upon the future prospects of this +beautiful country. + +It may, I think, be safely premised that, so long as it remains in the +hands of its present rulers and occupants, no great change in its +condition is likely to take place, either for the better or the worse. +From what has been already stated in a former chapter, it will be seen +that the present state of the country, and the character and peculiar +habits of its inhabitants are, to a great extent, mutually dependent on +each other. That is to say, the physical condition of the country, owing +to the absence of rivers or any large artificial reservoirs for water, +is not adapted to the requirements of a settled sedentary population, +and therefore tends to confirm the Bedouins in their wandering, and +consequently wild and lawless, habits; while, on the other hand, it is +hardly to be expected that a race of people like the Arabs would exert +themselves in achieving public works for the purpose of making the +country suited for a manner of life which they have been taught from +infancy to hate and despise. As an illustration of this, I may mention +that the road which we made from Cyrene to Marsa Sousah, instead of +being regarded as a benefit to that part of the country, was looked upon +with considerable suspicion as a means of facilitating the movements of +troops sent by the Government. + +Nor is this indisposition on the part of the inhabitants likely to be +compensated for by the energy of a government which exists in little +more than the name. Justice is not administered, crime is not punished, +and life and property are wholly unprotected. The collection of tribute +is, in fact, the only function of government performed by the +representatives of the Sultan. + +The expediency of forming a colony of Maltese in the Cyrenaica has, we +believe, been sometimes contemplated; but it is evident that, in such a +state of affairs, successful colonization by Europeans would be +impossible. In the first place, a general system of irrigation by means +of reservoirs and cisterns for the collection of the rains in winter, +would have to be created; roads and harbours would also be required to +make the resources of the country available for the purposes of +commerce; works which could only be carried out under the protection of +a powerful government. There is little hope of Turkey ever acquiring the +enlightened energy necessary for such a task, and the example of Algeria +as a French _colony_ is probably not such as to induce any other +European nation to attempt it. It is a remarkable fact that a region +once so prosperous, and even now blessed with a salubrious climate, a +fertile soil, and an excellent geographical position, should have +remained for centuries on the very borders of Europe, not only +undeveloped, but almost unknown. And from the combination of causes +which we have indicated, it seems not improbable that it may remain in +the same condition for many years to come. + + + + + APPENDICES. + + * * * * * + + I.—ON THE SILPHIUM. + +IN the foregoing chapters reference has occasionally been made to the +Silphium of Cyrene, the identification of which has given rise to +considerable discussion among modern travellers and botanists. + +Della Cella, Beechey, and Pacho agree in the opinion that the Silphium +of the Greeks is identical with a plant growing in abundance at the +present day in the neighbourhood of Cyrene, partly from the description +of it given by Pliny, and the general resemblance of the drawing on the +coins of Cyrene. + +[Illustration: PLATE 60.—THAPSIA GARGANICA.] + +Dr. Schroff has lately published an article on the subject, which seems +to be the most important hitherto written, and having gone minutely into +the accounts given by Hippocrates and Dioscorides of the properties of +the ancient Silphium, and the experiments made from the plant now +growing there, it is quite evident that they are not the same. + +From the following account it will be seen that the present plant, of +which a drawing is shown in Plate 60, is proved to be the _Thapsia +Garganica_, and agrees with the plant well known to the ancients under +the name of _Thapsia_, but has none of the properties of the true +Silphium. + +It is called _Drias_ by the Arabs, and abounds at Cyrene and the +immediate vicinity, disappearing altogether about thirty miles to the +westward of it; and we observed it occasionally as far as Derna in the +opposite direction. This plant appears above the ground in the month of +October, when the autumnal rains commence, and is in flower in May, when +it attains the height of 4 feet on the average, occasionally measuring +4¾ feet, and dying down to the ground again in July and August. + +The following description of the plant has been kindly translated by +Professor Oliver from the German article of Dr. Schroff. + + +The question as to the identity or otherwise of _Thapsia Garganica_, now +so abundant about the site of the ancient Cyrene, as well as elsewhere +on Mediterranean shores, with the _Silphium_ of the Greeks, has been +recently very carefully investigated by Dr. C. Schroff. + +The results of his inquiry appeared in the “Zeitschrift der K. K. +Gesellschaft der Aerzte” of Vienna, Part I., 1862.[7] They are briefly +these: he finds that the properties, &c., of _Thapsia Garganica_ do not +accord with those attributed by classical writers to their _Silphium_; +on the other hand, they do accord with the properties ascribed by +Theophrastus, Dioscorides, and others to a plant called by them +_Thapsia_. Dr. Schroff therefore rejects the prevalent notion that the +ancient _Silphium_ of Cyrene is represented by _Thapsia Garganica_, now +growing wild on its site, and confidently identifies the latter with the +_Thapsia_ of the Greeks and Romans.[8] He does not attempt to indicate +the present representative of the true _Silphium_. + +With regard to the properties of _Thapsia Garganica_, it is stated by +Von Heinzmann (by whom specimens of the drug—the rind of the root—now in +use at Tripoli, obtained from _T. Garganica_, were sent to Europe) that +the fruit is very poisonous to camels, a single fruit (so-called seed) +sufficing to kill a large and powerful camel. The Arabs in travelling +through districts where the _Thapsia_ abounds, at the time when the +fruit is ripe, are accustomed to muzzle their camels to prevent their +feeding upon the plant. The green herbage of the _Thapsia_, however, is +eaten by them without ill effect. + +A very high value is ascribed to the rind of the root as an application +to foul wounds or ulcers, whether of man or beast. A portion of the rind +is laid upon or into the sore and it heals forthwith. M. Heinzmann +experimented with the tincture upon bad wounds of different kinds with +“die wunderbarsten Resultate.” When the tincture is applied to the sound +skin, it occasions almost unendurable itching, and gives rise at length +to blisters or pustules, without causing much inflammation. Neither +itching nor burning is felt when the drug is applied to a wound. Six to +eight grains of the powdered rind of the root taken internally are +stated to occasion the following symptoms: giddiness, buzzing in the +ears, confusion of ideas, great feeling of weakness, with tendency to +vomit, and actual vomiting and purging. The most striking symptom, +however, is a long-continued, heavy perspiration. Experiments repeated +in Europe lead to the _Thapsia Garganica_ being classed as a drastic +cathartic, and, to a certain extent, confirm its usefulness as an +external application. + +The properties of the plant _Thapsia_, described by Theophrastus, +Dioscorides, and Pliny, agree with those just cited as characteristic of +_Thapsia Garganica_. Dr. Schroff says a comparison of the description +given by the above writers of their _Thapsia_ with the character, both +as to structure and properties, of _T. Garganica_, leaves no doubt as to +their identity. + +With regard to the ancient _Silphium_. Our most precise information +respecting it is derived from the Cyrenian coins and the writings of +Theophrastus and Dioscorides. It is referred to by Pliny (with admixture +of error), as well as by many of the more ancient classical writers. The +fresh root, prepared with vinegar, was eaten, and the stem was highly +prized as a delicacy.—(See _Knights_ of Aristophanes.) It was also used +as a spice and condiment. Its application in medicine (the inspissated +juice) is fully detailed by Dioscorides. It was in great repute as an +antidote to poisons and the bite of venomous reptiles, scorpions, mad +dogs, &c. + +The older Cyrenian coins bear a representation (according to Dr. +Schroff) of the fruit of the _Silphium_. It is represented as +_obcordate_, with a narrow wing. This does not agree at all with the +form of the fruit of _T. Garganica_, nor can the account given of the +use of the _Silphium_ as a table delicacy and condiment be reconciled +with the active properties of that species. + +In conclusion Dr. Schroff says: “If, then, our researches establish +beyond all doubt that the plant now known as _Thapsia Garganica_, L., +and _Thapsia Silphium_, Viv., is not, as so many travellers and +botanists have asserted, the original Cyrenaic _Silphium_, on the other +hand, the result of this inquiry is not purely negative in reference to +the Flora of the ancients, for we have proved that the plant in question +may be certainly identified with another plant used in ancient medicine, +the _Thapsia_ of the Greeks and Romans.” + + +This extract clearly establishes the fact that the _Drias_ of the Arabs +is the _Thapsia Garganica_. At the time the Romans took possession of +the country, the Silphium seems to have been grown in large quantities, +and was considered an excellent medicine, and sold for its weight in +silver. The medicinal properties of the gum are described as having the +smell of myrrh, but more mild and agreeable. + +It was said by Pliny to have grown not far from the Gardens of the +Hesperides and the Great Syrtis; but, in his time, it had so entirely +disappeared that a single plant was sent as a rare and valuable gift to +the Emperor Nero. This scarcity had been caused by the barbaric races +that overran the country, as well as by the Cyrenians themselves, who +aided in its extirpation in order to free themselves of the enormous tax +which the Romans had laid upon it. + + * * * * * + + + + + No. II. + + DESCRIPTION OF THE SCULPTURES FOUND AT CYRENE. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 61.—BACCHUS. + + _Height 5 feet 9 inches; found in a temple of Bacchus. (See ante, p. + 40.)_ + +The god is represented under his youthful type, holding a bunch of +grapes in his left hand, and with his head encircled with a vine-wreath +and diadem. The right arm, now wanting, appears to have hung down by his +side, as a little below the hip is a projection for the attachment of +the hand. A mantle passes round the lower half of his body and over his +left arm and shoulder. This statue is remarkable for the admirable +preservation of the face. The form has a certain effeminate beauty, +though the style is somewhat mannered and meretricious. The drapery is +carelessly executed, especially at the back. When it was first found, +red colour was very visible in the eyes and wreath round the head. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 62.—APOLLO CITHARŒDUS. + + _Height, inclusive of the plinth, 7 feet 6 inches._ + +This statue was found, as has been already stated (_ante_, p. 41), in +the Temple of Apollo, and originally stood on a lofty base within the +cella. The god is represented in a musing attitude, as if pausing +between the strains of his music. His left hand, now broken off, must +have played over the strings of his lyre; his right arm has been raised; +the right hand, resting on the crown of his head, has held the +_plectrum_, with which he is about to strike the lyre. On the hair may +be seen a projection where this hand has been attached. The lyre rests +on the trunk of a tree, round which a serpent is twined. A bow and +quiver hang from the tree. The head of the serpent is upturned, as if he +were listening to the music of the god. Red colour may be seen on the +tree and quiver. + +This statue is probably a copy from some celebrated original, as two +other nearly similar figures exist, one in the Capitoline Museum at +Rome, the other in the Museo Borbonico at Naples. (_See_ Clarac, _Musée +de Sculpture_, iii. pl. 479, fig. 921B; and _ibid._, pl. 489, fig. 954.) + +The countenance has a suave and beautiful expression, and the general +attitude is very harmoniously composed. The body is finely modelled, but +the drapery very inferior to the nude part; the lower limbs seem rather +short and clumsy, but perhaps, if this statue were placed on a higher +base, this want of proportion would be less apparent. This statue when +found was broken into 123 pieces, all of which have been rejoined since +its arrival at the British Museum. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 63.—THE EMPEROR HADRIAN (?). + + _Height 6 feet 7 inches._ + +This Plate represents a male personage clad in a mantle thrown over his +left shoulder, under which the folds of a _chiton_ are seen on the +breast; on his feet are sandals; the right arm is crossed over the +breast under the mantle, the left hand holds a sprig of laurel; the head +is bound with a pine wreath, and has been inserted into a socket at the +base of the neck. This head is evidently a portrait, and appears to be +intended for the Emperor Hadrian, though the likeness is not a very +strong one. As, however, the statue was found in the Temple of Apollo, +close to a base inscribed with a dedication to Hadrian (see _ante_, p. +42), it may be presumed that it represents that emperor. It is possible +that the head may have been substituted for that which originally +belonged to this statue, as the general character of the drapery would +be rather suitable to a poet or a philosopher than to a Roman emperor. +Both hands have been joined on at the wrist, and were found detached. +The left hand seems not to be made of the same marble as the rest of the +statue, and it is very doubtful whether it belongs to the figure. + +The pine-wreath on the head would indicate a victory either in the Great +Isthmia, or in some smaller festival bearing the same name. There does +not, however, seem to be evidence to show the connection of the Emperor +Hadrian with such contests. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 64.—HEAD OF PALLAS ATHENE. + + _Height 1 foot 2 inches._ + +This head was found near the middle of the _Cella_ in the Temple of +Apollo, near the preceding statue, supposed to represent the Emperor +Hadrian.—(See _ante_, p. 42.) It is in unusually fine preservation, and +from the purity and whiteness of the marble is an attractive object to +the uncritical eye. It is, however, rather coarse and heavy in +execution, and belongs, therefore, probably, to the Roman period. + +The helmet, which is of the kind called Corinthian, has had the point of +the nasal broken off. In other respects this head is uninjured. + + * * * * * + + UNKNOWN MALE HEAD WITH INLAID EYES. + + _Life Size._ + +On Plate 64 is also represented a male head, which is especially +interesting, as an example of polychrome or inlaid sculpture. The crown +of the head is cut away, so as to form a joint, and it is evident that a +helmet or other head-dress has been fitted on to it, doubtless, of a +different coloured marble. The eyes are inserted in hollow sockets. The +whites of the eyes, formed of marble, still remain in these sockets. The +pupils, which have, probably, been made of coloured vitreous pastes, +have fallen out. All round the marble eyes the edge of a thin bronze +plate intervenes between the eye and the upper and lower eyelids; this +edge has probably been serrated so as to indicate by its projection the +upper and lower eyelashes, as is the case with the bronze head, Plate +66. + +This head is greatly disfigured by the mutilation of the nose, and by +the want of the eyes and the part above the forehead. What remains is, +however, finely modelled, and is, probably, the work of a Greek artist +of a good period. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 65.—HEAD OF CNÆUS CORNELIUS LENTULUS MARCELLINUS, + PROPRÆTOR OF CYRENE. + + _Life Size._ + +This head was found in the Temple of Apollo, in the western half of the +_Cella_. With it was found a marble base, on which was graven the +inscription No. 1, recording the dedication of a statue, by the people +of Cyrene, to Cnæus Lentulus Marcellinus, styled here Proprætor, Patron, +and Saviour of Cyrene. (See _ante_, p. 42.) + +With this base was found a square pedestal, 10 inches broad and 5 feet +high, which fitted into a square socket in the base, and which had at +the top a deep socket into which the head fitted. This pedestal, which +establishes the connection between the base and the head, was +unfortunately left behind, on the final embarkation of the marbles, on +account of the insufficient means of transport at the command of the +expedition. It has been already noticed that the back of this head is +cut flat, as if to enable it to be placed like a pilaster. + +As a specimen of provincial sculpture in the Roman period, this head is +very well worthy of study. It seems singular that a work of art +possessing so much merit should have been united to its pedestal in so +rude and unsightly a manner. It is, however, possible that the head +originally belonged to a statue, and that, after this statue was broken +by an earthquake or other accident, the head was remounted in this +clumsy fashion. + +The Cnæus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus whose portrait we have here was +the son of P. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus, of the illustrious family +of Marcelli, and a man of some note in the latter years of the Republic. +While yet a young man he supported the cause of the Sicilians against +Verres, B.C. 70. He held the office of Prætor, B.C. 59, and presided +over the trial of C. Antonius, the colleague of Cicero. The following +year he went to Syria, and administered that province for two years. He +was Consul B.C. 56, and took a prominent part in resisting the factious +violence of Clodius; and Cicero, whose cause he greatly favoured, +declared him to be one of the best Consuls he had ever known. We hear +very little of him after the expiration of his Consulship, and the +period of his death is wholly unknown. + +Ancient writers are not agreed as to the precise date when Cyrene was +first made a Roman province. The conflicting authorities are examined by +Thrige (Res Cyren. pp. 274-277), who adopts for this event the date B.C. +75. Borghesi, who reconsiders the question very fully in his Œuvres +Complètes, Paris, 1864, II. pp. 396-407, prefers the later date, B.C. +65, in which he is followed by Falbe and Lindberg (Numismatique de +l’Ancienne Afrique, I. p. 7). According to these two latter authorities, +Lollius, whose name appears on the coins of Cyrene, was its first +Proprætor; but it is not unlikely that he was preceded by Cn. Lentulus +Marcellinus, whether we take the earlier or the later of the above- +mentioned dates for the establishment of the Roman province there. He +may be the same as a Cnæus Lentulus whose name appears on a Roman family +coin (Cohen, Description Générale, p. 104, No. 25) as Quæstor, and who +was probably Quæstor in Spain with Metellus, about B.C. 79-75. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 66.—BRONZE ICONIC HEAD. + + _Life Size._ + +This head is in very fine condition, and a most interesting example of +ancient portraiture in bronze. + +The person whom it represents has not yet been identified; the type of +the features seems rather African than Greek or Roman, and it is +possible, therefore, that this head may represent some king of Numidia +or Mauritania. The eyes have been inlaid in vitreous pastes, portions of +which still remain in the sockets. The eyelashes are indicated by +notched lines. The under lip is formed of a separate piece of bronze, +the junction of which may be traced along the edge of the lip. + +It is probable that the lips were covered with a thin plate of silver or +some artificial substance which served to represent their difference of +colour. The hair and beard are finished with great care and refinement +of treatment. Throughout there is a scrupulous adherence to nature, and +this head may be considered as an interesting example of that realistic +school of portraiture which seems to have originated in the time of +Lysippus. + +It was found in the Temple of Apollo, on the original floor of the +eastern part of the _cella_, 11 feet beneath a mosaic pavement +superadded in Roman times. Near it were some small fragments of bronze +horses, very much injured, as if by fire, some bits of gold leaf, and +several terra-cotta lamps. (See _ante_, pp. 42, 43.) + + * * * * * + + PLATE 67.—APHRODITE. + + _Height 2 feet 4 inches._ + +This statuette is broken off below the knees. The figure is draped in a +tunic, reaching probably to the feet, and girt at the waist; a _peplos_ +passes round the right hip. The arms are wanting. The head is bound with +a diadem. + +This figure has been so mutilated that it is difficult to judge of it as +a composition. The marble is of an exquisite quality, and is wrought +with a refined skill, which shows that this statuette belongs to the +best period of Greek art. The countenance is one of great beauty. The +long eyes and general type of the features are characteristic of +Aphrodite. + +Though Praxiteles is said to have first made nude statues of this +goddess, draped representations of her are comparatively rare, except +those executed in the archaic period. + + * * * * * + + CYRENE. + + _Height 1 foot 3 inches._ + +On this Plate is also represented a female torso, attired in a tunic +reaching only to the knees. The head, arms, and legs of this figure are +wanting. Above the girdle the fashion of the tunic is peculiar. The +sides are left open, so as to expose the breasts, between which the +folds are gathered together in a broad band. On this band and on the +folds near it traces of red colour may yet be seen. + +The composition of the drapery in this statuette is remarkable for +severe and simple beauty. It is probably executed by a Greek sculptor of +the best period. The type and costume are those of a young girl trained +to the chase or athletic exercises. These characteristics make it +probable that in this statuette we have the nymph Cyrene herself, of +whom there are two other representations in this collection of +sculptures. (See Pl. 76, and No. 6, _post._) Both these statuettes were +found in a large temple near the Stadium, with some other fragments of +sculpture of a very fine character. (See _ante_, p. 75.) + + * * * * * + + PLATE 68.—ICONIC FEMALE FIGURE. + + _Height 6 feet 6½ inches._ + +This figure is clad in a tunic reaching to the feet, over which is an +ample mantle or _peplos_ wound round the body. Her head is bound with a +diadem, and covered at the back with a veil. From the character of the +features, it may be inferred that this statue is a portrait rather than +the representation of any ideal personage. If such is the case, it is +probably the portrait of some queen, perhaps of the family of the +Egyptian Ptolemies, as several of the queens of this dynasty are +represented on their coins wearing the diadem and veil. Though this +figure has rather an imposing effect at a distance, near inspection +shows that it is very coarsely executed. The proportions are very +clumsy. It was found in some ruins on the north side of the Temple of +Apollo. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 69.—BUST OF THE EMPEROR ANTONINUS PIUS. + + _Height 2 feet 4½ inches._ + +This bust is well sculptured and in very fine condition. The features +are intact. The Emperor is represented clad in the _paludamentum_, or +military cloak, which is fastened by a circular _fibula_ on the right +shoulder over a tunic and cuirass. This bust was found on the site of a +building marked “Palace” on the Plan, but which, from the number of +Imperial busts discovered in it, was probably an Augusteum. (See _ante_, +p. 76.) + + * * * * * + + PLATE 70.—BUST OF THE EMPEROR MARCUS AURELIUS. + + _Height 2 feet 4¼ inches, inclusive of plinth._ + +This bust is in very fine condition, having sustained no injury except +the fracture of the neck. The Emperor wears on his shoulders the +_paludamentum_, fastened on the right shoulder by a _fibula_. The hair +is skilfully disposed in clustering masses, and the general treatment of +the head is simple and dignified, though as a work of art this bust is +inferior to the Antoninus already described. It was found in the +building marked “Palace” on the Plan, which, as has been already +remarked, was, probably, an Augusteum. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 71.—APHRODITE EUPLOIA. + + _Height 1 foot 9 inches._ + +A small statuette representing Venus in the act of adjusting the sandal +of her left foot. She leans forward standing on her right leg, and +resting her left thigh against a pillar. The toes of her raised foot, +now broken away, have been supported by a dolphin. Her left arm, which +is also wanting, is drawn back, and probably rested on the pillar; as +the head is broken away at the base of the neck, it is uncertain in +which direction it turned. Drapery hangs from the column, against which +a rudder is leaning. Many varieties and repetitions of this figure are +extant, in marble and bronze, among which the following may be cited:— + +1. A small bronze figure in the British Museum. (Millingen, in the +Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature, 2nd series, i. p. 62.) + +2. A small bronze figure found at Herculaneum. (Antichità di Ercol., vi. +14; Müller, Denkmäler d.a. Kunst, ii. Taf. xxxvi., fig. 283.) + +3. A small bronze torso in the British Museum. (Clarac, Musée de +Sculpture, i. pl. 628, fig. 1354.) + +4. A small bronze figure. (Galeotti, Mus. Odeschalc., ii. pl. 35.) + +5. A small marble torso in the British Museum. (Museum Marbles, x. pl. +20, p. 43.) + +6. A similar figure occurs on the bronze coins of Aphrodisias during the +Roman period. (Mionnet, Recueil, iii. p. 323, No. 109.) + +Several small torsos in marble, which represent the same subject, have +been found in Crete, Rhodes, Cos, and Calymnos. It is evident, front the +number of repetitions of this figure, that they are all derived from +some celebrated original. The name of Aphrodite Euploia has been given +to this figure because, in two instances, the statuette now under +consideration and the bronze figure in the British Museum, published by +Millingen (No. 1, _supra_), the goddess leans on a rudder. The veil held +over her head in the latter bronze seems to represent the sail filled by +a favourable wind. These nautical emblems would accord well with the +epithet Euploia, “the giver of a favourable voyage,” which was given to +Aphrodite. In this character she was an object of special worship at +Cnidus. The number of small statuettes with this type which have been +found in cities of the Archipelago suggests the notion that they may +have been dedicated by seafaring men after a voyage. + +This statuette was found with several other statues of Venus in a small +temple, marked on the Plan “Temple of Venus.” (See _ante_, p. 77.) The +composition is very graceful, but the forms rather coarse and clumsy. It +is, probably, of the Roman period. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 72.—GROUP OF APHRODITE AND EROS. + + _Height 3 feet 2½ inches._ + +The hands and head of the Venus being wanting, the motive of the figure +is uncertain, but it is probable that the goddess was represented +engaged in her toilette: her drapery is gathered round her lower limbs; +on her feet are sandals. The Cupid bestrides a dolphin, in which +attitude he is frequently represented at the side of statues of Venus. +In Clarac’s Musée de Sculpture are two groups of Aphrodite and Eros, in +which the drapery is similarly disposed,—Pl. 607, fig. 1339, and Pl. +615, fig. 1366. This group, though rather coarse in execution, is copied +from a good original. It was found in the Temple of Venus. + + * * * * * + + PLATE 73.—UNKNOWN FEMALE FIGURE OF THE ROMAN PERIOD. + + _Height 5 feet 9½ inches._ + +This figure is clad in a tunic reaching to the feet, and a mantle, the +end of which she is casting over her left shoulder, and in the folds of +which her left hand is partially muffled. Her hair is plaited and wound +round her head, after a fashion prevalent in the time of the Empress +Sabina, the period to which this figure may therefore be assigned with +probability. It is evidently a portrait, but has not as yet been +identified. The countenance is very expressive, and the whole figure, +though not finely executed, is interesting from the simplicity of the +conception and the impression it conveys of a faithful rendering from +nature. The right forearm, which was a separate piece of marble, has +been broken away. It was found in the Temple of Venus. (See _ante_, p. +77.) + + * * * * * + + PLATE 74.—ICONIC FEMALE BUST. + + _Height 1 foot 10½ inches._ + +This bust is remarkable for the singular headdress, composed of plaits +coiled round in a conical mass. + +This headdress seems a caricature of that which prevailed in the time of +the Empress Faustina the Elder; and as the bust is evidently a portrait, +it may represent some lady of the period of that Empress. The sculpture +is very inferior to that of the busts of Antoninus and Aurelius already +described. This bust, with another nearly identical, was found on the +site of the supposed “Temple of Venus.” (See _ante_, p. 77.) + + * * * * * + + PLATE 75.—HEAD OF PERSEUS. + + _Height 4 inches._ + +This head has wings, which are characteristic either of Mercury or of +Perseus. The countenance, however, has an intense expression, which +seems more suitable to the hero than the god. This head is probably +broken off from a statuette representing Perseus holding in his hand the +head of the slain Medusa. A very similar head occurs among the reliefs +which ornament the cuirass of a Roman emperor on the torso described +_post_, No. 107, p. 104. + +The features are very forcibly modelled. This head is probably a work of +the Macedonian period. It was found in the Temple of Venus. (See _ante_, +p. 77.) + + * * * * * + + PLATE 76.—CYRENE CROWNED BY LIBYA. + + _Group in Relief, 3 feet 4 inches by 2 feet 3 inches._ + +This relief represents the nymph Cyrene in the act of strangling a lion, +while, to commemorate this triumph, a crown is held over her head by +Libya. Below is the inscription engraved Pl. 82, No. 19, which may be +thus translated:— + +“Here over the architrave, Carpos, making this dedication in token of +great hospitality, has placed the lion-slaying Cyrene, whom Libya, +having the glory of three continents, herself crowns.” + +In this group the nymph Cyrene is represented in attire very like that +of Diana Venatrix. She wears a succinct _chiton_ reaching to the knees, +over which is a mantle, and buskins; her hair is drawn back from her +face. + +Libya wears a talaric _chiton_ girt at the waist, and a mantle fastened +at the breast and falling down behind; her hair, bound with a diadem, is +arranged over her forehead in long regular curls, and falls down her +neck; at her side is an animal _couchant_, of which the head is broken +off, and which is probably a gazelle. + +According to one legend, Cyrene was the daughter of Hypseus, king of the +Lapithæ, in Thessaly, whose flocks she guarded against wild beasts. +Apollo seeing her slay a lion in the valley of Pelion, became enamoured +of her, and carried her off to the parts of Libya which afterwards bore +her name. According to another legend, Eurypylus, king of Libya, having +promised a portion of his kingdom to the person who would slay a lion +then dreaded for his ravages, Cyrene performed this exploit, and +received in reward the promised district. It is probably in connection +with this latter legend that Libya is introduced crowning Cyrene in this +relief. Aristæus, the mythic founder of Cyrene according to some, was +the son of Apollo and Cyrene. The composition of this relief suggests +the idea that it may have been a metope. Hence the words ὑπὲρ μελάθροιο +in the inscription have been translated “above the architrave.” It was +found in the Temple of Venus. + + * * * * * + +[Illustration: + +BACCHUS, + +No. 61.] + +[Illustration: + +APOLLO CITHARŒDES, + +No. 62.] + +[Illustration: + +THE EMPEROR HADRIAN? + +No. 63.] + +[Illustration: + +MINERVA & A MALE HEAD, + +No. 64.] + +[Illustration: + +CNŒUS CORNELIUS LENTULUS MARCELLINUS, + +(PROPRÆTOR OF CYRENE.) + +No. 65.] + +[Illustration: + +BRONZE ICONIC HEAD, + +No. 66.] + +[Illustration: + +APHRODITE & FEMALE TORSO, + +No. 67.] + +[Illustration: + +ICONIC FEMALE STATUE, + +No. 68.] + +[Illustration: + +THE EMPEROR ANTONINUS PIUS, + +No. 69.] + +[Illustration: + +BUST OF A ROMAN EMPEROR, + +No. 70.] + +[Illustration: + +APHRODITE EUPLOIA, + +No. 71.] + +[Illustration: + + APHRODITE AND EROS, + +No. 72.] + +[Illustration: + +ICONIC FEMALE FIGURE, + +No. 73.] + +[Illustration: + +FEMALE BUST OF ROMAN PERIOD, + +No. 74.] + +[Illustration: + +HEAD OF PERSEUS, + +No. 75.] + +[Illustration: + +THE NYMPH CYRENE OVERCOMING A LION + +& BEING CROWNED BY LYBYA, + +No. 76.] + + + + + No. III. + + LIST OF SCULPTURES FOUND ON VARIOUS SITES AT CYRENE. + +NOTE.—_The Nos. subjoined to each object are those now affixed to them +in the British Museum._ + + * * * * * + + + TEMPLE OF APOLLO. + +1. Apollo Citharœdus.—Pl. 62. + +2. The Emperor Hadrian.—Pl. 63. + +3. Bronze iconic head.—Pl. 66. + +4. Head of Pallas Athene.—Pl. 64. + +5. Head of Cnæus Lentulus Marcellinus.—Pl. 65. + +6. Group of the nymph Cyrene overcoming a lion by strangling him. The +nymph is attired like Diana for the chase. Her hair is bound with a +diadem, and gathered into a club behind. Height, 2 ft. 10½ in. (3). + +7. Jupiter Ammon; round his lower limbs a mantle; right hand broken +away, left hand placed behind his back. On the face are traces of red +colour.—Representations of Jupiter Ammon are rare in sculpture. The head +of this deity is one of the principal types on the coins of Cyrene, and +other towns in the Cyrenaica, and occurs on the cuirass of the Roman +emperor. (See _post_, No. 107.) Height, 2 ft. 10 in. (7). + +8. Youthful male figure, wearing a mantle, gathered round his waist and +leaving the right side of his chest bare; his head bound with a twisted +diadem. His left hand is placed behind his back; his right hand has been +extended in front of him. The head, which is inserted in a socket, and +may not belong to this figure, bears some resemblance to that of +Alexander the Great. The right arm is wanting. At his feet, on the left, +is a conical object, possibly intended to represent the Delphic +_omphalos_: unfinished at the back. Height, 3 ft. 9 in. (26). + +9. A beardless figure, wearing a _chiton_, a mantle, and sandals; his +head laurelled; his right hand held across his breast; in his left hand +a laurel-branch; at left side, some object, perhaps a case for rolls of +MS. This figure looks up, and may represent either a priest or a poet +taking part in the worship of the temple. Style very late and coarse. +Height, 3 ft. (4). + +10. A figure precisely similar. Height, 2 ft. 10½ in. (5). + +11. Female figure, wearing talaric _chiton_ and _diploidion_; over +forehead, _sphendone_: head looks up. Arms wanting from the elbow; head +and lower arms have been inserted in sockets. This figure may possibly +be a Juno. Art late and bad. Height, 4 ft. 5 in. (6). + +12. Female figure, probably Hygieia, clad in a talaric _chiton_ and +_diploidion_, over which is a _peplos_ wound round the body. Round right +arm a serpent twisted; the right hand wanting; the action of the left +arm suggests that she has held a _patera_ to feed the snake. Over the +forehead is a radiated _sphendone_, in the centre of which a flower. +Unfinished at the back. The head has been fitted to a socket on the +neck, but it is doubtful whether that now adjusted belong to this +figure. Art very late and coarse. Height, 3 ft. 8 in. (25). + +13. Artemis moving rapidly forward: she wears a talaric _chiton_, a +_peplos_, and sandals; her hair is gathered up over her forehead like +that of Apollo; her arms, which are wanting, and her feet, have been +fitted on at a joint; her neck is let into a socket. Height, 3 ft. 3½ +in. (8). + +14. Female figure, wearing low _sphendone_, talaric _chiton_, girt at +the waist, _peplos_, and shoes. Height, 2 ft. 8 in. (52). + +15. Small winged figure in relief, broken off at hips, which probably +represents Somnus reclining. Height, 8 in. (107). + +16. Torso of small figure of Eros (?). Height, 5½ in. (109). + +17. Right leg, broken off halfway up the thigh, from statue of youthful +Bacchus. At side, trunk of tree, encircled with vine-bearing branches. +Height, 1 ft. 6 in. (103). + +18. Right leg from a colossal statue. This leg is broken off above the +ancle, and terminates just above the knee, in a joint which has probably +been concealed by drapery falling over it; it may, therefore, have +belonged to an acrolithic statue. It is in a very fine style, and may +have been executed in the Macedonian period. Height, 2 ft. 1 in. (15). + +19. Archaic head of Apollo. The back hair long, and wound round the +crown in a braid; in front short curls. The chin broken away. This head +is copied from the same original as the Apollo of the Phygalian room. +(_Marbles in British Museum_, vol. xi. Pl. 32.) In the Theseium at +Athens is a similar figure. Height, 11 in. (53). + +20. Youthful heroic head, looking to the right; the top of the head cut +off flat. Roman art. Height, 10 in. (55). + +21. Female head bound with diadem; broken away at back of head. Blue +marble. Height, 5¼ in. (64). + +22. Head of Ariadne (?); hair bound with ivy; crown cut off. Height, 6½ +in. (127). + +23. Head of Diana; hair gathered into a high topknot, and bound with +diadem; eyes have been made of vitreous paste, which remains in one eye. +Height, 7 in. (128). + +24. Head of Diana; hair gathered into a high topknot, and bound with +diadem. Height, 5½ in. (129). + +25. Head of Diana; hair gathered into a high topknot, and bound with +diadem. Late art. Height, 7 in. (131). + +26. Youthful heroic head (Theseus?); hair bound with twisted diadem; +back of head broken off flat. A fine type. Height, 5¼ in. (124). + +27. Two fragments of a female head bound with a diadem. Blue marble; +diadem painted black; eyes and hair red. Injured by fire. Height, 8½ in. +(145). + +28. Left side of a female head wearing a _stephane_ and veil. Height, 5½ +in. (143). + +29. Female head, bound with low _stephane_. Much defaced. Height, 6 in. +(137). + +30. Female head looking up; hair slightly waved, a single ringlet falls +on each side of neck; back of head and neck cut flat. Style mean and +late. Height, 1 ft. 2½ in. (86). + +31. Panther or lioness sitting on its haunches; hind-quarter broken +away. Very rude. Height, 7½ in. (122). + + * * * * * + + RUINS NORTH OF TEMPLE OF APOLLO. + +32. Female figure.—Pl. 68. + +33. Diana Venatrix, wearing a succinct _chiton_, a _chlamys_ hanging +over left arm, and _endromides_; at her side a hound; her left hand is +advanced, and probably held a bow; a quiver rests against her right leg. +Art very late and bad. Height, 3 ft. 11 in. (159). + +34. Male figure, clad in a _chiton_ and mantle; broken away below the +knees; hands and nose wanting; his right arm, muffled in his mantle, is +passed across his breast. The countenance is that of an aged person. The +head being bound with a fillet, perhaps this figure may represent a +poet. He is beardless. (See _ante_, p. 75.) Present height, 5 ft. 2 in. +(37). + +35. Seated female figure, clad in a talaric _chiton_, and a _peplos_ +covering the back of her head; her feet and forearms are wanting; she +wears a girdle tied in a singular knot under her bosom, with ornamented +ends hanging down; her _peplos_ has a deep fringe at the edge. The edges +of her girdle are painted in vermilion, which is still very fresh, and +the same colour appears at the joints where the forearms are broken off. +She is seated on an oblong seat with a cushion; her feet have rested on +a footstool. This figure was found close to another female seated figure +of colossal size, but in other respects resembling it very closely, +which was inscribed with the name of Archippe, daughter of Ptolemaios, a +priestess. It is therefore probable that the smaller seated figure may +also be a priestess. (See _ante_, p. 75, where it is erroneously stated +that Archippe is one of the Ptolemaic dynasty.) This statue is +unfinished at the back, and the crown of the head has been cut away. It +probably stood in a niche. Height, 4 ft. 2 in. (36). + +36. Youthful Bacchus crowned with vine-leaves. The feet remain, but the +legs are wanting from the knees. The right forearm and the nose are +broken away; the left elbow rests on the trunk of a tree, round which is +twined a vine. The right hand has hung down by the side, and has held +some object, to support which two square projections are left on right +hip and thigh. The proportions of this figure are good, and it is fairly +modelled. Height, 3 ft. 2 in. (27). + +37. Female figure, clad in a _chiton_ and _peplos_; in right hand +_oinochoe_. Head broken off at neck, which is let into a socket. Poor +art. Height, 2 ft. 6 in. (41). + +38. Legs from a male figure, life size, wearing hunting-boots; at the +side a _nebris_, or fawn-skin, flung over the trunk of a tree. Height, 2 +ft. 1 in. (150). + +39. Head of Venus (?) bound with diadem; hair in deep waves, cut away at +the back. Broken off, probably, from a statue. Height, 1 ft. 1½ in. +(61). + +40. Female head; hair gathered into a knot on the crown; probably meant +for Artemis. Art late and bad. Height, 6 in. (132). + + * * * * * + + SMALL BUILDING TO THE WEST OF TEMPLE OF APOLLO. + +41. Torso of seated female figure, wearing _peplos_ and talaric _chiton_ +bound with girdle. Height, 1 ft. 4½ in. (93). + + * * * * * + + NEIGHBOURHOOD OF TEMPLE OF APOLLO. + +42. Female head, cut off flat above the forehead, to receive the hair, +which must have been sculptured on a different piece of marble. Height, +11½ in. (88). + +43. Youthful male (?) head; traces of red colour in the eyes. The top of +the head cut off flat to receive the hair, which must have been fitted +on, as in the case of the head last described. Height, 8 in. (89). + +44. Female head; hair waved. Style late and bad. Height, 8 in. (90). + +45. Head of Bacchus wearing a diadem and a crown of vine-leaves, with +bunches of grapes hanging down on each side of the cheek. Height, 7½ in. +(92). + + * * * * * + + TEMPLE OF VENUS. + +46. Female bust.—Pl. 74. + +47. Statue, probably of an empress.—Pl. 73. + +48. Group of nymph Cyrene crowned by Libya.—Pl. 76. + +49. Female bust.—The head-dress is similar to that of Faustina the +Elder, whom this bust may therefore represent, though the features have +little likeness to that empress. The shoulders are draped. The sculpture +is mean, and deficient in style. The end of the nose is slightly +injured, but in other respects this head is in good condition. Height, 1 +ft. 11 in. (117). + +50. Aphrodite Euploia.—Pl. 71. + +51. Group of Venus, with Cupid on a dolphin.—Pl. 72. + +52. Similar group.—The Venus wants arms and head. Her drapery falls over +a _stelé_ on left, in front of which is the Cupid. Sculpture late and +coarse. Height, 1 ft. 1½ in. (75). + +53. Fragment from similar group. Eros on dolphin, holding up part of the +drapery with right hand; at his left hand part of left leg of Venus. +Height, 8½ in. (71). + +54. Fragment from similar group. No remains of the Venus. Height, 7 in. +(72). + +55. Venus; lower half draped; at left side dolphin. Head and right arm +wanting. Height, 11 in. (66). + +56. Draped statuette of Venus, from waist downwards. This fragment +appears to be Greek marble, and the sculpture is of a fine period. +Height, 1 ft. 2½ in. (22). + +57. Torso of nude Venus. Headless; right leg broken off halfway up +thigh, left leg below knee; right arm broken off above wrist, left below +shoulder; on each arm, armlet. Right arm advanced, as if to cover pubes. +Fair Roman sculpture. Height, 1 ft. 2 in. (104). + +58. Head of Venus bound with _opisthosphendone_. Height, 6 in. (139). + +59. Upper part of reclining figure of Somnus, in relief; in right hand +two poppy-heads. Left hand supports head. Length, 6½ in. (74). + +60. Dolphin from a group, placed head downwards; a female hand rests on +his tail. Height, 1 ft. 1 in. (153). + +61. Torso of Eros, with ringlets falling on either side of neck. +Sculpture of a good period. Height, 6 in. (105). + +62. Youthful male head, in conical cap, with flowing hair,—Atys (?). +Height, 9½ in. (59). + +63. Torso from knees to neck of statuette of Diana Polymammia. Wants +arms; round neck two archaic bracelets. Height, 6 in. (20). + +64. Torso of triple Hekate. Heads broken away; at the feet of one of the +figures, a hound looking up. All these figures have their arms hanging +down. One of them holds in her right hand an _oinochoe_; the others hold +in the right hand some uncertain object. Height, 7½ in. (73). + +65. Torso of female statuette, wearing short _chiton_ and nebris. +Artemis (?). Fair sculpture. Height, 1 ft. 1½ in. (111). + +66. Within a fold of pendent drapery, perhaps broken off from a statue, +a female term, clad in a panther’s skin, and placed on a base. Artemis +(?). Broken off at neck. Height, 6 in. (154). + +67. Demeter Dadophoros. Rudely sculptured in stone of the country. She +wears a talaric _chiton_ and a _peplos_ thrown over the head; in her +right hand she holds ears of corn, in her left a torch. Height, 1 ft. 11 +in. (50). + +68. Seated male figure, Jupiter (?), holding in right hand some twisted +object, perhaps a distaff; lower half draped. Sculptured in freestone. +Height, 1 ft. 8 in. (97). + +69. Isis; bust in alabaster. Broken away below breasts. The bust clad in +a _chiton_ and fringed _peplos_, which is fastened by the _nodus +Isiacus_. On the crown of the head is a hole for the attachment of some +ornament; the hair bound with a _sphendone_, and falling on the neck in +long ringlets; at the back of the head a cluster either of curls or of +fruit. Height, 11 in. (83). + +70. Isis, clad in a talaric _chiton_ and a mantle, which is fastened on +the breast in the _nodus Isiacus_. The ends of a fringed veil hang down +on her shoulders; wants head. Fair sculpture. Height, 1 ft. 9 in. (84). + +71. Lower part of seated male statuette, of which the left leg and +thigh, part of the right thigh, and the base of the lyre alone remain. +At left side, gryphon. The proportions seem rather those of Hercules +than of Apollo; but as the sculpture is of a late period, this deviation +from the usual type may be only the result of ignorance in the artist. +Height, 7 in. (101). + +72. Relief representing the oracular shrine of Apollo. On right, Apollo +seated, with right foot on _omphalos_, the lower part of his body +draped; by his side a tripod. On left, gryphon seated, and bearded +ithyphallic term, probably of Dionysos. On the plinth, the inscription +No. 34. Sculpture very rude and in bad condition. Height, 10 in. by 8½ +in. (77). + +73. Pilaster in form of Pan: on his head a bracket. Round the body a +mantle, in which his right hand and arm are muffled; in left hand, +syrinx. The bracket is ornamented with palm-branches. Red colour is +quite distinct on the drapery and bracket. Height, 3 ft. 6 in. (28). + +74. Aristæus (?) Round the lower half of his body a mantle, falling over +his left shoulder, his right hand on his hip; under left arm a staff, +round which a snake is coiled. His hair is long; his head bound with a +diadem, above which has been some kind of crown or upright head-dress; +the crown of the head has been worked flat; his left hand, which has +rested on his staff, is wanting. At the side of left foot, a conical +object, which may be either a rude representation of the _omphalos_, or +a mere support. In this figure, the features and attributes resemble +those of Apollo, but the general type is rather heroic than divine. It +may, therefore, be considered with probability a statue of Aristæus, the +mythic founder of Cyrene, who, as the son of Apollo by the nymph Cyrene, +was said to resemble him in features. Height, 4 ft. 6 in. (158). + +75. Head of Athene in Corinthian helmet. Well preserved. Height, 10 in. +(60). + +76. Head of bearded Bacchus, from term. The hair falls in long tresses, +and is clustered behind each temple in the archaic fashion. On the crown +of the head a hole for the insertion of an ornament. Height, 8½ in. +(81). + +77. Torso of youthful satyr, naked; head, arms, and both legs wanting. +Well sculptured, in Greek marble. Height, 8 in. (82). + +78. Seated female figure, wearing a _chiton_ girt at the waist, over +which is a _peplos_; on each side of the chair, a _sphinx_. Head, both +hands, and head of sphinx on right wanting. Height, 11½ in. (76). + +79. Youthful male figure, wearing helmet, _chiton exomis_ girt up above +the knee and fastened over left shoulder; shoulder-belt and high +boots,—_endromides_, as if attired for the chase. Both arms wanting; the +back is unfinished, as if this statue had stood in a niche. The right +arm has been raised and the head turned that way. At right side, trunk +of tree. Sculpture very rude and coarse. Height, 6 ft. 4 in. (68). + +80. Similar figure. Wants head; sculpture very rude and coarse. Height, +4 ft. 11 in. (149). + +81. Fragment, probably of a group of a hunter and goat, of which all +that remains is the goat standing on his hind legs, the hand which holds +it, and one leg of the man, wearing a hunting-boot. Sculpture coarse and +late. Height, 1 ft. ½ in. (116). + +82. Fragment of relief; legs clad in _endromides_; from standing male +figure, broken off at knees. Height, 10½ in. (99). + +83. Draped term. Wanting head; the left hand placed across the breast, +under the drapery, in an attitude similar to that of a female term in +the Græco-Roman gallery at the British Museum, thought to be the Venus +Architis. (See _Museum Marbles_, vol. ii. Pl. 37.) Height, 1 ft. 4½ in. +(161). + +84. Torso of male figure, wearing cuirass and _chlamys_ girt by a belt. +Broken off at knees and neck; much worn. Height, 10½ in. (79). + +85. Female figure, clad in talaric _chiton_ and _diploidion_ fastened on +right shoulder. Wants head and arms. Height, 1 ft. 10 in. (120). + +86. Youthful male torso; a _peplos_ wound round his waist and over left +forearm; right arm advanced across body. Height, 1 ft. (106). + +87. Fragment of relief. Female figure seated, clad in a talaric _chiton_ +and _peplos_. This is probably a fragment of a votive tablet, as the +figure seems looking round to the right. Height, 8½ in. by 4 in. (96). + +88. Part of votive tablet in relief; a male and a female figure, +standing side by side. The male figure wears a mantle round the lower +part of his body; the female, a talaric _chiton_. Heads wanting. Height, +1 ft. by 10½ in. (78). + +89. Female head, with conical head-dress; similar to that given Pl. +74.—The apex of the cone is pierced as if for suspension. It is +possible, therefore, that this head was used as a weight, as the bronze +weights of Roman steelyards were sometimes fashioned in the form of +heads. This head, like that engraved Pl. 74, is evidently a portrait. +Height, 11 in. (40). + +90. Female head, bound with a _sphendone_ and wreath of ears of corn. +Height, 6 in. (140). + +91. Female head; hair tied in a knot over the crown; face in bad +condition. Height, 4 in. (130). + +92. Female head, bound with _stephane_. Height, 5½ in. (133). + +93. Heroic (?) head, bound with diadem; hair unfinished. Height, 4 in. +(135). + +94. Youthful heroic head, looking to right; hair in short curls. Height, +10 in. (56). + +95. Head of boy; at back of head, drapery. Height, 9 in. (57). + +96. Aged male head; portrait. Broken off at neck; nose slightly injured. +Height, 7 in. (58). + +97. Youthful male head, in conical cap. Atys (?). Hair long. Height, 9½ +in. (59). + +98. Female head, bound with diadem; the crown cut off. Traces of red +colour in the hair. Height, 6 in. (144). + +99. Vine branch round trunk from statue. Height, 6 in. (123). + +100. Fragment of group representing lion on back of bull. Rude and late. +Height, 8 in. (112). + +101. Head of bull. Rude. Height, 5 in. (113). + +102. Legs of standing figure, clad in talaric _chiton_ and sandals; has +been coloured red. Height, 9 in. (100). + +103. Dog standing on hind legs, from group. Height, 9½ in. (121). + +104. Head of Venus.—Hair covered with coif and bound with diadem. Badly +preserved. Height, 4¼ in. (141). + + * * * * * + + AUGUSTEUM. + +105. Bust of Antoninus Pius.—Pl. 69. + +106. Bust of Marcus Aurelius.—Pl. 70. + +107. Head of Lucius Verus, broken at the neck.—Nose broken off; +sculpture good, but condition indifferent. Height, 1 ft. (16). + +108. Torso of a Roman emperor in a cuirass.—This is the torso which was +seen by Beechey lying on the ground, and which he supposes to have +belonged to the statue of a Ptolemy. The building near which it was +found (marked “Palace” on the plan of Cyrene,—see _ante_, p. 76) was, +probably, an Augusteum, or temple dedicated to one or more Roman +emperors, as several imperial busts and statues were discovered here. +This cuirass is very richly ornamented with reliefs. On the breastplate +is a female figure, draped to the feet, representing Rome. On either +side a Victory flies towards her to crown her; the Victory on the right +carries a cornucopia and a sash, the one on the left a trumpet. The feet +of Rome rest on the back of the wolf suckling the twins Romulus and +Remus, whose figures have been broken away. On the lower part of the +cuirass are, in the centre, the head of Jupiter Ammon, and on either +side a winged youthful head, probably Perseus, between which and the +head of Ammon is, on either side, an eagle with spreading wings. Under +the cuirass is a jerkin, on which are two helmets and two swords in +sheaths, arranged alternately with the reliefs already described. On +either flank of the cuirass is an elephant’s head. This torso evidently +belongs to the figure of a Roman emperor. As the reliefs are finely +executed, it is probably a work of the Augustan age. Height, 4 ft. 6 in. +(35). + +109. A female figure, clad in a talaric _chiton_ girt at the waist and +looped on the sleeves, over which falls a _peplos_, gathered over left +arm; on the feet, shoes. The head and forearms wanting. Art coarse and +late. Height, 5 ft. 9½ in. (33). + +110. Bust, perhaps intended to represent the Empress Faustina the +Younger, as the hair is waved and gathered up behind like hers. The nose +is broken away, which makes it very difficult to identify the person +represented. The shoulders are covered with a _peplos_, under which is a +tunic. Fair Roman art. Height, 1 ft. 10 in. (18). + +111. A block tapering upwards, which has perhaps been fitted into a +niche. On one face is represented in low relief a youthful male figure +wearing the Phrygian cap (Atys); his body is naked: on either side is a +sword pointed downwards. Two holes are drilled in the plane of the +relief, one on each side of the figure, apparently for the attachment of +some ornament. Height, 8 in. (102). + + * * * * * + + LARGE TEMPLE NEAR THE STADIUM. (See _ante_, p. 71.) + +112. Part of a male head, rather larger than life; much injured by fire; +the nose is destroyed, and the head broken in two pieces. This head is +finely executed; the lips are painted red, the beard black. Height, 1 +ft. 2½ in. (162). + +113. Lower half of seated female figure, wearing a talaric _chiton_ and +_peplos_. Demeter (?). Coarsely sculptured in stone of the country. +Height, 6 in. (98). + + * * * * * + + SMALL TEMPLE NEAR THE STADIUM. (See _ante_, p. 75.) + +114. Female torso, perhaps the nymph Cyrene.—Pl. 67. + +115. Aphrodite.—Pl. 67. + +116. Fragment of face from colossal head; coarsely sculptured in blue +marble. The nose, right cheek, and part of left eye, have been broken +away; in the hair are traces of red colour. Height, 1 ft. 6 in. (54). + +117. Fragment of a group representing a bull attacked by a lion. The +bull is crouching; of the lion, who has sprung on him from behind, the +fore paws only remain; the head of the bull is wanting. Height, 5¼ in. +(115). + + * * * * * + + TEMPLE OF BACCHUS. + +118. Statue of Bacchus.—Pl. 61. + +119. Panther, half couching; head to left; left paw raised; round neck +wreath of ivy; right leg and lower jaw broken away. In the stone of the +country. Height, 1 ft. 11 in. (156). + + * * * * * + + FROM NEAR COLONNADE WEST OF TEMPLE OF BACCHUS. + +120. Female figure, draped in talaric _chiton_ and _diploidion_, over +which is a _peplos_ wound round the body and left arm. The right hand +rests on the hip; the head and left hand are wanting. The drapery is +well composed, and from the goodness of the sculpture, this statue is, +probably, of the Augustan age, and may represent some member of the +imperial family. Height, 5 ft. 7 in. (39). + +121. Pallas Athene, clad in a talaric _chiton_, over which a _peplos_ is +wound round the body. The ægis is shown on the bosom, apparently +attached to the edge of the _peplos_, where it is doubled back between +the breasts. The head and forearms are wanting. The drapery of this +figure is well composed; the execution probably Roman. Height, 4 ft. 9½ +in. (31). + +122. Female figure, wearing a talaric _chiton_ and a _peplos_ drawn over +the back of her head. The hair is waved in front, and bound with a +_stephane_? Underneath the veil the hair is plaited, and twisted round +the head, forming a sort of crown at the back. Red colour is very +distinct on the _chiton_, over the left thigh. This figure is evidently +a portrait, perhaps of a priestess. The execution is late and bad. The +head-dress seems to be that of the time of Faustina the Elder. Height, 3 +ft. 11 in. (24). + + * * * * * + + SCULPTURES OF WHICH THE PLACE OF DISCOVERY HAS NOT BEEN NOTED. + +123. Torso of male figure wearing a _chiton_ girt at the waist, over +which is a _chlamys_ fastened on the breast and falling over the left +arm and side; on the neck traces of red colour. The drapery is well +composed and delicately sculptured. This torso belongs to the finest +period of Greek art. Head, right arm, and shoulder, left hand and legs, +wanting. Height, 12 in. (163). + +124. Naked male torso; the head, right leg and thigh, left leg, left +arm, and nearly all the right arm, wanting. The figure is youthful, the +right shoulder and arm advanced, as if he was bending a bow; at back of +right shoulder a deep circular hole, and on the same shoulder a +depression, showing that a quiver has been attached behind. The type of +this figure suggests an Eros; but as there are no wings, it is probably +an Apollo bending his bow. The marble has been much injured by fire; but +the sculpture is superior to that of most of the Cyrene sculptures. +Height, 1 ft. 1 in. (118). + +125. Group of Aphrodite and Eros. The goddess wears a _peplos_, which +falls from her left shoulder, covering the left arm and side, and is +wound round the right leg and thigh, partially concealing the left +thigh; the left arm is bent, and near the shoulder is a projection where +the hand has probably been attached; the action of the right arm, now +wanting, cannot be ascertained; the left knee is bent; the head is +wanting. At her right side has stood an Eros, of whom all that remains +is the right leg and left foot. The Aphrodite is fairly modelled. This +group probably came from the Temple of Venus. (See _ante_, No. 51.) +Height, 1 ft. 10½ in. (69). + +126. Relief. Lower half of Aphrodite, holding a slight fold of drapery +across the hips; at her left side a dolphin, head downwards. Sculpture +very late and coarse, in stone of the country. Probably from Temple of +Venus, like No. 69. Height, 7½ in. (70). + +127. Aristæus (?) Round the body a mantle which leaves the right arm and +side bare to the waist, and is gathered up under left arm, being +supported by the end of a long knotted staff on which this figure is +leaning, and round which a serpent is twisted; at left side the +_omphalos_ of Apollo: the head and left hand are wanting. The attitude, +arrangement of the drapery, and staff with serpent, suggest an +Æsculapius; but the form is too youthful, and the _omphalos_ connects +the figure with Apollo. The name Aristæus seems, therefore, a probable +attribution, as in the case of Nos. 158 and 65. Sculpture late and bad. +Height, 2 ft. (85). + +128. Male head, bearded; the nose wanting; probably a Roman emperor. It +bears some resemblance to Pertinax. Art late and coarse. Height, 1 ft. +⁵⁄₁₀ in. (9). + +129. Female figure seated in a chair, clad in a talaric _chiton_, girt +at the waist, and a _peplos_ thrown over her lower limbs; her feet on a +footstool; right arm thrown back over rail of chair, left arm bent; +head, part of left foot, and both hands, wanting. Composition good. +Height, 11½ in. (94). + +130. Dionysos; in his right hand, now broken away, he has held an +_amphora_; by his left foot is a jar; his hair is bound with ivy; he +wears a mantle which leaves the right shoulder and chest, as far as the +waist, bare. Sculpture very coarse and late, in stone of the country. +Height, 1 ft. 3½ in. (80). + +131. Head of Ariadne (?) bound with an ivy wreath, and a diadem over the +forehead; the hair hangs down the neck; the teeth are shown as the lips +were smiling; broken off at neck. Fair sculpture. This head seems too +feminine in type for Bacchus, and may therefore be called with +probability Ariadne (_cf._ No. 127). Height, 8½ in. (125). + +132. Cybele seated in a chair, clad in a talaric _chiton_ and _peplos_; +in right hand _phiale_, in lap a lion; on either side of chair, lion +seated on his haunches. Height, 11½ in. (44). + +133. Hermaphroditos; the body draped from the feet to below the hips; +the left hand holds up drapery on the thigh; head and both arms wanting; +hair has flowed down the back; the ends of a diadem hang down on each +shoulder. Rudely sculptured. Height, 3 ft. 3½ in. (45). + +134. Male head wearing pointed helmet, which appears to be covered with +linen; the hair in thick and wavy masses over the forehead; the lower +jaw broken away; the front teeth of the upper jaw are seen. Perhaps this +head represents Atys; broken off at neck from statuette. Height, 4¼ in. +(142). + +135. Part of draped female statuette: with her right hand she is +throwing a mantle over her shoulder, advancing left leg at the same +time; head, left arm from shoulder, and both feet, wanting. Height, 1 +ft. 8 in. (16). + +136. Female bust, shoulders draped; hair waved and falling down on +either side neck; inscribed on base with the name Nemesis, daughter of +Orion, and the date 16. (See Inscription No. 35.) Obtained from the +Arabs. Height, 9½ in. (91). + +137. Female torso, wearing _chiton_ and _peplos_; head, legs, right +forearm, and left hand, wanting: the left hand has held a cornucopia. +This figure may therefore represent the goddess Fortune. Height, 7¼ in. +(152). + +138. Fragment from high relief, probably votive. Upper portion of male +and female figure bearing offerings, probably to a divinity; the male +figure stoops forward, holding in right hand some object, perhaps a +flower; he is naked and bearded; the female figure who follows him holds +up in right hand a fruit, perhaps a pomegranate; she wears a _chiton_ +and _peplos_; her hair is gathered into a knot behind. Obtained from the +Arabs. Height, 6 in. by 10 in. (95). + +139. Male figure, right hand on hip; a mantle is wound round left +shoulder and over right hip; head, right arm from shoulder to wrist, and +left hand, wanting. Height, 9½ in. (63). + +140. Male figure, wearing a mantle, which passes over left arm and +across the chest, being gathered up under the right arm. This figure +stands on the left leg, the right knee being bent; the left arm is +placed behind the back. From the attitude, and arrangement of the +drapery, it is probable that the right side leant on a staff, as in No. +158. In that case, we may suppose this figure to be Aristæus. (See +_ante_, No. 85.) The head and nearly all the right arm are wanting. +Height, 1 ft. 2 in. (65). + +141. Torso of female figure, wearing talaric _chiton_, girt at the +waist, and _peplos_ passing across the body and gathered over left arm; +long hair falls over the shoulders behind. Coarsely sculptured in stone +of the country. Height, 10 in. (108). + +142. Female head, crowned with turreted _stephanos_, in front of which +is a circular flower; hair in short curls. Broken off from statuette at +neck. Height, 4½ in. (134). + +143. Female head; hair gathered into a knot behind, and drawn back from +the face; over the forehead a diadem; on the right-hand side of the head +a projection, perhaps representing a mass of hair fastened over the +diadem. Height, 4½ in. (138). + +144. Upper portion of youthful male head; hair growing away from the +face; broken off at the eyes; much damaged by fire; unfinished at the +back. Probably from an heroic figure. Height, 3½ in. (147). + +145. Iconic female bust; the hair drawn back from the face and gathered +into a knot at the back of the head; a ringlet falls down each side of +neck; shoulders draped. Sculpture late and bad. Height, 11 in. (148). + +146. Lioness seated on hind legs. Very coarse and late. Height, 1 ft. 2 +in. (155). + +147. Bull’s head broken off at neck. Rudely sculptured in stone of the +country. Height, 8¼ in. (114). + +148. Relief, representing a votive ear. Coarse and late sculpture. +Length, 10 in. by 6¾ in. (21). + + + + + No. IV. + + INSCRIPTIONS DISCOVERED OR FOUND AT CYRENE. + + * * * * * + + +Most of the inscriptions which have been discovered at Cyrene are of the +Roman period. In the following series those which are certainly of a +date antecedent to the Roman annexation of Cyrene are indicated as +belonging to “a good period.” In most of these inscriptions the Doric +dialect is used, and appears to have prevailed at Cyrene till the Roman +period, when the κοινή was gradually introduced. + + No. 1.—Pl. 77. + + Γ]νάϊον Κορνήλον Λέντολον + + Ποπλίω υἱὸν Μαρκελλῖνον, πρεσ- + + βευτὰν ἀντιστράταγον, τὸν + + πάτρωνα καὶ σωτῆρα, Κυραναῖοι. + +A dedication by the people of Cyrene to Cnæus Cornelius Lentulus +Marcellinus, son of Publius, here styled Ambassador, Proprætor, Patron, +and Saviour. This inscription is engraved on a marble base found in the +temple of Apollo, together with a pedestal, and a head representing the +person to whom the dedication is made. (See _ante_, p. 42 and 93.) In +the British Museum. + + No. 2. + + . . . . . . . . Ἱπποκλεῦς + + Ἀγασικλῆς Φιλοκλεῦς + + Ἀπόλλωνι δεκάταν. + +A dedication of a tenth to Apollo, by Agasikles, son of Philokles, and +some one, son of Hippokles. On a slab of marble found in some ruins to +the north of the temple of Apollo. The upper part of this slab has been +broken away. The letters are of a good period. + + No. 3. + + Πολιάνθης Ἀνάξιος + + τὸμ πατέρα Ἄναξιν + + Ξευξιμάχω τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι + + δεκάταν ἀνέθηκε. + +A dedication of a statue of Anaxis, son of Xeuximachos, by his son +Polianthes, as a tenth to Apollo. On a slab of marble found on the site +of the temple of Apollo, before excavations were commenced there. The +letters are of a good period. Published, Böckh, Corpus Inscriptionum, +III. 5133, but incorrectly. See _ibid._ p. 1240. + + No. 4. + + Τείσων Ἰάσονος + +On a marble base found in some ruins on the north of the temple of +Apollo. The letters are of the best period of Greek art. + + No. 5. + + ατη . . . . . . . . + + το] ὺς ἑαυτοῦ + + Ἀπόλλωνι. + +On a small slab of marble, 1 foot 7 inches by 6 inches by 4 inches, +found under the mosaic pavement in the temple of Apollo. It is evidently +part of a dedication to Apollo. In the British Museum. + + No. 6.—Pl. 78, 79. + + . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + + λ]οχαγοὶ τεθ[ρίππ]ων + + Μναστοκλῆς Βαθυκλεῦς + + Πίθακος Ἀριστωνύμω + + Ἀρισταγόρας Φιλοκώμω + + (5) Ἀριστοφάνης Κλευγένευς + + Δαμασίστρατος Καλλίππω + + Ἀριστόπολις Εὐρυπτολέμω. + -- + λοχαγοὶ μονίππων + + Αριστοκλῆς Στεφάνω + + (10) Υξαν (_sic_) Εὐπτολέμω + + Στράτων Κάρνιος + + Πρᾶξις θευχρήστω + + Πρατομήδης Φιλίππω. + -- + Τριακατιάρχαι + + (15) Πολυκλῆς Μελανίππω τῶ Ἀριστάνδρω + + Ἀριστοφάνης Παρα[ι]βάτα + + Καλλίμαχος Ἀνν[ικ]έριος + + Βαθυκλῆς Νικοστράτω + + Ἰάσων Δαιμένευς + + (20) Πρῶρος Κύκνω + + Θαλίαρχος Εὐρυπτολέμω + + Κλέων Χάρωνος + + Λύσις Ἐπικλεῦς + + Φίλων Ἀννικέριος + + (25) Ἡρίλοχος Ἐ[πι]βάτα + + Καλλίστρατος Χριστωνύμω + + Νίκανδρος Ἀλεσάνδρω + + Χάρων Ἰάσονος + + Νικόδαμος Θα . . . . + + (30) Ὀνυμοκλῆς Πολυκλεῦς + + Ἱππόδαμος Φιλο[δάμ]ω. + -- + λοχαγοὶ πεζῶν + + Πολυάρατος Παρατ . . ος + + Φιλοκλῆς Θεν . . . . + + (35) Ἀντίπατρος Πολ . . . . . . ος + + Πασίας Ἱπποδ[άμω + + Χαιρεσίλας Ἀν[αξ]αγόρας + + Ψάφων Ἀγλωμάχω + + Εὐκλῆς Θευχρήστω + + (40) Σίφυρος Πιθάκω + + Φίλων Θευχρήστω + + Τιμῶχος Πολυτίμω + + Περίανδρος Θρασυλλίωνος + + Θεύδωρος Καλλιμάχω + + (45) Φρασσάμενος Ἀριστοτέλε[υς + + Ἄναξις Δαμώνακτος + + Πράταρχος Ὀνυμάρχω + + Τιμόλας Πιθάκω + + Θεύμανδρος Λυσίππω + + (50) Δαϊλέων Θευχρήστω. + -- + λοχαγοὶ πελταστᾶν συμμ . . . . + + τοῖς τριακατίοις + + Ἀνδροκλῆς Κα[λλιμ]άχω + + Ἀριστομένης Α . . . . . . . . + + (55) Πρῶρος Σωσία . . + + Ἀριστοφ[ῶν . . . . . . . . + + Τελεσα . . . . . . + + Ευκ . . . . . . + +On a marble block, 4 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 1 inch by 1 foot, found in +the Pronaos of the large temple near the Stadium. (See _ante_, p. 71.) +This inscription gives a list of λοχαγοί, captains, of charioteers, +τέθριπποι; of cavalry, μόνιπποι; of πεζοί, infantry; of πελτασταί, or +light-armed infantry; and τριακατίαρχαι, or commanders of τριακάδες, +which latter appear to have been divisions of the Ephebi in a tribe. L. +51, συμμ. This word appears to govern τοῖς τριακατίοις. After the second +Μ has been Ν (see the fac-simile). For τριακάτιοι see Ahrens, Dial. Dor. +p. 280; Müller, Dor. II. p. 304, ed. Germ. The letters are of a good +period. + + No. 7.—Pl. 79. + + Μελά]νιππος Λυσισβάτω + + Πολύαρχος Παυσανία + + . . . . Δα]μοκρίτω Χάρων Φαυστίω + + . . . . Μελανίππω Ξεῦξις Αἰταχίννω (_sic_) + + (5) . . . . Ἐρυσίππω Καλλίστρατος Νικαίω + + . . . . αχος Ἀρτύλα Ἑλικὰν Λεντίχω + + . . . . ατης Ὑπερόχω Λύκος Εὐρυμάχω + + . . . . ρχος Ποδώκευς Νίκιππος Εὐφρονίω + + . . . . καρτης Θράσωνο[ς Ἀρίστων Λύκων [ος + + (10) . . . . ος Φράσωνος Φιλόξηνος Μελανίππω + + . . νιππος Ἁγήμονος Τελέσαρχος Κρησίλα + + . . Θάλωνος Ἀντίμαχος Φιλοκώμω + + . . αν Πρώρω Ἀντίφιλος Αὔσαν [ος + + . . λας Εὐκλείδα Ἀλεξίβιος Σμυρναίω + + (15) . . αμος Μνάσιος Ἀμμώνιος Ξήνιος + + . . της Ἀκέσωνος Ἐπήρατος Πολυδώρω + + Ἀριστ]οτέλης Πράτιος Ἄλεξις Λύγαντος + + . . αρχος Παυσανία Ἀρίστ[α]ρχος Θράσυος + + . . οίδας Λυσάνορος Ἀνάξανδρος Σχίδα + + (20) . . . Ἀριστοβώλω Βάραιβις Μοιρισθένευς + + . . ενης Χαιριείδευς Ἐξακέστας Ἀριστίππω + + . . . . . Πείσιος Ἀλεξίμαχος Ἄλκιος + + . . . . ος Νέωνος Προκλῆς Ἰάσονος + + . . . . . . άμιος Εὐρυφῶν Ἀρίστιος. + + . . . . . . λύκω + +On a marble slab, 16 inches by 15 inches by 3 inches, found in the +_Pronaos_ of the large temple near the Stadium. (See _ante_, p. 71.) +This inscription gives a list of names, probably _Ephebi_. (Compare No. +6, _ante_.) L. 10, col. 2, φιλόξηνος, _Doricè_ for φιλόξενος. In L. 18, +col. 2, ΑΡΙΣΤΡΟΧΣ is by mistake written for ΑΡΙΣΤΑΡΧΟΣ. The letters are +of a good period. In the British Museum. + + No. 8.—Pl. 80. Νο. 9. + + [Ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ Αὐτο- κας . . . . . . . . . . + + κράτορος Τρα- χεριων . . . . . . . . + + ϊανοῦ Γερ]μ[α- μοιηα . . . . . . . . + + νικοῦ] Δακικο[ῦ τῇ (?) ἐκ το[ῦ. . . . + + (5) νίκης] καὶ δια- (5) νος ετο . . . . . . . . + + μο]νῆς καὶ τοῦ καὶ αὐ . . . . . . . . + + σύμ] παντος [αὐ- νε . . . . . . . . . . . . + + τοῦ] οἴκου καὶ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + + τῆς ἱερᾶς συν- + + (10) κλ]ήτου καὶ δήμ- + + ου Ῥωμαίων + + Ἀντωνία Μεγώ + + Μ. Ἀντωνίο[υ ἱερατ- + + εύ]σαντος [τοῦ δεῖνα + + (15) κ]αὶ . . . . . . . . + + νίου Σω . . . . . . + + καὶ Ἡγισαν . . . . + + τοῦ Βωλακλέος Ἱ- + + έρεια Ἀρτέμιδος + + (20) ἀριστιει τὰς τὴν + + πόλιν καὶ τὴν χώρ- + + αν κα]τοικούσας παρ- + + [θένους . . . . . . . . . . + +On two fragments of a narrow slab of marble found in ruins to the north +of the temple of Apollo. (See _ante_, p. 75.) No. 8 measures 1 foot 10 +inches by 9½ inches; No. 9, 11 inches by 7½ inches. The first part of +this inscription is probably a dedication in honour of the Emperor +Trajan, identified here by the epithet ΔΑΚΙΚΟ[Υ. In the latter lines a +priestess of Artemis is mentioned, who promises to give a breakfast, +ἀριστιει, to all the virgins dwelling in the city and territory of +Cyrene. The name Μεγώ, l. 12, occurs in a list of priestesses of Cyrene +(Corpus Inscript. No. 5143). ἀριστιει would appear to be an error of the +lapidary for ἀριστίζει, as there is no such form as ἀριστίω. The +fragment No. 9 is too mutilated to admit of any conjectural restoration, +but it belongs to the same slab. In the British Museum. + + No. 10.—Pl. 80. + + . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + + Ἀγκάρηνος . . . . + + Τι. Κλαύδιος Τορκο . . . . + + ἡ πόλις + + Τ. Φλάβιος Βαρκα[ῖος (?) + + (5) ἡ πόλις + + Τ. Φλάβιος Ἀγχιοτ . . . . + + Μ. Οὔλπιος Ἀριο . . . . . . + + δεγμος Κασκέλλ[ιος + + Τ]ι. Κλαύδιος Βατ . . . . + + (10) Φιλιππο . . . . . . + +On a block of marble lying on the mosaic pavement in the temple of +Apollo. This inscription contains a list of names, but it is too +mutilated to admit of the purport being ascertained. + + No. 11.—Pl. 80. + + Διὸς Σωτῆρος. + +On a column of sandstone, 1 foot 5 inches in diameter, broken at the +top, but present height 3 feet; found in ruins to the north of the +temple of Apollo. (See _ante_, p. 75.) The inscription shows that the +altar was dedicated to Zeus Soter. + + No. 12.—Pl. 81. + + ὑπὲρ τῆς Νέρωνος Κλαυδίου + + Καίσαρος νίκης καὶ σωτηρίας + + καὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ παντὸς + + Ἀπόλλωνι Ἀποβατηρίῳ + + Μ. Ἀντώνιος Γέμελλος ἐκ τῶν τοῦ + + Ἀπόλλωνος. + +On a block of blue marble, 2 feet 3½ inches by 2 feet 9½ inches by 12½ +inches, found in some ruins north of the temple of Apollo. (See _ante_, +p. 75.) This is a dedication to the Apollo Apobaterios, “the protector +of persons landing,” offered by M. Antonius Gemellus, from the funds of +the temple of Apollo, as a vow for the success and safety of the Emperor +Nero and all his family. From the epithet ἀποβατήριος applied to Apollo +in this inscription, it may be inferred that the emperor was then +engaged in some voyage. The name ΝΕΡΩΝΟΣ, in l. 1, is nearly erased. In +the British Museum. + + No. 13.—Pl. 81. + + ὑπὲρ τῆς Νέρωνος Κλαυδίου + + Καίσαρος νίκης καὶ σωτηρίας + + καὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ παντὸς + + Ἀπόλλωνι Μυρτώῳ Μ. Ἀντώνιος + + Γέμελλος ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος. + +On a block of blue limestone found in some ruins to the north of the +temple of Apollo. (See _ante_, p. 75.) This is a dedication to the +Myrtoan Apollo, offered by M. Antonius Gemellus, from the funds of the +temple of Apollo, as a vow for the success and safety of the Emperor +Nero and all his family. Published, Böckh, Corpus Inscript., III. No. +5138. + + No. 14.—Pl. 81. + + Φι] λῖνος Φιλίνου + + ἱαριτεύων + + ἀνέθηκε. + +On a circular marble pedestal or altar, 2 feet 1 inch by 1 foot 10 +inches, found near the north-east angle of the temple of Apollo. (See +_ante_, p. 75.) A dedication by Philinos, son of Philinos, priest, +probably, of Apollo. + + No. 15.—Pl. 82. + + . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + + . . . . . . επισ. . . . + + δημαρχι]κῆς ἐξ[ουσίας + + τὸ γ′ ὑπ[άτῳ + + τὸ γ′ πατρὶ πατρἰ- + + δος ἡ Κυρηναίω[ν + + πόλις, ἀφιερώσα[ν- + + τος Α. Μινικίου + + Ῥούφου ἀνθυπάτου. + +On a block of sandstone found in the temple of Apollo. (See _ante_, p. +43.) This appears to be the dedication, by the Proconsul of Cyrene, A. +Minicius Rufus, to some emperor, in his third consulship and third +tribuneship; but these dates do not serve to identify him. The +dedication is made in the name of the people of Cyrene. The name A. +Minicius Rufus does not occur in Gruter’s Corpus Inscript. Latin. + + No. 16.—Pl. 82. + + . . . . . . Πτο]λεμαῖον Σωτήρων + + . . . . . . ιστων Λυσιφάνευς + + ἀνέθηκε. + +On a slab of marble built into the corner of a wall, in the restored +part of the temple of Apollo, on the second story. As the inscribed face +was turned inwards, this marble must have been taken from some earlier +edifice. This is a dedication by some one, son of Lysiphanes. The +letters are of a good period. + + No. 17.—Pl. 82. + + . . . . χως Ἡσυχίῳ τῷ κτίστῃ. + +On a pedestal, 2 feet 9 inches by 1 foot 7½ inches by 1 foot 7 inches, +ornamented with enriched mouldings, found between the temple of Venus +and the building marked “Palace” on the Plan, but which is probably an +Augusteum. + + No. 18.—Pl. 83. + + Εὐβάτας Ἀκεσάνδρω Ἀλεξίμαχος Αἰγα . . . . + + Ἡρίλοχος Στράτητος Ἐτυμοκλῆς Ἀρις . . + + Ἁγήσαρχος Κλέωνος δαμοκοσμοθε . . . . + + Τελεσφορέντες τὰν θ[εόν (?) + +On a slab of marble found in a building near the temple of Bacchus, +marked “Palace” on the Plan, but which is probably an Augusteum. (See +_ante_, p. 76.) Ll. 3, 4 cannot be read satisfactorily. The Ο at the end +of δαμο is quite clear in the rubbing, otherwise we might read +Ἀρισ[τοδάμω κοσμοθ[έται]. Τελεσφορέντες is also perfectly clear, but how +it can be formed from τελεσφορέω is not so clear. It may be either +miswritten for τελεσφορεῦντες? or formed from τελεσφόρημι. In Hom. we +have φορῆναι, φορήμεναι, &c. + + No. 19.—Pl. 82. + + Κυρήνην πολίων μητρόπτολιν, ἣν στέφει αὐτὴ + + ἠπείρων Λιβύη τρισσὸν ἔχουσα κλέος, + + Ἐνθάδ’ ὑπὲρ μελάθροιο λεοντοφόνον θέτο Κάρπος, + + Εὐξάμενος μεγάλης σῆμα φιλοξενίης. + +At the foot of a bas-relief found on the site of the temple of Venus. +(See _ante_, p. 77 and p. 97.) The inscription records the dedication of +the relief, in token of great hospitality, by one Karpos, who, it may be +presumed, had as a stranger been hospitably received by the people of +Cyrene. The subject of the relief is stated to be the crowning of the +lion-slaying nymph Cyrene by Libya, who has the triple glory of +continents—ἠπείρων τρισσὸν ἔχουσα κλέος. This seems to refer to the +threefold population of Libya, native Africans, and European and Asiatic +colonists. The relief is to be placed ὑπὲρ μελάθροιο, which must be +translated “above the architrave,” for the relief is evidently a metope. + + No. 20.—Pl. 83. + + Γ]άϊος Νώνιο[ς . . . . εινος + + τῇ θεῷ + + Μιλήσιος ὁ καὶ Κυρηνε . . . . . . ενος + +On a marble pedestal found in the _cella_ of the temple of Venus. (See +_ante_, p. 77.) A statue must have stood on this pedestal, as part of +the feet remained. + + No. 21.—Pl. 83. + + . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + + . . . . . . σαγόρα φ Ἀννικέρ[ιος + + . . . . . . Ξούθω φ Λυσι . . . . + + . . . . Ἀ]λέξιος φ Φιλοκώ[μω + + . . . . Θευχρήστω φ Σωσικράτευς + + Βιάνδρω φ Λυ . . . . + + Ἀναξ. . . . + +Fragment of a slab of marble found in the Augusteum. (See _ante_, p. +76.) This inscription seems to be part of a list of subscribers to some +public contribution. + + No. 22.—Pl. 83. + + Ἀστυκράτης + + Εὐκλείδα + +On a marble pedestal, 4 feet by 1 foot 6 inches by 1 foot, found in the +_pronaos_ of the temple of Venus. (See _ante_, p. 77.) The letters are +of a good period. + + No. 23.—Pl. 83. + + Αὐτοκράτορα Καίσαρα Τεῖτον Αἴ]λιον Ἀδριανὸν + + Ἀντωνεῖνον Σεβαστὸν θεῶ Ἀδριανοῦ] υἱὸν, θεῶ + + Τραϊανοῦ Παρθικοῦ] υἱωνὸν, θεῶ + + Νερούα ἔγγονον, σωτῆρα κ]αὶ εὐεργέταν + + . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ὑπὸ Τείτου + +Fragment of a slab of marble found in the Augusteum. (See _ante_, p. +76.) This appears to be part of a dedication to the Emperor Antoninus +Pius, whose bust was found in the same building. + + No. 24.—Pl. 84. + + Μ. Ἀντώνιος Κερέαδις + + Πτολεμαίου Ι.Ι.Ι.Ι. υἱός + + Αἰγλάνωρ + + Μητρόδωρος Ι. τοῦ + + Μητροδώρου + + L{ρη}. Τι. Κλαύδιος Ἀρχίππου + + υἱὸς Ἄρχιππος + + L{pθ} Μ. Ἀντώνιος Μ. Ἀντωνίου + + Φλάμμα υἱὸς Κασκέλλιος. + +On a large marble slab, measuring 3 feet 1 inch by 2 feet 7 inches by 1 +foot 1 inch, built into a partition wall in the temple of Apollo, the +writing turned inwards. It contains a list of names of priests of +Apollo. This is shown by the inscription from Cyrene (Corpus Inscript., +III. No. 5144), where the name M. Antonius Kaskellios occurs with the +same date. Λ is Λυκάβαντι, _in the year_ . . . The two dates {ρη} and +{pθ} refer to the era of Actium. (See Franz, Corpus Inscript., _loc. +cit._ &c., p. 1241.) The four vertical strokes which precede the word +υἱός, l. 2, probably indicate that the ancestors of M. Antonios Kereadis +for four generations had been called Ptolemaios. The use of vertical +strokes is peculiar here. The usual way of marking the successive +generations is either by letters, α′ β′ γ′, or by the words δίς, τρίς, +κ.τ.λ. (_See_ Franz, Elementa Epigraphices Græcæ, p. 304.) So Μητρόδωρος +Ι. τοῦ Μητροδώρου is Metrodoros, grandson of Metrodoros. The M. Antonius +Flamma mentioned in this inscription is probably the same as the +Antonius Flamma mentioned by Tacitus, Hist. IV. 45. + + No. 25.—Pl. 84. + + Ἀσκλαπὸν Ἀσκλαπῶ ἱερατεύον- + + τα τῶ Ἀπόλλωνος ἀρετᾶς ἕ[νε- + + κα καὶ εὐνοίας ἅς ἔχων δια[τε- + + λεῖ ἔς τε τὸς κοινὸς εὐεργ[έτας + + Ῥωμαίος καὶ ἐς τὰν πόλιν κα[ὶ + + τὸς ἱαρὲς καὶ τᾶς ποτὶ τὸ[ς θεὸς + + χάριν εὐ]σεβείας οἱ ἱαρὲς τ[ῶ + + Ἀπ]όλλωνος ἀνέθ[ηκαν. + +On a slab of marble built into a rough modern wall about 20 yards to the +westward of the temple of Apollo. Published, Böckh, Corpus Inscript., +III. No. 5131, from a copy taken before the marble was broken at the +edges, and which is therefore more complete; and Letronne, Journal des +Savans, 1848, p. 372. + +On the reverse of the same slab— + + No. 26.—Pl. 84. + + Τ. Κλαύδιος Ἀριστομέ- + + νης Μάγνος, ὁ καὶ + + Περικλῆς, ἱαρειτεύων + + ἕκταν τᾶν τῶ Ἀπόλλω- + + νος προσόδων. + +This is a dedication of a statue in honour of Asclapos, priest of +Apollo, on account of his services to the city, the Romans, and the +priests, and his piety to the gods. The dedication is made by the +priests of Apollo. This records a dedication made out of a sixth part of +the revenues of the temple of Apollo by T. Claudius Aristomenes Magnus, +priest of Apollo. Published by Franz, Corpus Inscript., III. No. 5137, +who reads ἐκ τᾶν τῶ Ἀπόλλωνος, and rejects the second ΤΑΝ as an +erroneous repetition; but the reading is certain. (_See_ Letronne, +Journal des Savans, 1848, p. 371.) + + No. 27.—Pl. 85. + + Ἀριστοτέλης + + Σώσιος, ἱαρεὺς + + Ἀπόλλωνος, μηθέ- + + να ἐντίθη . . + +In large letters over one of the recesses in a large tomb on the south- +east side of the city, adjoining the path leading to Sassaf and +Gheigheb. L. 4, ἐντίθη for ἐντίθει. Published, Böckh, Corpus Inscript., +III. No. 5154. + + No. 28.—Pl. 85. + + Γάϊος Ἀπείσιος Διονύσω + + Νίγερ πρεσβύτερος ἱερεὺς + + σν + +Over a compartment in the interior of a small tomb in the Eastern +Necropolis. This inscription contains the name of Caius Apeisios Niger, +a priest of Dionysos, a temple of which Deity was discovered in the +course of the excavations. + + No. 29.—Pl. 86. + + Βαρκλῆος + + Ἀστυκλεῦς + + Μνάστα + + Κρίνιος. + +Over a recess in the same tomb whence No. 27 is taken. Published, Corpus +Inscript., III. No. 5166; and Pacho, tab. LXV. 10, where the first name +is incorrectly read Χ]αρ[ι]κλῆος. + + No. 30.—Pl. 86. No. 31.—Pl. 86. + + Σίμων Σι . . . . . . . . Στράτω- + + Πευσάν- ν Εὐπό- + + δρου L δ′. λιδος + + L λ′. + + No. 32.—Pl. 86. + + Ποπελίας Πευσά- + + νδρου ΘLλθ′. + +Nos. 30, 31, 32 are round the entrance of a small tomb in the Eastern +Necropolis. The four last letters of l. 2 seem to be ΘΛ[υκάβαντι] λθ′, +the year 38, recording probably the age at which Popelias died. The +significance of the Θ which precedes the L must be left to conjecture; +perhaps it stands for θεοῖς. + + No. 33. + + . . . . ΡΑΙΑΝΩΙΑΔΡΙΑΝΩ. . . . + + . . . . ΟΝΣΥΝΤΩΙΠΡΟΝ . . . . + + ΤΩ . . . . ΦΛ . . . . ΦΛ . . . . + + Τ]ραϊανῷ Ἀδριανῷ + + τὸν να]ὸν σὺν τῷ πρόν[αῳ + + τω φλ φλ + +On a piece of architrave of sandstone, found in ruins to the north of +the temple of Apollo. This appears to be part of the dedication of a +temple to the Emperor Trajan. + + + THE END. + + +[Illustration: PL. 77. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 78. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 79. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 80. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 81. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 82. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 83. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 84. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 85. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + +[Illustration: PL. 86. + +CYRENE. + +Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen + +INSCRIPTIONS] + + + + +FOOTNOTES: + + +[Footnote 1: Thrige, p. 48.] + +[Footnote 2: We were informed by some Arabs that these paintings were +quarried out by M. Bourville.] + +[Footnote 3: The plans of the Temples of Apollo and Bacchus, have +unfortunately been lost.] + +[Footnote 4: In the foreground, Plate 46, is shown a circular tomb, +protected by an outer wall, with a passage left between. We did not meet +with this type of tomb at Cyrene.] + +[Footnote 5: Another place he had intended to make a stand and dispute +our passage was at a range of tombs called by the Arabs the +“Kenissieh.”] + +[Footnote 6: The view opposite will show more clearly this locality, as +well as the exterior of the tombs we lived in during our stay.] + +[Footnote 7: Ueber eine in der Gegend der ehemaligen Kyrene gesammelte +Wurzelrinde, und über das Silphium der alten Griechen. + +Dr. Schroff gives the following references to modern literature of +_Silphium_:— + + _Link_, Ueber das Kyrenäische Silphium. Akad. Berlin, 19 März, 1829. + + _Böttiger_, Ueber das Silphium oder Laser von Kyrene. Oken’s Osis. + 1829, p. 317. + + _Sprengel_, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Medicin, i. pt. i. 1794; + Geschichte der Botanik, i. 1817. + + _Thrige_, Res Cyrenensium, &c. Hafniæ, 1828. + + _Eckhel_, Doctrina Numorum veterum conscripta. Pt. i. vol. iv. Vindob. + 1794. + + _Müller_, Numismatique de l’ancienne Afrique. Vol. i. Les Monnaies de + la Cyrénaïque. Copenh. 1860. + + _Macé_, Rev. Archéologique, xiv. 1857. + + _Beechey_, Expedition, chap. xv. + + _Pacho_, Voy. dans la Cyrénaïque en 1825, ch. xviii. + + _Cella_, Viaggio da Tripoli, &c., Geneva, 1819, p. 127. + + _Barth_, Wanderungen, &c. Bd. i. 1849.] + +[Footnote 8: “Es gibt nicht gar so viele Medicinalpflanzen der alten +Welt, von denen man mit einer solchen Sicherheit behaupten kann, dass +sie mit uns genau bekannten Pflanzen zusammen fallen, wie dies hier mit +der Thapsia der Alten und mit _Thapsia Silphium_, und _Th. garganica_ +unserer Botaniker der Fall ist.”—(_Thapsia Silphium_, of Viviani, is a +mere variety of _T. Garganica_.)] + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 78462 *** |