to England he submitted the information which he had been able to
collect to the Admiralty, and suggested that a party might be
advantageously employed in exploring the Greater Syrtis and Cyre-
naica, as well as the country to the . eastward of Derna as far as
Alexandria and the Oasis of Ammon.
Many spots of more than ordinary interest were comprehended
within the limits of the Syrtis and Cyrenaica: some of these had been
the favourite themes of mythology, haunts in which the poets of
Greece and Eome had loved to linger ; and others had been celebrated
in the more , sober language of historians whose fame is less
perishable than the objects which they describe. But 'whatever
might once have been the state of a country placed before us so conspicuously
in pages which are dear to us, there had not in our own
times been any opportunity of ascertaining its actual condition. The
name of Cyrene was familiar to classic ears, but no one had visited
its remains; the “ secret springs” of Lethe and the'Gardens of The
Hesperides had almost been confounded with the fables of antiquity;
and the deep and burning sands, overspread with venomous serpents,
which were supposed to form the barrier between Leptis Magna and
Berenice, had rarely been trodden since the army of Cato had
nearly found a grave beneath their weight *.
The outline of this extensive Gulf (the Greater Syrtis), the coast
of which was as formidable to the vessels of the ancients as its sands
were supposed to have been to their armies, had never been accurately
laid down in modern charts, and the contradictory statements
of its form and peculiarities appeared to call for minute investigation.
There were many geographical points to be determined in the space
* The poetical account of thiB tract of country by Lucan is well known to the readers
of .ancient literature, and we shall have occasion hereafter to advert to it in speaking of
the actual appearance of the Syrtis.
between Tripoly and Berigazi, and remains of several ancient towns
(besides Cyrerie) were known to exist in the Pentapolis, of which no
plans had hitherto been made. Under all these circumstances it
appeared to: Captain Smyth that, as he was himself about to sail in
the Adventure to finish his survey of the northern coast" of Africa, it
might so be arranged that a party on shore should proceed simultaneously*
along the tract of country mentioned, communicating from
time to time with his vessel as occasions might offer in the course of
their route. The views of His Majesty’s Government were at this
period favorable to the cause of research; and the labours of many
skilful and enterprising men had been, since the' peace, advantageously
directed to various points of interest, from the sultry plains of
Fezzan to the borders of the Frozen Ocean. I t was therefore not long
after the plan in question had been submitted to the Admiralty and
the Colonial Department, that it was acceded to by Earl Bathurst and
Lord Melville; and the means of carrying it into effect were referred
to the consideration of one of the heads of the Admiralty, whose
well-directed ability had often been manifested in the promotion
and arrangement of similar undertakings, and whose exertions in
the cause of science and discovery are well known and highly
appreciated*.
* A little before this period, an expedition undertaken by the Bashaw of Tripoly
against his eldest son Mahommed, now Bey of Derna, afforded "to Signor Della'Cella,
an Italian gentleman residing in Tripoly, the opportunity of -visiting' the .Syrtis and
Cyrenaica in the capacity of physician to the Bashaw’s second son, who a t that'time commanded,
the expedition against his brother.
The account of this journey was published a t Genoa soon after the re turn of Dr.
Della Celia; and the interest which uncertainty had gived to the country through which
he passed was increased by his animated description of .its remains. But the opportunities
which were afforded to'the Doctor were not sufficient.for the accomplishment of
his object; and although his pen described the extensive ruins which he witnessed, the
reader had to regret that the shortness of his stay prevented him from examining them
with attention.