is little more than a mere heap of ruins. As this is a conspicuous
object in sailing along the coast, the observations for latitude and
longitude were reduced to it. Soane large building-stones and fragments
of columns bedded in the walls of the Arab houses are all that
we could perceive of ancient remains in Derna. Above the town
there are a few tombs extant, but in a very mutilated state, excavated
in the side of the mountain. What is called the port affords some
protection for small vessels with the wind from north-west to southeast
; but even these cannot remain with a northerly or north-east
wind : during the fine weather, however, some few anchor in it and
load with com, wool, and manteca, the produce of the inland country.
The plague hais made dreadful ravages at Derna, as is evident by
the number of deserted houses on its outskirts. The year previous
to our arrival it was brought (we were told) from Alexandria, and
the mortality which it occasioned was very considerable : the prompt
measures of the Bey, however, subdued it, who ordered the clothes
of all persons attacked with it to be burnt, their houses to be properly
ventilated, and the streets to be cleared of everything that was
likely to communicate the infection. These exertions were probably
assisted by the general healthiness of the place, and the constant
change of atmosphere produced by the passage of water through the
town: the only remedy we heard of for the disease was the favourite
application of a hot iron to the tumours, which we understood to
have been peculiarly successful in many cases.
Dema is the residence of Bey Mahommed, eldest son to the
Bashaw of Tripoly, who commands the whole district extending
from the frontiers of Egypt (the eastern part of Bomba) to Sidi
Ar&fi, one short day west from Grenna. Mahommed Bey is well
known for his active and turbulent spirit, and for his rebellion against
the Bashaw’s authority, which once obliged him to seek refuge in
Egypt. His bold and enterprising measures succeeded in quelling
the marauding tribes of Arabs who infested the country and levied
contributions on the peaceful inhabitants of the towns ; but his
courage and conduct were sullied by cruelties which we do not feel
inclined to justify from their necessity, however well we might probably
succeed in attempting to do so before an Arab or Turkish tribunal
Indeed so many acts of cruelty and extravagance are related
of this prince, that we should scarcely know how to reconcile them
with the noble qualities which many allow him to possess, if we did
not know from experience that such inconsistencies are common in
barbarous countries; and that it is possible for the same man to be
cruel and forgiving, avaricious to extortion, and liberal to profusion,
generous and mean, open and intriguing, sincere and deceitful, temperate
and dissipated, in short anything but cowardly and brave.
We resided while at Derna in the house of the British agent
(Signor Regignani) appointed by the Consul at Tripoly, from whom
letters had been forwarded, which arrived before us, with orders for
our proper accommodation. The Bashaw had also written to his
-son, Bey Mahommed, to afford us his assistance and protection, and
although the Bey was absent, collecting the tribute, during the time
of our stay at Derna we had no reason to complain of any want of
attention to the applications which we occasionally made to him.
SPS