of Bujebara we came to a deep ravine, through which ran the largest
body of water which we had seen in Africa; it is called Wady El-
throon. The sides of this ravine, which proceeded from an immense
fissure between the mountains, were thickly clothed with pine, cypress
and olive-trees, and the river, which ran with some rapidity, was
studded with small islands covered with oleanders, which we found in
full bloom as we passed. Along the brink of the stream was spread
a beautiful turf, which opened in little plots, broader or narrower,
according to the nature of the ground, on which we threw ourselves
down to take a few minutes rest and enjoy a long draught of the
clear cool water and a short dream of Arcadian felicity. In truth,
the spot was delightful—we scarcely recollect to have seen a more
pleasing one anywhere—and to meet with such a scene in an African
climate was to render the view doubly grateful.
Ascending the opposite side of the ravine, we entered a country
fertile in com and which seemed to be very well peopled; here we.
found some ruins very much -decayed and mutilated, apparently
those of an ancient town of small dimensions, which, as its situation
will be found to correspond, we will venture to .suggest as the
Erythron of Ptolemy; and indeed the similarity of the names
would naturally lead to this conclusion.
< On leaving Elthroon the road took a westerly direction, at the foot
of the range, through a country well cultivated in some parts and in
others overrun with pine-trees. At every mile we were interrupted
By a provoking ravine, which we hardly knew whether most to admire
for its beauty, or to exclaim against for the serious impediments
which it presented. Night brought us to El Hilàl, a mountain so
called. The point of El Hilàl extends to the north-east and forms
a bay of about a mile in depth, in which even large ships might find
shelter with the wind from north to south-east by east. I t is in this
spot that Cellarius has placed a naval station and town, and there are
certainly remains at the present day about ft indicative of an ancient
site, while the harbour itself would be sufficiently qualified for a
naval station to correspond with that part of the description. Two
ancient forts are seen in ruins on the cliff and we noticed an ancient
tomb which is excavated in the rock, close to the ravine, retaining
still a very handsome façade. Three miles to the eastward of the
forts at El Hilàl are some others, also in ruins, and the remains of
strong walls in the neighbourhood of stone-quarries, all of which
would seem to point out the spot as an ancient station. This place
has also the peculiarity of being the only part of the coast which can
be seen from Cyrene, from which it is distant about fourteen miles.
In Ptolemy’s chart we find a naustathmos (or naval station) placed
on the western side of this promontory ; but we saw nothing that
would answer to the position in that direction. Bas El TTil&l, with
Bujebàra on the south-east, forms an extensive bay ; and another
With Cape Basât on the north-west near the centre of which is
situated (now called Marsa Suza) the Port of Cyrene, Apollonia-
From El Hilàl commence two ranges of mountains extending themselves
to the westward, one along the coast, from it to Ptolemeta,
forming the southern boundary of the plain on which Apollonia is
built ; the other rising in a range above these, diverging towards