tombs; but they are all so much decayed that it was not worth
while making plans of them, and those farther from the city are in
no better state; some are filled with sand washed in by the sea,
which has encroached considerably upon the land at Apollonia, and
surrounds occasionally some very conspicuous tombs which form
striking objects to the westward of the town.
On the two islands which are opposite the town there are some
excavations and remains of.building; but as we had no boat with us,
and none is to be found in the neighbourhood, Apollonia, not being
used in modern times as a port, we were unable to ascertain their
precise nature. The islands are very small, but the town receives
great protection from them ill northerly gales, although the shelter
which they afford is not sufficient, we should imagine, for vessels,
even if there should be water, enough inside them.
By the 20th June we had completed our plan of Apollonia, which,
from the incumbered state of the ruins, was no easy task to accomplish,
and we think that little more could be satisfectorily made out
without removing the heavy blocks of stone which are everywhere
scattered over the town: but this labour would probably be greater
than the object appears to» demand, since the ground-plans which
remain are not of any great antiquity, and, with the exception of the
churches, and perhaps the other buildings which we have given, do
not seem to call for much more attention than' we were able to
bestow upon them. We must confess we should have liked to
remain there a little longer to have excavated about the larger
theatre, where statues would probably be found; we say the larger
theatre, because a circular space within the town appears, as we have
mentioned, to contain one of smaller dimensions, which must be
cleared from the soil and vegetable matter with which it is covered
before anything can be determined with certainty respecting it. If
a theatre has stood here it must have been a very small one, of a circular
form, and, unless appropriated to musical performances, appears,
to be unfit for any other. Without the town, to the westward and
southward, excavation would probably be interesting; and indeed
there is hardly a spot in the habitable parts of the Pentapolis where
objects of interest would not in all probability be found. In the space
between Apollonia and Derna there are remains of several ancient
villages and stations, where we could have very much wished to
excavate; and in that between Apollonia and Gyrene there appears
to be a great deal of matter for inquiry. The embarkation of heavy
objects would be difficult at Apollonia on account of the little depth
of water near the beach; it might, however, be managed, and would
at any rate be preferable to the transport by land-carriage to Bengazi
or Derna, which indeed may be said to be wholly impracticable on
account of the frequent deep ravines and dangerous móuntain-passes
which intervene.
During the time, about a fortnight, of our absence from Cyrene,
the changes which had taken place in the appearance of the country
about it were very remarkable. We found the hills on our return
covered with Arabs, their camels, flocks, and herds; the scarcity of
water in the interior at this season having driven the ¡Bedouins to
the mountains, and particularly to Cyrene, where the springs afford