collected themselves round the foùntain to see us come out, were
extremely disappointed to find that no accident had befallen any
one of the 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 òf us exhibited on first coming into 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.
As the next day was that which had been fixed for our departure,
we employed thè remainder of the afternoon in making preparations
for the journey, and set out early on the following morning for
Bengazi. Captain Beeehey and Lieutenant Coffin had already
p r e c e d e d u s , with the intention of running over to Malta, in order
to procure a small vessel for the embarkation of the statues, which
we had decided upon removing to Apollonia, where the vessel would
have taken them on board. On their arrival, however, at Bengazi,
they found a packet of. letters from England ; and. among them,
was a despatch from the Foreign Office, which made it necessary
that We should alter our plan, and give up any further operations.
As the season was far advanced, during which any vessels are found
in the harbour of Bengazi, a passage was secured in the last which
remained, and camels were despatched to Cyrene to bring away our
baggage and tents.
The interval was employed in completing the plans of the buildings
and tombs at Cyrene; and that of the excavated channel of
the fountain was the last upon which we employed ourselves. We
had determined, on first discovering this passage, to explore it as
far as it might be found practicable, and the first leisure moment
was accordingly devoted to it on the day which preceded our
departure.