On the morning of the 15th we left the ruins of Lebida, and
passing between the gardens which are scattered over its plain, proceeded
on our road to Zeliten. About nine miles to the eastward
of Lebida is the stream called Wad’ el KMhan, which we found to
possess more pretensions to the title of river than any which we
had hitherto seen. I t appears to have its rise in the mountains to
the southward; and after spreading itself in shallows over a rocky
bed, it falls about twenty feet, and continues its course, though very
slowly, to the sea. The banks of Wad’ el Kh&han are in some places
high, sloping down to the water’s edge, a n d are covered with underwood,
among which a few trees may occasionally be observed to rise.
The verdure of its banks give it an agreeable appearance, and some
remains of building, which are seen here and there through the soil,
contribute to increase the interest of the stream.
By the side of the road, at about a mile and a half from where
the river empties into the sea, are the remains of the aqueduct mentioned
above, which supplied the city of Lebida; and other traces
of building are occasionally observable in its neighbourhood. Here
also may still be observed the same morasses which formerly characterized
this spot, and gave occasion for the construction of the
causeway, still existing, which is mentioned by Strabo as having been
built by the Carthaginians*. All these circumstances contribute to
* E?« *’«. «frapir Kiwfoi- xflw ix.irccrmm^r^l^ri ismneccvKa^oy^ytfvpiivrer
fSagitipa rna eis mv —(Lib. 17. $ 18.)
I t must not be forgotten that the geographer is passing from west to east; and we find
the remains of the building alluded to above, occurring immediately after the river, in
travelling in this direction; which answers exactly to the position of Strabo’s causeway.
point out Wad’ el Khkhan as the Ginyphus, and as such we may
reasonably consider it.
' The morass is extremely dangerous to cross without a guide, and
two of our party, who were unprovided with one, experienced much
difficulty in crossing a small quicksand situated between the marsh
and the sea. There is another part of this quicksand, more to the eastward,
which it was wholly impossible to cross; our horses, in attempting
it, sank up to the saddle-girths, and the severity of the Arab
spur alone prevented them from sinking much deeper. ' We may
add that the exhalations which rise from the marsh appear to be
very unwholesome, for one of our Arab escort, who slept a short
time by the side of it, while we were making some observations, was
shortly afterwards seized with violent cold shiverings, and every
symptom of fever.
At the north-eastern extremity of the morass is the promontory
called Tabia Point, on which we found the ruins of what appears to
have been a tomb, and at the distance of about a quarter of a mile from
the shore may be observed a reef of rocks, which will occasionally
afford shelter for boats; the part thus protected is called by the
Arabs Marsa Ugrah, from its vicinity to the village of that name.
These rocks were above water when visited by Captain Smyth in
1817; but, in consequence, probably, of the prevalence of northerly
gales, they were covered when we passed along the coast, and cannot
therefore at all times be depended upon for protection.
In considering Wad’ el Kh&han as the Cinyphus, which its position
with regard to Lebida, and the appearances already pointed