still occupied by a rivulet, are various ruins of aqueducts, and some
large reservoirs in excellent preservation. Between the principal
cisterns and the torrent to the westward of Leptis,, some artificial
mounds are constructed across the plain, by which the winter rains
were conducted to the reservoirs, and carried clear of the city. On
the east bank of the river are remains of a galley-port, and numerous
baths, adjacent to a circus, formerly ornamented with obelisks and
columns, and above which are vestiges of a theatre. Indeed the
whole plain from the Mergip hills to the Cinyphus (now the nver
KMhan) exhibits unequivocal proofs of its former population and
opulence.
Thus ended my unsuccessful research; but though no works of art
were recovered, many of the architectural fragments, were moved
during the summer down to the beach, by Colonel Warrington,
where I called for and embarked them on board a store-ship for
England, together with thirty-seven shafts, which formed the principal
scope of the expedition, and they are now in the court of the
British Museum. Still we were sorry to find that neither the raft-
ports nor the hatchways of the Weymouth were capable of admitting
three fine Cipolline columns of great magnitude, that, from their
extreme beauty and perfection, we had been particularly anxious
about.
On his return from a journey into the interior, in search of the
ruins of Ghirza, (to which we shall hereafter allilde) Captain Smyth
observed three hills of moderate size in one of the branches of the
Messellata range; which, from their number, appear to answer to
thè Hills of the Graces, considered by Herodotus as the source of
the river Cinyphus. The distance of this range from the sea will
not at all correspond (as we have already observed) with the 200
stadia mentioned by Herodotus as the distance of the Hills of the
Graces from the coast; but, without relying too much upon their
triple form, which might be equally peculiar to other hills, the circumstance
of finding in these tumuli the ‘source of the only stream
which will answer to the position of the Cinyphus, should, we think,
be esteemed as conclusive? 'and we may hereafter consider the measurements
of Herodotus, as given in the passage which we have
quoted above, to be decidedly (from whatever cause) erroneous. We
may however observe, that we have had, at various times, so many
opportunities of admiring the getterai accuracy of tlie father of history,
that we should rather consider this error to have resulted from
some mistake of thé numbers; which may have occurred in transcribing
the manuscript, than from any incorrectness On the part of Herodotus.
We give the remarks of Captain Smyth on this subject in
his own words.
From Benioleet I went to the north-eastward, in hopes of finding
some remains of Talata, Tenadassa, and Syddemis, which were in
the chain of communication with the stations of the Syrtis, Cydamus,
and the Tritonis; but I met with only a few dilapidated towers, and