but spreads itself in pools over a wide tract of country, and communicates
occasionally with the sea. Many of these pools, are, however,
some miles in extent, and were they deep enough would
deserve the appellation of lakes. When we passed along the marsh
the rainy season had not commenced although a good deal of rain had
fallen, and it is probable that, at the close of it, the greater number
of the pools are collected into much larger masses. While at
Tripoly, Shekh Mahommed was anxious for our departure chiefly on
account of this morass, which he represented as being very dangerous,
if not wholly impassable, after the long continuance of heavy
rains. The dimensions given by Strabo are three hundred stadia for
the length, and seventy for the breadth of the marsh, or lake, which
he describes; and these measurements correspond quite sufficiently
with the appearance of that which actually exists; its length, from
Mesurata to Sooleb, being little less than forty miles, and its
breadth, from the sea inland, from nine and ten to fifteen. I t does
not indeed finish wholly at Sooleb, but is contracted in passing that
place, to the narrow limits of two and three miles in width, and then
continues as far as Giraff. The great body of the marsh may however
be considered as contained between Sooleb and Mesurata ? for
though it extends much further in length and widens itself again
after passing the former place, there is no part where it presents so
broad, and uninterrupted a surface, as in the space comprehended
within the measurements of Strabo, beginning from the Cephalas
Promontorium.
Strabo’s lake is stated to have enclosed several islands and to have
possessed an v/po^ or naval station, at the point of communication
with the Gulf*. Several insulated spots are certainly still observable
m various parts of the existing marsh; but there are no remains of
building which can be attributed to the station mentioned, except
those which occur in the neighbourhood of Mesurata. At the distance
of about nine miles from that place, are the remains of a kind
of causeway of singular construction, extending inland to a length of
three hundred and thirty paces from the sea ; and forming, with a
rising ground on the opposite side of it, what may be called a or
communication with the Gulf. The ruins appear to be those of a
landing-place; and consist of a long causeway, or terrace, of about ten
feet in breadthf, which widens itself at regular intervals into squares,
from which descend flights of steps on either side of the causeway.
One end of it is washed by the sea, which has undermined it considerably,
and the whole structure is now little more than a heap of
ruins.
I f this building have not been a landing-place or quay, we must
confess that we know not what use to assign to i t ; and, admitting it
to have been one, it immediately becomes evident that it must have
been connected with some station for shipping.
The general character of the land along this part of the coast,
which rises higher than the level of the lake or morass, would pre-
* fm W I i f i y „
^ v T° | 9 1 I « w , *»3*» ?r rov I J
Vgo TH m/Mifof Lab. 17, § 20. ^
t The measurements are taken roughly, on account of the ruined state of the
structure.