[5]Μετα δε την Συρτιν (the Lesser Syrtis is here meant,) Ζουχις εστι λιμνη σταδιων τετρακοσιων, στενον εχουσα εισπλουν, και παρ᾽ αυτην πολις ομωνυμος πορφυροβαφεια εχουσα και ταριχειας παντοδαπας·—(Lib. 17, § 18.)
D’Anville’s words are these—“Strabon parle d’un grand lac debouchant dans la Syrte, et ce lac forme une saline dont l’entrée est nommée la Succa.”—(Géog. Ancienne, tom. 3, p. 70.)
The circumstance of there being saltworks in the Mesurata lake, as well as in that of the Lesser Syrtis, will tend to strengthen the idea of their having been confounded.
[6]We even fear that to make the reasoning of Signor Della Cella at all consistent with itself, we must be obliged to suppose that he has again stated exactly the contrary of what he appears to have intended. His words are, “Quanto alla stazione che rimaneva probabilmente alla sua imboccatura (meaning the mouth of the lake, or marsh in question). Non può realmente dirsi che fosse porto, servendosi Strabone della voce υφορμον per porto e non di λιμνη (λιμην is intended) la qual voce malamente trovasi tradutta da Buonacciuoli per molo. Cosi passo e passo a conto di Strabone si è fatto un porto e non è tosto mancato che le ha guarnito di molo.” (p. 75-6.) As υφορμον, and not λιμην, is the word used by Strabo in the passage in question, the deduction of Signor Della Cella may scarcely be made without reversing the words as we have stated.
Strabo distinguishes between λιμην and υφορμος in the following passage—speaking of the coast of the Cyrenaica from Apollonia to the Catabathmos—ου πανυ ευπαραπλους και γαρ λιμενες ολιγοι και υφορμοι και κατοικιαι και υδρειαι.—(Lib. 17, § 22.)
[7]Arar occurs before Melfa; but, though a good deal above the level of the marsh, it cannot well be considered as an island, but is rather a continuation of the little range of high land which we have mentioned as running along the coast in the neighbourhood of the causeway. It consists wholly of heaps of sand, overspread occasionally with vegetation, and is remarkable as possessing a tall and solitary date-tree, the only one to be met with on the coast of the Syrtis, in a tract of more than four hundred miles.
[8]The noxious qualities of the night air in these swampy regions were occasionally severely felt by our party; one of our servants was seized with a fever while at Sooleb, and we were apprehensive that he would not be able to proceed for some days; but after being bled rather copiously he found himself better, and was the next day in condition to travel with the camels. The atmosphere after sunset was always very chilly in the Syrtis, and there was usually a heavy deposit of dew; a very offensive smell was also experienced in many parts of the marsh.
[9]Gusser is a term indiscriminately applied by the Arabs to ruins of every description.
[10]Monsieur Lautier has some remarks upon this part of the gulf, which do not appear to be very intelligible.—See the account of his voyage in Della Cella, p. 216. These observations are alluded to in the hydrographic remarks attached to the journal.
[11]Edrisi has mentioned a tower called Hassān, which he places at four days’ journey from the western point of the Syrtis—and Mahād Hassān is four days’ journey from Mesurata, at the rate of between thirteen and fourteen geographical miles per day.