It is said that in the time of Louis XIV. seven monstrous columns of granite or marble were carried from this place into France; the eighth was broken on the way, and lies still on the shore.

There were then many statues of good taste dug out of the sands, which were intended to be carried off likewise, but the Government of Tripoli, following their usual ignorant beastly prejudices, would not suffer them to be transported, pretending they were bodies of unfortunate Mussulmans petrified or confined there by magic; so that the Consul could do no better than bargain privately for the heads of those statues, which were struck off and shipped with the columns. All I can say is, that we saw several of very good taste in this mutilated state, one very beautiful colossal statue of black marble, with a quiver hung by a belt over his shoulder, two others something above the ordinary size of a man; these three of Greek workmanship.

From Tripoli I sent an English servant to Smyrna with my books, drawings, and supernumerary instruments, retaining only extracts from such authors as might be necessary for me in the Pentapolis, or other parts of the Cyrenaicum.

I then crossed the Syrtis Major to Bengazi,[287] the ancient Berenice, built by Ptolemy Philadelphus, and arrived there in the time of a most dreadful famine. The inhabitants of the town were dying with hunger for want of grain; two tribes of Arabs, whose territories surround the town, and who, when at peace, by their crops, their milk, butter and flocks, were the sources of its wealth and plenty, were then accidentally at war through the bad and weak government of the brother of the Bey of Tripoli, who then commanded at Bengazi.

The two tribes had fought; those farthest from the town and fewest in number had beaten the most numerous and nearest to Bengazi, called Welled Abeed, and stripped them of everything, and they had forced them to fly into the town.

Sketch Map of BRUCE’S ROUTE IN TRIPOLI AND THE CYRENAICA.

[(Large-size)]

A number of men, women and children, equal to double of those in the town, unprovided with every necessary of life, were forced in among those that were already dying with famine. The streets were every night strewed with people dead or dying with hunger.

Bengazi was situated upon a promontory, which, having lost considerably to the sea, is now, where broadest, less than half-a-mile. Nothing now remains but its port, which, though dangerous in its entry, is certainly the best anywhere on the coast of the kingdom of Tripoli. On the north there are still to be seen, beyond sea-mark, the foundations of several large buildings, of stones eight or ten feet long and three broad, which by their own weight, and being bound with strong cement, have preserved their places notwithstanding the violence of the waves.