On the western side of the Syrtis there is a lake mentioned by Strabo, at present called La Suca, which is now one of the most productive

to be procured. In five hours the traveller arrives at the commencement of the desert of Soudah; four days are requisite to cross this desert; it contains no water; the basis of its soil is a soft stone, and it produces no vegetable but the kali. The traveller rests at Zeghen, which only affords dates of the worst quality, and some Indian corn called gassob; from whence, in one day, he arrives at Sabbah, probably the Saba of antiquity, where are to be seen the remains of an ancient castle and other ruins, which equal in extent those of Lebida. The neighbouring fields abound with rich vegetation; sheep and domestic poultry are very numerous. In four days, over a similar country, the traveller reaches Mourzouk, the capital of Fezzan. Mourzouk is surrounded with a high wall, and has three gates, at which a tax on all goods, provisions excepted, is collected on their entering the town. It is situated on the banks of a small river, but contains numerous springs and wells; it was formerly built with stone, and the vast ruins of ancient edifices form a striking contrast to the humble cottages of earth and sand of its present inhabitants; it is about 390 miles nearly southward of Mesurata.*

"Eastward of Mourzouk the town of Zuila is situated; it contains considerable remains of ancient buildings, cisterns, and vaulted caves. Jermah is situated southward of Zuila, and also contains numerous majestic ruins, with various appropriate inscriptions.

"Tessouwa is a considerable town eastward of Mourzouk, near which a river of a deep and rapid course has lately been overwhelmed by the moving sands. More remote, in a north-east direction, is Temissa, where the caravan of pilgrims from Born u and Nigritia, which sets out from Mourzouk, purchase

* Although Mr. D'Anville does not mention the capital of Phazania, Mourzouk is doubtless built on its site.

salines in the Mediterranean, both as to the quantity collected, and goodness of its quality. The Venetians were, formerly, entirely supplied from

provisions for their journey to Cairo," &c. A number of other observations relative to the commerce, manners, and customs of the country, occupy the concluding part of Mr. Lucas's third chapter: he has, however, made à few remarks on the government and laws of Fezzan, which deserve to be transcribed, and prove that these people, unaided by science or education, entertain ideas upon legislation and religion, that would not discredit the most enlightened countries of Europe.

"The Fezzaners are rigid, but not intolerant Mahometans. Their government is monarchical, but the king uses his authority to promote the happiness of his people; the rights of property are revered, the taxes are moderate, and justice is administered by a firm and temperate hand; consequently, the inhabitants of Fezzan are affectionately attached to their sovereign." And in another place, "The just and impartial, but severe and determined, administration of justice, of the then King of Fezzan, was frequently described to Mr. Lucas, by his fellow travellers. The following custom proves the singular respect with which he is esteemed by his people: if a man, having injured another, refuses to go before the judge, the plaintiff · draws a circle round him where he stands, and solemnly charges him, in the king's name, not to leave the place until the officer of justice, in search of whom he is going, shall arrive; and such is the defendant's fear of punishment for disobeying the injunction, or so great his dread of perpetual banishment by with drawing from the kingdom, that he submissively waits, in his imaginary prison, the arrival of the officers!

"Offences are punished according to their magnitude, by the bastinado, fines, imprisonment, or death, the shereefs (priests) are sometimes punished, chiefly by dishonour; but the indignity they esteem most reproachful, is that of having dust thrown upon their heads."

this place, but it is now very seldom frequented except by the natives, who are enabled toload their largest vessels without being put to any other expense than that of paying a small duty to the Bashaw. At Cape Mesurata, twelve leagues north of La Suca, there is a large village; and

The fourth and fifth chapters of Mr. Lucas, in which, from the same authority, he proceeds to give an account of the Zahara, Cashna, and Tombuctoo, are particularly well worth a perusal, and it is much to be regretted, that he did not avail himself of the offer of his companion Shereef Mohammed, of whom Mr. L. procured so much useful information-for in one part of his book there is this observation: "The Shereef Mohammed considered travelling in this part of Africa as attended with little danger; and cheerfully proposed to conduct Mr. Lucas through Fezzan and Cashna, across the Niger, to Assentee, which borders on the coast of the Christians." I cannot help. repeating my surprize, that considering the many advantages we possess of sending political and commercial agents abroad, particularly in Africa, we should still be so very ignorant of this country, which was formerly so great an acquisition to the Roman empire; in fact, if the accounts of Ptolemy and Pliny are to be credited, there must still be the remains of at least fifty cities and towns between the Lesser Syrtis, Cydamus,* and Port Bomba. We are also informed by the same writers, that the Roman arms, under Balbus the Younger,† were extended much farther than Cydamus to the Garamantes and Tabidium, where colonies were established, and large cities built.

* Now Ghadames, two hundred and fifty miles south of Tripcly.

This victorious general was born at Gades, a city of Tripolis, and remarkable as the first Barbarian honoured with the triumphant chariot by the Romans. He flourished in the brilliant reign of Augustus; and in addition to other favors, both he and his uncle were declared free citizens of the empire by that celebrated patron of merit,

within a few miles of the Cape, an old castle, without guns, where the Governor of Mesurata resides: there are numerous tribes of Arabs, called Gooardi, living in the neighbourhood. The road from this place to Tripoly, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, runs generally in a line with the sea coast, and is much frequented; and the anchorage under Cape Mesurata, is very excellent in westerly winds. From this place, the land decreases in height, till you come within forty miles of· Tripoly; it then continues very low as far as the Island of Jerbi.

Ninety miles west of Mesurata, are the remains of a renowned city, the Leptis Magna of antiquity,* said to be founded by a colony of Phoenicians ; and which paid to the government of Carthage a daily tribute of one talent, (£360). It is also celebrated for having been the birth-place of the Roman emperor Severus, who died at York.

The following short description of these interesting ruins, communicated to me by a friend, who passed three days on the spot, may serve, in the absence of a more detailed account, to afford you some gratification. "The road from Tripoly to Lebida, leads through Tajoura, and is, in some places, rather circuitous. Crossing what the Arabs denominate the five Rivers, which are, in fact, nothing more than conduits for the torrents of winter, and

* Ea (Leptis) singula in dies talenta, vectigal Carthaginiensibus dedit -Pliny.

arriving at the base of the Mesurata mountains, you turn to the left, and pass through the villages of Lagarta, Maraboot, and Sidi Benger, leaving those of Tumbrak and Saleen to the westward. A considerable portion of this road runs through an uncultivated country, till it turns near the mountains, where there are numerous hordes of the Gooardi Arabs. The extensive ruins of Leptis Magna are situated close to the sea, which appears to have made some encroachments on a part of them; those which I saw, extend about three miles in length southward, and nearly two in breadth. The bed of a river runs from the mountains directly through the ruins, which consist of gateways, walls, an immense number of pillars, some of which are of the finest granite, broken statues, and marbles with inscriptions, in Greek, Latin, and Punic characters; together with the remains of an aqueduct. There are also a great many sculptured friezes, which appear to have belonged to some temples; the remains of several Roman baths are visible near the city; and I observed, about a mile from the ruins, an oblong terrace of fine Roman pavement, of considerable extent; several ruins about this place evidently denoted that it must have been the site of a theatre. There are the remains of a large edifice close to the sea, which appears to have been a species of fortification. Cameos, coins, medals, and bronzes, are frequently found at Leptis by the Arabs, who sometimes take them to the