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CHAPTER IV.

Of the most remarkable Placcs upon the Sea Coast of the ancient Bizacium or Winter Circuit.

THE many parts which I have seen of the an

cient Bizacium, or Winter circuit, fall vastly short in fertility of the character which has been attributed to them by the ancients. For such as are adjacent to the sea coast, are generally of a dry sandy nature, with no great depth of soil in the very best portion of them. This is called the Sahul, and is planted for the most part with olive trees, which flourish here in the greatest perfection. Neither is the inland country in a much better condition. For, if we except the plains which are watered by the rivers Defailah, Derb, and Hat-taab, we have mountainous and woody tracts only, all along from Zun-ghar by Use-let, Truzza, Spaitla, Casareen, and so forward, (in turning to the N.W. by the sanctuary of Seedy Boogannin) as far as Hydrah, and the frontiers of the Algerines. The country round about Kairwan is low and marshy, with lakes and shibkahs dispersed all over it, especially in the winter season. Near Gilma, Jemme, and so on to the river Accroude, there is an interchange indeed of hills

and

and vallies, but which differ very little in the quality of their soil from that of the sea-coast. Beyond the mountains of Casareen, till we arrive at Ferre-anah and the skirts of the Sahara, we travel a great many miles over a barren plain, with a ridge of eminences, at some distance on each side of us. The country continues in the same lonesome and barren condition from thence to Capsa, and so forward to the Jereed, our prospect on each hand being all the way bounded with high mountains; the S. E. ridge whereof stretches towards Jibbel Hadeffa and the lake of marks; the other, which may be taken for the continuation of Mount Atlas, runs in a S. W. direction, by Sbekkah, as far as the eye can conduct us. Such is the general plan and map of

this province.

Among the more remarkable places, where the ancient geography is principally concerned, we may begin with the description of Herkla. Herkla, the Heraclea of the lower empire, the Justiniana of the middle, and the Adrumetum* of the earlier ages. It was built, as Clypea was, on an hemispherical promontory, two leagues to the S. E. of the Morass, the boundary, ás I suppose, betwixt the Zeugitana and this province. It appears to have been little more than a mile in circuit; and, if we may judge of its former grandeur by the remaining ruins, we should rather take it for a place of importance, than to have been of any great beauty or extent. That part

* Adguuntor, Appian. Adgvunta, Polyb. Adquilos, Ptolem.

of

of the promontory, which stretched to the northward, and formed the port, seems to have been walled in quite down to the sea shore; but the rest of it, to the distance of a furlong from thence, does not discover the least traces of ruins. Cæsar then might have all imaginable conveniency to observe the strength and situation of this city*; especially as the inhabitants declined all hostilities at that time.

The Cothon was to the W. and S. W. of this promontory; which, as Cæsar in his pursuit of Varust was not able to double, he was obliged to lay at anchor before it; i. e. as I conjecture, to the eastward of it. Now, as it may be presumed that Cæsar directed his course from Leptis, or Lempta, no other than a southerly or westerly wind could have brought him hither. It is certain that an easterly wind would, from the very situation of this port and promontory, have easily conducted him within them both. Hamam-et, therefore, as some pretend, could not have been the Adrumetum; because, as that place lies nearly in the same direction with Lempta and Herkla, the same wind which brought Cæsar to the promontory

* Cæsar circum oppidum vectus, natura loci perspecta, redit ad castra. Hirt. de Bell. Afric. § 3.

+ Varus celeritate Cæsaris audaciaque motus, cum universa classe, conversis navibus, Adrumetum versus fugere contendit. Quem Cæsar in millibus passuum IV consecutus-triremem hostium proximam-cepit: reliquæ naves hostium promontorium superarunt, atque Adrumetum in Cothonem se universæ contulerunt. Cæsar codem vento promontorium superare non potuit; atque in salo in ancoris ea nocte commoratus, &c. Hirt. Bell. Afric. $56.

montory of Hamam-et, would have conducted him within the port that was formed by it. Neither could Cæsar, from the ruggedness of the situation of Hamam-et on one side, and being washed by the sea on the other, have made a tower round about it, as he did round about Adrumetum, as hath been already observed. Neither. have we a view either from Hamam-et, or the bay before it of the coast of Clybea, a circumstance which agrees with the situation of Herkla*.

Besides, Varust is said to have left Adrumetum in the second watch of the night, and to have arrived at Leptis early in the morning. No considerable distance therefore could have been betwixt Leptis and Adrumetum. It appears

likewise that Cæsar marched with his army from Adrumetum to Leptis in two days, and returned the third to Ruspinat, where he had lodged the first night. Now, if Hamam-et was the Adrumetum, and Ruspina the half way (as may be supposed) to Leptis, these marches must have been nearly XL Roman M. a day; too much even for the hardiest veterans of Cæsar's army to accomplish,

* A Clupea secundum oram maritimam cum equitatu Adrumeti, Cn. Piso cum Maurorum circiter 111 millibus apparuit. Hirt. Bell. Afric. § 3.

+ Varus, vigilia secunda Adrumeto ex Cothone egressus, primo mane Leptim universa classe vectus, &c. Id. § 55.

Eo die castra posuit ad oppidum Ruspinam, kalendis Januar. (§ 5.) inde movit et pervenit ad oppidum Leptin. (§ 6.) ad 111 non. Jan. castra movet; Leptique VI cohortium præsidio cum Saserna relicto, ipse rursus, unde pridie venerat, Ruspinam cum reliquis copiis convertit. (§ 8.)

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