CONTENTS. IX

— Proceed to Zouia — Ports called by the Arabs Mersa Gusser and Mersa Zoraig — Arrive at

Mesurata, the Western Boundary of the Greater Syrtis — Description of the Town and Dis-

trict of Mesurata — Account of them by Leo Africanus — Visit from the Shekh of Mesurata — Splendid Costume and Equipage of the Shekh compared with that of our Bedouin Guide,

Shekh Mahommed el Dubbah — Allusion to the report mentioned at the end of the Third

Chapter — Great demand for Medicine at Mesurata — Considerate conduct of Mr. Campbell — Speedy success of his treatment in many difficult cases — Miraculous cure of a young Arab woman by an itinerant Sherif and Marabut — Detention of the party at Mesurata — Observa-

tions on Cape Mesurata, considered as the Cephalus Promontorium of Strabo — Remarks of

Signor Della Celia on this subject — Alterations proposed by that gentleman in the punctua-

tion of a passage in Strabo descriptive of the Promontory — Actual appearance of the Pro-

montory sufficiently consistent with the account of Strabo — Well-founded Remarks of Signor Della Celia on the extension of the Gharian Chain, &c. — Extensive View from the Sand-hills

at the back of Mesurata — Singular contrast presented by the view over the dreary wastes of

the Syrtis compared with that over the plain of Mesurata — Hot wind, and swarm of Locusts accompanying it — Alarm of the Arabs of Mesurata — Precautions adopted by them on the

occasion — Destructive consequences (mentioned by Shaw) resulting from the visit of a flight of Locusts which he witnessed — Remarks of Pliny on the same subject — Arrival of the

Camels, and departure from Mesurata ........ gl

CHAPTER VI.

Entrance of the Syrtis — Extensive Lake, or Marsh, described by Strabo — Remarks of Strabo

compared with tlie actual appearance and extent of the Marsh — -Remains considered as those

of the ancient Naval Station, described by Strabo, at the Mouth of the Lake — Appear-

ance of another Station more to the northward — Gulf of Zuca — Remarks of Signor Della Celia connected with it — ^Resemblance of the names Zuchis and Zuca — Non-existence of

the Gulf of Zuca in the Greater Syrtis — Error of D’Anville and modern Geographers on

this point — Remarks of Signor Della Celia on the terms Marsh and Lake, as applied to the

body of water mentioned by Strabo — Dimensions of the existing Marsh — Alleged danger of

crossing it — Insulated spots in several parts of the Marsh, corresponding with the accounts

of Strabo — Arrival at Sooleb — Appearance of Pasturage in this Neighbourhood — Liberality

of Shekh Mahommed — Cause of it ascertained — Sooleb occupies the place assigned in modern Charts to the Gulf of Zuca — Continuance of the Marsh — Remains near Mahada called Kusser

el Jdbbah — Story connected with them related by the Dubbali — Unwillingness of our Arab Guides to cross the Marsh — Cause of this ascertained — Narrow escape of two of our party —

Nature of the Soil in this Neighbourhood — French Inscription left by the Boats of

the Chevrette — Another left by the Barge of the Adventure — Arrive at Mahad Hassan, probably the Turriss Hassan of Edrisi — Remains at Mahad Hassan — Arrive at Giraff, where

the Marsh terminates altogether — Refractory conduct of our Camel-drivers — Improvement

b