TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI.

137 We drew plentifully from the wells, which were very deep, and allowed our horses and camels to drink freely ; a luxury which the poor animals had not enjoyed since leaving Mesurata, as their allowance even of the bad water had been necessarily limited, and for the last four days they had been without any. This privation, though not unusual in the Syrtis, was nevertheless severely felt by both horses and camels ; and their breath during these intervals, particularly that of the camel, became extremely heated and offensive*. It is in this neighbourhood that we must look for the Aspis of Strabo, which is mentioned by that geographer as occurring after the lake, and for a port which he describes as the best in the Syrtis.

“After the lake (are his words) is a place (called) Aspis, and a port (which is) the best of those in the Syrtisf.” The first remains of building which occur after Sooleb (where the great body of the lake has already been said to finish) are those at Mahad Hassan, which is evidently an ancient site. To these remains succeed those of Zaffran, which are more important, and are placed in a much more desirable situation. They occur immediately after Giraff where the marsh finishes altogether, and are situated in a country abounding with pasturage, and furnished with a plentiful supply of sweet water. Zaffrdn has been evidently a military station ; and it is there that we began to perceive more clearly the nature of those * The camel has been known to go as much as ten days without water, but they suffer very much from an abstinence of three and four days.

t Msra Ss rm Xi/avuv totcqs ssrtv Astus, >tai Xi/ativ jtaXXiffToy twv ev Scglsi. Lib. 1/, p. 836. T