144 JOURNEY FROM Many buildings of this nature appear to have remained in a tenable state long after the conquest of Africa by the Mahometans ; for they are frequently mentioned by Arab writers as having been occupied by the natives; and wells still continued to be found within the works, which could not be approached without the consent of the garrison.

An instance in point may here be given from Leo Africanus, who tells us that three castles were accidentally discovered, far in the desert of Libya, about eighteen years before the time when he related the following story: — “ The guide of a caravan (whose name was Hamar) had missed the usual track, in consequence of a complaint in his eyes ; and there being no other person in the whole caravan who knew the road they ought to take but himself, he went on, upon his camel, in advance of the party, and at every mile they made he caused a handful of sand to be presented to him, which he smelt, and then continued his journey. In this manner the caravan continued to advance till they came within forty miles of the castles above mentioned, near which there were five or six little hamlets, and a profusion of excellent dates. The guide then addressed himself to those who were about him, and assured them that they were in the neighbourhood of some inhabited place, but few of the party believed what he said, for as they were at least four hundred and eighty miles from Egypt, it was imagined, if indeed the assertion should be true, that they must have moved back upon Angela.

On tbe third day, however, after this notice, they came in sight of the three castles above mentioned ; and the people of the place, surprised and alarmed at the appearance of so many strangers.