334 BENGAZI.

It may be, however, that the nature of the place, rather than the construction of the passage in question, has in fact suggested this reading to us : for on the borders of the lake, which still communicates with the Harbour of Bengazi, is a spot of rising ground, nearly insulated in winter, on which are the remains of ancient building ; and which, at the time when the harbour vras deeper, and the lake itself practicable for vessels must have been (occasionally, at least) completely surrounded with water. Here then might have stood the temple of Venus mentioned in the passage above, and the introduction of the word faXia-rcx, by Strabo (taken in the sense of mostly, or generally), in speaking of the island in question, would seem to confirm this position.

Berenice (he tells us) is placed on the Point of Pseudopenias, near a certain lake called Tritonis, in which there is mostly an island (su n (jXicrra, vri(riov g<rr<), with a temple Upon it dedicated to Venus. We may remark, in support of this supposition, that it is probable, from the position of the rising ground alluded to, that it was not at all times surrounded by water ; and that it was only in the winter season, or at times when the sea advanced farther than ordinary, that it was completely an island.

We may suppose, in receiving this island as the one mentioned by Strabo, that the circumstance just stated was alluded to by the geographer, when he informs us that there was usually an island in the lake ; but we do not mean to insist upon this reading of the passage in question, and will confess, that it would probably never have * We have already assumed, upon reasonable grounds, that this was probably the case in earlier times.