20 JOURNEY FROM As we cannot suppose that the sea has retired since the time of the author in question — (for we shall hereafter point out several instances on the coast, between this part of Northern Africa and Alexandria, in which it rather appears to have gained) — we must conclude that, since the age of Leo Africanus, the land alluded to has been rising in a greater proportion than the sea.

This elevation of soil is, at the same time, by no means inconsistent with the rise of the waters already mentioned ; for, as the coast is here sandy, we may yenture to conclude, that the sea, notwithstanding it continued to rise, threw up, from time to time, a sufficient quantity of sand to raise the level of the country above it ; and we shall thus have an additional confirmation of what appears to be actually the taken place in the produce and soil of Byzacium. This district was formerly much renowned for its fertility ; and we are informed by Pliny that one grain of corn from the Byzacium was sent to the Emperor Augustus, which yielded four hundred shoots ; and that three hundred and forty stems had been afterwards sent to Nero, produced equally from a single grain of corn But whatever be the cause of the change which has taken place, we find the soil of the Byzacium to have greatly fallen off from its former extraordinary fertility ; in proof of which we need only extract the following observations from Shaw’s Travels in Barbary.

“ Tlie many parts which I have seen of the ancient Byzacium, 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.”

“ Misit ex eo loco Divo Aus^usto procurator ejus, ex uno ^rano, (vix credibile dictu) quadring-enta paucis minus germina, extantqiie de ea re cpistola;. Misit et Ncroni similiter CCCXL stipulas ex uno grano.- — Nat. Hist. 1. xviii. c. 10.

Again (lib. v. c. 4 ) Ita (Byzacium) appellatur regio CCL. M. P. circuitu, fertilitatis eximiae, cum centesima fruge agricolis fcenus reddente terra.