533 MERGE TO GYRENE.

and the edge of the descent was here, as in front of the fountain, skirted by a wall running along the whole line of the cliff, till it joined that which enclosed Cyrene to the westward. From this portion of the mountain descend five large ravines, once thickly wooded with pine and other trees, which have been cleared for the use of the town, and to disencumber the ground appropriated to the tombs. Some of the ravines are, however, still partially wooded, in many places very thickly, and springs of excellent water are found in various parts of them.

The north side of the town, from its present appearance, does not seem to have been ever much inhabited, and very few remains of dwelling-houses are observable there. The buildings Avhich still exist are however of an interesting character, and excavation would be particularly desirable in this part. Two eminences which rise conspicuously aboAe the general level of the summit are occupied by the ruins of spacious temples, and close to the Avestern wall of the city is all that remains of the stadium. The largest of the temples (we mean the sedes, without the columns) is a hundred and sixty- nine English feet in length, and its breadth sixty-one feet. It is of the Doric order, in its early style ; and the capitals, AAhich with the columns are lying on the ground, still exhibit marks of excellent taste and execution, though very much defaced by time ; they measure nine feet across, and the capital and abacus are of one piece. The form of this building is peripteral ; but the columns on the sides appear to have been tAvelve in number, which is one more than is alloAved to temples of that class by Vitruvius, supposing the