36 JOURNEY FROM within three of the 70 miles mentioned as the distance between Leptis Magna and Abrotonum. Both these circumstances together will therefore appear very strongly to favour the supposition that Tripoly is Abrotonum ; Avhile a third, which we have already mentioned, viz., that Oea is not stated to be a port by ancient writers, (at least, not that we have been able to learn,) will contribute to strengthen the idea.

These facts would undoubtedly make it seem very probable that Modern Tripoly is the Abrotonum of Scylax; but then the authorities of D’Anville and Cellarius, and these are no slender authorities, concur in placing that town on the site of Oea, as which we have accordingly considered it * Supposing Tripoly to be Oea, we must look for Abrotonum in some place as near to that city as possible ; for the distance given by Scylax from Abrotonum to Leptis Magna will become more and more perplexing as we continue to place it farther to the eastward of Oea. Tagiura, under this supposition, is the site we should allow to Abrotonum ; but the difficulties which we have stated are against such a conclusion, and we confess that we are unable to reconcile the contending authorities*.

Neither Sabrata nor Oea (as we shall hereafter mention) appear to have existed in the time of Strabo : the first town which is mentioned by that geographer to the eastward of the Lesser Syrtis, after the lake Zuchis, and the town of the same name (famous for its purple dye and its salted provisions), is that of Abrotonum in question''.

No distance is given by Strabo from Zuchis to Abrotonum ; but the mention of a lake much smaller than that of Zuchis, immediately before Abrotonum, (as will be seen in the quotation below,) is consistent with the idea that Tagiura might be the place of the city intended ; for we have stated that there is a lake a little to the westward of Tagiura ; and although it is of tolerable size, it is nevertheless much smaller than that of Zuchis, which is estimated by Strabo at 400 stadia.

a In Ptolemy vve find Abrotonum placed to tlic westward of Oca ; and in Pliny to the eastward of Taphra (or Graphara) neither of which positions tend to simplify the matter in question.

b 'Siircc Ss nai ‘ avrv't of/.ci}VVfA0{ ur ■reXy i\arruv • xm (aivu.

nns- (Lib. 17. xnp. r. 18.) It must be recollected that Strabo is passing from west to east, and that this is also the course of the Expedition.