992 
has been neatly executed, and very 
highly finished, which has been the 
cause of its lasting so. many ages; in 
some places it is so, very perfect, 
that it does not appear to have re- 
ceived the least injury. This coun- 
try abounds in ruins, many of which 
are still very considerable; even in 
Carthage there are some remains of 
its former greatness. The reser- 
voirs for water are still very perfect, 
being all arched over; they are not 
_ exposed, the walls being covered with 
a thick and strong cement in general. 
Those remains are ina tolerable state 
of preservation, which have not been 
exposed to the sun and air. I very 
frequently visited these ruins, and 
found, though they were very eXten- 
sive, the greatest part to have been 
undermined, and supported by very 
strong arches; some of these have 
fallenin, which makes it rather dan- 
gerous to take a horse amongst the 
ruins. Through some of these bro- 
ken places in the arches, I descend- 
ed, and went into some neat square 
chambers, communicating one with 
another, being covered witha strong 
cement, still used in this country ; 
its present name is gyps. Some of 
the rooms were so very perfect, that 
I could not discover the least flaw in 
the plaister, and very little disco- 
loured, being still a tolerably good 
white. I. was informed that the 
walls of some of those chambers 
were covered with handsome paint- 
ings, in a tolerably perfect state ; 
but I did not discover any of those 
painted chambers, nor could I find 
any guideableto conduct me to them. ~ 
The plough now passes over the 
greatest part of the ruins of Carthage. 
I have seen a very abundant crop of 
wheat, under which were many hand- 
some apartments in a very perfect 
state, the floors of the chambers 
were all laid with gyps- It is rather 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1806. 
unpleasant searching amongst these — 
ruins ; to get down into the cham- 
bers, I was frequently obliged to 
creep upon my hands and knees, but 
after I got into them often found it 
cool and pleasant. I never saw any 
scorpions, or other venomous rep- 
tiles, in any of the chambers, though 
they were very numerous on the sur- 
face; to guard against them, I wore 
boots and strong gloves. 
There are no very considerable | 
remains of buildings to be seen on > 
the surface : the principal is what I 
was told were the ruins of the tem- 
ple of Asculapius, but I am of 
opinion that must be merely con- 
jecture, There are now only some 
massy walls, about twelve feet thick, 
and no part above thirty feet in 
height; the whole is lying in such | 
confused heaps, I could not trace the 
form or extent of the building. These 
ruins lie near the sea at the lower 
part of Carthage towards the Goletta, 
along the shore facing the gulph of | 
Tunis, where for above one mile and 
ahalfthe sea has made some en- 
croachment on the land: here I dis- 
covered the foundations of houses. | 
The stones were in general very large, 
some above and some below the sur- | 
face of the water; the sea being very | 
clear, I could discern the whole very 
perfectly. The foundations are an 
oblong square, their greatest length 
projecting towards the sea, They] 
have been at least three times as 
large as the rooms I saw in the midst} 
of the fuins, which were in general 
about eighteen feet square. There 
are still a great many ancient coins 
and antiques discovered amongst 
the ruins ; they are chiefly found} 
hy the Bedguins, who afe not well 
acquainted with their value: the 
Bedouins sell them to the Jews. 
The present Bey of Tunis is very} 
jealous, and will not permit any 
Christian 
