Of the Weflern Trovmce. 27 



fortified Town of about a Mile in Circumference. It is built 

 ' upon the Declivity, and near the Foot of a high Mountain, 

 which overlooks It from the N. and N.W; and, upon the 

 Ridge of This Mountain, there are two Caftles, that command 

 the Town, with the Mers el Seigh-hre, on the one Side ; and 

 the Mers el Keheer, with the Bay, on the Other. Lefs than 

 half a Furlong to the Weftward of This Mountain, there is an- 

 other, (the Mazetta^ I think, they call It) in a Situation fome- 

 what higher than the Former ; but, there lying a large Vale 

 between Them, Their refpetlive Ridges are fo remarkably dif- 

 united, that They not only form a moft convenient Land-mark 

 for Mariners, but render all Approaches to the Caftles, from 

 the Mazetta, impraolicable. To the S. and S. E. there are^--^^^"-^' 

 two other Caftles, ereited upon the fame Level with the lower 

 Part of the Town, but feparated from It by a deep wind- 

 ing; Valley. This may be confidered as a natural Trench to TbeVaU.y arj 



° ^ Rivulet of 



the S. Side of the City ; and in the upper Part of It, at three wanan. 

 Furlongs Diftance from the Town, there is a Spring of excel- 

 lent Water, more than a Foot in Diameter. The Rivulet, form- 

 ed by This Fountain, conforms It's Courfe to the feveral Wind- 

 ings of the Valley, and, paifing under the Walls of the City, 

 plentifully fupplys It with Water. We fee, at every Opening 

 of the Valley, fuch a plealingly confufed View of rocky Preci- 

 pices, Plantations of Orange Trees, and Rills of Water trickling 

 down from Them, that Nature rarely difplays Herfelf in a 

 greater Variety of Profpedls, and cool R^etreats. Near this 

 Fountain, there is another Caftle, which forbids all Approaches 

 of an Enemy ; and, at the fame Time that It guards the Mat- 

 tamores*, dug under the Walls of It to the Southward, is an 

 important Defence to the City. 



Three of the Caftles, I have mentioned, are regular Tolj'- ^^-^ ^Φ:' 

 gons: viz. the Loweft of the Two upon the Ridge; the ΟλΜ€''0"^ο/ι// 

 of the Fountain ; and the Weftermoft of the Two before the 

 Town. But the other Two; 'viz. the Higheft upon the Ridge ; 

 and the Eaftermoft of Thofe that lye before the Town, are 

 of a different Fafhion : a great Part of the Latter being built 



^ recentioribus, nam alii Madaurum, alii Aeram, yiuranum nonnulli vocant; Afri hodie Gu- 

 ΙίΛΥΛη appellanc. Omnia autem haec nomina locum accllvem, [from jn* wah-ar (iff ww^ 

 fuppole; that fignifies a Place very difficult to be come at] & vcntis cxpofitum iignificant. Gome- 

 (iusde rebus gefiis Fi.XimcnU. I.4. p.iozz. Franc, idoj. gi^?» * s^^L<. Fovea lubterrj- 

 nea, crypta, in qua frumentum reconditur. vid. Gol. in Voce, yi Fu uni'-'j Ground twberein 

 th Arabs drfmfttf J'hrir Cnn. 



G like 



