Of the Weft-em Province. 2 ^ 



Wnrran, [ Mers el Seigh-her, ^-i^^ji ^^^-0 ] 77,^ fmall Tort : 

 but being expofed to the Northerly Winds, very little Ufe 

 is made thereof, except in favourable Weather. The Mers el 

 Keheer, Maz-al-quivir' 01c Merfalcahir' as the Spanijh H'lilo- 

 rians call It, is formed by a Neck of Land, which advanceth 

 almoft a Furlong into the Bay, and thereby fecures It from 

 the N. and N.E. Winds. The Caftle, built for the Defence of 

 This Port, was more remarkable, when I faw It, for Spaciouf. 

 nefs and Extent, than for Strength and Beauty ; though a great 

 Part of It, particularly to the Weftward, is artfully enough 

 hewn out of the natural Rock. Hard by the Caftle are feve- 

 ral Ruins, but not fo many, as to cover any confiderable Space 

 of Ground. It is poffible They may be fome Remains of the 

 Town mentioned by Tlmj ', and later Authors. 



If therefore we take the Mers' elKeheer for the Tortus Magnus "^'^^ Antuvts 

 of the Antients, and the Wed-el Ma'ilah for the Salfu?n Flumen, '^m Fiumen 

 ( whereof, the Tradition of the fame Appellations from Time ^fs Magnus, 

 immemorial, may be a fufficient Proof) we fhall have in Them 

 a clear Demonftration, how little we are fometimes to depend 

 upon the Diftances and Situations of Places, as They are tranf- 

 mitted down to us from Antiquity. For the Author of The 

 Itinerary ^ afTigns one hundred and feven (Roman) Miles for the 

 Diftance between the Salt River and the Great Tort, whereas 

 It will not Q\cQcdi fiftj' four. We jfhall be likewife at a Lofs to 

 determine the particular Situation of Crifpee, Giha Colonia^v>hktk=h:ter- 

 Caftra Tuerorum, and the Tortus T>ivini, which are ranged, in ipxrciivi 

 the Itinerary, along This Part of the Coaft. For, if we take^^.^'i/i c"- 

 Madagh for Crifp^ or Giha rather; and Andaloufe for the Ca-^Tk I:i°e^'. 

 ftra Tuerorum, whoever fliall double the Ras ylzintoure, will 

 find the Diftance between the Salt River and Madagh, amount 

 to no more than twenty three Miles, inftead of thirty, as They 

 are given us in the Itinerary. The Proportion will be ftill lefs, 

 both with Refpe6l to the Space between Giha and the Caflra 

 Tuerorum \ and between the Caftra Tuerorum and the Tortus 

 Divini ; inafmuch, as the Diftance Here will be only feven 

 Miles, inftead of eighteen ; and, in the other Inftance, it will 



I Marim.Hifl. de EJpa?ia, ut fupra. p.<Jy(J— 7— 8, paflim. 2 Gomecius dc tehnsgefiis Ft- 

 Xiwfj;. 1.4. p.i022. 3 £.vc. p.2i. E. Merfcalcabir oppidalam no^vis r-cmporibm d Tel enfini 

 Regc conditum. y.Leo.p.198. A Merz.dquibtr il y a un bon chafteau, outre la ville. Defirip. 

 de 1' /^frique par P. D' Avity. Par.i6^^. p.pp. 4 Exc. p.2f .A. 



F X only 



