ip2 Geographical Ohfervations 



more hard and durable. This Cape and that oiMonafteer, form 

 the Bay of Lewj?/^, which muft have afforded a Variety of Ports 

 in former Times. For an Ifland runs parallel with the fouthern 

 Shore, from Demafs almoft as far as To-hdha : there is like- 

 wife another which reacheth from Monafleer, the half Way 

 r^. Jewries nearly to Lempta\ whilft the Jowries, the Tarich'ne as they 

 Ri^cHi'^/'feem to be of Straho, lye over againft Lemfta and To-hulha. 

 %T ^'^'^'Cafar was fo well apprized of the Importance of the Latter, 

 (and there are no other to the Northward) that He thought 

 fit to appoint feveral Stationary Veffels ' to fecure Them. 

 Afrkf r^r ^^ Medea, called likewife Africa in the modern Geography, 

 T^^g'"an-i5 fituated upon a Teninjula five Miles to the S. of "Demafs, 

 and appears to have been formerly a Place of great Strength 

 and Confideration. The Port, which was an Area nearly of a 

 hundred Yards in Square, lyeth within the very Walls of the 

 City, with the Mouth of It opening towards Cap'Oudia\ but 

 is not capable at prefent of receiving the fmalleft VelTel. Leo '■ 

 fays that It was founded, (It might have been poflibly rebuilt) 

 by Mahdt the firft Patriarch of Ka'ir-wan, and therefore af- 

 fumed His Name ; but there is fomething too polite and regu- 

 lar in feveral of the remaining Capitals, Entablatures, and other 

 Pieces of the antient Mafonry, ( defaced as they are at this 

 Time) to fufpedl the Founder of Them to have been an Ara- 

 bian. Thuanm ' hath given us a juft Defcription of This Place ; at 

 the fame Time he hath miftaken It for the antient Aphrodifmm. 

 iuL?ECTK' "^ ^iv^ Mil^s to the S. hy W. of £/ Medea, is SaIe6io the Sul- 

 ^^^- ?;3v , le6ii or SuhleCie of the middle Aee, where we meet with the 



p. ^5. C Tab. O -f 



peut. A.A. Ruins of a very large Caftle, little inferiour in Extent to the 

 Tower of London. It feems to have been ereded in order to 

 command a fmall Creek, or Port which lyeth below It to 

 the S. W. This Place or El Medea ^ fliould be the Tower or 



I ClafiTe, circum infulas portufque difpofuit; quo tutius commea:us fupportari pofTet. 

 5. 20. 2 El MahdU oppidum noftris fere tcmporibus h Mahdi primo Cairaoan Pontifice 

 conditum ad mare mediterraneum exftrudum, muris, turribus atque portis munitiffimis or- 

 natum, portum iiabet frequentiflimum. y. Leo p. 222. 3 Ea Urbs (y^pbrodifium) in humili ac 

 piano Saxo fundata majorem partem mari alluitur, eoque plerumque vadoib, uc triremes ad 

 earn commode accedere non pofTent, qua parte terram attingit CCXXX tantum paffuum 

 fpatioi valido muro crebris per intervalla turribus & propugnaculis diftindto: Vallata urbi 

 collis imminet acclivi ^ Septentrione defcenfu, fed a tergo undique prsruptus, qui ii prxfi- 

 diarlisTurcis tenebatur. Thtian. Hift. I.7. 4 Quum equi, quo in loco jufli erant, prasfto 

 fuiflent, node via cita regionem quandam agri Vocani tranfgrcflus (Hannibal) poftero die ma- 

 ne inter Acillam 8c Tbapfum ad fuam Turrim pervenit. Ibi eum parata inllrudlaque remigio 



excepit Navis. Eo die in Circinam infulam trajecit. Ziv. I.33. 5-34. H<?k«j^<«/ appropin- 



quante vefpere, equum confcendit; & Rus Urbanum, quod propter littus maris habebat, 

 ignaris fervis, juffitque ad portam revertenteei opperiri, contendir. Juft. Hift. 1.3r. 



Coun- 



