AND LOWER EGYPT. 205 



be that Heraclea was situated elsewhere, or whe- 

 ther the sands have completely concealed its ruins, 

 I could perceive nothing that indicated the edifices 

 of a remote period ; the house, constructed of 

 white stones, and these not very hard, is entirely 

 modern. Except the gate, in rearing which they 

 have employed a large block of granite, and ano- 

 ther fragment of gray marble enriched with sculp- 

 ture, nothing antique is there to be seen. But 

 about half a league farther on, you remark on the 

 coast some ancient walls and wrecks, which the 

 eye can pursue, in calm weather, advancing a 

 considerable way into the sea, and these are pro- 

 bably the traces of Heraclea. 



After having rested a few hours under the shade 

 of the walls of the building of Maadie, we got 

 into the open plain. The land is so low in this 

 gulf, for from Abouk'ir the sea forms a vast bay, 

 that, but for dikes of a very solid construction, 

 the waters would cover a great extent of country: 

 in stormy weather they force themselves over the 

 dikes, spread behind the elevated coast of the 

 promontory of Aboukir, and inundate all the vici- 

 nity. You keep close by the sea for almost four 

 leagues, on the sand which is bathed by the bil- 

 lows, the dry sand being too much in a moveable 

 state. You trample under foot shells of every 

 species, among which I could distinguish muscles, 



pholads, 



