THE GAEDENS OF THE HESPERIDES. 117 



The land was remarkably fertile, and afforded them 

 three harvests in the course of the year. One was 

 gathered on the coast meadows, which were watered by 

 the streams that flowed down from the hills : a second on 

 the hill sides ; a third on the surface of the plateau, 

 which was about two thousand feet above the level of 

 the sea. Cyrenaica produced the silphiiim, .or assa- 

 fcetida, which, like the balm of Gilead, was one of the 

 specifics of antiquity, and which is really a medicine 

 of value. It was found in many parts of the world, 

 for instance, in certain districts of Asia Minor, and on 

 the summit of the Hindoo Koosh. But the assafcetida 

 of Cyrene was the most esteemed : its juice, when 

 dried, was worth its weight in gold ; its leaves fattened 

 cattle, and cured them of all diseases. 



Some singular pits or chasms existed in the lower 

 part of the Cyrene hills. Their sides were perpendi- 

 cular walls of rock : it appeared impossible to descend 

 to the bottom of the precipice ; and yet, when the 

 traveller peeped over the brink, he saw to his astonish- 

 ment that the abyss beneath had been sown with herbs 

 and corn. Hence rose the legend of the gardens 

 of the Hesperides. 



Cyrene was renowned as the second medical school 

 of the Greek world. It produced a noted free-thinker, 

 who was a companion of Socrates, and the founder of 

 a school. It was also famous for its barbs, which won 

 more than one prize in the chariot races of the Grecian 

 games. It obtained the honour of more than one 

 Pindaric ode. But owing to internal dissension, it 

 never became great. It was conquered by Persia, it 

 submitted to Alexander, and Carthage speedily checked 

 its growth towards the west by taking the desert which 

 lay between them, and which it then garrisoned with 

 nomade tribes. 



