xl INTRODUCTION. 



incredulity, we were faft advancing to the celebrated epoch 

 of the man in the pint-bottle, and from that time to be as 

 abfurdly incredulous as we were then the reverfe, and with 

 the fame degree of reafon. 



Ras Sem is five long days journey fouth from Bengazi; it 

 has no water, except a fpring very difagreeable to the tafte, 

 that appears to be impregnated with alum, and this has 

 given it the name it bears of Ras Sem, or the Fountain of 

 Poifon, from its bitternefs. The whole remains here con- 

 fifl in the ruins of a tower or fortification, that feems to be 

 a work full as late as the time of the Vandals. How or 

 what ufe they made of this water I cannot poflibly guefs ; 

 they had no other at the diftance of two days journey. I 

 was not fortunate enough to difcover the petrified men and 

 horfes, the women at the churn, the little children, the cats, 

 the dogs, and the mice, which his Barbarian excellency af- 

 fured Sir Hans Sloane exifled there : Yet, in vindication of 

 his Excellency, I muft fay, that though he propagated, yet he 

 did not invent this falfehood ; the Arabs who conducted me 

 maintained the fame ilories to be true, till I was within two 

 hours of the place, where I found them to be falfe. I 

 faw indeed mice *, as they are called, of a very extraordi- 

 nary kind, having nothing of petrifaction about them, 

 but agile and active, fo to partake as much of the bird as 

 the beaft. 



Approaching now the fea-coaft I came to Ptolometa, the 

 ancient Ptolemais J, the work of Ptolemy Philadelphia, the 



walls 



* Jerboa, fee a figure of it in the Appendix. J Itin. Anton, p. 4. 



