66 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
CHAP. II. 
the magnitude common to all Koman structures, and are of a kind 
of dark granite. In the enclosed space are several immense stones, 
standing upright, and so placed as to give the appearance of having 
once supported a large building : some are ten feet in height, in- 
dependent of the part embedded in the sand. The mouth of a 
well is visible, still bearing the marks of the cords used in drawing 
the water ; it is now entirely choked up with sand. The walls 
from east to west, are above two hundred paces in length ; I should 
rather say, the tops of the walls, for in some places, they are buried 
in the sand ; and from north to south, about one hundred and 
fifty. The Arabs, probably in the time of the Khahfs, appear to 
have used the northern towers ; as remains of their rude masonry 
still surmount the original buildings. Over each gateway there 
had been an inscription, of which the northern one is most perfect. 
We found, by comparing them, that all were thus worded. 
IMP . CAES . L . SEPTIMIO . SEVER*? 
PIO . PEETINACI . AVG . TRPOTV . IIII 
IMP CSIIPPET IMP. CAES. M 
AVRELIO . ANTONINO V RI 
IIII . ET SEPTIMIO CAE 
AVG . O . ANICIO . FAVSTO . LEG 
AVGVSTORVM . CONSVLARI 
IPO . Ill . AVG . PV 
Under each had once been a large eagle, carved in basso relievo ; 
but they are now so mutilated, as to bear very Httle resemblance 
to that bird. 
This place is the northern boundary of Fezzan. All slaves of 
Mukni's, going from Fezzan to TripoH on account of the Bashaw, 
belong to the former until Bonjem is past ; should any die after- 
wards, the Bashaw is the loser. The same risk attends the latter 
when he sends horses or goods to Mukni ; all losses being made 
