MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 
33 
the Bey’s wife he received a present of a two- 
wheeled covered cart, resembling those commonly 
used by bakers, and this served as a conveyance for 
his quadrant and telescope, protecting them suffi- 
ciently from the weather. 
At Tucca he found a Corinthian pillar of Parian 
marble, and the ruins of a temple, among which he 
remained fifteen days, making various interesting 
drawings, which, it appears, have never yet been 
given to the world. At Hydra (the ancient Thu- 
nodrunum) he met with a tribe of Arabs who were 
immensely rich, but remarkable for being exempted 
from paying tribute either to Tunis or Algiers, on 
the frontiers of which kingdom they dwelt. The 
pretence for this immunity was rather singular. 
Being obliged by the institutions of their founder to 
live upon lion’s flesh, they enjoyed this indulgence 
from these governments, because they devoured the 
natural enemies of the state. Bruce partook of this 
extraordinary fare, and mentions an anecdote of 
Dr. Shaw, who made the same statement ; hut find- 
ing it ridiculed at the university of Oxford as an in 
version of the order of nature, since the more general 
practice is for lions to eat men, he did not venture 
to publish the fact in his travels, but contented 
himself with merely printing it in the appendix. 
Prom Hydra Bruce proceeded to Spaitla, and 
was occupied eight days in measuring and drawing 
its extensive and elegant ruins. To this place he 
returned a second time after making a short visit to 
Tunis, and spent five days more in revising and 
C 
