130 
JOURNEY FROM 
the paths which wind among them are sometimes not two feet in 
breadth, and the edges of the pits are often concealed by the vege- 
tation which surrounds them ; indeed many of these hollows are 
wholly overgrown, and would not be perceived by a casual observer. 
In crossing to the Gusser, we could not at first account for the 
obstinacy of our horses in refusing to quit the path, which to us 
appeared to wind in a most unnecessary manner, and made our 
ride five or six times as long as it would have been if we could have 
crossed to the ruin in a straight direction. But we soon found that the 
animals were more quick-sighted than ourselves, and that the brush- 
wood through which we attempted to push them concealed pits of 
the nature already described, from many of which we could in all 
probability have never been extricated, had we persevered in the 
attempt to force our horses into them. 
In our journey along the beach abreast of Mahada, we passed 
many fragments of wrecks which the violence of the surf had thrown 
far upon the shore; and observed a block of marble erected near the 
sea, with the following inscription : — 
LA GABORE DU ROl 
LA CHEVRETTE 
1821 . 
LAT. 31 ° 35 ', LONG. 13 ° 18 '. 
This had evidently been placed by the crew of the Chevrette, which 
had quitted Tripoly a few months before, to survey the gulf of the 
Greater Syrtis ; and we afterwards learned that one of the boats of 
this vessel had been round it. 
