TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 
143 
their oppressors, or of recovering their ancient inheritance. It must 
also be observed, that, however worthless and insignificant the regions 
of the Syrtis might possibly appear, to the inhabitants of more 
favoured countries, there are parts of them which must always have 
been eagerly coveted by the wanderers of the desert which bounds 
them to the southward ; since the advantages which they are occa- 
sionally found to afford, though consisting merely in a little fresh 
water, and a few spots of scanty vegetation, would naturally be 
objects of great attraction to those who had seldom the opportunity 
of finding either. From the sudden, but unskilful, attacks of these 
people, the forts and stations of the Syrtis would have been suffi- 
cient defence ; and they would also have been more convenient for 
the troops than the usual Koman encampment, greatly contributing 
at the same time, to facilitate the communication of one part of the 
country with another, by ensuring a good supply of water, and serv- 
ing as dep6ts for stores and provisions. We must not, however, 
venture decidedly to assert, that the Syrtis was unprovided with 
buildings of this nature before the occupation of the country by the 
Romans ; for, without mentioning those of Euphrantas and Auto- 
mala, we find that castles were in use among the natives of Northern 
Africa before that period ; and if they are known to have been pre- 
viously erected in other parts of the coast, they might equally have 
existed in the Syrtis*. 
* AtSvuiv Sa Toiy ss w^yovs xai ipgoygia (a TtoXXa. 5jv av rig xaraipat'yoi/ffiv. — Appian 
Hiat. de rebus Punicis, lib. viii. p. 101. 
Diodorus also speaks of their castles near the watering-places. — Lib. iii. p. 128. 
Poir 5'a Si/vacTauf avTOJv zioXsii jj,ev ro auvoXov ovy(^ vTCapy^ovsi, nvgyoi Sa nXwiov tuv j/SaTtav, 
air avs awoTiSavrai ra arXeova^ovra rvis cotp-nXiias. 
