144 
JOURNEY FROM 
Many buildings of this nature appear to have remained in a tenable 
state long after the conquest of Africa by the Mahometans ; for they 
are frequently mentioned by Arab writers as having been occupied 
by the natives; and wells still continued to be found within the 
works, which could not be approached without the consent of the 
garrison. 
An instance in point may here be given from Leo Africanus, who 
tells us that three castles were accidentally discovered, far in the 
desert of Libya, about eighteen years before the time when he 
related the following story: — “ The guide of a caravan (whose 
name was Hamar) had missed the usual track, in consequence of a 
complaint in his eyes ; and there being no other person in the whole 
caravan who knew the road they ought to take but himself, he went 
on, upon his camel, in advance of the party, and at every mile they 
made he caused a handful of sand to be presented to him, which he 
smelt, and then continued his journey. In this manner the caravan 
continued to advance till they came within forty miles of the castles 
above mentioned, near which there were five or six little hamlets, 
and a profusion of excellent dates. The guide then addressed him- 
self to those who were about him, and assured them that they were 
in the neighbourhood of some inhabited place, but few of the party 
believed what he said, for as they were at least four hundred and 
eighty miles from Egypt, it was imagined, if indeed the assertion 
should be true, that they must have moved back upon Angela. 
On tbe third day, however, after this notice, they came in sight 
of the three castles above mentioned ; and the people of the place, 
surprised and alarmed at the appearance of so many strangers. 
