MERGE TO GYRENE. 
465 
our arrival near the centre of the town. The whole of this tract, as 
far as the eye could reach, was thickly covered with the most luxuriant 
vegetation, to the height of four and five feet ; and as the place had 
not been visited since the rainy season, we found none of the grass 
trodden down, and were obliged to commence the operation of level- 
ling it before we could make ourselves comfortable in our abodes. 
The heavy dews which fell immediately after the sun was down 
made our passage through this obstruction rather inconvenient from 
five or six in the evening till nearly mid-day, and there was no part 
of Cyrene which we could pass to between those hours without being 
completely wet through. In a few days, however, we had formed 
several footpaths to the principal points of attraction, and many of 
these led over fallen columns and statues which wholly escaped 
notice till our feet struck against them. Indeed so much was the 
whole town encumbered with vegetable matter that very few 
objects were presented to the eye when first we arrived at the 
place: and we almost despaired of finding any matter of interest 
unconnected with the fountain and the tombs. Every wetting that 
we got, however, added to our satisfaction, by augmenting the list of 
the remains ; and we soon perceived that we had established our- 
selves in the neighbourhood of two theatres and of several other 
objects well worth attention. The road to the fountain was (it may 
be imagined) one of the first which was made ; and the passage of our 
servants and horses along it, as they went to fetch water for the con- 
sumption of the party, soon rendered it the most practicable of any. 
It led also to the galleries which we have already mentioned along 
