MERGE TO GYRENE. 
483 
had not been able to remedy. At daylight on the fifth we rose to 
make our way to Cyrene, which we knew could not, at all events, be 
more than half a day’s journey to the southward ; but ill fortune 
still pursued us, for neither our Chaous, nor the camel-driver, 
had any knowledge whatever of the road. As we knew, from 
our actual position, that we could not well be mistaken in the direc- 
tion of Cyrene, we set out upon the chance of finding some track 
which might eventually lead to the point required ; and after follow- 
ing several paths, one after the other, all of which only led us into 
the wood and left us, a great part of the day was consumed without 
effect. It was too late to think of returning to El Hilal, for it 
would not have been safe to cross after dusk the many deep 
ravines which interposed in that route, and we determined to make 
our way over the mountains which lay between us and Cyrene, since 
w'e could not find a pass leading through them. We knew that on 
reaching the summit of the range we should have a view of the place 
we were bound to, which could not, in a straight fine, be far from us ; 
but our project was soon discovered to be more easily projected than 
executed : for the sides of the mountain were thickly covered with 
wood, among which we were obliged to scramble as we might, and 
after dragging our horses for several hours through these impedi- 
ments, and over the rough stony ground and slippery parts of the 
rock, we found, on reaching the top of one hill, that another was 
before us, as difficult to pass as the one we had just surmounted ; 
and that a thickly-wooded valley must be crossed before we could 
attain even the foot of it. By this time the camels which had pur- 
3 Q 8 
