MERGE TO GYRENE. 
517 
theatre, because a circular space within the town appears, as we have 
mentioned, to contain one of smaller dimensions, which must be 
cleared from the soil and vegetable matter with which it is covered 
before anything can be determined with certainty respecting it. If 
a theatre has stood here it must have been a very small one, of a cir- 
cular form, and, unless appropriated to musical performances, appears, 
to be unfit for any other. Without the town, to the westward and 
southward, excavation would probably be interesting ; and indeed 
there is hardly a spot in the habitable parts of the Pentapolis where 
objects of interest would not in all probability be found. In the space 
between Apollonia and Derna there are remains of several ancient 
villages and stations, where we could have very much wished to 
excavate ; and in that between Apollonia and Cyrene there appears 
to be a great deal of matter for inquiry. The embarkation of heavy 
objects would be difficult at Apollonia on account of the little depth 
of water near the beach ; it might, however, be managed, and would 
at any rate be preferable to the transport by land-carriage to Eengazi 
or Derna, which indeed may be said to be wholly impracticable on 
account of the frequent deep ravines and dangerous mountain-passes 
which intervene. 
During the time, about a fortnight, of our absence from Cyrene, 
the changes which had taken place in the appearance of the country 
about it were very remarkable. We found the hills on our return 
covered with Arabs, their camels, flocks, and herds ; the scarcity of 
water in the interior at this season having driven the Bedouins to 
the mountains, and particularly to Cyrene, where the springs afford 
