528 
MERGE TO GYRENE. 
been a colony of Greeks, even when under the dominion of 
Eome. 
Every part of the city, and indeed of the suburbs, must have for- 
merly abounded in statues ; and we are confident that excavation 
judiciously employed, in many parts even indiscriminately, would 
produce at the present time many admirable examples of sculpture. 
We will now proceed to give some account of the amphitheatre, of 
which considerable remains are still extant without the walls to the 
westward of the town, and which must have been in its perfect state 
a very conspicuous object from the sea. It has been constructed on 
the verge of a precipice, commanding a most extensive and beautiful 
view, and receiving in all its purity the freshness of the northern 
breeze, so grateful in an African climate. Part of it is built against 
the side of a hill which formed the support of the ranges of seats 
fronting the precipice ; and that portion of it which bordered upon 
the verge of the descent rose abruptly from the edge, hke a stupend- 
ous wall, overlooking the country below. The foundations of this 
part of the amphitheatre were, it may be imagined, remarkably strong, 
and they still remain to a great extent very perfect ; but all the seats 
which they supported have been tumbled at once from their places, 
and lie in masses of ruin beneath. This appears to have been occa- 
sioned by a part of the substructure having given way ; and as we 
imagine the whole side to have fallen at once, the crash must have 
been a tremendous one. On the opposite side, (that which rests 
against the hill,) nearly forty rows of seats are still remaining, one 
above the other; and as each of these are fifteen inches in height, the 
