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JOURNEY FROM 
been, is surrounded by a wall of four feet in thickness, enclosing an 
area of twenty five feet between it and the outer wall of the build- 
ing, but there is no appearance of any trench. The enclosed 
space is entered by a single gate in the wall which surrounds it, 
but no appearance whatever of any entrance is observable in the 
walls of the building ; and we must therefore conclude that there 
was some subterranean communication with it from without, or that 
they who entered were drawn up with ropes by persons already 
stationed in the fortress ; as we have already observed to be the case 
in other fortified buildings in the Syrtis. There are traces of other 
walls about this building in dilferent directions, and the whole brow 
of the liill on which it stands appears to have been formerly enclosed; 
below this, to the northward, is a well, built in the soil, of not more 
than two feet square, which is now filled up with rubbish to within 
five feet of the surface, and near it are traces of another well, and 
some large building-stones apparently little out of their places. 
'Fhe present height of the turrets and outer walls of the fort are 
about fifteen feet ; and were it not for the dilapidated condition of 
the former, the entrance would not be easy without a ladder. 
In a ravine at MahirTga we found some very good water, which 
was particularly acceptable to a party of pilgrims from the westward, 
by whom we were joined, on their journey to Mecca. They took 
up their abode at night near our tents ; and after repeating with 
great solemnity the proper number of prayers, made themselves very 
comfortable round a large fire, which the chilness of the nights 
began to render very necessary; and which was the more severely 
