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JOURNEY FROM 
soil has raised the level of the low lands in the Greater and Lesser 
Syrtes much above what it formerly was, and that both these regions 
were once covered with water to a greater depth than at present. 
We have already observed that the sea appears to have made great 
advances on the whole line of coast of Northern Africa ; and this 
fact seems to be proved from the circumstance of our finding the 
remains of ancient towns, along its shores, at present under water to 
a considerable extent. We may now pass in boats over the ruins of 
the northern part of Alexandria, (as many travellers of our time can 
testify) ; and remains of the city of Carthage, “ for the space of 
three furlongs in length, and half a furlong, or more, in breadth,” 
are well known (on the authority of Shaw*) to be at the present day 
“ entirely under water.” In the intermediate space, we may instance 
the maritime towns of the Cyrenaica, where the sea has made consi- 
derable advances ; those parts of the Greater Syrtis which are not 
exposed to the accumulation of sand, and the town of modern Tri- 
poly, the northern part of which (as we have already stated in the 
words of Leo Africanus) appears to have been in his time under 
water. 
This rise in the level of the Mediterranean could scarcely fail to 
have occasioned an overflow in the low grounds of the Syrtie, to a 
much greater extent than formerly, if it had not been accompanied 
by, at least, a proportionate accumulation of soil : but it will rather 
appear that in these regions the land may be said to have advanced 
upon the sea ; since we find their ancient ports now filled up with 
* Travels in Barbary, vol. i. p. 164. 
