348 
BENGAZI. 
often observed a great proportion of oats produced spontaneously 
from the soil*. 
Several towers of very solid construction are scattered over this 
plain in various directions ; and one of them will be found to corre- 
spond very well with that called Cafez, by Edrisi. It is situated at 
about the same distance (four miles) from the sea ; and has likewise a 
wood to the eastward of it, as he mentions j-. It may be reckoned at 
fifteen miles from Bengazi, and not far from it, also to the eastward, 
are the lakes described by Edrisi in the neighbourhood of Cafez, 
separated, exactly as he mentions, from the sea by ridges of sand, and 
running along parallel with the beach The water of these lakes is 
stated by Edrisi to be sweet, but it is certainly, in the present day, 
brackish. The Arab name of one of these (Zeiana, or Aziana) would 
seem to point out the neighbourhood of Adriana, laid down by Cel- 
larius between Berenice and Arsinoe, or Teuchira ; and many ground- 
plans of buildings, chiefly dwelling-houses, may be observed at the 
distance of about three-quarters of a mile from the lake, which pro- 
bably occupy the site of that town. 
* A species of wild artichoke is also very commonly found here, which is eaten raw 
by the Arabs ; chiefly however for amusement, as we see raw turnips eaten in other 
countries. 
t See the plan of this tower. It is called by the Arabs Gusser-el-toweel — the high 
tower — and is seen from a considerable distance. 
^ Cafez autem est turris sita in media planitie Bernic, habetque ad latus suum orien- 
tale sylvam propinquam mari, et ipsa distat a mari IV. M.P. Non procul etiam a Cafez, 
ex parte orientali adest lacus cum longitudine maris porrectus, et collis arenae ab eo divi- 
sus, cujus tamen aquae dulces sunt ; occupat hie sua longitudine XIV. Milliaria, latitu- 
dine medium fere milliare. — (Geog. Nubiensis, p. 93.) 
