406 
MERGE TO GYRENE. 
On the morning of the 29th, we left the plain of Merge and pro- 
ceeded on our journey to Gyrene. The road, after crossing the 
plain, leads over a rugged hill in which it has been cut ; and we soon 
found from the deep and continued marks of chariot-wheels that we 
Avere following an ancient track. F rom the hill we descended into a 
beautiful valley named Bograta where we found some ancient wells 
situated upon a rising ground in the centre of it, at which we watered 
our horses. From hence we proceeded through a hilly country, well 
clothed with trees of various kinds, and pitched our tents for the 
night at Hareebe, a delightful valley, studded with olive-trees, and 
possessing two wells of good water. The next day we passed 
through other remarkably fine vallies, which we found for the most 
part cultivated, and through copses and thickets of pine, cedar, laurel, 
laurestinus, carob, cypress, myrtle, box, arbutus, and various other 
trees and shrubs, which were flourishing in the greatest luxuriance. 
Among these the convolvulus and honeysuckle twined themselves ; 
and red and white roses, marigolds, and other flowers, with a great 
variety of beautiful ferns, were everywhere scattered over the hills 
and valhes *. Idle forms of the landscape were at the same time 
* The flowers of the Cyrenaica are stated by Athenaeus to have been famous for the 
odours which they emitted ; and we learn from the same author that a most excellent oil, 
or ointment of roses, was made at Gyrene in the time of Berenice (the great Berenice, as 
the author here terms her, wlro was probably the daughter of Magas). Both Arsinoe 
and Berenice are said by Athenaeus to have been great jjatronesses of fragrant oils and 
ointments at Alexandria ; and we may believe with probability, that the Rigges and Gat- 
ties of Gyi-ene were equally encouraged by the royal protection. The roses which we 
saw had however no smell, (probably from want of attention,) although the woodbine and 
