[116] ‘Tocra, the ancient Teuchria, afterwards called Arsinöe, which, although totally deserted, is still completely enclosed, except on the sea or north side, by walls of uncommon solidity and thickness, strengthened at intervals by quadrangular towers, twenty-six in number, and is entered by two strong-built gateways.... The walls were repaired by Justinian, in doing which blocks of stone and marble have been introduced, many bearing Greek inscriptions, which evidently formed part of much older buildings.’—Eng. Cycl., _s.v._ ‘Cyrene.’ (S.) A plan of the remains of Taucra or Teuchira is given in Capt. Beechey’s ‘North Coast of Africa,’ p. 388 (4to., 1828). He states, p. 353, that the walls repaired under the Emperor Justinian still remain in a state of perfection which sufficiently proves the solidity of the work. A long account of the city and its walls is given at p. 375, etc. Also in Smith and Porcher’s ‘Discoveries at Cyrene’ (1864), p. 64, where Justinian’s walls are particularly mentioned. [117] ‘Scarcely a vestige of the wall remains.’—Eng. Cycl. _s.v._ ‘Bengazi.’ [118] Berenice, about 40 miles to south-west of Barca. Here the ancients placed the gardens of the Hesperides—now Ben Ghazi. (Beechey, p. 314.) Bengazi may be considered as occupying the site of the Berenice of the Ptolemies and of the Hesperis of earlier times; but very few remains now appear above ground to interest the sculptor, the architect or the antiquary.—J. Pennell’s ‘Herodotus’ (4to., London, 1800), p. 154. Of the ancient city very few remains are now visible. ‘At the back of the castle, some foundations may be seen cropping out, but the tomb of a saint prevents any excavations being made.’—Smith and Porcher’s ‘Discoveries at Cyrene’ (1864), p. 13. ‘Bengazi, the ancient Berenice, built by Ptolemy Philadelphus. Nothing now remains but its port, which is certainly the best on the coast of Tripoli.’ ‘On the north there are still to be seen, beyond seamark, the foundations of several large buildings, of stones 8 or 10 feet long and 3 broad, which, by their own weight and being bound by strong cement, have preserved their places.’—Lieut.-Col. Playfair, ‘Travels in the Footsteps of Bruce’ (4to., London, 1877.) [119] Ptolemaïs (Ptolemeta), now Dolmeita. V. Beechey, p. 376. He gives, at p. 338, etc., a plan of the city and environs, and also drawings of some of the ruins. The city was something less than a mile in length from north to south, and its breadth from east to west something more than three-quarters. Captain Beechey describes the remains of the walls to the city and harbour, of two theatres, an amphitheatre, and various buildings of more than ordinary consequence. ‘Some of the shafts of small columns are spiral and formed of coloured marbles, and may probably be attributed to the time of Justinian, when the city revived under his politic munificence.’ Lieut.-Col. Playfair, ‘Footsteps of Bruce’ (1877), pp. 288, 289, gives a good account also.