[Footnote 1: In this neighbourhood was the cave of the formidable Lamia, so much dreaded by the children of the ancients. It is described by Diodorus as situated in a deep valley formed in the rocks which occur soon after Automala; that is, in passing from east to west, for such was the course of the army of Ophellas, which is stated by the historian to have passed it in their route to join the forces of the tyrant Agathocles. The account which he gives of this afflicted royal lady, whose misfortunes at length rendered her so savage and remorseless, is such as to render it probable (if the story may be relied upon) that she really at one time existed in this part of Africa. At least the mode in which the fabulous parts of her history are accounted for appears to be sufficiently rational, and the place of her residence is very decidedly pointed out.—(See Diod. lib. xx. p. 753—4.)] [Footnote 2: Ιδρυμενον κατα τον μυχον του κολπου παντος·—Lib. xvii. p. 836.] [Footnote 3: In _intimo sinu_ fuit ora Lotophagon, &c.—Nat. Hist. lib. v. cap. 5.] [Footnote 4: Ho pure fatto attenzione in tutti questi giorni se scorgera, _anche in distanza, alcuna schiera di monti che da ponente si protendesse al levante_, onde riconoscere se la giogaia dell’ Atlante realmente si prolonga ne’ monti della Cirenaica, o bensì se rimpetto al Golfo della Gran Sirte fosse interrotta. Ma nulla ho osservato che possa confermare questa prolungazione. (P. 91), Ital. edition.] [Footnote 5: . . . Giacchè in quest’ ultimo recinto del Mediterraneo non _ho visto che sabbie ne altri monti che di sabbie_. (P. 92.)] [Footnote 6: The Psylli we are told by Pliny, on the authority of Agatharcides, were so called from their King Psyllus, whose tomb is said to have been somewhere in the Greater Syrtis. They were remarkable for their power of charming serpents; and possessed some innate quality of body which was considered to be destructive to these reptiles; so much so that the very smell of them was supposed to lull a serpent asleep. They had a singular custom of exposing their children to the most venomous kinds of serpents, in order to convince themselves of their legitimacy. If the serpents, on whom the trial was made, did not fly from the children exposed to them, it was concluded to be a proof of decided illegitimacy, since the animals, they imagined, could not avoid doing so, had the infants been really descended from this gifted tribe. It has been observed by other writers, that the Psylli merely cured the bite of serpents by sucking the poison from the wound, and that they were therefore more indebted for their reputation to their courage, than to any peculiar qualification of nature.]