Proceedings of the expedition to explore the northern coast of Africa, from Tripoly eastward : $b in MDCCCXXI. and MDCCCXXII., comprehending an account of the Greater Syrtis and Cyrenaica; and of the ancient cities composing the pentapolisBeechey, Frederick William
History
Proceedings of the expedition to explore the northern coast of Africa, from Tripoly eastward : $b in MDCCCXXI. and MDCCCXXII., comprehending an account of the Greater Syrtis and Cyrenaica; and of the ancient cities composing the pentapolis
Beechey, Frederick William
Sidra, Gulf of (Libya); Tripoli (Libya) -- Antiquities; Tripoli (Libya) -- Discovery and exploration
Berenice (he tells us) is placed on the Point of Pseudopenias, near
a certain lake called Tritonis, in which there is _mostly_ an island
(εν ἡ μαλιστα νησιον εστι), with a temple upon it dedicated to Venus.
We may remark, in support of this supposition, that it is probable, from
the position of the rising ground alluded to, that it was not at all
times surrounded by water; and that it was only in the winter season,
or at times when the sea advanced farther than ordinary, that it was
completely an island.
We may suppose, in receiving this island as the one mentioned by
Strabo, that the circumstance just stated was alluded to by the
geographer, when he informs us that there was _usually_ an island
in the lake; but we do not mean to insist upon this reading of
the passage in question, and will confess, that it would probably
never have suggested itself to us had we never visited Bengazi; it
must therefore be left to the discretion of our readers, to adopt
it or not, as it may seem to deserve, on a reference to the local
peculiarities we have mentioned.
With regard to the name of Tritonis, bestowed upon the lake in
this passage, it is difficult to say whether the lake which Strabo
mentions was actually called by that name; or whether the geographer
has confounded it with the Tritonis Palus (the Lake Lowdeah of Shaw),
situated in the Lesser Syrtis, and which also contained an island,
according to Herodotus.
But whatever may have been the proper name of the lake at Berenice
which we seek to identify with the Tritonis of Strabo, it appears
to us to answer remarkably well to the lake of that name which he
mentions. We will therefore suggest, that the Tritonis in question
and the lake which now communicates with the Harbour of Bengazi,
are one and the same lake: that it was originally deep enough to
admit the vessels of the ancients, and to have formed occasionally
the island containing the temple of Venus, on the spot of rising
ground already pointed out, where remains of ancient building are
still observable: that a small spring of fresh water runs into the
same lake which may possibly be the remains of the Lathon of Strabo,
at its point of re-appearance and communication with the Harbour
of the Hesperides; and that the subterranean stream in the cavern
between the lake and the mountains, which we have mentioned above,
may also be the source of this river. When we add, that the gardens
upon which we have remarked, are probably some of those called the
Gardens of the Hesperides, we have pointed out all that now occurs
to us of any interest in the neighbourhood of the town of Bengazi;
and we submit these suggestions to the judgment of others better
qualified than ourselves to decide the points in question.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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