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
We inquired of the Chaous how far the channel continued to wind
into the heart of the rock, and what it eventually led to; but he
could only inform us that its length had never been ascertained,
and that it was known to be the haunt of demons and fairies, as
the Arabs of the place (he said) could testify! It would have been
useless to assert our disbelief of this statement, that is, of the
latter part of it; and having satisfied ourselves by examining
this mysterious passage, as far as the day-light extended, and
ascertaining that it continued still farther into the mountain,
we determined to take an early opportunity of bringing lights and
exploring it to the end, and proceeded to examine the other parts
of the excavation. On one side of the cascade are two excavated
chambers, or rather one chamber divided into two compartments;
and in the farther division is a second basin, sunk below the level
of the chamber, which appears to have originally communicated with
the stream by means of a small aperture in the rock just above it;
but no water at present finds its way through this opening, and the
basin would be dry were it not for the rain which washes into it
from without during the winter season. It is probable that this
reservoir was originally devoted to the service of the priests
who had the charge of the sacred stream, in the performance of
their religious ceremonies. Nearly opposite to it is what appears
to have been the principal entrance; and we found here a tablet,
broken in two pieces, which seems to have fallen from over the
doorway, and near it the fragment of a fluted, engaged column. On
the tablet is sculptured three female figures, joining hands as if
performing a sacred dance: the mode of executing the draperies in
this bas-relief would seem to point it out as belonging to a very
early period; and the difference of style between it and another
bas-relief which we found near it, representing a female figure
crowning a term, will be obvious on a reference to the plates of
the two performances given. The last-mentioned tablet is of white
marble, in excellent style, and finished with all the delicacy and
taste of the most refined periods: the upper part of it appeared at
first sight to be naked, but on a more attentive inspection it was
found to be covered with what is evidently intended for a light,
transparent, drapery, the few folds of which are very slightly,
though very clearly defined, and result with great propriety as well
as simplicity from the easy and graceful action of the figure. As
the tablet has lain for ages with its face towards the ground,
the polish still remains very conspicuously upon its surface; and
contributes to give an additional air of finish to this tasteful
and interesting performance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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