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 give the observations and the passage together in Signor Della
Cella’s own words.—“Con questa avvertenza io crederei doversi
intendere un passo di Strabone molto diversamente dal penso che gli
è dato da tutti i traduttori; parlando del Capo Cefalo, questo
geografo così si esprime—ειτ᾽ ακρα υψηλη και υλωδης, ακρη (αρχη of
course is intended) της μεγαλης Συρτεως—che tutti traducono—indi (viene)
il promontorio alto e selvoso, che è il principio della gran Sirte.”
“L’esattezza di questo illustre geografo puo esser salvata
_togliendo_ la virgola dopo ακρα e _transportandola_ dopo
υλωδης, e traducendo—quindi viene il promontorio, che forma
l’ alta e selvosa estremità della gran Sirte—dovendosi riputare
quell’ alto non all’ altezza del capo, che non quadra col vero,
ma alla _distanza_ che divide l’estremità della gran Sirte dal
suo fondo. In questo stesso senso la voce υψηλη trovasi spesso
adoperata da Omero per dinotare _gli sfondi del mare nelle terre_.”
. . . ως οτε κυμα ακτη
Εφ᾽ υψηλη οτε κινηστει Νοτος ελθων, &c.—(V. da Tripoli, p. 54.)
]
[Footnote 16: Sopra questa osservazione converra correggere la
bellissima carta di Arrow-Smith, ove la schiera de’ monti del
Goriano son disposti in maniera de far credere che tra il capo
Mesurata, ove in quella carta si pretendono è la piccola Sirte,
vi sia un’ ampia e non interrotta pianura. Ora, non solo da questi
monti si stacca un ramo che la interrompe, e viene a cadere scosceso
sul mare a Lebda; ma di più, il loro prolungamento fino al Capo
Mesurata è falso.—(p. 53-4.)]
[Footnote 17: In illustration of these remarks, we need only refer
our readers to the chart of the Expedition prefixed, which we may
add has been carefully made; but we must observe, in justice to the
compilers of those excellent maps which are published in the name
of Mr. Arrowsmith, that no blame can be reasonably attached to them,
either for the extension or the omission alluded to. They could only
avail themselves of the best authorities hitherto existing, and ought
not to be made responsible for more than these actually contain.]
[Footnote 18: The rocky land which we have mentioned, and the sea,
form the boundaries of the sand-hills to the northward.]
[Footnote 19: The south-eastward would be more correct, for the
coast there begins to trend to the southward.]
[Footnote 20: A more comfortless scene can scarcely be imagined than
is presented by the opening of this celebrated region, so little
known at any period of history. The opinion which the ancients appear
to have formed of it may be inferred from the description of Lucan,
in his account of Cato’s march across it (Pharsalia, book 9.);
but it will be seen, as we advance into the regions of the Syrtis,
that this description is more poetical than just.]
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