Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 1 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 1 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
From Jibbel Aurez nothing occurred in the style of architecture that
was material. Hydra remained on the left hand. I came to Cassareen,
the ancient Colonia Scillitana[23], where I suffered something both
from hunger and from fear. The country was more rugged and broken than
any we had yet seen, and withal less fruitful and inhabited. The Moors
of these parts are a rebellious tribe, called Nememshah, who had fled
from their ordinary obligation of attending the Bey, and had declared
themselves on the part of the rebel-moors, the Henneishah.
My intentions now were to reach Feriana, the Thala[24] of the ancients,
where I expected considerable subjects for study; but in this I was
disappointed, and being on the frontier, and in dangerous times, when
several armies were in the field, I thought it better to steer my
course eastward, and avoid the theatre of war.
Journeying east, I came to Spaitla[25], and again got into the
kingdom of Tunis. Spaitla is a corruption of Suffetula[26], which was
probably its ancient name before it became a Roman colony; so called
from Suffetes, a magistrature in all the countries dependent upon
Carthage. Spaitla has many inscriptions, and very extensive and elegant
remains. There are three temples, two of them Corinthian, and one of
the Composite order; a great part of them is entire. A beautiful and
perfect capital of the Composite order, the only perfect one that now
exists, is designed, in all its parts, in a very large size; and, with
the detail of the rest of the ruin, is a precious monument of what that
order was, now in the collection of the King.
Doctor Shaw, struck with the magnificence of Spaitla, has attempted
something like the three temples, in a stile much like what one would
expect from an ordinary carpenter, or mason. I hope I have done them
more justice, and I recommend the study of the Composite capital, as
of the Corinthian capital at Dugga, to those who really wish to know
the taste with which these two orders were executed in the time of the
Antonines.
The Welled Omran, a lawless, plundering tribe, inquieted me much in the
eight days I staid at Spaitla. It was a fair match between coward and
coward. With my company, I was inclosed in a square in which the three
temples stood, where there yet remained a precinct of high walls. These
plunderers would have come in to me, but were afraid of my fire-arms;
and I would have run away from them, had I not been afraid of meeting
their horse in the plain. I was almost starved to death, when I was
relieved by the arrival of Welled Hassan, and a friendly tribe of
Dreeda, that came to my assistance, and brought me, at once, both
safety and provision.
From Spaitla I went to Gilma, or Oppidum Chilmanense. There is here
a large extent of rubbish and stones, but no distinct trace of any
building whatever.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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