Chapter I: History of Cyrene

Derivation of the names Cyrenaica and Pentapolis — Causes which led to the country being colonized by a body of Dorians from Thera — Battus, the leader of this band, first takes possession of the island of Platea, and afterwards removes to Cyrene — Coalescence of the settlers with the Libyans — The dynasty of the Battiadæ — Constitution drawn up by Demonax, and granted by Battus III. — Attempt to overthrow it by his successor, Arcesilaus III., aided by his mother Pheretime, which is unsuccessful, and ends by his being murdered at Barca — The town is besieged by Aryandes, Satrap of Egypt, and taken by treachery — Brutal revenge of Pheretime on the inhabitants — Extinction of the dynasty — Condition of the new republic, and alliance with Alexander the Great — Becomes subject to Egypt — The names of the towns are changed — The last king of the Egyptian dynasty, Apion, leaves the country to the Romans by his testament, which is afterwards reduced by them to a province — Insurrection of the Jews, and a great massacre of the Romans and Cyrenæans — Sufferings of the population from the attacks of the Libyan barbarians, and by the ravages of locusts, plagues, and earthquakes — The Persian Chosroes overthrows the remains of the Greek colonies, which are finally overrun by the Arabs — Peculiar manner in which the boundary-line was fixed between Carthage and Cyrene — Eminent philosophers who lived at Cyrene — Description of the country and its former products — Recent history of the country. — _Page_ 1.

CHAPTER II.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPEDITION.

Reasons which led to the expedition being undertaken — Peculiar difficulties from the nature of the country — Equipment, with assistance of the Foreign Office and other authorities in England to carry it out — List of the outfit. — _Page_ 7.

CHAPTER III.

TRIPOLI.

Leave Malta in the gunboat _Boxer_, and arrive at Tripoli — The Meshia — Position of the Castle and the Pacha’s harem — Visit to the artillery and cavalry barracks — Unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Turkish government by Ghomer during the late Russian war — Notice of Tripoli, by John Ogilby. — _Page_ 10.

CHAPTER IV.

BENGHAZI.

Leave Tripoli, and arrive at Benghazi — Adopt it as our base of operations — The wretched state of the town, and the plague of flies — The Castle and the principal buildings — Make friends with the Arab shiekhs, and engage an Arab of Cyrene as an attendant — Buy two horses and other necessaries for the journey — Manner in which auctions are conducted — Camels procured, with the assistance of the Kaimacam — Visit the ancient Necropolis and the river Lethe — The unsafe state of the harbour — The loss of a brig off the entrance of it — The distance where fresh water is procured. — _Page_ 13.

CHAPTER V.

JOURNEY BETWEEN BENGHAZI AND CYRENE.

Leave Benghazi — Rainy and stormy weather — Arrive at Gŭsr Merdj, and hospitality of the Mudir — Description of the Plain and Castle — Resume our journey through a beautiful country, abounding in game — Encamp at Gŭsr Biligadem — Arrive at Cyrene, and select a tomb near the Fountain of Apollo for our residence — Our workmen try to desert at Merdj. — _Page_ 18.

CHAPTER VI.

CYRENE.

The native name of Cyrene — The position of the ruins, with the configuration of the country — The Fountain of Apollo — General description of the Necropolis — A detailed account of the different kinds of tombs — The present aspect of the city — The ancient roads to Apollonia and along the Wady Bil Ghadir — Picturesque grandeur of the Wady Mûchgûn. — _Page_ 25.

CHAPTER VII.

COMMENCEMENT OF THE EXCAVATIONS.

Visit from Mohammed El Adouly — Commence the excavations at two tombs in the Wady Bil Ghadir — These not proving successful, remove the men to a temple near the southern gate of the city — Discover the statue of Bacchus — The novel mode of removing it — Subsequent excavations in a building adjoining a theatre, and afterwards in the Temple of Apollo — Discover the colossal statue of Apollo; supposed statue of Hadrian; head of Minerva; the portrait-head of Cnæus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus, with its pedestal and inscription; a bronze portrait-head; Jupiter Ammon; a group representing the nymph Cyrene strangling a lion; Diana Venatrix — Description of the temple. — _Page_ 38.

CHAPTER VIII.

EMBARKATION OF THE STATUES ON BOARD THE _ASSURANCE_.

Examination of the country between Cyrene and the coast — Arrival of H.M.S. _Assurance_ — Obliged to anchor off Ras El Hilal, on account of the weather — The next day steams to Marsa Sousah, and disembarks the waggons and stores — Several camels collected to take the stores up to Cyrene — Trouble with the Arabs before they start — The waggons are obliged to be taken to pieces, and carried up the Augubah on men’s shoulders — Difficulties of taking the waggons across the country and the descent of the Augubah — They are successively taken to the beach, embarked on board the _Assurance_, and the vessel leaves for Malta. — _Page_ 44.

CHAPTER IX.

DEALINGS WITH THE ARABS.

The position of the Zauyah — Threatening messages sent from the Achwani and their shiekh, “Sidi Mustapha” — The Arabs attempt to prevent our passing, and a number of our stores stolen by them — Appeal to the Mudir of Ghegheb for assistance, and the way it was given — The two culprits are apprehended with great formality, and quietly allowed to escape a few days afterwards — The Mudir is dismissed for his conduct — Osman Aga, the Bash-Cavass, is sent to our assistance — Our reputation as doctors, and the curious application of the fair sex for keteebus — The wandering habits and mode of life of the Bedouins — Forms of salutation — Habit of swearing — Universal use of firearms. — _Page_ 48.