is now completed, with particular plans of the bays and harbours, and the positions correctly ascertained as to latitude and longitude of the different capes and headlands, agreeably to the first paragraph of their Lordships’ instructions. And this, I am happy to say, has been effected in spite of an almost constant opposition on the part of the natives of the region between the Arabs’ tower and Bomba, a wild race of nomadic tribes, from whose hostility we have luckily received no accident, although I was nearly cut off at Toubrouk, in company with Lieutenant Michael Atwell Slater, by a party of four or five hundred Bedouins, and only owed my escape to the excellence of the gig that rowed through their fire, until the barge, well manned and armed, under Mr. Thomas Elson, (acting master) drove them back amongst the ruins.
“These shores offer but little after leaving Alexandria, until arriving at Saloume, a large bay, where a fleet might be secured from westerly gales; and from thence to Bomba nothing intervenes except Toubrouk, a really superb port, and by far the best on the whole coast of Barbary. It is two miles deep and one wide, with an outer road of five or six miles to the eastward, where is a reef of rocks two miles and a half long, carrying from 3 feet to 3 fathoms water, effectually breaking off the sea from that quarter. Inside the reefs are regular soundings of from 14 to 8 fathoms, and within the harbour there is not a shoal-bank, or danger of any kind, but a vessel may anchor at will, in from 12 to 5 fathoms. This harbour is particularly adapted for a squadron, as there are a number of fine sandy coves on each side, where boats, &c. may be hauled up to repair. Water I could not find, for it was unsafe to venture from the harbour hills – the whole country being in arms; but from the fissures in the mountains, branching out into wide fuimare, I am confident the winter streams are Abundant. At the N.W. end of the port is a Roman fortification, in tolerable preservation; it is nearly 200 paces on each side, with four gates; the walls are of large square stones, strengthened with towers that are ascended by ramps. There are large cisterns and magazines, and the whole is in such a state as to offer no inconsiderable advance towards a new establishment. I found by accident, for I had not leisure for research, many fragments of lamps, lachrymatoria, and amphira, and also two coins of the Emperor Probus, which, with the appearance of the architecture, stamps the probable date of the settlement.
“Cattle and sheep may be procured in any quantity at Bomba and Derna; and at the latter place, if visited as a summer anchorage, water of the very finest quality is to be had from running streams (a phenomenon in these regions) with an abundant supply of grapes, bananas, almonds, oranges, apricots, and other fruit. Corn is in great plenty, and remarkably cheap.
“The hills from Derna towards Genna[errata 1], or Cyrene, are wooded in various parts; but the culling of timber would be attended with consider-Errata:
- ↑ Correction: Genna should be amended to Grenna
