ancient temples, heads, legs, arms, and bodies of marble statues, as also several figures, entire, with the exception of their faces, which had been destroyed by the Arabs, in the belief that they were the bodies of unbelievers, who had been turned into stone, as a punishment for their sins. Parts of superb Mosaic floors lay exposed to view, and several coins of former ages, reduced to rust by long exposure, were found. We visited also the burial places, and took copies of the inscriptions on the numerous marble sarcophages, but without understanding them. On entering some of the huts of the Arabs, built of materials taken from these ruins, we saw among the rough stones composing their walls, the square ends of coffins, with their inscriptions still entire; parts of altars, pieces of marble exquisitely carved; and could not help musing on the changes which time and circumstances so often produce. Shafts of marble columns generally formed the principal foundations of these miserable huts, whose whole appearance exhibited such a mixture of ancient elegance, contrasted with modern barbarity, as served to impress more strongly upon our minds than ever, the mortifying truth, that nothing is eternal which is the work of man, and that those who erect the sublimest temples to the Gods, know not but that they are preparing materials for the hut of the robber.

"We visited the port, and saw the stone reservoirs where the galleys once obtained their supplies of water, and could distinctly see from whence it used to gush out, as well as the steps by which their crews ascended from their vessels. The port was circular; the entrance narrow, and strongly defended by castles, which in those days were no doubt deemed impregnable. The bottom of this harbour is now above the level of the sea, and where ships once rode, the grass now grows. The aqueduct is still entire in many parts, and the castles, the temples, and other superb remains, are now the abode of the jackall and wild-pigeon. The walls of that city, in some places have been shaken down, and on the side towards the sea are nearly covered with the sands of the ocean, which the

strong north winds have thrown upon the coast. In some parts the tops of the houses are exposed, the sand having not yet quite covered them. They are of hewn stone and flat. On digging through some of them, we found they were filled with sand. The amphitheatre, which is without the walls of the city towards the east, exhibits the vestiges of great magnificence. It is about seventy yards wide, and one hundred and fifty in length, with flights of stone steps, running from the area in the middle, to the outer walls. The entrances are at either end, and it never has been covered. There

a range of pedestals running the whole length of the area, and on digging in the sand at the base of one of them, we found the head of a lion, which I took on board the Enterprise, and gave to Mr. Latrobe, on my arrival in the United States."

Such is Leptis, once the principal city of a potent confederacy of cities, which defied the power of the Roman emperors. What remains of it now, is only calculated to add one more to the numerous instances of that oblivion, to which all the physical labours of man seem destined. Of the splendid cities mentioned in ancient histories, we know not where many of them stood, and of the others, nothing remains but a few indefinite traces, either to lead or mislead the scholar. Were it not for the poet or the historian, it never would have been known to us that they ever had been at all. Troy now only exists in the poetry of Homer, and the fate of that city is in itself sufficient to convince us, that none of the works of man approach so near to immortality as the labours of his mind.

NAVAL HISTORY.

ACCOUNT OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE AMERICAN SQUADRON, UNDER COMMODORE DECATUR, AGAINST ALGIERS, TUNIS, AND TRIPOLI.

In the year 1795, a treaty was concluded between the United States of America, and the dey of Algiers, in which

the former were put upon a footing with other nations, on condition of paying to the dey, a yearly tribute of twelve thousand Algerine sequins, to be invested in naval stores. This treaty subsisted without any infringement on the part of the Algerines, until some time in the month of July, 1812, when the dey, stimulated, probably, by the near prospect of a war between the United States and England, which he was encouraged in the belief would annihilate the naval force of the former, and disable them from taking satisfaction, took an opportunity to violate its most important articles. He was probably further stimulated to this measure, by having little employment at that time for his cruisers, in consequence just concluding a peace with Portugal, while at the same time he was prevented from committing depredations upon his old enemies, the Sicilians, of whom the English had declared themselves the protectors.

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The pretence of his highness for this breach of his engagements, was that the cargo of the ship Allegany, then just arrived, with naval stores, for the payment of the tribute stipulated in the treaty of 1795, did not contain such an assortment of articles as he had a right to expect. In consequence of this disappointment, the dey, who was subject to violent paroxysms of passion, became exceedingly outrageous, and told his minister of marine that the cargo should not be received; that the ship should immediately quit Algiers, and that colonel Lear, the American consul, should go with her, as he could not have a consul in his regency, who did not cause every article to be bought, as he ordered. Every attempt to explain, on the part of the consul, was without effect on the dey, who either was, or affected to be extremely angry. A few days afterwards he made a demand of certain arrearages of tribute, to the amount of twenty-seven thousand dollars, the claim to which was founded on the difference between the solar and lunar years, the one consisting of three hundred and sixty-five, the other of three hundred and fifty-four days, creating a difference of half a year, in the lapse of seventeen

years, which had expired since the conclusion of the treaty. This was the first time the distinction between the Christian and Mahometan year had ever been brought forward by his highness, and it is certain that it was insisted upon in this instance, merely as furnishing a pretext for exacting money from the government of the United States, or, in case of a refusal, as furnishing an additional ground for a declaration of hostilities. The reasonings, remonstrances, and explanations of the consul were without effect, and he was at last given to understand, that if the money was not paid immediately, he would be sent to the marine in chains-the Allegany and her cargo confiscated; every citizen of the United States in Algiers condemned to perpetual slavery, and war forthwith declared.

After various ineffectual attempts to negociate a mitigation of these demands, colonel Lear finally received this definitive answer to his repeated applications, by his highness's drogerman-"That he should to-morrow morning pay into the treasury, twenty-seven thousand Spanish dollars, which he (the dey) claimed as the balance of annuities due from the United States, and then depart from the regency of Algiers with his family and all the citizens of the United States." On failure of payment, the consequences, which kad at first been threatened, would most assuredly be inflicted. This message having been considered as conclusive, the consul, desirous of averting these calamities from himself, his family, as well as a number of his countrymen then in Algiers, made every effort to raise the money demanded. A merchant of Algiers, at length advanced it on receiving bills on Joseph Gavino, American consul at Gibraltar, and it was paid into the treasury before the time specified in the dey's message. Having committed the care of his property, which he was not permitted to attend to himself, to the agent-general of his Swedish majesty at Algiers, colonel Lear embarked on board the Allegany, with his family and about twenty others for the United States. The dey, immediately on his departure, commenced hostilities upon our commerce, and these outrages remained unrevenged by the

government of the United States, which could not send a force to the Mediterranean, in consequence of the war with Great Britain, declared in June following these transactions.

Immediately, however, on the ratification of peace with Great Britain, the attention of congress was called to a consideration of the conduct of Algiers, and the foregoing facts being sufficiently substantiated, war was declared to exist between the United States of America, and the regency of Algiers. Preparations were immediately made to follow up this declaration, and a squadron was fitted out under the command of commodore Decatur, consisting of the Guerriere, Constellation, and Macedonian frigates, the Ontario and Epervier sloops of war, and the schooners Spark, Spitfire, Torch, and Flambeau. Another squadron, under commodore Bainbridge, was to follow this armament, on the arrival of which, it was understood, commodore Decatur would return. to the United States in a single vessel, leaving the command of the whole combined force to commodore Bainbridge.

The force. under commodore Decatur rendezvoused at New-York, from which port they sailed the 20th day of April, 1815, and arrived in the bay of Gibraltar in twenty-five days, after having previously communicated with Cadiz and Tangier. In the passage, the Spitfire, Torch, Firefly, and Ontario, separated at different times from the squadron in gales, but all joined again at Gibraltar, with the exception of the Firefly, which sprung her masts, and put back to New-York to refit. Having learned at Gibraltar that the Algerine squadron, which had been out into the Atlantic, had undoubtedly. passed up the straits, and that information of the arrival of the American force had been sent to Algiers by persons in Gibraltar, commodore Decatur determined to proceed without delay, up the Mediterranean, in the hope of intercepting the enemy before he could return to Algiers, or gain a neutral port.

The 17th of June, off Cape de Gatt, he fell in with and captured the Algerine frigate Mazouda, in a running fight of twenty-five minutes. After two broadsides the Algerines ran