Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-03-07
The Ruins Of Carthage.

Mr.. ". E. Robertson writes from
Blairbeth, Scotland, to the London
Times as follows:
Having recently visited this once
famous city, have ihoughtthat ii might
not be uninteresting to your readers to
know something of the present condition
of its ruins, while at the same time /
call attention to the wholesale destruc-
ton of the few but beautiful remaining
monuments Of glory.
Landing at the little town of Goletta,
which is the port of Tunis, and distant
from it about ten miles, put up at the
hotel there, kept by an Italian. A wide
but shallow lagoon stretches out to-
ward the modern city on the left, with
which communication is kept up by
trains, which run at intervals during
the day. A mile or two from the sta
tion, on a wide plateau, We come upon
the foundation of wall, some three
feet in thickness. Following this for
three miles, we come TO some plOwed
ground covered with fragments of
broken marble columns, with here
and there a heap of ruins, fast crum-
bling to decay. Seated among these
we contemplate the history of a city
which was once the rival of Rome, and
toward which the eyes of the civilized
world were turned. Here Hannibal,
when boy nine years of age, was led
to the altar by his father Hamilcar. and
there with his hands upon it, made TO
swear eternal hostility to the Roman
peOpIe-an oath which his after life
proved had not been forgotten 10y him.
On this hillside in later years the RO-
man ENJOYS stood, ana one of them,
addressing the CaTthagenian Senate,
said, folding his tOga over his arm, ''ln
this fold | carry peace or war, choose
you which you viii have 'Giye us
which you WILL is the reply. Then
take war;" says the Romoan envoy.
letting his toGa fall loose, and war,
fierce and long continued. was once
more waged between these hostile for
ces.
The Only remains in any way com
plete are thereservoirs and theaqeduct.
The former are in good state of pre-
seryation, and are constructed on a
scale of great magniGcence. They are
calculated to hold large supply of
water. These have all been aTched
over, but some of the arches are begin |
ming to give way, and have tumbled |
-. Vp,r,.,1 tIa 90
these pools paths extend, paved with |
small pieces of polished marble about |
an inch square. All around may be pick
ed up the fragments g. pottery, broken |
jars, etc, which, douh .e5s, have been |
in use for the carrying water by the |
the maidens of the city. 4. few ancient
coins were given ne here by little 1
boy who had picked them up when !
herding his goats near by. Some of /
them appear to be Roman.
The aqueGuet, constructed of enOr-
nous blocks Of stone, and extending f.
away toward the direction of TnniS, has |
in many places, given away; but
enough remains above ground to en-
able us to trace it through many miles.
The lovely situation of the city,
standing on that prominent headland
against which the waves of the Medi-
terrancan beat, as in the days when
the Roman fleet went down beneath
them, went far to captivate those who
became its cOnquerors.
That it might not be so accessible to
foreign invasiOnS, accounts, in all prob
ability. for the change of situation in
the more modern city of Tunis.
1t was with regret found among the
collected for building purposes
at the town of Goletta parts of marble
columns, with carved work of the most
description, all of which
are being broken up TO erect some
humble steadngs.
The Italians and Spaniards of the
Middle ages have adorned their places
with marble from Carthage, and the
Venetians have their friezes and col
lmns, which were once the admiration
of Dido and of Hannibal. Is it too
much to hope that an effort might yet
secure for us some relic of a city, the
very foundations of which may, before
long, become lost TO our sight?