Phycus

PHYCUS(Φυκοῦς, Strab. 8. p. 363, 17. p. 837; Ptol. 4.4.5: Plin. Nat. 5.5), the most northerly point of the Libyan coast, 2800 stadia from Taenarum (350 M.P., Plin. . l.c.), and 125 M. P. from Crete. (Plin. l. c.) Cato touched at this point in Africa after leaving Crete, but the natives refused to receive his ships. (Lucan (Luc. 9.40.) Synesius, who has given in his letters ( Ep. 51, 100, 114, 129) several particulars about this spot, states that it was dangerous to live here because of the stagnant waters, and their fetid exhalations. It had a harbour situated to the W., which is confirmed by the Coast-describer ( Stadiasm. § 53, where it is by an error called Phoenicus). Scylax (p. 46) placed the gardens and lake of the Hesperides near this headland, now Râs-al-Razator Râs Sem, where Smyth ( Mediterranean, p. 455) marks the coast bold and steep, rising gradually to Cyrene. (Pacho, Voyage, p. 169; Barth, Wanderungen, p. 498.)
[E.B.J]