Smith's Bible Dictionary
The Quicksandsmore properly THE SYRTIS, THE, (Acts 27:17) the broad a deep bight on the north African coast between Carthage and Cyrene. There were properly two Syrtes--the eastern or larger, now called the Gulf of Sidra , and the western or smaller, now the Gulf of Cabes . It is the former to which our attention is directed in this passage of the Acts.