196 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



into some of them, and see the way in which they are con- 

 structed and decorated, because they must have been there for 

 some hundreds of years. 



Of course, to say anything about the early history of TripoH 

 would practically involve a statement of the history of con- 

 siderable of the ancient world. It was one of the places which 

 was most thoroughly colonized by the Romans, and the Romans 

 were not driven out until after the sixth century. In 622 A. D., 

 when the place was taken, a magnificent mosque was erected, 

 and from that time practically dates the exclusion of any form 

 of the Christian religion. Thereafter, along that whole north- 

 ern coast practically ceased to exist every vestige of Chris- 

 tianity. Of course, the country was very much more fertile 

 in those days, and probably capable of supporting a much 

 larger population. Many of those details we do not quite 

 know. But it is a fact, nevertheless, that in sections remote 

 from the settled portions of the country we, today, find evi- 

 dences of former occupation, ruins and remains of former 

 structures, remains of magnificent arches and statues, showing 

 the location of former cities of considerable population, remains 

 which in their perfect state must have been beautiful in charac- 

 ter, and yet all now literally surrounded with drifting sand. 

 That is all that remains of that most beautiful architecture 

 dating back to the period when the Rom.ans conquered all of 

 the known world. It is a striking evidence of the decay 

 wrought by time and of the existence of a civilization of which 

 we have little knowledge. It is indeed one of the wonders of 

 civilization. You can hardly dig three feet in that sandy soil 

 without great probability of injuring some very beautiful things 

 which they left, and it would be useless to attempt it as the 

 Turkish government is very loth to allow any digging. Still, 

 some archeological investigations have been made in that re- 

 gion, and they show clearly the great historical interest of the 

 place. 



The people, as a class, are suspicious of strangers. Upon 

 the occasion of our first visit they very carefully investigated 

 our telescopes, and everything that came there for us, but the 

 second time we had no trouble in that respect because they 

 knew that the telescopes were harmless. I suppose it is the 

 manifestation of the same feeling that causes them to prevent 

 diggings, but there is undoubtedly a great amount of riches 



