GEOGRAPHY OF GABES. 19 



South of Ki'l)ili Ihore is a iv<j:i()n of sand diinos, and licrc (he j^alnis, 

 accordin«2: to M. AiiMaii<>:oiii, insjx'otor of ni:ricidtiiri'. arc j^row ii in 

 Miidvcn «;ardc'ns, similar to tlioso of tlu' Oiu'd Soiif n'<iioii," but on a 

 smaller st-alc. In tlu- oasis of Donz, about 1<) niilos south of Kchili, 

 this form of (hite culture roachos its hi<»;host dovelopmont in Tunis. 

 There basins anion^ the dunes are excavated to a depth of about 13 

 feet and often 100 to 130 feet s(juare (the sand beiuii' carrii'd out in 

 baskets) in order to j)lant a (Io/ami or so i)alms and a few other fruit 

 trees. The palms <;r()wn with such an enormous expenditure of labor 

 almost always l)elon<i' to inferior varieties. I)urin<; several months 

 of each year most of the population of this oasis mi<;rates in search 

 of pastura<i:e for its tlocks. I'pon the return of the inhal)itants 

 they must innnediately set to work to clear out the sand that has 

 invaded their gardens, a task that requires nearly as nmch labor as 

 the original excavation, 



GABES. 



In extreme southern Tiniis the Sahai'a Desert practically reaches 

 the seashore, forming the region known as the ""Aarad." One of the 

 largest and most flourishing groups of oases in the country is that 

 which has for its center the seaport tow'n of (irabes. These oases are 

 well supplied with water, those nearest Gabes chiefly by means of a 

 series of little dams in the Oued (labes (Gabes River) and its branches, 

 the more distant ones from springs and wells. The large oasis of 

 El Hanuna — of the same name as one in the Jerid region — is famous 

 for its hot springs. This oasis has an area of about 4,000 acres, and 

 the combined area of those nearer Gabes is said to be about the same. 



About 400,000 date palms are estimated to exist in the oases of 

 Gabes and El Hamma together. At Gabes the humidity, due to 

 the proximity of the sea, prevents the successful growing of the finer 

 varieties, notably the Deglet Noor. While the date palm itself 

 thrives admirably in the Gabes region, and a great number of varie- 

 ties exist there, the fruit produced Is far inferior in flavor and sweet- 

 ness to that of the Jerid and the Nefzaoua. Moreover, it is said not 

 to keep well and easily to become moldy. The same criticism applies 

 to the dates grown on the neighboring island of Jerba, where also 

 there are about 400,000 palms.^ But at El Hamma, although only 

 15^ miles inland, the quality of the dates is appreciably better. 



o See Bui. SO, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1905. 



6 It is interesting to know that some kinds of dates can be ripened on the 

 seacoast, even considerably farther north than Gabes. M. Minangoin, inspector 

 of agriculture at Tunis, in a letter to the writer, describes a small oasis of 4,000 

 to 5,000 palms, situated on a sand spit near Susa (Sousse), about 120 miles 

 north of Gabes. Two kinds of dates are grown, of one of which the fruits must 

 be eaten the day they are gathered, while the other kind can be kept for only 

 92 



