THIX1DAI'. 



TRIPOLI. 



_if . 

 



. .. tfc, 



it ia a*para.Ul from tlie peninsula of 

 . a p**sa 13 mile, wide, MM into 

 UlandTTh* wbol. UttgU. of the K ulf, 



which affords good anchorage throughout, U 100 mile*. with an 

 mng* bnodlh of 40 mil**. Th* kind, which is of an oblong form 

 with a projection at each of UM angU* exotpt Ui 



UMOB-* Mouth. 

 bTthno small 



angU* exotpt Ui MttVHMa, u 60 



mile* long from north to south, and 30 mil** broad at the oentre, 

 when it . alightly compreawd. It* are* is 2000 aquare mile*, or 

 , of which almost 43,000 acrt* ar* waste, and 200,000 

 About 60,000 acres are under cultivation. 

 43,878; in 1846 it was 69,816; in 1861 it 



S>00. of whom 727 war* native, of Great Britain and Ireland. 

 TkfM raogi* of hill*, comoaondwg to those on the adjacent coast of 

 VoMMta. ore** th* uland from west to out ; the highest run. close 

 ht UM northern ooaat, over a breadth of about 10 miles, and is broken 

 SB many plaos* into deep valley, and rugged peaks, with an extreme 



Mr**, o wc amoa , aorta a 

 ant are private property. About 60,000 aone 

 Th population U 1834 w 4 3,678; in 1846 it 

 wm. 6*,fli>. of whom 727 wet* natitee of Grea 



of the island U alluvial and seems to have been formed 

 by th* and of th* Orinoco, opposite to which the coast U receiving 



of 3000 feet. The second range oeonpiea the centre of the 

 I u> a atriea of flat or round-topped hills from 600 to 1000 feet in 

 height, and a range of nearly the aame elevation extends along the 

 aatBorn coaet By theae range* the curface of the island is divided 

 into two extensive valley*, which unite on the western coast in a low 

 aaady plain, intonpened with occasional iwamps. In other p.irU 

 they are divrsi6ed by level and undulating tracts, and in gome places, 

 specially toward* the couth, are considerably broken. The northern 

 Wiley i* watered by two navigable rivers, one of which, the Caronl, 

 flow* westward into the gulf of Paria, receiving several tributaries 

 from the hill* to the north. The Oropuche, which flows eastward to 

 the Atlantic, rue* not far from the Caroni. In the same valley, the 

 Lebrancbe fall* into the Atlantic to the south of the Oropuche, and 

 the southern valley is drained towards the same coast by the Nariva 

 and th* Ortoire, which collect* numerous tributaries from the centre 

 of th* island. A number of small streams fall into the Gulf of Paris. 

 A great part 

 th* and of 



The mountains, like those on the mainland, 

 consist chiefly of the clay-slate and mica-slate formations. Among 

 th* minerals found in the island are milky quartz, pyrites, arsenic, 

 alum, sulphate of copper, plumbago, and sulphur. The most abund- 

 ant ia aapbaltum, which in Lake Brea, or Pitch Lake, in a volcanic 

 illotnnl on the west coast, occupies an area of ISO acres in extent, 

 and of unknown depth. At the inner edge it is cold and firm and 

 not into shallow chasms from 3 to 30 feet wide ; nearer the sea it is 

 Watod and liquid, continuing in a state of alow ebullition with strong 

 exhalations of bitumen and sulphur. It requires too much oil to be 

 profitably applied to the ordinary uses of pitch or tar, but has been 

 employed with advantage in the formation of roads. Volcanic traces 

 appear in various parts of the island. Bitumen is thrown up by the 

 sea at a spot on the south side of Point Brea, and there is an active 

 mod volcano at the extremity of the southern promontory. 



Th* climate is hot, but is free from the destructive droughts which 

 visit the other islands. At Port of Spain, the capital, the tempera- 

 ton ranges from 74 to 86* in the hottest months, and from 70 to 

 81* in the coldest. The nights are generally cool and pleasant, and 

 in some part* of the interior the temperature is mild and the air 

 aliitjp all th* year round. The dry season extends from December to 

 Hay. The heat Increases till June. In June and July showers are 

 frequent, and in the three following months the rains are heavy and 

 attended by violent storms. The fall of rain is about 65 inches during 

 th* year. Slight shocks of earthquakes are occasionally felt, but the 

 iolond is beyond the range of hurricanes. Fevers and dysentery are 

 frequently fatal, especially among the white population. 



Th* higher portions of the island are covered with dense forests 

 and underwood. The soil is for the most part exceedingly fertile 

 Th* mo*t important productions of Trinidad are the sugar-cane, 

 eonW, and cocoa. Indigo, tobacco, and cotton are raised .in smal 

 quantities. The nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves have been introduced 

 aad roccee 



remarkably well ; and vines from France and Spain grow 

 fa great perfection. The wild animals are, two species of small deer 

 th* pan, an animal a little larger than a hare, the opossum, armadillo 

 porcupine, ant-bear, sloth, musk-rat, tiger-cat, peccary, water-dog 

 monkey, in great numbers, and two species of lizards. The shores 

 hound in nab, among which are some varieties of the shark. 



Bondes th* anchorage of the gulf, in which vessels of all sizes may 

 iM* nosioly, Trinidad has three excellent harbours : Puertad'Espana, 

 *j**tM*<s)nortBiu promontory, on th* west coast, and on the south 

 OBot ChaRuarmraaA, near it* western extremity, and Quaya-guayara 

 protected by Point UaleoU, at the eastern extremity. The ports o 

 Ounana, Bio Grande, and Toco on the north-east coast, and Maqueribe 

 ad La* Com* on th* north coast, are inferior. Las Cuevas ia 



tWPMMMQ D ft fort. 



Th* *oUi*d part* of tb* Uland, which occupy chiefly the north 

 W**t COM* and UM adjacent valley of the Caroni, with some deUched 

 pot* along the south -wot coart, are divided into 8 counties. Along 

 UM principal road, which extends eastward from Port of Spain along 

 th* north aid* of th* Caronl, ar* the towns of San Juan, Ban Josepl 

 ad Aritna, of which San Joseph, population 307 in 1851, is the most 

 OBsMifsul*. Son Fernanda, another principal town, population 

 8877 in 1861, tUnd* abuv* SO miles a from i'ort of Spain, on th 



shore of the gulf. Port of Spain, on* of the finest towns in the 



West Indie*, is situated near the mouth of the Caroui, on the shore 



f a bay environed with bills, and consists of wide and well-kept 



treeta, regularly laid out, and some of them shaded with rows of 



trees. The houses are built of stone or brick. It contains an English 



and a Roman Catholic church, both handsome buildings ; a United 



Vesbyterian and a Methodist church ; a Church of England boys 



school; three Infant schools; two Uoman Catholic schools; the 



(overunicnt -house ; the court-house ; the royal jail and I mm tic asylum ; 



he colonial hospital ; an excellent market-house of stone ; and 



numerous stores. In the neighbourhood are the botanic garden 



ames's barracks, and Fort George, which rises in a series of batteries 



in a height, commanding the valley, and forming the principal defence 



of the island. The population in 1851 was 17,563. 



The affairs of the island are administered by a governor and a 

 council of 12 members, acting under the orders of the imperial govern- 

 ment. The members of council, of whom six are official and six are 

 chosen from among the inhabitants, are removeable at the pleasure 

 of the crown. The laws are partly English and partly Spanish, and 

 are administered by a chief justice, two puiene judges, and six stipen- 

 diary justices, including a Coolie magistrate. The Church of England 

 uu 11 clergy in the island, including the archdeacon and several 

 rectors, who are subject to the Bishop of Barbadoes. According to 

 he Return of the Census, taken on 1st July, 1851, it appears that the 

 allowing is the state of the population in reference to religious pro- 

 ession : Church of Home, 43,605 ; Church of England, 1 <>,-'< ' : ; 

 Qentoo, 2649; Wealeyan, 2508; Presbyterian, 1017; Mohammedan, 

 1016; Heathen, 880; Baptist, 148; Independent, 133. The amount 

 of revenue for the year 1852 was 107,311/. ; the expenditure was 

 110,944*. The value of imports for the year 1852 was 493,274'., "f 

 exports 458,85 It 



Trinidad was discovered by Columbus in 1493, when it contained a 

 numerous aboriginal population. It was first colonised in 1588, by 

 the Spaniards ; in 1676 it was taken by the French, but almost imme- 

 diately restored, and in 1797 it wus token by the British, in whose 

 possession it has since remained. 



TRINIDAD DE CUBA. [CUBA.] 



TKIORA. [NiCK.] 



TRII'LOW. [CAMBRIDOESHIRE.] 



TRIPOLI, a country in Northern Africa, which extends along the 

 southern shores of the Mediterranean, from 11 to 26 E. long. In 

 this direction alone the boundary-lino of the country is tolerably well 

 determined ; on all other sides it is surrounded by countries which 

 Form portions of the Sahara, or Great Desert, or are unfit for cultiva- 

 tion. Though Fezzan, which lies south of Tripoli, is governed by its 

 own chief, he is really dependent on the Basha of Tripoli, as ho i>.'V.s 

 regularly an anniml tribute. 



About the middle of the coast-line of Tripoli is a wide and open 

 gulf, which the ancients called the Greater Syrtis, and U now the 

 CJulf of Sidra, or of Sort. The Beduin Arabs who inhabit the coast 

 call it Qiun-el-Kebrit, or the Gulf of Sulphur. Cape Mesurata is on 

 the west side of it, and the town of Bcngazi on the east ; the distance 

 between these places is 282 miles. The circumference of the gulf ia 

 488 miles. Where it extends farthest to the south, its depth does not 

 much exceed 120 miles. [STBTIS.] 



Coast-line and Uarbouri. West of the town of Tripoli the coast 

 is low and sandy, and contains no harbour except that of Old Tripoli, 

 which is almost choked up with sand. Tripoli itself is a good 

 harbour, having from 4 to 6 fathoms water, and being sheltered by a 

 chain of rocks which project from the north-east angle of th town, 

 north-eastward, and by a shoal lying on the eastern side of the 

 entrance. The low and sandy coast continues eastward of the town 

 as far as Cape Sciarra, and contains no harbour. Eastward of Cape 

 Sciarra the coast is higher, and consists of rocky points ami 

 with sandy bays between them, a few of which afford shelter for small 

 vessels. The port of Lebda (the ancient Leptig Magna) is now filled 

 up, but there is a small place, called Mersa Ligatoh,a mile and a half 

 to the west of the ruins of Lebda, where small vessels find a shelter, 

 except when the wind is from the east. Near Zeliteu Point, which 

 U rocky, is a small cove called Mersa Zeliten. East of Zeliten the 

 coast is rocky and at times rises into cliffs. Along this coast nro 

 several reefs of rocks which form Mcrsa Zoraig and Mersa Gusser, 

 smaU harbours which do not afford shelter for shipping. Near Cape 

 Mesurata is a line of high rocky coast, forming three projecting 

 cliffs, of which the eastern is Cape Mesurata, the Cephalus I'romon- 

 torium of Strabo. But the entrance of the Gulf of Sidra is formed 

 by a low rocky point, and a mile south of it U the Hay of Bushaifa, 

 which has good anchorage in 6 fathoms water. 



The west coast of the Gulf of Sidra, south of the Bay of Bushaifa 

 and as far as Mersa Zafferan, runs in an unbroken line south, south- 

 east, and east for nearly 150 miles. It is very low and sandy, and a 

 low ridge of sand-hills extends parallel to the shores at the distance 

 of from one to three miles from them. Some parts of this coast are 

 strewed with wrecks, masts, and yards, &c., which shows that there 

 must be a great set of the sea from the north-east upon it, as none of 

 them are seen on the eastern shore of the gulf. Mersa Zaflerau is a 

 small port, in which boats may find shelter with all winds. A few 

 mile* east of it the coast rises into cliffs. Tho high coast continues for 



