TIUPOLL 



Till POLL 



8M 



ud th* Lewi!, whither the produce of the country and goods brought 

 rocn Uw interior of Africa by caravan* (which convey Blares, ivory, 

 ild dart. enna, natron, &c-,) *re sent in exchange for European and 

 JMT manufactured gootU. Tripoli has at present 110 marine of iU 



own. She " Tcr bad " *t*i>diDK J beyond the three or four 

 ludrcd Mamluk guard* of the baaha ; but the town is uow garrisoned 

 bv 4000 Turkish troop*. 



. Meet of the town* in the regency powen interesting 



. 



P^.!,.. particularly in the Fentapolia, where innumerable chambers 

 are hewn out of the rocky hill* throughout : some of them with archi- 

 tectural elevation*, sculpture, and inscription*. The ruins of temples, 

 thMttne. and aqueduct* of Koman construction, are particularly traco- 

 abU at Ohrenna (Cyrene), Tauchira (Arsinoc), Tolmeta (Ptolemais), 

 and Mara* Su*a (Apollonia). Lebida (Lepti* Magna) seems to have 

 b,, n oomplotely ravaged, and what ruin* there arc, are deeply buried 

 in cand. In the city of Tripoli stand* a fino Itomau arch, whose solidity 

 of construction ba preserved it from ruin. It was built in the 2nd 

 century; the inscription is perfect, but the sculptures are almost 

 wholly eftaoed. At Tripoli Vecchia there is an amphitheatre of Roman 

 construct ion still entire of 148 feet in diameter, with five rows of 

 MtU ; and in the tame direction still exists the remnant of one of the 

 great 'Roman ways, on the border* of which are observable the ruins 

 of ancient building* in stone. Money, coins, and precious stone* and 

 MOM, mostly intaglios, for which the people of Cyrene were once 

 rE-^ have been found on the site of the ancient Berenice. 



(jkadamu. The oases of Aujilah, Fezzan, and Ghndamis are gene- 

 rally dependent on Tripoli [AUJILAH; FEZ/AN.] Ohadamis is situated 

 to the south-west of Tripoli, in 30 40' N. ht, 10 25' E. long., distant 

 from it about fifteen days' journey, and as many from the town of 

 Cabe*, in the kingdom of Tunis. The inhabitants, amounting to about 

 6000 or 7000, are a quiet trading people, and seldom take part in the 

 political vicissitudes of Tripoli. The town, which contains the ruins 

 of Roman buildings, is raid to have been a Roman establishment, the 

 Cydamum of Pliny. (' Xat. Ui-t.,' v. 5.) Its importance arises from 

 the four commercial roads which from this point strike into the 

 interior region* of Africa. The first passes through Mezda and Sockua, 

 take* a southern course to Mourzouk, and so on to Bournou and the 

 Lake Tchad, and its neighbouring countries of Kanem and Beghermi ; 

 the second, or direct southern road, leads to the city of Grant nnd 

 aero** the desert of Soudan, passing through Agadez to Houssa nnd 

 Kaateeoa ; the third, crossing the Great Desert, and passing through 

 Ainel-Salah and Akabli, in the country of Tuat, leads directly to Tim- 

 buctoo, where some of the people of Ghadamis are settled ; the fourth 

 is the western road, which, passing to the south of the great chain of 

 Mount Atlas, directs its course towards Marocco by Taftilelt. 



TIU'POLI, a city and port of the Mediterranean, on the northern 

 coast of Africa, which give* it* name to one of the regencies of 

 Barbary. It* castle is in 82" 58' 56" N. hit., 13 10' 58" E. long. It 

 is the capital of the state of Tripoli and the residence of the basha, 

 The city i* built upon the site of the ancient Oea, which, with the 

 cities of Leptis Magna and Sabrata, formed the province called Tripolis 

 under the Roman emperors; and being the only one of the three 

 which i* (till an inhabited town, has preserved the name of the 

 district or province. 



The town i* built upon a rocky promontory which stretches a short 

 distance into the *ea, which washes it to the northward on two sides, 

 while the south and west side* are bounded by a sandy plain which is 

 partly cultivated. It is defended by a castle, whose walls arc un- 

 usually high, and which, being situated at the south-east angle con- 

 nect* the line of batteries on the sea-front with a high wall that 

 defends the town on the land side, and this is strengthened by six 

 bastion*. The town has two gates ; one towards the sea, the other 

 opening to the south-east on the plain. The extreme length of the 

 town, which is very irregular in shape, i* about 1360 yards, and its 

 breadth about 1000 yard*. 



The street* are for the most part like narrow lanes ; and the whole 

 town is so uneven with accumulated rubbish, on which the houses are 

 in fact sometimes built, without regard to a general level, that those 

 who are unaccustomed to the indifference of the Moors and Turks in 

 such matter*, might imagine thr-y had wandered to some deserted and 

 ruinous part of the town, when in reality they were traversing it* best 

 street*. The houses are built of irregular stones and mud formed into 

 a mass, and whitewashed. They seldom have an upper story, and nu 

 aperture i* rarely seen in the exterior walls, the rooms being entered 

 and lighted from a spacious square yard in the centre of the building. 

 Tripoli contain* six mosques of the first order with a number of tall 

 laaraU, beside* many smaller mosque*. The exterior of the great 

 uwque, built by the Caramanli family, which stands in the main 

 treet, i* extremely handsome and mnjeitic ; the roof, composed of 

 many small cupolas, i* lupported upon sixteen Doric marble column*, 

 Mid to have belonged to a Christian temple. The floor is laid with 

 rieh carpete, and the robdued light and richness of the ornaments 

 cr.au an iuipo.ing effect. The Jew* have their synagogues, and the 

 Christians enjoy the free exercise of their religion, an endowed convent 

 rnckoan friar* being under the protection of the Koman Catholic 

 powers. The bazaar* are extensive : one contains the shops of the 

 traders, winch are ranged on esch side, and arc very small ; the other 

 is appropriated to slave-dealing. Tho slave* are brought with other 



articles of trade from the interior of Africa by the kafila*, or caravans. 

 The shops in the town are miserable-looking hovels, although some of 

 them contain diamonds, pearls, gold ornaments, rich gems, and scarce 

 drugs. These are principally in the huiids of the Jews, who have a 

 quarter allotted to themselves, in which they are confined every 

 evening; but notwithstanding this apparent persecution they engross 

 the greatest part of the trade, and are intrusted with employments of 

 accountability and profit. The Roman arch, mentioned in the pre- 

 ceding article, stands near the sea-gate. Several fondooks, or caravan- 

 sarais, receive merchants and their goods from distant parts. The 

 baths make a considerable show by their picturesque clusters of 

 cupola* ; some of them are chiefly of marble, and are crowded with 

 bathers. The winter rain furnishes the inhabitants with water for the 

 summer, during which not a drop falls for months together. It is col- 

 lected from the flat roofs of the houses, and carefully conducted by 

 channels into a reservoir beneath the courtyard, where the water is 

 preserved pure and clear. Water however for common purposes is 

 easily found on the plain near the surface, but it is brack! -ii. 



There are a few schools, at which the reading of the Koran and 

 sometimes writing is taught. The people apply themselves princi- 

 pally to commerce, which they conduct upon the footing of barter, 

 and seldom by ready money transactions, so that a little arithmetic 

 suffices them. There are however several regular European houses of 

 business, chiefly French, Italian, and Maltese, whose principals, toge- 

 ther with the European consuls, form the only educated class of the 

 community. The inhabitants spend their time in the Turkish bazaar, 

 smoking and drinking coffee, and gossiping upon the events of the 

 day. A corrupt Italian is generally spoken by the people of the town. 

 The basha, whether Moor or Turk, generally confers the offices of 

 state upon some of his own family, or upon renegades. Justice is 

 administered and executed for heinous crimes with great promptitude 

 and little form. The common people are bigots in their religion, but 

 they do not possess the Mussulman virtue of sobriety wine-shops, 

 which yield a great revenue to the government, being public, and 

 intoxication very common. The population is estimated at 15,000 to 

 20,000, of whom about 2000 are Jews. The Christians fluctuate in 

 numbers; they are principally Maltese, and may amount to about 

 2000. The great bulk of the inhabitants are of Turkish descent. 



Outside of the town are the burying-places ; and as great respect is 

 paid to the dead, the tombs are decent and numerous. The basha 

 has several country palaces in the surrounding district, where some of 

 the European consuls (many of whom reside here), and other persons 

 of note also have country-bouses and gardens. The Arabs may not 

 enter the town without leave, and their chief is answerable to the 

 basha for their good conduct. There are good weekly markets outside 

 the town, and others at a distance of five or ten miles, well supplied 

 with cattle of all sorts, poultry, game, vegetables, and fruit, the produce 

 of the cultivated districts. Fish, taken on tho coast by Maltese fisher- 

 men, is abundant and good. 



The harbour is formed by a long reef of rocks ruuning out from the 

 northern point of the town into the sea in a north-easterly direction, 

 and by other reefs at some distance to the eastward of these, which 

 together form a tolerably good shelter. The western side is protected 

 by the projection of land on which the town stands. In the deepest 

 part however there is not more than five or six fathoms water. Ships 

 of war are consequently obliged to anchor in the outer roads, where 

 there is good holding-ground in sixteen and eighteen fathoms ; but 

 the anchorage is exposed to northerly winds. Two batteries, erected 

 on commanding points of the reefs, and two others situated on the 

 beach, defend the entrance of the harbour. Tho white square build- 

 ings, intermixed with cupolas and minarets, and with Indian fig- and 

 date-trees growing among them, give to the city a very pleasing 

 appearance from the sea. 



The foreign commerce is liable to much variation. The govern- 

 ment reserves to itself certain monopolies of the produce of the 

 country ; while other monopolies, both of imports and exports, are 

 farmed out to tho Jews, according to circumstances, and to raise 

 money. But the measure most ruinous to trade is the power assumed 

 of coining and fixing the value of a debased currency, which has 

 spmetimes been made to losa 15 or 20 per cent, in n week. Arms 

 and warlike stores, and timber, as well as all sorts of groin and 

 pulse, are generally admitted free of duty ; and articles for the us 

 and consumption of tho Christians established in the regency are 

 similarly privileged. 



From the nature of its port the trade of Tripoli is carried on in 

 small vessels, seldom larger than brigs, few of which are now owned 

 in the country. It has an indirect trade with England through 

 Malta. Marseille, Leghorn, Trieste, and tho commercial towns of tho 

 Levant likewise trade with Tripoli. The imports from Europe are 

 woollen-cloths of all sorts, coarse linens, printed and striped cottons, 

 silk-stuffs of various colours and descriptious, common white muslins 

 and calicoes, earthenware, common writing-paper, gold and silver 

 tissues, cotton, cotton twist, beads, common looking-glasses, sword- 

 blades, hardware, and fire-arms of all sorts, gunpowder, shot, lead, 

 tin, tin-plates, sugar, coffee, spices, common wines, and spirits. The 

 exports consist of some articles of produce, and commodities brought 

 from Central Africa by the caravans, such as morocco leather, wool, 

 hides, goats' and sheep's skins, soda, salt, oil, Hal-nitron, madder 





