009 



TUNIS. 



TUNIS. 



910 



south however the bulk of the population consists of wandering 

 tribes, who only occasionally cultivate a few patches of ground. 



The region which is separated on the north from the upper valley 

 of the Mejerdah by the Al-Kaff Mountains, and extends southward to 

 35 N. lat, and eastward to Jebel-Ussalat (10 E. long.), seems to 

 consist of an alternation of hills and plains of considerable extent. 

 Some of the hills are connected so as to form long ridges ; others are 

 isolated. Part of them are wooded, especially in tho valleys and glens 

 which intersect them, and these valleys contain the small tracts which 

 are cultivated by the Arabs. The plains are entirely without culti- 

 vation, and serve only as pasture-grounds for sheep and camels. The 

 Arabs who frequent it live in dowars, or clusters of tents. The 

 numerous ruins of large towns which are dispersed over it show that 

 a considerable portion of this tract was once cultivated. This country 

 must be considerably elevated above the sea-level, as frost appears to 

 be common in winter. 



To the east of this region lies the plain of Kerwan, which extends 

 from the innermost recesses of the Gulf of Hammamet to the town 

 of Sfax. Nearly in the middle of this plain, which is more than 100 

 miles in length and about 30 miles in width, the town is situated from 

 which iU name is derived. The degree of cold which is experienced 

 in the town of Kerwan proves that this place must be considerably 

 above the sea. The plain is destitute of trees, and nearly without 

 cultivation, except in the immediate vicinity of the town, where a 

 large tract is sown with several kinds of grain. The Arab tribes who 

 wander about over it appear to be much more wealthy than the other 

 Arab tribes in Tunis. 



The plain of Kerwan reaches to the shores of the sea between 

 Hammamet and Susa, but farther south it is separated from the sea 

 by hilly tracts, which extend from the town of Susa southward to a 

 point opposite the islands of Karkenah. This tract may be about 

 24 miles in width in the widest part, as it approaches on the west the 

 ruina called Al-Jem. The interior of this region is composed of a 

 succession of sterile hills ; but the eastern bonier, and the low tract 

 which lie* between it and the sea-shore, are tolerably fertile, though 

 the soil is stony. It is chiefly planted with olive-trees, which fre- 

 quently form forests many miles long and from two to three miles 

 wide. This coast has several sea-ports, from which oil, wool, and wax 

 are exported : the two last-mentioned articles are brought by the 

 Arabs from the interior. At the most southern extremity of this 

 region is the town of Sfax, whose olive-plantations extend 10 or 12 

 miles along the sea and from 5 to 6 miles inland, and are intermin- 

 gled with groves of pistachio-nuts, and fields of rye, barley, maize, 

 and lentils. 



The country which lies to the south of the three last-mentioned 

 regions, and which contains the larger part of the country called by 

 the ancient* Byzacium, once noted for ita fertility, is at present almost 

 a desert. Along the sea-shore extends a plain, whose surface is varied 

 only by some swelling grounds and a few low hills. A few mountain 

 summits occasionally appear riling far to the west. Along the sea- 

 shore the soil consists of sand, but farther inland it is composed of 

 more compact materials. The whole however is without cultivation, 

 but it supplies pasture to some tribes of Arabs, who have large herds 

 of camels, horses, cattle, and sheep. In one or two places on the lea- 

 coast indigo is cultivated to a small extent ; the whole plain is desti- 

 tute of trees, and even bushes are rare. The western districts, or 

 those contiguous to the boundary-line of Algiers, consist t of a long 

 valley, which extends nearly 100 miles, from 35" N. lat to some 

 distance south of 34 N. lat Its soil is dry, and only a few small 

 rivers are met with, the waters of which are soon exhausted by 

 irrigation : these are the only spots in the valley which are cultivated. 

 The ridges which iacloae the valley are destitute of trees, and nearly 

 without vegetation. Towards the northern extremity of the valley 

 water is more abundant, and there are large tracU of pasture-ground 

 for the wandering tribes. 



The southern portion of Tunis is called the Jerid, or Beled-al-Jcrid 

 (the country of date-palms). It extends from about 31 N. lat 

 southward to the parallel of the southern extremity of the great salt 

 lake Al-Sibhah, and on the south a contiguous to the Sahara. This 

 lake is 70 miles long from south-west to north-east, and about 26 miles 

 wide on an average. In summer it is dry, with the exception of the 

 southern part, where there is always a considerable sheet of water. 

 When dry, the central part, for 15 or 18 miles, is covered with a layer 

 of salt, which is not so strong as sea-salt, and not adapted for pre- 

 ferring provisions; but it has an agreeable flavour. Between this 

 layer of salt and the banks of the lake is a tract whose surface is 

 sandy, or partially overgrown with bushes. In winter the whole 

 surface is covered with water to a depth of two or three feet It may 

 however be passed even in this season along a track which is marked 

 by stones, trunks of trees, skulls of animals, and sticks. The country 

 which extends from the eastern shores of the salt-lake to the Gulf of 

 Gabs consist* of a succession of hills. It contains a great number of 

 springs and small watercourses, to which circumstance its fertility is 

 : the water is employed in irrigating the adjacent fields until it 

 H '-xliausted. It is particularly employed in irrigating the plantations 

 of date-trees, which hi some places cover several square miles. In 

 other parts the country Is studded with numerous little oases of palm- 

 trees, each of them surrounding a village ; but between these cultivated 



sppta there are large tracts that exhibit no sign of vegetation. In 

 this tract considerable quantities of henna are cultivated. Great care 

 is taken in cultivating these grounds, and manure is applied to them. 

 Some of the gardens are extensive, and contain a great variety of 

 fruit-trees, as the peach, apricot, vine, almond, orange, lotus, pome- 

 granate, and fig. Melons and onions are grown in considerable 

 quantities. On the west of tho Sibhah occurs a similar tract, which 

 extends from the southern extremity of the salt-lake to its middle, 

 and is of superior quality. The dates which are collected in these 

 plantations are of an exquisite flavour, and considered superior to any 

 in Barbary. The inhabitants of this tract are wealthy, and live in 

 well-constructed houses of stone. 



Climate. The climate is generally healthy. The plague is known 

 only when introduced from other parts. In all other respects the 

 climate and seasons resemble those of Tripoli The summer heats 

 are moderated by sea-breezes along the coast, and the winters resemble 

 our spring. Although the habits of the people are far from cleanly, 

 and Termin are plentiful, yet fevers are not frequent, and epidemic 

 maladies are scarcely known. During the summer and autumn rain 

 is very rare : it usually falls in November, and continues at intervals 

 until the month of April. The mean temperature at the town of 

 Tunis, deduced from a series of meteorological observations, is found 

 to be as follows: Winter, 55 '9; spring, 71 '0 ; summer,83'9; autumn, 

 64-0. The mean annual temperature is 69'2. 



Government. The ruler of tho territory of Tunis at present bears 

 the title of Bey, and in state documents he is called the Basha-Bey of 

 Tunis, because he is invested with the rank of paaha (which in the 

 dialect of Barbary is basha) by the Grand Sultan, to whom he sends 

 tribute as often as his political circumstances require the Sultan's 

 favour or protection. But the Porte ha? little control over him, and 

 he is the sovereign of the country, with whom the states of Europe 

 enter into treaties, and to whom they send their consuls ; and he is 

 represented by ambassadors at the chief courts of Europe. Although 

 he is nominally elected by a divan, yet (the members of this body 

 being chosen by himself) he easily obtains their suffrages for the 

 nomination of his successor in the person of one of bis own family ; 

 and thus the sovereignty has remained in the same dynasty for nearly 

 a century. His power is despotic, for the divan is only formally 

 assembled to confirm the will of its master. The country is not 

 divided into provinces, but the whole is under the direct control of 

 the Bey. As his revenue depends greatly upon the tribute which he 

 exacts from the Arab tribes in the interior, he is obliged to keep up a 

 standing force, which he annually sends to scour the country and 

 extort payment. The regular troops amount to about 8000; they 

 have been trained in European tactics under French officers, and wear 

 the new Turkish uniform. The contingent furnished by the Arab 

 tribes, amounting to 40,000 men, chiefly cavalry, receive no pay, but 

 are exempt from tribute. The tribute U estimated and collected in n 

 most arbitrary manner. The collector goes into a field whilst the crop 

 is still green, and value* it according to his caprice. The owner is 

 then obliged to pay a tithe on this supposed value of his future crop, 

 although when the harvest arrives he may find that it perhaps docs 

 not exceed the fourth part of the sum at which it was estimated. 

 The same is the case with olives, and dates, in which consist the prin- 

 cipal resources of the country. All sorts of animals, including horses, 

 are also similarly taxed at pleasure. Those who have the art to conceal 

 their herds and flocks are made to pay in money, which is often extorted 

 by the bastinado. The Bey draws other revenues from the customs ; 

 from the sale of permits to export grain and other produce, and to 

 import wine and spirits ; from monopolies of various sorts ; from a 

 tax on the Jews ; and from his own lands. He has also some sources 

 of revenue of a casual nature, such as the wealth of his rich subjects 

 who die ; his profits in trade, which are considerable ; and his extortions 

 from those who have money whenever a public pretext furnishes Mm 

 with an excuse to draw upon their hoards. The Tunisians formerly 

 had a powerful fleet, and were desperate pirates ; but their navy U 

 reduced to insignificance since 1810, as well by gales on their own 

 shores as by the total loss of the Bey's contingent in the battle of 

 Navarino. At present hU force consists of n few corvettes, brigs, 

 schooners, and gun-boats, for which he has no real use. The Bey is 

 the chiif of the religion of the state in Tunis, and is himself the first 

 judge in his kingdom. He site in the hall of justice almost daily, 

 and his decisions, which are summary, are immediately put into 

 execution. The kaids administer justice in the same manner in the 

 interior towns. The kaids judge only in matters of religion. 



Commerce. The foreign commerce of Tunis is not confined to the 

 capital, but is also carried on briskly from the ports of the (astern 

 coast Among the manufactured articles of export are soap, marocco 

 leather, Gerba shawls, red skull-caps, wheat, barley, olive-oil, wool, 

 hides, bces'-wax, dates, almonds, sponges, and orcliilla-seed : these are 

 the principal articles of produce exported. From tho ulterior of 

 Africa are received and exported ivory, gold-dust, ostrich-feathers, 

 senna, and madder-roots. The imports are woollen-cloths, cottou- 

 print, calicoes, muslins, coarse linens, damasks, raw and wrought 

 silks, fine wool, gold and silver tissues, coffee, sugar, spices, alum, 

 vitriol, cochineal, vermilion, gum-lac, iron, tin, lead, hardware, cutlery, 

 ammunition and anna of all sorts, earthenware, glass-beads, paper, 

 wine, spirits, and tobacco. The European trade is entirely with 



