SUBTERRANEAN VILLAGES NEAR TRIPOLI. 251 



and also his present condition in some countries. Captain 

 Lyon says, — " We stopped at a nest, I cannot call it a vil- 

 lage, where all the habitations are under giound. The 

 sheik, on hearing we were under the protection of the 

 bashaw, came to welcome us, and gave us the only hut the 

 place afforded, in which we placed our people and camel- 

 ioads. As for ourselves, we preferred clearing part of the 

 farm-yard, and pitching our tent in it, surrounded by our 

 horses and camels. This place is called Beni-Abbas. As 

 the natives live, as I have observed, under ground, a person 

 unacquainted with the circumstance might cross the moun- 

 tain without once suspecting that it was inhabited. All 

 the dwelling-places beins formed in the same manner, a de- 

 scription of the sheik's may suffice for the rest. The upper 

 soil is sandy earth, of about four feet in depth ; under this 

 sand, and in some places limestone, a large hole is dug, to 

 the depth of twenty-five or thirty feet, and its breadth in 

 every direction is about the same, being, as nearly as can 

 be, a perfect square. The rock is then smoothed so as to 

 form perpendicular sides to this space, in which doors are 

 cut through, and arched chambers excavated, so as to re- 

 ceive their light from the doors. The rooms are sometimes 

 three or four of a side ; in others, a whole side composes 

 one, — the arrangements depending on the number of in- 

 habitants. In the open court is generally a well, water 

 being found at ten or twelve feet below the base of the 

 square. The entrance to the house is at about thirty-six 

 yards from the pit, and opens above ground. It is arched 

 overhead, is generally cut in a winding direction, and is 

 perfectly dark. Some of these passages are sufficiently 

 large to admit a loaded camel. The entrance' has a strong 

 wall built over it, something resembling an ice-house. 

 This is covered overhead, and has a very strong heavy 

 door, which is shut at night, or in cases of danger. At 

 about ten yards from the bottom is another door, equally 

 strong ; so that it is impossible to enter these houses 

 should the inhabitants determine to resist. Few Arab at- 

 tacks last long enough to end in a siege. All their sheep 

 and poultry being confined in the house at night, the 

 bashaw's army, when here, had recourse to suffocating the 

 inmates, being unabie to starve them out." Again, at 

 page 29, he says, — " At noon, we arrived at a cluster of 



