GEOGRAPHY OF THE NEFZAOUA. 17 



25,000 olive trees in the El Oudiane group, most of these being at 

 Degache, where much oil is made for local use. There is also an 

 abundance of other fruit trees, oranges, figs, pomegranates, apri- 

 cots, grapevines, and even a few bananas. In fact, the gardens of 

 El Oudiane are among the best kept and the most attractive in the 

 Sahara. The population is more active and laborious than that of 

 the other oases of the Jerid. 



El Hamma, situated about 5J miles north of Tozer, lies on the 

 northwest point of the Draa-el-Jerid terrace, on the south declivity 

 of which the other oases are placed. The oasis slopes westward to 

 the Shott Gharsa, instead of toward Shott Jerid. It is practically 

 unsheltered from the north wind, which is probably the chief reason 

 why its dates are the poorest of the region. It contains only 60,000 

 or 70,000 palms, of which but 800 are Deglet Noors. With a few ex- 

 ceptions, the gardens of this oasis are neglected and have grown up in 

 weeds and grass. Many of the palms receive no attention whatever, 

 and many seedlings of inferior quality have been allowed to spring 

 up. The population is sparse and seems to be thoroughly disheart- 

 ened. Dates are said to mature less perfectly here than in the other 

 oases. 



THE NEFZAOUA. 



The region known as the Nefzaoua occupies a narrow peninsula 

 that is bounded on the south by the eastern end of the Shott Jerid 

 and on the north by the Shott-el-Fejej. The latter, which is merely 

 a prolongation of the former, extends eastward to within 14 miles 

 of the coast, near Gabes. From Fetnassa, the northwesternmost 

 oasis of the Nefzaoua group, to Kriz (El Oudiane), the nearest point 

 in the Jerid, the distance is about 30 miles, the road leading diag- 

 onally across the salt-crusted mud flats of the Shott Jerid. From 

 Kebili, the capital of the Nefzaoua (see map, fig. 1), to Gabes, on the 

 coast, the distance is about 64 miles as the crow flies, the direction 

 being a little north of east. By the road usually traveled, which 

 follows the south shore of the Shott-el-Fejej, the distance is some- 

 what greater. Before the railway from Sfax to the phosphate mines 

 Avest of Gafsa was built this road formed the principal outlet to 

 the coast for the Jerid as well as the Nefzaoua oases. Along this 

 route there are a few small oases, but no important ones are en- 

 countered until one nears Gabes. 



The Nefzaoua comprises a large number of oases more than 1,000, 

 according to the estimates of reliable authorities. Most of these, 

 however, are mere small groves of palms, only forty of them attain- 

 ing any considerable size. They are situated both on the north and 

 the south slope of the stony ridge that forms the backbone of the 

 30618 No. 9206 2 



