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1G On the present State of the City of Tripoli. 
tian flaves), is rain-water cayght in win- 
ter, the only time of rain in this coun- 
try: itruns from the terraces, through 
well conftructed earthen tubes into large 
vaulted refervoirs, which are built. of. 
ftone and lime, and well coated with 
lime, and are in the earth below the in- 
fluence of the fun; where it is preferved. 
from filth, and when drawn for ufe it is 
remarkably clear, cool, and pleafant.. The 
weilsin and about Tripoli, for about two 
mules from the fea-fhore, produce brack- 
ifh water, which is ufed for ferubbing and 
drenching the finks, neceffaries, fewers, 
&c. and for watering the gardens and 
orchards during the dry feafon. Sinks 
lead from the houfes through the bot- 
toms of the neceflaries inte very large 
common fewers, which lead into the fea, 
all of which are built of ftone and lime. 
The feamen and marines ef the late 
frigate Philadelphia can atteft the vatt 
quantity of lime uted in Tripoli; a num- 
ber of whom were driven, by unfeeling 
barbarians, to work in it for nineteen 
“months. 
The ftreets not. being paved, are na- 
turally very dufty ;. but every thing of the 
nature of manure is diligently fought for, 
gathered into large baikets, lang upon 
camels,. mules, and affes, and carried to 
the gardens and orchards, to raife the 
foil from its natural {tate of barrennelfs. 
Thefe little plantations are each-enclofed 
with high walls; they contain from two 
to fix acres.each; feveral of them are 
cultivated ,by European. gardeners, and 
are made to produce all the ufeful roots, 
plants, and fruits that are natural to the 
torrid and temperate zones. Thefe en- 
clofures are about 2000 in number, all. 
interfperfed with tall date trees, and are 
laid out in fuch a manner, that collec- 
tively they farm a femicircle, which ex- 
tends from fhore to fhore, at. a little 
diftance from the city. This ever-green 
half zone, the fandy defert which it lies 
upon, and. the proud Atlas which bor- 
ders the profpe¢ét, when viewed from the 
top of the caftle-gate of the city, or the 
thipping on the coait, prefents a beauti- 
ful profpect. 
The winds from the north, north-eatt, 
and north-weft, are generally very falu- 
brious; thofe from the fouth, fouth-wett, 
and fouth-eaft, come over the parched 
continent, and are generally very op- 
preffive: they are called the Sirocco, and 
fometimes rife to that degree of heat 
‘and violence, that thofe whe are not able 
to find fhelter in houfes, tents, &c. often 
perihh ; it fometimes lafis three days, but 
ri 2 
[Feb. 1, 
generally not longer than the firft twelve 
of the twenty-four hours, The want of 
proper apparatus rendered me unable to 
learn the different degrees of the tem- 
perature of the climate. The nights 
and mornings are fometimes cool after 
rain; but I never, while in Tripoli, faw 
any froft or fnow. 
The’ principal market is: held every 
Tuelday, on the fandy beach, about one 
mile eatterly of the city, where a variety 
of articles are fold, and the butchers 
kill and fell their meat, chiefly to:€hrif- 
tians, Jews, and the higher. order of 
Turks. Very little meat is killed an the 
city. The common clafs of people, 
and the Bafhaw’s troops and feamen, eat 
but little meat ; their diet is chiefly dates, 
olives, oil of olives, bread,.and a variety 
of vegetables, which they ceok im oil. 
The Turks are, with a few exceptions, 
itrangers to luxury and diffipation. 
The prevailing diforders among the 
natives of Tripoli were, ophthalma in 
fummer, and catarrh and flight pneumo- 
nic aflections in winter. The former J 
attributed to a remarkably ferene and 
brilliant fky, and the icorching winds 
from the continent; the latter to the 
want or neglect of proper clothing. The 
dead, except thofe of the Balhaw’s fa- 
mily, and a high order of marabuts, or 
priefts, are buried out of the city. On 
the beach, one cable length eaft of the 
cafile; and half a cable length above 
high-water mark, myfelf, with our boat- 
fwain and twelve of our crew, did laft 
fummer (through the’ detire of Captain 
Bainbridge, and permiflion ef the Ba- 
and in the engagements off Tripoli, and 
who floated on fhore. In digging the 
graves, our men hove up vaft quantities 
of human bones.. The Turks mformed 
me, that they were the bones of) the 
people who died of the plague many 
years ago; ‘they collected them into bai{- 
kets, and carried them away, as faft as 
poffible, muttering and faying that they 
fhould not be polluted with chriftian 
bones. sh i. 
The calcareous fubftances of which 
Tripoli is chiefly built, the well-conitruét- 
ed drains, the killing the meat and bu~ 
rying the dead at a diftance from. the 
city, the removing the offal and filth to 
the gardens for manure, and the tempe- 
rate manner in which the Turks and 
Arabs live, have without doubt been the 
caufe of the late remarkable ¢gntinuance 
of health in Tripoli. JG, 
, . Fe 
