BARBARY STATES.
name of Barbary, or the Darbary States, is applied by the moderns to an extensive district, oc cupying, with the exclusion of Egypt, the whole northern coast of Africa. It comprehends also that portion of the western coast which lies to the north of the Great Desert. The States included within this district are entirely independent of, and even hostile to each other ; and they also differ in some particulars of their political constitution. There pre vails, however, a striking simikuity in the whole of their moral and physical circumstances. Throughout all these states, we see the same races inhabiting the towns, the plains, and the mountain districts; the same forms of social life ; the same degraded and corrupted barbarism succeeding to ancient grandeur and civili zation. Nature presents a corresponding similarity in all the peculiar qualities of aspect, soil, and climate. These resembling features constitute Barbary decid edly one region ; and it will, therefore, be conve nient to include its various states in one general sr. tide.
In the body of the work will be found, under the head of BARBARY) and under those of AL• wags, TUNIS, and TRIPOLI, a pretty copious account of the history of these states, and an outline of their peculiar constitution. It remains to give a general view of the physical aspect of this extensive region, of the various classes of its inhabitants, and of its pre sent political and social condition.
Among the natural objects which this region pre sents, the most prominent is that immense and cele brated mountain chain which, under the name of At las, traverses nearly its whole extent. The loftiest portion is that which towers over the plain of Mo rocco, which, notwithstanding the intense heat of the climate, presents a range of summits clad in perpetual snow. The most recent traveller in this country, known by the name of Ali Bey, states that, after a very careful measurement, he found this portion to be 18,S00 feet above the level of the sea. The lower stages are well cultivated, and of luxuriant fertility ; while, -in ascending, they exhibit every variety of climate, from the torrid to that of the frigid zone. In skirting the kingdoms of Algiers and Tunis, its height is greatly diminished, and is represent ed by Dr Shaw as not exceeding the loftier emi nences of our own Wand. The greater part of
its declivity is here covered with wines and fo rests ; and only occasionally a rocky precipice rears its head above the rest. This part of the range se parate@ into - various branches, bearing different names. The most elevated is Mount Jurjura, in the province of Algiers, which is covered with snow during a great part of the year. It forms a species of chain by itself, and rises very high above all others east of Morocco. Beside* the grand chain, there is found, between it and the sea, another, called the Little Atlas, extending from the Straits Of Gib raltar to Bona in Algiers.
The structure component parts of this vast range have been very imperfectly explored. It ap. pears probable, however, that, as in other mountain groups of the first magnitude, the central mass, as well as the loftier pinnacles, are composed of granite. All Bey states, that the rocks on the coast consist of secondary granite, with sandstone resting on it ; a combination which seems deserving of notice, from its resemblance to that which occurs at the southern extremity of Africa. Marble also is said to occur abundantly in the western regions. The lower and eastern branches appear, however, to contain a large proportion of calcareous rocks. The chain, considering its extent, is thought not pecu liarly rich in metallic ores, though this character may have been derived from the supine neglect of the in habitants in exploring its mineral treasures. Silver and copper are procured I. a considerable amount in the Tunisian territory. Algiers has lead, and a small proportion of iron. Morocco captains no mines that are known er worked, unless in the pro vince of Suse, the southern extremity of the empire. There, iron is found at Idaultit, and copper, in con siderable quantity, in the vicinity of Tessellert. The report of gold and silver mines is treated as a fable by Chenier; but Jackson asserts that he saw evident traces of them in the neighbourhood of Mews. He confirms the report of Leo. that the sovereigns of Morocco discourage the working of these mines, lest the natives, who at present can with difficulty be retained under the yoke, should thus be enabled to set them completely at defiance.