That narrow tract between the Atlas chain and the sea, which comprises the Barbary States, forms a plain of luxuriant fertility, traversed by inn umerablestreams, descending from this mighty storehouse of waters. Chenier calculates, that upwards of six thousand are poured down from the western Atlas upon the plains of Morocco. The vicinity, however, of the recep tacle to their source, prevents their ever forming rivers of great magnitude. The principal are, in Morocco, the the Morbeya, the Tensift, and the Suse; is Algiers, the Shelliff; in Tunis, the Mejerdah. The soil, which is naturally of the same loose and sandy character which prevails over north ern Africa; is, by this profusion of moisture, ren dered equal in fertility to any in, the world. Its lightness is even beneficial, by enabling it to be worked with the utmost facility, so that, according to Dr Shaw, a yoke of oxen can plough an acre in the day. But wherever water fails, deserts are pro duced, which present, on a smaller scale, the same appearances with those immense wastes which ex tend south of the Atlas. The moisture then, which these mountains supply, is the sole spring of lity to northern Africa; and Tripoli, where they termi nate, borders almost immediately on the sandy waste.
Along the southern base of the Atlas extends a • vast region, called Biledulgerid, or more properly Bled-el-Jereede--the dry count7. It forage a gra dual transition from the luxuriant rill of Bar bary to the sterile desolation of the Sahara. Large streams, descending from the great chain, traverse it from north to south, till they expand into lakes, or are lost in the sands of the desert. The mois ture, evaporated by the scorching winds which blow from the south, is not sufficient for the production of wheat, barley, or the finer fruits ; dates are its abun dant and almost sole product. They form the food of its inhabitants, and the basis of their commerce. Considered in a political view, this region is nomi sally subject to those states of Barbary which lie in contact with it ; but the subjection scarcely amounts to more than the payment of a certain tribute. The part contiguous to, and dependent upon Morocco, is .• known by the names of Tafilet and Sigilinessa.
The whole of Barbary abounds, in a very remark able degree, with different species of saline sub stances. Common salt particularly is found in every form, and in the greatest abundance. That drawn from the mines of Morocco is of a red colour, very strong and cearte ; a white and finer kind is produ ced by evaporation on the sea coast. The lakes of Barbary are almost all salt, to an equal degree with the sea itself; and in the course of the summer, ma ny of these dry up entirely, leaving the mineral encrusted on their beds. Near the lake of Marks,
in the Algerine territory, there is a mountain corn posed entirely of salt, and all the chains which tra verse it contain copious repositories of this mineral. Most of the springs which are not warm are salt; and in the territory of Tunis, there is no fresh wa ter, =lees from rain. Many of the 'rivere,..wheit they dry .up in summer, leave their banks copiously encrusted with nitrous and saline exudations. Salt ' petre is not found in a concrete state ; but at Tlem san, Kairwan, and many other places, the earth is so impregnated with it, that six ounces are obtained from a quintal of soil.
The Atlas mountains, so far as hitherto known, are not the seat of any volcanic eruptions. In East Barbary, earthquakes are frequent during the hot and dry season ; they have sometimes thrown down houses, and even carried them to'a considerable distance ; but these are rare instances ; for their effects are by no means so great and terrible as in the south of Europe, and other countries exposed to their ravages. The interior heat, however, mani fests itself by that which it communicates to a large proportion of the waters, which flow through this territory. Most of the streams of the Jereede are at least lukewarm ; and near Oran, Tlemsan, Gabs, and other places in the territory of Algiers, they acquire a temperature which fits them for warm baths. About 40 miles to the ease of Con stantina, are those called the Hammam Meskouteen, the heat of which is so intense, as to boil animal food in a quarter of an hour. The rocks over which this rivulet flows are entirely calcined by its influ ence, which, acting variously on the different sub stances, consuming some and leaving others nearly entire, produces some curious phenomena. The rocks at one place represent a line of regular cones, believed by the Arabs to be the tents of their ances tors converted into stone. At another place, the action is still deeper and more irregular; the figures of sheep, horses, camels, even of men, women, and children,. are presented to the eye, all of which are believed by the natives to have undergone the same transformation.
The productions of the soil in Barbary are not materially different from those of southern Europe, the climate being brought, by the vicinity of the mountains, to pretty nearly the same temperature. The grains chiefly cultivated are wheat and barley ; of which the crops are abundant, though there is not above one in the year. Oats are not frequent, but beans and lentils are very common. Pease have been introduced by Europeans. Pot herbs and fruits are abundant, and nearly resemble those of .Europe, with addition, in the last branch, of the palm tree Aid the lotus.