TRIPOLI, a seaport town of Africa, and capital of a territory of the same name. It is situated on the southern coast of the Mediterranean, on low ground, upon a neck of land projecting into the sea, which washes the town on three sides. Its high strong walls, flanked with six pyramidal towers, inclose a large space of ground, most of which is unoccupied. The streets are narrow, dirty, and irregular. The mosques and caravanse rahs, the houses of foreign consuls, and those of' the higher class of natives, are built of stone and whitewashed twice a year. The better kind of houses are two stories high; but those of the lower ranks are of one story, and are built of bricks, small stones and mortar. They are built of a square form, with a court in the centre paved with Maltese stone. The roofs, which are flat, serve for a promenade, and as a receptacle for rain wa ter, which is conveyed into cisterns below by means of pipes. The castle or royal palace, the residence of the bashaw, is at the east end of the town within the walls, with a dockyard adjoining. The castle is an irregular square pile, and looks respectably when seen from the harbour. The ramparts, which are lofty, are well supplied with brass cannon. The Franciscans have here a hand some church, convent, and hospital. The mosques have generally a small plantation of Indian figs and dates close to them, which gives an agreeable as pect to the town.
The public baths form clusters of cupolas, very large, to the number of 9 or 10, crowded together in different parts of the town. They are of the same kind as those said to be used in Turkey and Egypt, though not so magnificent in point of orna ment or size. The price of the bath alone without soap is only fivepence. The bazaars occupy a large portion of the city, and are kept in good order. They are streets covered in overhead, and are opened every day. The shops of merchants are ranged on each side, and are very small. Slaves and goods are carried about before the traders by auctioneers, who keep up a constant noise, calling out the last bidder's price. The Jews have a quar ter of the town expressly to themselves, where they have their shops, and in which they are shut up every evening at sunset. This place is named Zunga t'el Vahood. The Jews suffer great perse cution, and are forced to do the duty of execution ers, yct they continue to engross all the trade and places of profit. They are precluded from wearing gaudy clothes, and are allowed only blue turbans.
A number of houses called Fiudook, resembling the caravanserahs of the east, are set apart for the reception of merchants and their goods. There arc a few schools at Tripoli, where reading and writing, to a small extent, are taught in a very noisy manner.
Drunkenness is a common vice here. There are public winehouses, at the doors of which the Moors sit and drink without scruple. The better sort of people all drink hard. Their favourite beve
rage is rosolia, an Italian cordial. Prostitutes, who are very numerous, are confined under a super intendent to a particular part of the town. These women are obliged daily to supply food for the bashaw's dogs which guard the arsenal.
The principal monument of antiquity at Tripoli is a superb triumphal arch, built of fine marble, and adorned with several bas reliefs and inscrip tions. A great part of it is buried in the ground, and the upper part of it is much mutilated. It is now used as a warehouse, and stands near the sea gate. The inscription over the northern face is in a perfect state, and indicates that it was erected in the reign of M. Aurelius Antoninus. Captain Lyon has copied the inscription, and given a fine representation of the building.
The harbour of Tripoli is formed by a reef of rocks, projecting from the west end of the town into the sea; and as it extends in an easterly direc tion, it affords great shelter to shipping during the north-easterly gales, which are the most dangerous. It admits small frigates not drawing above 18 feet of water. The naval force does not exceed six armed vessels mounting from 6 to 16 guns. The admiral of the fleet, now called Murad Rais, was originally a Scotsman of the name of Peter Lysle. He was in banishment when captain Lyon was at Tripoli, but he learned from the consul and the chief people that he was an excellent character. The bashaw has no regular army. A force of 4000 or 5000 mcn is generally on foot, though he can upon an emergency raise 15,000.
There are two good markets held every week, one every Tuesday on the sands behind the town, and the other on Friday about four miles distant among the gardens of the Mcshea, which form a stripe about three or four miles broad between the beech and the desert.
The trade of Tripoli is chiefly carried on by Turkish and Maltese vessels, with Malta, Tunis, and the Levant. The exports are excellent wool, senna, and other drugs, madder root, hides, barilla, dried skins, salt, native ostrich feathers, gold dust, gums, ivory, dried fruits, saffron, poultry, sheep and bullocks. The articles of import are cloths of all kinds, tea, sugar, coffee, woollen goods, silks, damasks, gold and silver lace, dyes, iron, cutlery, gunpowder, arms, naval stores, toys, &c. The an nual caravan from Morocco to Mecca passes through Tripoli.
The following has been given as the bashaw's revenue in Spanish dollars.
Total 95,000 Besides these sources of revenue, there is an im post on every well and date tree, a tithe of the pro duce of lands, &c. and the profits of piracy. Popu lation about 25,000. East Lon. 13° 18',and North Lat. 32° 59'. See Tully's Narrative of a Ten Years Residence in Tripoli, Captain Lyon's .Narra live of Travels in North .9frica, chap. i. and our article BARBARY, Vol. III. p. 250.