Bengazi, which is situated at the entrance of the Gulf of Sidra, has a safe port, which however is fast filling up with sand. [13aseazt.] The coast north of that port trends in general to the east-north-east as far as Cape Ras Sem, and is low and sandy, with the exception of a few small bill,. This coast has no harbour, except east of a rocky promontory near the ruins of the town of Tolmeta, where a small bay oilers a convenient lauding for boats, except with the wind on shore. A few miles east of Tolmeta the mouutaius, which extend over the interior of Bares, come close up to the shore of the Mediter ranean iu steep precipices from 600 to 800 feet high. This part of the coast, extending about 30 miles in length, is inaccessible both by lea and land, and terminates at Cape Ras Sew. Between this cape and that called Itas-el Intel is a large open bay, in which is a small Indentation called Mersa San llama:idle, near which are the ruins of the ancient town of Apollonia. It has at present no harbour, but boats find some shelter behind the islet that lies off the town. Ou the east side of is a bay about three-quarters of a mile deep, iu which vessels may ride with the wind any way from the southward to westward. The coast between Ras-el-llital and Cape Bujebdra is also very high and rocky, but the mountains do oot run in an unbroken line, as they do west of Ras Sem, being broken by deep chasms, which extend tar inland. Still the landing is very bad, except in a small sandy nook two miles west of Cape Bujebdra. From Cape Bujcbdra the some rocky coast continues, but the ravines are few, and the mountains somewhat farther removed from the coast. At Verna is a good roadstead, about a mile and a half off shore, and some shelter for small craft close iu shore with the wind from north north-west to north-east. Cape Resat, or Razatu, which is east of Deroa, is a vast promontory rising to a considerable elevation : farther east the coast grows lower, but continues rocky ; it recedes to the south so as to form a wide bay, called the Bay of Bombah, which is said to contain good anchoring-ground. The boundary-line between Tripoli and Egypt is considered to be east of the Bay of 13otubah.
The coast-hue of Tripoli probably exceeds 1000 miles, and hardly contains three or four harboure in which vessels of moderate size can End tolerable shelter. There is perhaps no other coast-line on the globe of equal extent which is so little favourable to intercourse with countries by sea.
Surface and Soil.—We are very imperfectly acquainted with the interior of Tripoli. The western districts, or those which are situated west of the Gulf of Sidra, are known in a few directions; but of the country surrounding the gulf nothing is known except the district/ contiguous to the sea-shore; and as to tho countries east of the Gulf of Sidra our knowledge extends hardly anywhere farther than about 20 miles inland, if we except two oases, which are situated far to the south, in the Desert.
Western .Rcgion.—Two ranges of mountains traverse this part of Tripoli from west-north-west to eastesouth-east, running nearly parallel to the tea. The northern of these two ranges is called the Muria; Gharian, or Wahryan range, and is visible from the sea, being ouls from 15 to 20 miles distant from it. The southern range is supposed to to about 30 miles farther to the south, and is called the Sudali, of Black lilountains, where it Is traversed by the road leading fans Tripoli to Fezzan. The commercial town of Ghaclamla is manatee within this range, and rather on its southern declivity. Tho name Black Mountains' is derived from the colour, as nearly the whole of he range is covered with lava and basalt. The Ghurian Mountains, .outh of the town of Tripoli, seem to have a considerable elevation, nobably however not exceeding 4000 feet above the sea-leveL In oroeeeding farther east the range lowers considerably, and its most :astern offsets, which occur about five or six miles south-west of the ,own of Meaurnta, terminate only in high hills. Several minor ridges
Drench off from the eastern portion of this range on its northern side, and approach close to the Mediterranean between Cape Sciarra and the ruins of the town of Lebda. The most western of these minor branches is called the Tarhoona Mountains: it hardly attains a thousand feet above the sea.
The country which is inclosed on the east by the Tarhoona Moun tains extends southward to the base of the Churian range, and on the west reaches the boundary of Tunis : it is a low and level plain, about 60 miles long and 16 miles on an average width. It is by nature divided into two sections, the fertile district and the Desert. The Fertile district, called Mesheea, occupies only about 15 miles along the sea-coast, and the greater part of it is to the east of the town of its width nowhere exceeds five miles. Though the soil is light and contains a great portion of sand, and is destitute of rivers and springs, it possesses a high degree of fertility, which, by means of irrigation derived exclusively from tanks and cisterns, produces rich erepa of wheat, barley, dhurra, and Indian corn. The whole of the Meaheea is planted with palm-trees arranged in long rows, which are kept in the finest order. Their number is stated to exceed ten millions, and the annual value of the produce of each tree is estimated at a Spanish dollar. The plantations of olive-trees are also extensive, and the oil is considered supirior to the best oils of Italy. There are several kinds of oranges, of which the sweet orange is reckoned finer than that of China. The pomegranates, lemons, limes, figs, and Indian figs are highly prized. There are two kinds of apricots, several sorts of tine plums, and some very high-flavoured sweet grapes and peaches. Watermelons are particularly excellent and plentiful. From November to March the country is refreshed by abundant rains, which fill the numerous tanks and cisterns ; and in this season the thermometer descends frequently to 40' and even to the freezing point in the night-time, whilst in the day it sometimes rises to 70° and even higher. In the remainder of the year, and especially from the middle of May to September, rain occurs rarely, and sometimes not a drop falls for several months. Tho beat is then so intense that even the hardy Arab, inured to the climate, at ten iu the morning retires from his work, and all his beasts of labour are put under the shade. A sudden cool breeze arises from the sea regularly every afternoon during these intense heats; but the air brought by it from the sea is so damp that it rusts all sort of steelwork, even in the pocket, and wets a person's dress eutirely through iu a few minutes. The Moors then retire to the terraces on the top of their houses, where they sleep for hours. In this season of the year a strong land wind sometimes blows incessantly for several days, rood as it blows over the heated sands of the Desert, which lie south of the Mesheea, the heat of the atmosphere is increased to such a degree that respira tion is rendered difficult, and death sometimes occurs. The air is at the same time filled with burning sand, which darkens the sky, and the natives wear a silk handkerchief tied over the face when they walk the streets. In spite of this disadvantage the climate is very healthy ; no kind of disease except ophthalmia is common, and many people are said to reach the ago of 110 and 130 years. The Mesheea is very thickly peopled, so that the population of this district is said to amount to 300,000. They live dispersed over the country in iso lated dwellings or in villages.