Country on the West and South of the Gulf of Sidra.—Tbe region noticed does not reach the western shores of the Gulf of Sidra, ing separated from it by a tract of very low country, or rather by a marsh. This marsh begins at Ilushaifa, about 4 miles S.E. from Mesurata, and extends along the sea shore as far as Giraf, a distance exceeding 100 miles. It reaches however the beach only in two places, being separated from it by a narrow tract of more elevated ground, which consists of small but irregular heaps of sand, with occa sionally a little vegetation on it. The marsh is widest in its most northern part, between Mesnrata and Sooleb, which are 40 miles from one another. In these parts it is from 9 and 10 to 15 miles wide. In approaching Sooleb it contracts to 2 or 3 miles, but widens again farther south to 4 and 5 miles. At the end of the rainy season, in March, nearly the whole surface of this marsh is covered with water. At the end of the dry season by far the greater part of it is dry, but interspersed with numerous pools of water. Many of these pools. are some miles in extent. The surface of the marsh consists of alternate layers of incrustations of salt and of an alluvial deposit, and is entirely destitute of vegetation. In some parts small shells cover the surface, which renders it probable that the sea at times inundates the marsh. In the most level part of the marsh many places occur in which a solid crust, sometimes not more than two inches or an inch and a half in thickness, covers deep hollows, the lowest parts of which contain bitter and stinking water several feet deep. This circumstance renders the traversing of the marsh very dangerous. In this extensive tract of country the ground is limited to two or three low hills, which rise within the marsh, and on which date-groves are met with, and to three or four places where the narrow tract along the sea is somewhat wide, and consists of high ground covered with grass and bushes, which afford pasture to sheep and camels. This is the worst part of Tripoli bordering on the sea.
Though the Gulf of Sidra is inclosed by countries entirely barren and sandy, the tract which is found farther east, and which extends from Giraf 30' E. long.) to Hudia (18° 30' E. long.), a distance of more than 100 miles, has a different character. Its surface in general is undulating, in a few places even rising into ',ilia. The hills are mostly covered with shrubs and grass, affording good pasture ground for camels, sheep, and goats. In some of the lower tracts are fields on which the Beduins, the inhabitants of this coast, cultivate barley and dhurm. But there are no trees in all the tracts surround ing the Gulf of Sidra. In a few places there are lagoons near the sea, but they are not of great extent, and the only marshes which are met with in this region are on the banks of these lagoons.
The country occupying the bottom of the Gulf is of a much worse description. It extends from 'Judie to Braiga (19° 40' E. loin.), distance of more than 60 miles. The shores of the sea are hued with low sand-hills, which have beeu accumulated by the northern wind from the sand thrown up by the sea. Behind them, marshes
frequently occur, or the ground is a rough stony plain, nearly without vegetation. In a few spots only bushes and grass are met with, and in these parts a few families of Beduins wander about with n small number of camels, sheep, and goats. A continuous ridge of hills extends at a little distance from the shore, rising to an elevation of between 400 and 500 feet above the sea-leveL The nature of the country south of these hills is not known.
Respecting the climate of this region, it is observed that in winter the atmosphere after sunset is always very chilly, and that there is usually a heavy deposit of dew. In summer however the weather is said to be excessively sultry.
Country East of the Gall of Sidra.—This part of Tripoli is com monly called Berea [Banes], and was known to the ancients under the name of Cyrenaica. It comprehends tho country which, between 20° and 23° E. long., projects into the Mediterranean nearly in the form of a semicircle, and the countries lying south of it as far as about 29° N. lat. It is supposed that the greater portion of it is mountainous. This part of Tripoli is described under BARCA and CYCENAIna.
The interior of the mountain region, as already observed, is not known. The authority of the Basha of Tripoli however extends much farther south, as the oasis of Augila is within the country governed by him or his deputies. The mountain range which lies to the north of this oasis runs in an unbroken lino east and west. It rises from the level ground at its base abruptly, and consists of bare rocks without the least covering of soiL The Oasis of Augila, to the south of this mountain range, is said to consist of three oases, Augila, Ialloo, and Leshkerreh, of which the two lest-mentioned are n short dislanco to the east and north-east of Angila itself. All three, taken together, contain a population of about 10,000. These oases are only forests of palm-trees, surrounded by an immense plain of rod sand.
The wells are more than 20 feet deep, and the water brackish. Dhurra and barley and a little wheat are cultivated, but provisions, consisting of corn, butter, and cattle, are imported from Bengazi. The exports consist especially of dates and ostrich feathers. Ostriches are numer ous in the adjacent desert. Three smaller oases occur between Augill and the southern extremity of the Gulf of Sidra, nearly equally diatent from these places. The most western and largest is called Maradeh. They are forests of palm-trees, surrounded by hills of shifting sand. As they are too small to afford sustenance to a popula tion sufficiently numerous to resist the attacks of the nomadic tribes of the desert, these oases are uninhabited, but some families living in the plain of Bengazi resort annually to them to gather the dates. A considerable oasis, called Faggha, is situated (it is said) south of the most southern part of the Gulf of Sidra. It seems to be situated in the basalt mountains called Harutsh, which extend westward to the very boundary-line of Fezzan.