Chapter VIII: Sea Routes in the Eastern Mediterranean (1)

Route Page
63. From Tunis to Malta (Syracuse) 396
64. From Tunis to Syracuse viâ Sfax, Tripoli, and Malta 404
65. From Tripoli to Alexandria viâ Benghazi and Derna 412
Leptis Magna, 412.—The Cyrenaica, 413.
66. From Tripoli to Constantinople viâ Derna and Crete 415
67. From (Marseilles, Genoa) Naples to Alexandria and Port Said 417
68. From Venice or Trieste to Alexandria and Port Said viâ
Brindisi 418
Miramar. Divača, 427.
69. Alexandria 431
70. Port Said 436
71. From Alexandria or Port Said to Cairo 437
Cairo 439
History, 443.—History of Art, 444.—a. Northern Quarters
(The Ezbekîyeh Garden, the Muski, Gâmia el-Azhar,
Muristân Kalâûn, Gâmia el-Muaiyad), 445.—b. The S.E.
Quarters (The Arab Museum, Gâmia Ibn Tulûn, Gâmia Sultân
Hasan, Citadel, Gâmia en-Nâsir, Gâmia Mohammed Ali),
450.—c. The New Town (The Ismaîlîyeh and Tewfîkîyeh
Quarters, Egyptian Museum, Gezîreh), 454.—d. Environs
(The Mameluke Tombs, Heliopolis Oasis, Heliopolis-On, Old
Cairo, Pyramids of Gîzeh, Memphis, and Sakkâra), 458.
72. From Alexandria or Port Said to Beirut (Smyrna,
Constantinople) viâ Jaffa 466
From Haifa to Nâbulus; to Damascus viâ Derât (Nazareth,
Tabarîya), 468.
73. From Jaffa to Jerusalem 470
From Jerusalem to Bethlehem, 480.
74. Beirut. Excursion to Damascus 481
75. From Beirut to Smyrna (and Constantinople) 489
76. From Alexandria to Athens and Smyrna (and Constantinople) 491
77. From (Marseilles, Genoa) Naples to Athens (and
Constantinople) 493
78. From Venice or Trieste to Athens (and Constantinople) viâ
Brindisi and Patras 496
Corfu, 496.
79. Athens 502
History, 505.—a. Walk from the Palace round the S. side of
the Acropolis (The Olympieion, Stadion, Monument of
Lysikrates, Theatre of Dionysos, Odeion, Areopagus),
508.—b. The Acropolis (The Temple of Nike, Propylæa,
Parthenon. Erechtheion, Acropolis Museum), 512.—c. Walk
from the Palace to the Theseion. Dipylon. Hill of the
Nymphs. Pnyx. Monument of Philopappos, 520.—d. The Modern
Quarters (Academy of Science, University, Library,
Polytechnic Institute), 525.—e. The National
Archæological Museum, 526.—f. Walks (Lykabettos, Kolonos,
New Phaleron), 528.
80. From Athens viâ Smyrna to Constantinople 529
81. Constantinople 536
History, 541.—a. Galata and Pera (Galata Tower, Petits
Champs, Dolma Bagcheh Palace, Top Haneh), 542.—b. Stambul
(Yeni Valideh Jami, Seraglio, New Museum, Chinili
Kiosque, Aya Sophia, Mosque of Ahmed I., Great Bazaar,
Mosques of Bayazid, Suleiman the Great, and Mohammed II.,
Land-Wall), 545.—c. The Golden Horn (Eyub, Sweet Waters),
555.—d. Scutari, 556.—e. The Bosporus, 557.

=63. From Tunis to Malta= (_Syracuse_).

258 M. STEAMERS (agents at Tunis, see p. 331; at Malta, see p. 400).
=1.= _Comp. Gén. Transatlantique_ (Marseilles, Tunis, and Malta line,
R. 21) on Wed. (returning Thurs.) afternoon, in 18 hrs. (55 or 40
fr.).—=2.= _Hungarian Adria_ (R. 22) once a month (cabin, without
food, 25 fr.).—Other steamers calling at Malta (P. & O., German Levant
cargo-boats, etc.) are mostly bound for distant ports. Embarking and
landing, comp. p. 399.—English money is the currency at Malta, but
French and Italian gold are in general use.

The steamers follow the Palermo and Naples course (comp. R. 26) as far as _Cape Bon_, and then steer to the E.S.E. into the _Straits of Pantelleria_ or _Sicilian Straits_ (p. xxx).

The island of _Pantelleria_ (p. 154), which is sighted in clear weather off Cape Bon, is passed by the French steamers at night. The lighthouse of _Spadillo_ (68 ft.), on the N. E. point of the island, long remains in sight. The distant _Linosa_ (610 ft.; ancient _Æthusa_), with a lighthouse, is visible only in very clear weather.

In the early morning the abrupt coasts of _Gozo_ (p. 403) and _Malta_ (p. 399) appear in the distance. The vessel rounds the island of Gozo, whose lighthouse on the _Giurdan Hill_ (499 ft.) on the N. side, is visible for 27 M.

Beyond _Râs el-Kala_, the E. point of Gozo, we sight the narrow _Straits of Flieghi_ or _Comino Channels_, lying between Gozo and Malta, and named alter the island of _Comino_ (p. 397).

On the N. E. coast of _Malta_, above which soon appears the huge dome of Musta (p. 403), we pass the _Baia di Melleha_ or _Mellieha Bay_, with the pilgrims’ resort of that name in the background, the _St. Paul’s Bay_ (p. 403), and _Salina Bay_, with its salt-works.

Next appear the village of _St. Julian_ (_San Giuliano_), on the bay of that name, and the town of _Sliema_ (p. 400). We then pass _Fort Tigné_ (p. 401; lighthouse) and the entrance to the _Marsamuscetto Harbour_ (p. 399). The entrance of the _Grand Harbour_, the chief harbour of _Valletta_, between _Fort St. Elmo_ (p. 400; lighthouse) and _Fort Ricasoli_ (p. 401; lighthouse), is protected against N.E. gales by the new _St. Elmo_ and _Ricasoli Breakwaters_.—Arrival, comp. p. 399.

* * * * *

The =Maltese Islands= (_Isŏle Maltesi_), composed of tertiary rock formation, were considered by earlier geographers to belong to Africa, but are now assigned to Europe. They lie halfway between the Straits of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal, on the chief route from the Atlantic to the Levant and to India. The principal island is _Malta_, with the capital _Valletta_ and many small towns and villages (_casal_). It is 20 M. long, 9¾ M. broad, and, at its culminating point, 847 ft. in height. The island is much over-peopled. So is the island of _Gozo_ (600 ft.), which measures 10¼ by 5¼ M.; but _Comino_ (248 ft.), 1¼ by 1 M., is uninhabited. The mean temperature of the year is 66½° Fahr., of January 53½° (almost the same as that of Djerba and Tripoli), of August 79½°. Gales, particularly the dreaded N.E. wind (_Gregale_), often make a winter residence in Malta uncomfortable, while the _Sirocco_ (p. 321), here very moist, is specially trying in autumn.

At first sight the islands seem destitute of vegetation, the fields and gardens being enclosed by lofty walls, while the growth of trees is prevented by the violent winds. By means of laborious tilling and artificial irrigation about a third of the area of the islands has been converted into luxuriantly fertile arable land. After the corn and hay harvest in May and June the land is sown a second time, mostly with cotton, afterwards manufactured in the interior. Among other valuable products are early vegetables and potatoes, which yield two crops in the year. The oranges are excellent but other fruits are scarce. Cattle, poultry, and eggs are largely imported from Turkey, Tunisia, Tripolitania, and Barca (p. 412).

The population of Malta (96½ sq. M.), is ca. 184,000, apart from the garrison (nearly 9000 soldiers); that of Gozo (27 sq. M.) is 21,200. The British and foreign residents number about 10,000. The natives, especially in the seaports, Phœnician in origin, are partly descended from the various races that have here held sway. The _lingua Maltese_ is akin to Arabic, but has borrowed much from the Sicilian dialect of Italian, and of late from English also. The educated classes speak Italian which is used also in the law-courts. The language of commerce is English. The _faldetta_, the peculiar black head-dress of the women, is the sole relic of the old national costumes.

The Maltese are much attached to the church of Rome, and nowhere in so small a community are the churches so numerous and gorgeous. About one-third of the soil is said to belong to the clergy. The Maltese are well-known throughout the Mediterranean as enterprising mariners, merchants, and fishermen. Their island being the most densely peopled region in the Mediterranean next to Monaco, an immense number of the inhabitants have emigrated during the last century. From 1807 onwards they settled largely in the Tunisian seaports, from Tabarca to Zarzis, where they formed the bulk of the Christian population, but of late they have had to contend against the growing competition of the Sicilians and other Italians. In Algeria they have formidable rivals in the Italians and Spaniards. Within the last few decades the stream of emigration has flowed chiefly to Tripolitania, Barca, Egypt, and even to Zanzibar and Delagoa Bay.

Malta is supposed to be identical with the island of _Ogygia_
described by Homer, where Odysseus is fabled to have been enslaved by
the nymph Calypso, whose alleged cavern is still pointed out on the N.
coast of Malta, and also in the island of Gozo. Between 3000 and 2000
B.C. a prehistoric race (Hamitic?), probably from Libya, settled in
Malta. Of their stage of civilization, which lasted a thousand years,
traces are still found in the massive stone structures in the
cyclopean style, which reveal, especially in their circular
ground-plan, an affinity with the _sesi_ of Pantelleria, the _nuraghi_
of Sardinia (see p. 145), and the megalithic monuments of Barbary,
S.E. Spain, and the Balearic Islands, and fall within the sphere of
influence of pre-Mycenæan (‘insular’) and Mycenæan culture. Later the
Phœnicians of Sidon founded a colony here, which soon became important
enough to send forth settlers to Acholla (p. 370) on the Tunisian
coast. Next, in 736 B. C., came Greek immigrants, and two centuries
later the Carthaginians, who took possession of the island. They now
called it _Melita_ and had a capital of that name (now Notabile), but
they in their turn were ousted by the Romans in 218 B. C. It was on
the N. coast of Melita that St. Paul was wrecked in 62 A. D. (Acts,
xxvii. xxviii). He was received and courteously lodged by Publius, the
governor, and founded a Christian community in the island before
resuming his voyage. Four centuries later came the Vandals (p. 322),
and after another century the Byzantines, who in 870 were driven out
by Moors from Tunis. Under the Moors the island was infested with
pirates. At length when the Normans under Roger conquered Sicily in
1090, Malta also fell under their sway, and thenceforward it shared
the fortunes of Sicily until 1522. In that year arrived the Knights of
St. John, banished from Rhodes by the Turks, and to that Order in 1530
Malta, Gozo, and Tripoli were granted by Emp. Charles V. The knights
then took the name of Knights of Malta and gallantly defended their
island, which became one of the great bulwarks of Christianity,
against the repeated attacks of the Turks. The most fearful siege they
sustained was that of Borgo (Vittoriosa, p. 400) in 1565, when they
were attacked by the whole forces of Suleiman the Great under Dragut
(p. 370), Mustapha, and Piali. In consequence of that event the Grand
Master Jean de la Valette founded and fortified the new town of La
Valette (Valletta), which became the capital and was deemed
impregnable. In 1798 Bonaparte, when on his way to Egypt, gained
possession of the town by treachery and stratagem; but on 8th Sept.
1800, after a siege of two years by the Maltese, assisted by British
and Neapolitan troops, the French garrison was compelled to capitulate
and leave the island. Since the treaty of Paris (1814) Malta has
belonged to Britain.—The present governor of the island is _Lt.-Gen.
Sir H. M. Rundle, K. C. B._

The island of =Malta= presents an undulating and richly varied N.E. coast, but on the rocky S.W. side it rises abruptly from the sea. The _Grand Harbour_ and the _Marsamuscetto Harbour_, the two grand natural harbours of Valletta, originally valleys hollowed out during the tertiary period, form one of the most important of British war-harbours and the headquarters of the Mediterranean fleet. Owing to its central position Malta is also a great coaling-station, vying with Gibraltar, Algiers, and Genoa. In 1908–9 the harbour was entered and cleared by 3212 vessels of 4,036,752 tons of burden.

=Valletta.=—ARRIVAL. The great British liners lie to in Sliema Creek
(p. 400); the French, Italian, and German steamers anchor in the Grand
Harbour, near the Custom House, or, during N.E. gales, in the
sheltered Marsa Creek. Boat to or from steamer 6_d._, with baggage
9_d._ (at night 1_s._). Passports may sometimes be useful at
custom-house, post-office, etc.

=Hotels= (all more or less in the English style). =1.= _At Valletta_:
HÔT. D’ANGLETERRE, Strada Stretta 34, with a fine fresco-painted
dining-room (17th cent.), pens. 9_s._, good; ST. JAMES’S HOTEL, Strada
San Paolo 226, pens. 9_s._, well conducted; HÔT. ROYAL, Strada
Mercanti 30, pens. 10_s._; WESTMINSTER, Strada Reale 11; IMPERIAL, Via
Santa Lucia 134; QUEEN’S, Strada Mercanti; HÔT. D’AUSTRALIE, Strada
Stretta 53, pens. 8½ fr.; HÔT. CENTRAL, Strada Stretta 44, pens. 8½
fr., good cuisine, commercial house. Also the family hotels, OXFORD
(No. 29), GREAT BRITAIN (No. 67), and OSBORNE (No. 50), all in Strada
Mezzodì, quiet and pleasant.—=2.= _At Sliema_ (p. 400), for some stay:
*NEW IMPERIAL, Strada Ridolfo; SAVOY, Strada Imrabat 6, with garden,
pens. (with bath) 6–8_s._, good; these two in an open site.

=Restaurant.= _National Restaurant_, Strada Reale 253.—CAFÉS.
_Risazza_, near the Exchange Buildings; _Regina_, Piazza Tesoreria;
_Anglo-Maltese_ (Engl. beer), _Commerce_, both in Strada Reale;
Express.

=Post Office=, Strada Mercanti 4.—=Telegraph Office=, Strada Reale 38.

=Banks.= _Anglo-Egyptian_, Strada Reale 233; _Banco di Roma_;
_Anglo-Maltese_ and _Banco di Malta_, Exchange Buildings, Strada
Reale.—MONEY CHANGERS. _Coppini_, Strada Mercanti 58; _Thos. Cook &
Son_, Strada Reale 308.—BOOKSELLER. _J. Critien_, Strada Reale, and
others.—NEWSPAPERS. _Daily Malta Chronicle_, _Malta Herald_, _Gazzetta
di Malta_, etc.

=Shops.= LACE at the _Malta Lace School_, Strada Mezzodì 28; _Borg_,
Strada Reale 269; _Mifsud_, Strada Santa Lucia.—FILIGREE WORK at
_Amabile’s_.

=Theatres.= _Royal Opera_, Strada Reale, at the corner of Strada
Mezzodì (Nov.–April, Ital. opera); _Teatro Manoel_, Strada Teatro,
built by Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena (p. 401) in 1731, for operas
and varieties.—VARIETIES at the Alhambra.

=Cabs.= Within Valletta and Floriana, incl. the Marina 4_d._ (luggage
according to bargain); to Sliema 1_s._ 2_d._, to Burmola, Senglea, or
Vittoriosa 1_s._ 8_d._, to Musta 2_s._, to Notabile or Krendi 2_s._
6_d._, to Boschetto 3_s._, to Mnaidra or St. Paul’s Bay 4_s._—By time:
¼ hr. 6_d._, ½ hr. 1_s._, 1 hr. 1_s._ 6_d._, each addit. ¼ hr. 4_d._

=Lift= from the harbour to the Upper Barracca (p. 402), 1_d._

=Tramways= from Porta Reale (1) viâ Marsa and Casal Paula (2_d._) to
Burmola, (2) viâ Curmi to Zebbug, (3) viâ Hamrun to Birchircara.

=Steam Ferry= across the Grand Harbour to Senglea (½_d._); across
Marsamuscetto Harbour to Sliema (½_d._); to Pietà and Misida (1_d._);
in summer to St. Julian’s also (2_d._).—STEAMER TO GOZO every week-day
at 7, on Sun. at 8 a.m.; on Sun., Tues., Thurs., Sat. at 1 p.m. also;
returning at 10.30 or 4.30; return-fare 1_s._; dep. from Grand
Harbour; to or from steamer 4_d._

=Malta Railway= (station between Royal Opera and Porta Reale), 24
trains daily (more on Sun.) to Attard 3_d._ or 1½_d._, to Notabile
(Città Vecchia) 7_d._ or 3½_d._

=Steamboat Offices.= _Peninsular & Oriental_, Worcester, Strada
Mercanti 41; _Cunard_, Lowe, Strada Stretta 81; _Comp. Gén.
Transatlantique_ (p. 396), Vadala, Strada Reale 292; _Società
Nazionale_ (R. 64), Civitelli, Strada San Paolo 225; _German Levant_,
P. Cutajar & Co.; _Hungarian Adria Co._ (RR. 22, 23), Kohen, Piazza
Regina 6.

=United States Consul=, _J. O. Laing_; vice-consul, _James A.
Turnbull_.—LLOYD’S AGENTS, _Gollcher & Sons_, Strada Zaccaria 21.

=Sights.= _Cathedral_ before 8 and from 10 to 10.30 a.m.; also after 2
p.m.—_Library_ on week-days, 9 to 3.30.—_Governor’s Palace_ daily,
9–12 and 1–5, 6_d._ (guide unnecessary).—_Valletta Museum_ on
week-days 9–1 (in June-Sept. 3–6 also), 6_d._, Sat. 3_d._ ; Sun. 9–12
free.

ONE DAY. Visit to _Cathedral_, _Palace_, and _Museum_ (p. 401), and
view from _Barracca Superiore_ (p. 402) in the forenoon; in the
afternoon, trip to _Notabile_ (p. 403; cathedral, bastions, museum),
or to _Gozo_ (p. 403).

_Valletta_ or _Valetta_ (197 ft.; pop. 25,000, or incl. Floriana 32,000), the capital of Malta, is the seat of the Governor (see p. 399), of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Forces (Gen. Sir Ian Hamilton), and of a University founded in 1769. It lies in 35°34′ N. lat. and 14°31′ E. long., at the extremity of the peninsula, formerly called _Monte Sceberras_, 1½ M. long and ½ M. broad, between the _Grand Harbour_ (to the S.E.) and the _Marsamuscetto Harbour_ (to the N.W.). Enthroned above its harbours, with its grand fortifications partly hewn in the rock, the model of a 16th. cent, fortress, it presents a very striking appearance when approached from the sea.

Opposite Valletta, on the three central creeks of the Grand Harbour, lie the ‘Three Cities’ of _Borgo_ (Malt. _Birgu_; pop. 6200), the oldest seat of the Maltese Order, also called _Vittoriosa_ since the great Turkish siege, _Sénglea_ (pop. 8100), and _Búrmola_ or _Cospicua_ (pop. 14,100), with the naval arsenal. In the Marsamuscetto Harbour lies the island of _Jezira_, with the Lazzaretto, beyond which, on the _Sliema Creek_, rises the town of _Sliema_ (pop. 12,000).

The =Fortifications= were an object of ceaseless attention under the
rule of the Order. The oldest part of them is _Fort St. Angelo_,
originally built by the Moors in 870 and renewed in 1530, which in the
siege of 1565 proved the chief bulwark of Borgo. _Fort St. Elmo_,
originally built in 1488 but now entirely altered, fell into the hands
of the Turks in 1565. The town-wall of _Borgo_ was built in 1530 and
that of _Sénglea_ in 1554. The *Town Walls of _Valletta_, with their
thirty bastions, deep moats, drawbridges, and casemates, date chiefly
from the time of the foundation of the town (1566–71). The outworks of
_Floriana_ are of 1635. The older ramparts of Vittoriosa, Senglea, and
Burmola, called the _Firenzuola Lines_, were strengthened by the
addition of new outworks in 1668 called the _Cottonera Lines_. The
later harbour-forts are _Fort Ricasoli_, of 1670, _Fort Manoel_ in
Jezira, of 1732, and _Fort Tigné_, of 1792. All these works are
supplemented by the British _Harbour Batteries_.

The streets ascend steeply from the two harbours, many of them by means of long flights of steps. The main business streets are the STRADA REALE, leading on the top of the peninsula from Fort St. Elmo to Porta Reale (over ½ M.), and the Strada Mercanti. From the latter the Strada Cristoforo descends past the _University_, established in an old Jesuit college (Strada San Paolo 109), to the _Lower Barracca Gardens_, a bastion affording a good survey of the mouth of the harbour and the ‘Three Cities’.

The plain PALACE, once the seat of the Grand Master and now that of the governor of Malta (see p. 399), was erected in 1573–7 by _Girolamo Cassar_ in the Strada Reale and Piazza Tesoreria, in the centre of the town. The garden court on the left is adorned with a bronze statue of Neptune by _Giovanni da Bologna_; in the court on the right rises a huge Araucaria excelsa. Adm., see p. 400; entrance by the green gate in the upper court.

The chief attraction is the PALACE ARMOURY on the first floor,
containing armour, weapons, flags, and trophies of the Order
(catalogue 5_s._). The principal hall, 88 yds. long, contains also
state-coaches in the pseudo-classical style and charters of Pope
Paschalis II. (1113) and Charles V. (1530; investiture of the Order).
On the walls of the adjacent corridor are painted views of old Malta.
The Council Room on the left is hung with superb Gobelins, designed by
_Franç. Desportes_ (1703). The wall-paintings represent naval battles
fought by the Order.

An inscription on the Doric portico of the _Main Guard_, opposite the N.W. façade of the Palace, records the cession of Malta to Great Britain. A band often plays in the square in the evening. In the Piazza Tesoreria, opposite the S.W. façade of the Palace, is the _Public Library_ of 56,000 vols. (adm., see p. 400; entrance under the arcades).

The CATHEDRAL OF SAN GIOVANNI (_St. John’s_), to the left in the second side-street in the direction of the Porta Reale, built in 1573–7 by _Girol. Cassar_, and lavishly decorated in the interior, was the Order’s temple of fame. Adm., see p. 400.

INTERIOR. The oil-paintings on the barrel-vaulting are by _Mattia
Preti_ (‘il Cavaliere Calabrese’; 1613–99). On the floor are about 400
slabs of coloured marble, tombstones of the knights. The chapels
dedicated to the nine nations of the Order are lined with a number of
tombstones of Grand Masters, mostly in the baroque or rococo style. In
the Portuguese chapel (2nd on the right) are those of Ant. Manoel de
Vilhena (1722–36) and Manoel Pinto de Fonseca (1741–73), the founder
of the university.—In the Crypt, below the high-altar (of 1686),
repose, among others, L’Isle Adam (1530–4), the first Maltese Grand
Master, and Jean de la Valette (1557–68), the gallant defender of
Borgo (see p. 398).

Sumptuous Brussels tapestry (1697–1701), after designs by _Rubens_ and
_Mattia Preti_, is hung up in the church on festivals.

The *VALLETTA MUSEUM, Strada San Giovanni 38, opposite the façade of the Cathedral, affords an admirable survey of the history of Maltese art and culture from the prehistoric age down to the close of the Knights’ period. Adm., see p. 400; no catalogue; curator, Dr. Themistocles Zammit.

ENTRANCE ROOM. On the left the ‘sacred stone’ from the Torre dei
Giganti (p. 404); Roman inscriptions from Gozo (about 140 A. D.); a
fine Norman capital, Norman and Cufic (early Arabic) inscriptions,
etc.; also models of stone balconies and of a Norman window at
Victoria (p. 404).

FIRST FLOOR. Prehistoric objects from Egypt (the Faiyûm); the Lord
Grenfell collection of Egyptian antiquities; Greek vases from Benghazi
and Cyrene; Arabian glass, etc.

SECOND FLOOR. In the _Ante Room_ are Roman sculptures.—The _Chief
Hall_ contains prehistoric, Phœnician, Punic, and Roman objects from
tombs in Malta and Gozo. By the entrance-wall is a large collection of
vases arranged in types. In the last case are potsherds from various
neolithic stations. By the back-wall are prehistoric finds from
Hal-Saflieni (see below) and Hagiar Kim (p. 403), vases, amulets,
projectiles, flint implements, seven seated stone figures, etc.;
adjacent, on the left, is the unique Phœnician-Greek dedicatory
inscription in which Phœnician characters were for the first time
deciphered (on the right, cast of a similar inscription in the
Louvre). By the window-wall are copies and models of the so-called
chief temple of Hagiar Kim and of Phœnician tombs; also an Arabian
tombstone (1173), with a long Cufic inscription. In the first case in
the centre is Phœnician glass; in the fourth, a Phœnician terracotta
sarcophagus, with the recumbent figure of the deceased. The _Second
Room_ contains memorials of the period of the Order.—In the _Passage_
are drawings of the Roman house at Notabile (p. 403) and its
mosaics.—The _Third Room_ contains old plans, maps, and views of Malta
of old; model of a state-galley of the Grand Masters; a collection of
coins from the Phœnician age to the present day.

Each of the nine nations of the Order had its own ‘auberge’ or house of assembly. Most of these were built by Girol. Cassar. The _Auberge d’Aragon_ is in the Piazza Celsi. At the upper end of the town are the _Aub. de Provence_, at the corner of the Strada Reale and Strada Britannica, the _Aub. d’Italie_ (1574), in the Strada Mercanti, opposite the post-office, and the handsome _Aub. de Castille_ (1574; altered in 1744), in the Piazza Regina.—A few paces from the Piazza Regina are the _Upper Barracca Gardens_ (laid out on the large bastion of Barracca Superiore; lift, see p. 400), embellished with numerous statues, and affording a fine view of the Grand Harbour, especially by evening light.

Through the _Porta Reale_ (P. R. on the map) we reach the plateau between Valletta and the suburb of FLORIANA. Near the gate is the tramway-station (p. 400). On the right, farther on, is the _Parade Ground_. In the middle of the plateau, beyond the bronze statue of _Ant. Manoel de Vilhena_ (p. 401), runs the long narrow _Maglio Garden_, enclosed by high walls. Farther on we come to the bastions of Floriana, on which are situated the _Argotti_ or _Botanic Garden_, belonging to the university, and the _Sarrìa_, a handsome church of the Maltese Order (1678).

At _Casal Paula_ or _Paula_, 2 M. to the S. of Floriana, beyond the
_Creek of Marsa_, lies the prehistoric _Hypogaeum of Hal Saflieni_,
containing circular caves, some of them richly decorated, of the
period of the neolithic civilization. Entrance (6_d._) in Catacomb
Street, 5 min. from the tramway-terminus (p. 400).

RAILWAY (p. 400) from Valletta to Notabile (carr., see p. 399). After the long tunnel under Floriana come the stations of _Hamrun_, _Misida_, _Birchircara_, and (4½ M.) _Attard_ (Alb. Melita). About 10 min. to the N. of Attard is the _Palace of Sant’Antonio_ (1625), once the summer seat of the Grand Master (visitors admitted to the fine garden). The road in front of the palace goes on to (2 M.) _Musta_, with a remarkable church, whose huge dome, 118 ft. in diameter, was constructed in 1853–64 without the aid of scaffolding.

7 M. =Notábile= or =Città Vecchia= (Hôt. du Point-de-Vue, with fine view, pens. 7–8_s._; pop. 7500), still popularly called _Medina_ (Arabic for ‘town’), the seat of the bishop, was the old fortified capital of the island as far back as the Roman age.

From the Notabile station a road leads to the Piazza Sakkaya, on the hill between the old town and the S. suburb of _Rábato_. Thence we pass through the Porta dei Greci to _St. Paul’s Cathedral_ (San Paolo), before whose portal are planted cannons as in the time of the Order. The sumptuous interior contains many marble tombstones of Maltese bishops. Fine choir-stalls of 1480. The Strada dei Bastioni behind the church commands an extensive view.

In Museum Road, not far from the Piazza Sakkaya, is a Roman house, excavated in 1881, now converted into a _Museum_, containing mosaic pavements, statues, bronzes, and glass (fee 3_d._).—The adjacent _Esplanade_ affords a fine view of Musta, the town-walls of Notabile, and the pleasant green valley at the foot of the _Imtarfa Hill_, with the barracks and the Museum Station (terminus of the railway, which goes through a tunnel under Notabile).

The parish church of _San Paolo_, in the Piazza Parrocchiale of the suburb of Rabato, stands over a cavern, in which, according to the legend, St. Paul dwelt during his three months’ stay in the island in the year 62. From the church the Strada San Cataldo and Strada Sant’ Agata soon lead to the _Catacombs of St. Paul_ and the _Cemetery of St. Agatha_, both pre-Christian in origin but used in Christian times (fee 3_d._).

To the N.W. of Notabile rise the _Bingemma Hills_ (784 ft.), with
Phœnician rock-tombs and a fort on the coast.—About 2 M. to the S.W.
of Notabile, near _Casal Dingli_, is the _Naval Signal Station_ (847
ft.), the highest point in the island, whence we overlook the whole
group of islands and the surrounding sea.—Some 2 M. to the S. of
Notabile lies the _Boschetto_, a large public garden (carr., see p.
399), adjoining the _Verdala Palace_ (1586), once a summer seat of the
Grand Masters (now that of the governors).—To the S.E. is (4½ M.)
_Casal Krendi_ (carr., see p. 399), near the luxuriantly wooded gorge
of _Makluba_, 132 ft. deep, probably formed by an earthquake. We may
visit (20 min. to the W.) the prehistoric ruins of _Hagiar Kim_,
buildings of huge blocks of stone without mortar. About 7 min. farther
to the W. are the similar ruins of _Mnaidra_.

_St. Paul’s Bay_ (Baia di San Paolo; carr., see p. 399) on the N. side
of the island, 5½ M. to the N. of Notabile, with the islet of _Selmun_
(colossal statue of the apostle), is the supposed scene of St. Paul’s
shipwreck.

The sister island of =Gozo= (p. 397), to the N.W. of Malta, the ancient _Gaulos_, Maltese _Ghaudex_, which also was once fortified by the Maltese Order, is more fertile and varied than the main island. The coast is precipitous all round. The small local boat (p. 400) crosses in 1½ hr., affording a fine view of the N.E. coast of Malta, and, on the way back, of the caves on the W. shore of Comino. We land in _Migiarro_ or _Miggiar Bay_ (Malt. _Mjiar_), on the S. coast of Gozo, below _Fort Chambré_ (1750), where carriages are in waiting (to Victoria and back 3_s._, whole day 5_s._).

_Victoria_ (299 ft.; Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, and others; pop. 5000), called _Rábat_ down to 1887, the capital and episcopal residence of Gozo, lies in the centre of the island, 4 M. to the N.W. of the landing-place. The streets show a good many relics of mediæval architecture (comp. p. 402). The neglected _Citadel_ dates from 1600. The women of Gozo are much occupied with lace-making.

A branch of the road from the harbour to Victoria leads to the village
of _Sciarra_ (486 ft.; Maltese _Casal Xaghra_). Below Sciarra, on a
height covered with fruit-trees, rises the _Torre dei Giganti_ (Malt.
_Ggantija_), similar to the ruins of Hagiar Kim (p. 403; adm. by leave
of the proprietor, Marquis Cassar Desain).

64. From Tunis to Syracuse viâ Sfax, Tripoli, and Malta.

BETWEEN TUNIS AND TRIPOLI, 544 M.: =1.= _Società Nationale_, Line XIX
(Linea Circolare della Tunisia e Tripolitania, see p. 142) from Tunis
Wed. aft., from Susa Thurs. foren., from Sfax Frid. night, arr. at
Tripoli Sun. morn. (in the reverse direction leave Tripoli Thurs.
aft., arr. at Tunis Mon. morn.). Fare 103 or 75 fr.—=2.= _Comp. de
Navig. Mixte_ (p. 128) leave Tunis Frid. even., Susa Sat. noon, Sfax
Sun. midnight, Gabes Mon. noon, Djerba Mon. even., arr. at Tripoli
Tues. morn. (in reverse direction leave Tripoli Tues. aft., arr. in
Tunis Sat. evening). Fare 100 or 75 fr.—From Tunis to Susa viâ Sfax
and back, also steamers of the Comp. Gén. Transatlantique (p. 128;
leave Tunis Sun. aft., Sfax Mon. aft., Susa Tues, aft., regaining
Tunis Wed. morn.).—Between Algiers and Tripoli direct, or viâ Malta,
there are also the cargo-steamers of the German Levant Line.—At Gabes,
Djerba, and Tripoli gales sometimes make landing impossible;
passengers are then landed at the next port and sent back free, paying
for their extra food only.—Agents at Tunis, see p. 331; at Susa, see
p. 366; at Sfax, see p. 380; at Tripoli, see p. 406.

BETWEEN TRIPOLI AND SYRACUSE, 325 M.: _Società Nazionale_, Line XX
(Linea Circolare, see above), also Line VIII (Catania, Syracuse,
Benghazi, Constantinople; R. 66). The vessels of the principal line
leave Tripoli Sun. aft., Malta Mon. night, arr. at Syracuse Tues.
morn. (returning from Syracuse Mon. night, from Malta Wed. foren.,
arr. at Tripoli Thurs. morn.); steamers of the other line usually
leave Tripoli every second Wed. aft., Malta Thurs. night, arr. at
Syracuse Frid. morn. (returning from Syracuse every second Frid.
night, from Malta Sun. foren., arr. at Tripoli Mon. morn.). Fare 74
fr. 50 c. or 51 fr.—From Malta to Tripoli there is a fortnightly
steamer of the Banco di Roma and occasionally a cargo-boat of the
German Levant Line.—Between Malta and Syracuse the Hungarian Adria (p.
132) plies daily except Mon. (from Malta after midnight, from Syracuse
in the afternoon; in 8 hrs.; fare without food 25 or 15, return 37½ or
22½ fr.).—Agents at Malta and Syracuse, see p. 400, 162.

From Tunis to _Cape Bon_, see p. 153. Our steamer, generally at night, next skirts the steep E. coast of Cape Bon, passes _Râs el-Mirh_, and off _Râs el-Mustapha_ steers to the S.S.W. for Susa. On the latter headland lies the little town of _Kelibia_, the ancient _Aspis_ or _Clupea_, whose castle-hill is crowned with a lighthouse. The flat coast of the _Gulf of Hammamet_ (p. 364) recedes from view; beyond it, in the background, are the distant _Jebel Zaghouan_ (p. 359), _Jebel Zeriba_ (2412 ft.), and _Jebel Fadloun_ (1306 ft.).

Nearing =Susa= (p. 366), we have a pleasant view of the olive-clad hills of the _Sahel_, while the town itself presents a most striking picture with its great expanse of white houses.

Leaving the coast, where the low dunes conceal the salt-marshes of the _Sebkha de Sahline_, we steer to the E.S.E. towards the _Pointe de Monastir_, the S. limit of the bay of Hammamet.

The little town of =Monastir= (82 ft.; Hôt. de Paris, Hôt. de France, both primitive; Brit. vice-cons., A. B. Geary; pop. 9000, incl. 600 Europeans) lies superbly on the olive-clad headland. It owes its name to a monastery, which in early Moorish times still existed as the sole relic of the Roman seaport of _Ruspina_.

From the steamer we first sight the white pinnacled town-wall and the numerous shrines outside of it. Then, as we pass between the headland and the three islets off the coast (_Djezira Sidi el-Rhedamsi_ or _Ile Egdemsi_, etc.), appears the dilapidated Moorish _Kasba_ with the tower of _En-Nadour_. To the E. in very clear weather we descry the lighthouse on the distant _Kuriat Islands_.

After a short stay in the _Bay of Monastir_, on the S. side of the town, we steer to the S.E., past the _Dahar Cliffs_ (on the left), and across the bay; then, beyond the _Râs Dimas_, along the coast to =Mehdia= (p. 369), where the steamer seldom stops long enough to admit of our visiting the town.

Next (generally at night) we pass _Râs Kapoudia_ (p. 370), the N. limit of the _Gulf of Gabes_ (the ancient _Syrtis Minor_), where the discrepancy between flow and ebb (6½ ft.) is greater than in any other part of the Mediterranean. Avoiding the silted _Kerkenna Passage_, the vessel steers round the _Kerkenna Islands_ (_Ile Chergui_ and _Ile Gharbi_, the ancient _Cercina_ and _Cercinitis_).

The steamer usually arrives at =Sfax= (by way of the harbour-canal, p. 381) early in the morning. Beyond Sfax the vessel skirts the uninteresting coast as far as _Râs Tina_ (p. 383), and then steers to the S.S.W. across the bay to =Gabes= (p. 389), where it generally allows time for a short visit to the oasis.

Leaving Gabes we may in clear weather descry the _Monts des Ksour_ (p. 390) bounding the horizon. We then steer to the E. to the sandy N. coast of =Djerba= (p. 393), and anchor in the open sea off _Houmt-Souk_ (p. 393). The process of going ashore and returning takes so long that it is hardly ever possible to visit the place.

After losing sight of the lighthouse of _Râs Taguermess_ (or _Turgoeness_), the E. cape of Djerba, we steer for a long time to the E.S.E., at some distance from the sandy coast with its salt-marshes, where the _Râs Adjir_ marks the frontier of Tripolitania.

The monotonous sandy coast, with its numerous oases, with the little port of _Sansur_, and the watch-tower of _Gergârish_ (p. 411), is scarcely visible till we are nearing _Tripoli_. The _Lighthouse_, rising above the abraded terrace on the N.W. side of the town, and the ruinous _Spanish Fort_ (1510) at the end of the headland are the chief landmarks. Numerous reefs make it difficult, and in a N.W. gale sometimes impossible, for vessels to enter the harbour.

* * * * *

=Tripoli.=—ARRIVAL. The steamers anchor in the inner roads, more than
½ M. from the pier, and are at once boarded by the hotel-agents
(charges should be asked). Landing or embarking 50 c., but with
baggage 1–1½ fr. according to distance and bargain. Dogana at the pier
(Pl. B, 1; comp. p. 537). For a prolonged stay a passport visé by a
Turkish consul is necessary, but otherwise a ‘permis de voyage’ (1
fr.) from the Contrôle Civil at Tunis, or even a visiting-card, may
suffice. The services of the importunate Jewish guides should be
declined.

=Hotel.= HÔT. MINERVA (Pl. a, B 2; Maltese landlord; bargain
advisable), déj. 2½, pens. 6–8 fr., tolerable.—CAFÉ-RESTAURANT:
_Circolo Militare_ (p. 409; Maltese host), near the Bâb el-Khandek.
Many small Arab cafés on the quay (Marina), near the clock-tower
(Orologio), etc.; small cup of coffee (gâhua) 5 c., very sweet ‘hlu’,
slightly sweetened ‘gídgid’; cup of tea (shâi) 10 c.; no gratuities.

=Moorish Baths= (comp. p. 175), tolerable; the best is the _Hammôm_
(_bagno árabo_) in Strada del Bagno (Pl. B, 2); Europeans pay 3 fr. or
more according to their rank.

=Post Offices.= _Italian_, at the Ital. consulate (Pl. 7; B, 2),
Strada del Consolato Italiano; _French_, at the French consulate (Pl.
4; B, 1), Strada del Consolato Francese; _Turkish_, on the quay
(Marina). Poste Restante letters should bear the name of the office
where they are to be found.—=Telegraph Office.= _Eastern Telegraph
Co._ (Pl. 10; B, 2), on the quay; payment must be made in gold or in
Turkish money.

=Consulates.= BRITISH (Pl. 5; B, 1): consul-general, _J. C. W.
Alvarez_; vice-consul, _A. Dickson_.—UNITED STATES (Pl. 9; B, 4):
consul, _J. L. Wood_; vice-consul, _A. E. Saunders_.

=Steamboat Offices= (comp. p. 404, and RR. 65, 66): _Società
Nazionale_, Labi, Strada del Bagno; _Comp. de Navigation Mixte_,
Fratelli Farrugia, Strada del Consolato Italiano; _German Levant
Line_, Sûk el-Harrâra (Pl. B, 2; near Sûk et-Turk).

=Banks.= _Banco di Roma_ (Pl. 2; B, 2), in the Piazza (p. 409);
_Ottoman Bank_ (Pl. 1; B, 2), on the quay; _Labi_, see above.
Government offices accept Turkish money only, but Tunisian silver and
copper, and in the town even Italian copper, besides 10 and 20 fr.
gold pieces, are in general circulation.

=Carriages= (stand on the S.E. side of the Serâi, p. 409) 1½–2½ fr.
per hour according to the quality of the vehicle; drive round the
oasis 3–5 fr.; as few of the drivers speak Italian it is best to get a
resident to make the bargain and specify the route.—DONKEYS (at the
Sûk el-Khobsa, p. 410), ½ day 1–2, day 2–3 fr.—ROWING AND SAILING
BOATS at the pier; about 2 fr. per hour.

The LANGUAGE of the natives is an Arabic dialect, interlarded with
Berber and Italian words; many of the officials, however, speak
Turkish only. In the European colony Italian predominates. This is
largely due to the fact that the Italian state supports several
schools, which are attended by Jewish and Maltese children as well as
Italian. There are three French schools also.

ONE DAY should be devoted to a walk of 2–3 hrs. through the town and
to an excursion to the oasis (p. 410). One must be very careful not to
enter mosques, saints’ tombs, or Moslem cemeteries (comp. p. xxv). It
should be observed also that the military authorities, dreading spies,
are jealous of visitors near the fortifications (comp. p. 175).
Otherwise the public safety is well provided for in the town and
environs. For excursions in the interior the leave of the Sublime
Porte must be obtained.

_Tripoli in Barbary_ (Ital. _Tripoli di Barbería_, Fr. _Tripoli de Barbarie_ or _d’Afrique_, Arabic _Tarabulus el-Gharb_, _i.e._ ‘Tripoli of the West’, to distinguish it from the Syrian Tripoli), the ancient _Oëa_, is the capital of the Turkish vilayet of _Tripolitania_, presided over by the Vali or governor-general. The town lies in 32° 54′ N. lat. and 13° 10′ E. long., on a triangular peninsula, which consists of quaternary dune-sandstone resting on tertiary limestone rock. A series of rocky islets and reefs, 1¼ M. long, running out from the peninsula, form a roomy but much silted harbour. The mixture of nationalities converging at Tripoli, as one of the chief portals to inland Africa, is unparallelled except in Egypt. Of the 46,000 inhab. two-thirds are Berbers (p. 94), Arabs, Moors (p. 171), and Turks; there are 10,000 Jews, 2000 Maltese, 800 Italians, 150 Greeks (besides many Greek sponge-fishers in summer), 200 other Europeans, and lastly some 2000 negroes, descendants of slaves from the Sudan. Negroes are to be found also among the very numerous officers of the garrison of 6000 men.

The town with its white houses, its slender minarets of the Turkish type, its green gardens and groups of palms, the reddish-yellow dunes of drift-sand from the Sahara, and the deep-blue sea, all bathed in dazzling sunshine, present a most fascinating picture.

HISTORY. The three Phœnician seaports between the Syrtis Minor and
Major, _Leptis Magna_ (p. 412), _Oëa_, and _Sabratha_, together called
_Tripolis_ by the Sicilian Greeks, were even in the Punic age
connected by caravan routes with inland Africa and by a coast-road,
512 M. long, with Carthage. After their annexation to the Roman
province of _Africa_ on the fall of Jugurtha (p. 321) the ‘three
cities’ flourished anew. To them, as also to Tacape (Gabes), the
Garamantes, or Libyan (Berber) inhabitants of Phazania (now Fezzan),
brought from the Sudan ostrich-feathers, gold-dust, ivory, ebony,
elephants, and black slaves, to be exported thence to Carthage, Rome,
and the chief seaports of S. Europe. This region yielded also large
supplies of corn, while the productive olive-trees were deemed the
most abundant on the Mediterranean. To the Roman emperors _Septimius
Severus_ (193–211) and _Alexander Severus_ (222–35), natives of this
district, the three towns owed much improvement and embellishment. The
Punic language and the Greek, which was that of the educated classes,
were then still so prevalent that Alexander Severus, for example, was
unacquainted with Latin till his arrival in Rome. Sept. Severus made
Oëa the capital of his _Provincia Tripolitana_, and when the
artificial harbours of the two sister towns fell into decay Oëa
succeeded to their trade and their joint name.

After the Vandal period (p. 322) and after the domination of the
Byzantines, who succeeded only in 567 in Christianizing the
Garamantes, the repeated irruptions of the Arabs (p. 322) brought ruin
and misery to the whole country. From 670 onwards, apart from the
short periods of occupation by the Normans (1140–59), the Spaniards
(1510–30), and the Maltese Knights (1530–51), Tripolitania remained
for centuries under Arab or Berber sway, sharing the fortunes of
Tunisia (comp. p. 322), while from 1216 onwards the Genoese had a
monopoly of the coast-trade of Tripolitania and Barca. In 1551 the
corsair Dragut (p. 370), driven out of Mehdia, founded a new Turkish
tributary state at Tripoli. From that time down to 1816 the
inhabitants took an active part in the depredations of the ‘Algerian
pirates’, bringing down upon them the sanguinary reprisals of an
English fleet in 1663 and of French fleets in 1685 and 1728, which
caused the almost entire destruction of the town. In 1804 Tripoli and
in 1805 Derna (p. 414) were stormed by the Americans. The native
dynasty of the _Karamanli_, founded in 1714, was overthrown by the
Turks in 1835, after which Tripoli became a usual place of exile for
Turkish civil and military offenders and again lapsed into decay. At
length, in 1899, the partition of the inland regions between Great
Britain and France stimulated the Turks to renewed activity and
defensive measures. In spite, however, of these, and of the very
favourable situation of the town, the caravan trade with the interior
is on the decline and the local industries are inconsiderable.

The OLD TOWN, a pentagon, is still enclosed on four sides by the mouldering Spanish _Town Wall_, 40 ft. high at places, built of sandstone from Gergârish (p. 411), and consists of three different quarters. Near the harbour, and behind the _Marina_ (Pl. B, 1, 2) skirting it from the Dogana or Custom House (Pl. B, 1) onwards, lies the quarter of that name, inhabited chiefly by the Christians, and therefore the least Oriental in appearance. To the W. is the _Hárra_ (_Kebîr_, the great, and _Serîr_, the little), the Jewish quarter, with its crooked and dirty streets. The purely Mohammedan _S.E. Quarter_ contains the main business streets, which lead to the outer markets and the new town (p. 409). The principal streets are paved and are lighted at night with petroleum lamps, but many others, especially in the Jewish quarter, being unpaved in Oriental fashion, are almost impassable after rain and pitch-dark at night.

In the narrow Strada della Marina (Arabic Bâb Bahr, sea-gate), leading from the Dogana and the fish-market to the S.W. to the Jews’ quarter, rises on the right the _Roman Triumphal Arch_ (Pl. B, 1), built by the consul C. Orfitus in the reign of Antoninus Pius (138–161) but in 163 rededicated to that emperor’s successors, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.

The arch, 41 ft. broad and 33 ft. deep, has four fronts
(‘quadrifrons’; comp. pp. 315, 316), showing that it stood over
cross-streets. Among the sadly mutilated sculptures are still seen
statues of Victory, figures of animals, and trophies. The back, with
the inscription, is half covered, and the fourth side is almost
entirely built over. The lower half is buried in the ground. The
interior is used as a shop. The vaulting of the passages is lacunar.
The central space is covered with a flat dome, rising from an
octagonal cornice.

We next come to the _Gurji Mosque_ (Pl. B, 1), with an octagonal minaret, and to the main street of the _Hárra Kebîr_ (see above), with its numerous workshops, where curious gold and silver trinkets are sold by weight.

From the _British Consulate_ (Pl. 5; B, 1) we follow the Church Street to the S.E. to the Italian Gothic church of _Santa Maria degli Angeli_ (Pl. B, 2), completed in 1846, belonging to an Italian Franciscan monastery. By leave of the superior we may ascend the tower, whose gallery (141 ft.) is a fine point of view.

From the Piazza (Pl. B, 2; Arabic Mussâiya) near the church the Strada del Consolato Italiano leads to the S. to the Sûk el-Harrâra (Pl. B, A, 2, 3), the chief thoroughfare between the Marina (p. 408) and the W. gate, _Bâb el-Jedîd_ (Pl. A, 3; ‘new gate’), opened in 1860. This sûk contains the shops of the cloth and silk weavers and several curious antiquated _Bakeries_, with millstones turned by camels.

A road from the W. gate leads to the W., past several wells (p. 410),
to the (8 min.) extensive _Jewish Cemetery_; another, to the N., to
the ancient _Necropolis_ (Pl. A, 2), on the abrupt coast (82 ft.), not
far from the town-wall, containing many rock-tombs and cisterns.—The
_Greek_ and the _Catholic Cemeteries_ (Pl. A, B, 1) lie between the
Lazaretto and the lighthouse.

The busiest streets in the S.E. quarter are the Zanga Sûk et-Turk (Pl. B, 2, 3) and, diverging from it at the Piazza dell’Orologio, the Sûk el-Khadra or Sûk Urba (Pl. B, C, 3). The tasteless three-storied _Torre dell’ Orologio_, Arabic _Sâa_ (Pl. B, 3), which tells Turkish time, was built in 1870. In front of the Arab cafés here auctions are held on Friday forenoons.

The SÛKS (p. 335) consist here in part only of vaulted passages; many have wooden roofs with vine-trellises. The wares are mostly Tunisian or European, and therefore seldom worth buying here. A side-entrance adjoins the _Jâma el-Bâsha_ (Pl. C, 3), the chief mosque.

The massive pile of buildings by the sea, a few paces to the E. of the clock-tower, is the _Serai_ (Pl. C, 2, 3; Arabic Kasba), originally the Spanish citadel. It now contains barracks, many courts, several prisons (habbês), partly underground, and the government offices. The terrace next the sea affords a fine view of the harbour and towards the oasis.

Outside the S. gates, Bâb el-Khandek and Bâb el-Menshia or el-Mnshîa (Pl. C, 3; oasis gate), rises the _Fontana Maggiore_, an elegant well-house in the Turkish rococo style. Near it is the _Circolo Militare_ (Pl. C, 3; p. 406), a fashionable resort, especially when the military band plays (Sun. and Frid., 5 or 8 p.m.). The pretty little garden, whence we survey the Moslem cemetery (p. 411), contains four fine antique statues in marble, all of them torsos from Leptis Magna (p. 412).

Outside the S. gates lies the featureless NEW TOWN (_Città Nuova_), in which among other buildings are situated the _Town Hall_ (Beledîa; Pl. C, 3), the _Azizia_ (Pl. C, D, 3, 4), erected under Abdul Aziz as a residence for the commandant, the new _Vali’s Residence_ (Pl. C, 4), and the _Technical School_ (Pl. D, 4). The _Sûk el-Khobsa_ or bread-market (Pl. C, 3), with its fondouks (inns), is worth seeing in the early morning.

The sandy beach, nearly ¾ M. long, is the scene, early on Tuesday mornings, of a great *WEEKLY MARKET (_Sûk et-Tlett_; Pl. D, E, 3, 4), attended also by camel caravans from the interior. Among the many products of the country offered for sale here are fruit and cereals from the oases (see below), olive-oil (Arabic zeit), henna (see below), alfa or esparto, reed-mats, pottery, leather goods (such as the girbas, water-skins in goat-leather for journeys in the desert, made at Ghadâmes). It is a market also for pack-camels (Arabic jemél), donkeys (hmâr), sheep, and goats.

Beyond the market are a barracks quarter (_Kishla_) and the suburb of _Dahra_, inhabited by Turks, Arabs, and Maltese, with a strange-looking mosque and a Catholic nunnery-orphanage. A little to the S., on the road to Másri (p. 411), is a _Negro Village_ with conical reed-huts.—To the E. of the market, close to the sea, lies the _Giardino Pubblico_ (Pl. E, 3, 4; bands on Frid. and Sun.).

The =Menshia= or _Mnshîa_ (pop. about 14,000, mostly Berbers), the coast-oasis of Tripoli, once far more extensive, stretches 7½ M., with a breadth of 1–2½ M., as far as the dunes bordering the _Jefâra Steppe_. In spring it is one sea of blossom. To the S. of the steppe rise the limestone hills fringing the _Sahara_ (Shára, desert), commonly called the _Jebél_ (mountain; 1300–1650 ft. high). The deep ravines, filled with considerable streams during the winter rains (14 in. per annum at Tripoli, but considerably more in the Jebél), continue to send down a supply of water underground even during the dry season. This water is obtained from countless draw-wells (sânia), bordered with white walls, and generally shaded by tamarisks (Arabic âtel). Day and night oxen or donkeys toil at the drawing of the water, which is then collected in reservoirs and conducted thence to the fields.

In spite of this imperfect mode of irrigation and the primitive wooden
agricultural implements used by the natives the excellent soil is
wonderfully productive. Beneath the fruit-trees of every variety,
olive-trees, mulberry-trees, and alcanna-shrubs (henna, Lawsonia
inermis; p. 108), which thrive under the tall overshadowing
date-palms, the soil still gives sustenance to barley (Arabic shaîr),
wheat (gammah), maize, lupins, tobacco (dokhàn), madder,
rose-geraniums, red pepper (filfil ahmar), onions, tomatoes, spinach,
beans, melons, etc. The excellent early potatoes are sent to Europe
under the name of ‘Malta potatoes’. The fields and gardens are
enclosed by mud-walls 3–7 ft. high, overgrown with Indian figs
(prickly pears; Opuntia Ficus indica; Arabic ‘hind’), which prevents
them from collapsing in wet weather. It is harvest all the year round.
From April to June almonds, apricots, and corn are gathered in, then
in July and August peaches (khûkh), from July to September figs and
luscious grapes, from October to December dates and olives, from
November to April excellent oranges, and at almost any season lemons.
In autumn the nomadic Arabs of the steppe pitch their dark goats’-hair
tents (beit shâar, house of hair) in the vacant fields in order to
gather the fresh yellow dates. The dates of the coast are, however,
inferior in flavour to those of the Sahara oases and unsuitable for
exportation.

The following EXCURSION takes about 2 hrs. (best to drive or ride; see p. 406). From the Sûk el-Khobsa (p. 410) the road leads to the S.W., cutting through a Moslem cemetery destroyed by an inundation in 1904, to (1¼ M.) _Bumeliâna_, where a pumping-station supplies several public fountains in the town. It then runs to the E. to (1 M.) _Másri_, with its large artillery and cavalry barracks, where the dunes command a fine view of the steppe, visible in clear weather as far as the distant Jebél. Turning to the S.E., and passing the mud-built fort, _Gasr el-Hâni_, we come to (2½ M.) the road leading to the N. to the (¾ M.) official house of the Sheikh of the Menshia (_Hôsh esh-Skiûkh_; fine view towards the sea from the balcony). About 1¼ M. to the N.E. are the _Sûk el-Jêma_ (Friday market) and the extremely dirty village of _Amrûs_, inhabited by about 600 Jews, mostly smiths. Thence back to Tripoli 3 M.

On the _Sherrashhet_, the road leading from Dahra (p. 410) near the
coast, are several country-houses and (about 2 M.) the largest
_Mohammedan Cemetery_, containing two dilapidated domed tombs (of the
Karamanli dynasty, p. 408), visible from Tripoli. Near it, close to
the sea, is the _Protestant Cemetery_, where we have a charming view
of Tripoli. About 7½ M. farther, on the caravan-route to Lebida (p.
412), are the village of _Mélaha_ and the oasis of _Tajûra_, with its
colonnaded mosque.

The W. end of the Menshia is 1½ M. from the town. We may thence cross
the undulating steppe, past several mud-built forts, to the small
oasis of (4½ M.) _Gergârish_, with its old sandstone quarries and
ruined watch-tower (Gasr Jehalî, tower of the ignorant), originally
Roman.

* * * * *

From Tripoli the steamer proceeds to the N.N.E. to =Malta= (p. 399). Off the abrupt S. coast of the island, with its numerous caves, lies the uninhabited rocky islet of _Filfola_, which forms a target for the artillery practice of the British Mediterranean fleet (p. 399). Farther on we obtain a striking view of the barren E. coast, with the bay of _Marsa Scirocco_, bounded by _Benhisa Point_ and _Delimara Point_. On a height rises the old _Fort St. Lucian_.

Beyond _St. Thomas’s Bay_, with the old castle of _St. Thomas_ and the bay of _Marsa Scala_, the steamer rounds the _Ponta tal Zonkor_, the N.E. point of the island, and soon reaches the entrance to the _Grand Harbour_ of _Valletta_ (comp. p. 399).

The VOYAGE TO SYRACUSE is performed at night. We steer to the N.N.E. towards _Cape Passero_ (the ancient _Promontorium Pachynum_), the fissured headland at the S.E. point of _Sicily_, with its lighthouse and two small harbours (_Porto d’Ulisse_ and _Porto Palo_).