composition, while the facts adduced may be of future utility to those of our friends who reside at Malta. Whether in a political or commercial point of view, Tripoly offers to the speculator very solid and extensive advantages; although it will doubtless excite surprize, when I inform you, that not a single British merchant has formed any establishment in the country, for a period of more than the last fifty years: this singular circumstance. can only be imputed to the unaccountable ignorance in which we still remain, with respect to the coasts of the regency; for surely it cannot be supposed, that an English merchant would willingly sacrifice his health and property on the pestilential shores of the Orinoco, while the fertile and salubrious plains of northern Africa open to him such inexhaustible sources of wealth. That part actually under the Bashaw's present dominion, extends from the island of Jerbi to Cape Razatin, a line of coast eight hundred miles in length; its interior extent is, however, owing to the frequent interruption of the desert, extremely irregular: but along the whole coast, and for several miles inland, it produces many valuable articles of commerce, and is every where susceptible of the greatest improvement. There are, on different parts of the coast, many positions on which highly beneficial establishments might be formed; of these, and the places already but very imperfectly known to us, I shall attempt to give you a short descrip Sketch of the Tunisian history. Character of the Bey; his Page Interior situation of this Regency. Character of the Bey and others.. Administration of justice; anecdotes il- lustrative of it. Foreign relations of Tunis with Tripoly Valetta; other cities, towns, &c. Gozo. Productions and manufactures. Effects of British occupation on the national industry. Proposed improve- ments in agriculture. Climate. Inhabitants and popula- tion. Historical sketch from the Christian era. Sieges. Occupation by the French. Improvident capitulation of Valetta. Proposed amelioration of the political state of Civil and criminal codes and practice. Powers of the civil governor. Judicial stipulations of the capitulation. Tri- bunals and their abuses; representation of the British merchants on its state of public justice. criminal courts, and their relaxation. arising from the imperfect state of justice. &c. Difficulties in obtaining legal redress. Oppressions and litigious practices. State of the prisons. Inconve- American intercourse. Hopes of profit from Malta not realized. Frauds respecting licenses, &c. Political and commercial anecdotes. Shameful conduct of privateers. Honour- able conduct of British resident merchants. Vice-Admi- ralty-Court. Representations of the British merchants on the subject of bills and specie. Naval establishment at Malta; dockyard; victualling office; office of ordnance; National character of the Maltese. Love of liberty. Social customs. Amusements. Maltese ladies. Assassinations. Anecdotes. British and Maltese intercourse. English resident manners. Opera house, theatres, &c. Public service of English worship. Literature and fine arts. Pictures. Public libraries. Biographical sketches of 176, in the poem, 19th stanza, 2nd line, for swept read swift. tion. Although geographers have made no regular division of Tripoly into provinces, there are four recognized by the government, viz:-The Mediterranean and Maritime, on the sea-coast, and those of Garian and Messulata in the interior. The first of these, beginning at Port Bomba in lat. 32° 17′ north, and 23° 20′ east longitude, extends round the Pentapolis to the bottom of the Great Syrtis where the Philanorum Ara are supposed to have been erected, and embraces the whole of the ancient Cyrenaica, now called Lybia.* * The Cyrenaica, so called from the city of Cyrene, was also denominated the Pentapolis, from the five cities it contained, and which for several centuries were in a most flourishing condition. The successors of Batus, first king of this state, reigned for upwards of three hundred years, after which period it became a commonwealth, and had many sanguinary disputes with the republic of Carthage about the limits of their respective territories. The celebrated story of the Aræ Philænorum, as recorded by the ancient historians, is simply as follows:-Both nations being anxious to establish a boundary, without any more bloodshed, it was mutually agreed, that two men should proceed on foot, from a certain poiut in each other's dominions, and that wherever they met, was to be the future frontier. The Philæni, two brothers, having set out from the territory of Carthage, made such extraordinary expedition, that they arrived at the bottom of the great Syrtis, before those of Cyrene had scarcely left the Pentapolis. The latter were so affected by this unexpected circumstance, that they insisted on another trial being made, adding, that if the Carthaginians agreed to it, they would willingly suffer themselves to be buried alive on the very spot upon which they might happen to arrive; in the event of a refusal they insisted that the Carthaginiaus should undergo the same fate: when these generous youths, apprehensive of some failure in case of a second attempt, and 1 The Maritime stretches from thence to the island of Jerbi, in latitude 23° 25′ north, and longitude 11° 38' east; Messulata and Garian are comprehended in an extensive tract of mountainous country, lying south-east of the capital, between it and Fezzan, which is also tributary to his Highness the Bashaw. The regency is bounded towards the east by the desert of Barca, on the south by Fezzan, and on the west by Tunis and the country of Dates. A reference to D'Anville's Ancient Geography will shew you, that this part of Lybia was formerly distinguished by five celebrated cities, viz. Arsi fired by that love of country, which animated people in those days, determined to sacrifice themselves for the public good, and were accordingly immolated on the spot!-The memory of these heroes was long dear to the Carthaginians, who raised two splendid altars where the brothers were buried, and instituted annual sacrifices and games to their manes. Whatever degree of probability this anecdote possesses, it seems that the Carthaginians never occupied any part of the Cyrenaica; it was also the first province Rome had in Africa. Tasso's idea of the Cyrenaica is both just and very happily expressed Rodi e Creta contane inverso 'l Polo Non scerne; e pur lungo Africa sen Viene Sul mer culte e ferace, addentro solo Gerusalemme, Lib. c. 15. |