desert into a verdant carpet, adorned with flowers.

Gabs is situated in the Lesser Syrtis, and is within thirty-three miles of the southern boundary of Tunis on the coast. It is said to contain 30,000 inhabitants. The chief branch of trade is the henna, which is plentifully cultivated in the gardens. The leaves of this plant, dried and powdered, are used by the African ladies, as has been before observed, to colour their hands and feet. At Gabs are ruins, among which are some beautiful granite pillars still standing. These are square, and about twelve feet high, and are such as I have not seen in any part of Africa.

From Gabs, I proceeded northward along the coast, on my return to the city of Tunis. Passing several smaller towns, at the distance of eightysix miles from Gabs, I came to Sfax, a neat thriving city, walled round. The inhabitants carry on a trade in oil and linen; and, what is rather remarkable in these countries, they are permitted to enjoy the fruits of their own industry.

After leaving Sfax, I quitted the coast, and turned to the north-west, to visit El Jemmé, where are altars, columns, and mutilated statues; among the latter are, a giant in armour and a Venus of Medicis, without heads. But the pride of Jemmé is a beautiful and spacious amphitheatre, which consisted originally of sixty-four arches, and four orders of columns, placed one above another. The upper story is most of it fallen; and one of the Beys of Tunis, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, made use of this edifice as a fortress, during a revolt of the Arabs, and blew up four of its arches from top to bottom; yet nothing

can be more magnificent than it still is, on the outside; and, within, the platform of the seats, the galleries, and the passages leading up to them, are now remaining. The arena is nearly circular, and in the centre is a deep pit, or well, cased with hewn stone.

I regained the coast of the Lesser Syrtis at Salecto, where are the ruins of a large castle, little inferior in extent to the Tower of London. This place, or El Medea, five miles to the northward of it, is said to be that where Hannibal embarked, after his flight from Carthage.

From El Medea, I continued along the coast, through a beautiful and well cultivated country, to Susa, the chief mart of Tunis for oil and linen, and one of the most considerable and wealthy cities of the Tunisians. From thence I proceeded to Cape Bon, the Ras-Addar of the Moors, the Promontory of Mercury of the ancients, and the extremity of the state of Tunis to the north-east.

About six miles to the west-south-west of this promontory, is the Sanctuary of Seedy Daoud, surrounded by the ruins of the ancient Nisua. Here are three Mosaic pavements of great beauty. The horse, the insignia of the Carthaginians, is displayed upon these in the same bold, free attitude as upon the African medals; and the numerous hawks, partridges, giltheads, mullets, palms, and olives; the various inhabitants of the air and water, and produce of the soil of the country, represented on a variegated ground, form pictures more gay and lively than a common painting.

From the ancient Nisua I proceeded to the city of Tunis, having now made the tour of the coun

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try, and visited all the principal remains of antiquity, and most considerable cities of modern times. In the course of this, I had found one ancient maritime city at a distance from the shore, and a part of another under the sea; and I had seen the ruins of many Roman towns, the names of which could not be distinguished.

CHAPTER XXVI.

MANNERS OF TUNIS. VISIT OF HER LATE MAJESTY

QUEEN CAROLINE.

TUNIS, after being under the dominion of the Khalifs, the Emperor of Marocco, the Moors, and the Emperor Charles the Fifth, submitted to Sinan Bashaw, a Turkish officer, in the year 1574. His successors have become absolute sovereigns. The Bey of Tunis can bring into the field from forty to fifty thousand of his militia, three fourths of whom are cavalry; he has also in his service about six thousand Turks, who are feared and hated by the Moors. The whole population of the country has been estimated at 7,000 Turks, 100,000 Jews, 2,386,000 Moors and Arabs, and 7,000 Christians, free and slaves.

The subjects of the King of Naples, alone, who were in slavery at Tunis, in the year 1808, amounted nearly to two thousand. Among these were a Sicilian lady and her five daughters, who

were in the hands of the first minister of the Marine; and each of the daughters, as she grew up, was devoted to the barbarian. If a wife threw herself at the feet of this Christian monarch, and besought him to ransom her husband, he would ask, "cannot you find another husband as good as he?" If a husband implored him to ransom his wife, this legitimate sovereign would exclaim, "what, are women so scarce in my dominions !”

The Bey of Tunis rises two hours before day, eats and prays, and administers justice every day in the week, except Friday. Any person who finds himself aggrieved, repairs to the hall of justice, and repeats, "justice, master!" till the Bey answer, and demand what he would have. Two instances will serve as a specimen of the justice administered here.

A tribe of Arabs designed to complain of the oppression of their chief, who was appointed by the Bey, and to demand his removal. The chief, aware of their intention, entered the hall before them, and thus addressed the sovereign. "In the discharge of my duty, I have been obliged to act with severity towards your subjects; for I could not otherwise obtain the annual tribute. For this they are going to complain against me; but I hope your justice will continue me in my appointment, and I beg you to accept of this small present." At the same time, he laid down a purse containing 10,000 piastres (about 6661.). Fifty of the complainants soon after entered the hall, and cried, all together, against their oppressor, demanding another chief in his place, and laying down a purse, containing likewise 10,000 piastres.

"My friends," said the Bey, after the proper

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officer had taken both the purses, "I was fully aware of the justice of your complaints; and I have most severely reprimanded this man, who has sworn on the head of our holy prophet that he will, in future, be good to you; therefore take him to your hearts, and be good to him. And as for you," continued the Bey, addressing the chief, "let it be known to all these people that, if the smallest complaint be made against you hereafter, your head shall pay the forfeit."

Both parties were satisfied; and it must be owned that the decision was as just as could possibly be made by a judge who had taken a bribe from each. In the other case, perhaps neither party was satisfied, though the same impartiality was shewn to both. The award, however, conveys an excellent lesson.

An Arab, who had a hen, agreed with his neighbour, who had a quantity of eggs, that the hen should sit upon the eggs, and the produce should be equally divided between the owners. Unfortunately, the hen hatched thirteen chickens, which rendered the equal division a matter of some difficulty, and disputes arose concerning the possession of the odd bird. The affair was brought before the Bey, and the hen and chickens were produced, in evidence of the fact. The Bey having heard the story, sent for his cook, to whom he consigned the feathered family; he then ordered fifty strokes of the bastinado to be given to each of the Arabs, telling them that it would teach them the consequence of quarrelling about trifles.

Hahmoud, began to reign in the year 1782, and the duration of the government is without example