Africa being an accurate description of the regions of Ægypt, Barbary, Lybia, and Billedulgerid, the land of Negroes, Guinee, Æthiopia and the Abyssines : with all the adjacent islands, either in the Mediterranean, Atlantick, Southern or Oriental Sea, belonging thereunto : with the several denominations fo their coasts, harbors, creeks, rivers, lakes, cities, towns, castles, and villages, their customs, modes and manners, languages, religions and inexhaustible treasure : with their governments and policy, variety of trade and barter : and also of their wonderful plants, beasts, birds and serpents : collected and translated from most authentick authors and augmented with later observations : illustrated with notes and adorn'd with peculiar maps and proper sculptures / by John Ogilby, Esq. ...

THE TERRITORY OF TRIPOLI.

NEar the Lesser Africa and Asfatus, over against the Island Querquene, * 1.1 call'd by Ananie, Ceraunia, the River Capez takes its Course, antiently call'd Triton. Westerly of which this Province takes its beginning, and ends at that of Mezellata in the East; so that it hath for Borders on the West, Tunis; and on the North, the Mediterrane; on the South, Numidia, or Bi∣ledulgerid and Lybia, with the Wilderness of Zara; and in the East, Mezellata, a large Tract of Ground, but altogether waste and unfruitful.

The chiefest Places thereof are Old and New Tripoli, Kapes, Machres, Elhamma, and Zoara.

Old Tripoli, by some taken for the Antient City Naples in Barbary, * 1.2 and the Great Leptis of Ptolomy. This was the Birth-place of the Emperor Severus, first built by the Romans, afterwards possessed by the Goths, and at length destroy'd by the Mahumetans, in the time of Hamor, their second Kalif; and ever since, as Sanutus saith, little inhabited.

New Tripoli, or Tripoli in Barbary, * 1.3 to distinguish it from a City of the same name in Syria, call'd by the Turks, Terabulus; and by the Moors, Trebeliz, or Tara∣bilis, seated on the Sea-side, is not great, but full Peopled with Turks, Moors, * 1.4 and Jews; surrounded with high and defensible Stone-Walls, strengthened in several places with Sconces and Bullwarks; yet having but two Gates, one on the South-side, going out to the main Land; and one on the North, by the Haven: adjoyning to which Gates, are two Forts; that on the North securing the Haven, which is very pleasant and beneficial, and of capacity enough to contain many Ships. The Houses like those of Tunis, and the Streets very well

pav'd, with one large Prison or Masmora for Christian Slaves; whereof there are always some here, though much fewer than at Tunis, or Algier; besides divers Mosques, and some Hospitals; but for the greatest part sorely decay'd through the Cruelty of the Wars.

Kaps, * 1.5 or Kapis, or Kafis, by Marmol call'd Kasce, and by the Moors, according to Mercator Kabez, being the Takape of the Antients, stands near the Midland-Sea, environ'd with lofty Walls, and strengthened with a Castle.

Machres, * 1.6 or Mahara, a Village, about thirteen miles from the Isle of Zerby, with a Castle for the defence of Kaps Bay.

Elhamma, * 1.7 a Roman Platform, three miles from Kapes, having Walls of Hewen Stone, and Gates, whereon in Marble Tablets may yet be read Latin In∣scriptions.

Zoara, * 1.8 or Zoarat, taken by the Antients for the Haven Pisidon, is an antient Town by the Mediterrane, thirteen miles to the East of the Island Zerby.

There is one more little inhabited, * 1.9 and of as little fame, onely for the Name controverted by Authors, some making it Gichtis, others Rasalmabes; and Sim∣lerus, the Gita of Antoninus.

The Syrtes are two, a greater and a lesser: the lesser is an ill Neighbour to the Gulf of Kaps, near Tripoli, being very dangerous, by reason of the Shelves, Banks, and Quick-sands lying round about: But the great Syrtes, in the Maps are call'd The Shoals of Barbary; and in Spanish, Baxos de Carthage; which is the same over against Ezzab.

Syrtes is properly a Greek word, * 1.10 signifying Shifting Sands, sometimes having much, and then little Water, and sometimes almost none at all.

The greater of these Syrtes is in Nine and twenty Degrees North Latitude, and Forty eight Degrees of Longitude; but the smaller in Two and thirty Degrees Latitude, and in Three and forty Degrees Longitude.

The Lake Tritonis, * 1.11 famous in Antiquity, and often mention'd by Historians, and Geographers, lies in the very heart of Little Africa. Volateranus says, there are there of the said Name, viz. this of Lybia, thought to be the Birth-place of Mi∣nerva; another of Boetia, and a third in Thessalia. Ptolomy places here two, that is, Tritonis, by Marmol call'd Kapis, and the other the Lake of Pallas. Diodorus after all makes mention of another near the Atlantick Ocean.

¶ THe Rivers of this Kingdom, * 1.12 are Karsarnaker, Rasalmabes, and Magro, otherwise Cenifes, all which take their originals from Mount Atlas, and discharge their Waters into the Midland-Sea, near the places from which they take their Names.

¶ THe Countrey is all Sandy, * 1.13 and so Barren, that no kind of Corn by the best Husbandman be produced there; so that the Inhabi∣tants would almost perish with Hunger, if Corn were not Transported thither from other places to supply their defective Harvests.

¶ THere is in this City no fresh Water, * 1.14 but that which runs from the tops of the Houses through Gutters. Not far from Elhamma rises a great Spring to the Southward, whose Waters being exceeding hot, are con∣veyed by Pipes into the Bathes there; which notwithstanding its so distant Current, yet retains the Heat so powerfully, that few will adventure to go

into it; yet sometimes for pure necessity the Inhabitants are compell'd to drink thereof, though in regard of its Sulphurous Quality, it operates little towards the quenching of their thirst. Lastly, not far from the City is a Standing-Water, call'd The Lake of the Melatson, by reason of having a strange power to Cure the Leprosie.

Sanutus places here the Lotus-Tree; which by some are call'd Mikakoliers, or ra∣ther Alsiers: of which Fruit, being sweeter than Dates, the Inhabitants make very pleasant Wine.

Lemmons, Oranges, and Dates grow here in great abundance, but no other Fruits, except Halbhazis, which groweth under Ground to the bigness of a Bean; it tastes like an Almond; but is never chew'd, onely sucked.

¶ THe Inhabitants of Tripolis live chiefly upon Weaving and Merchandi∣sing. Those of Kapes, being poor, * 1.15 are generally Husbandmen and Fishers, paying Tribute of all their Labors to the Bashaw. Those of Elhamma are lazy, poor, and very Thieves. The Zoarers burn Lime, which they carry to Tripolis: But all live hardly, their Food being so scarce, that he is accounted a rich Man that can lay up two Tunns of Corn for his own use.

¶ THe Revenue, Tributes, and Customs, * 1.16 which the Bassa receives yearly, amounts to a hundred and eighty thousand Ducats; * 1.17 all which come from the Customs set upon Exported and Imported Commo∣dities, the Poll-Money, or Tribute of the Jews, and the Contributions fetcht in by the Flying Armies of Dragoons from the Moors and Arabians in the Countrey.

The Venetians used formerly to Trade hither with their Galleys, but have long discontinued, going farther to Alexandria or Scandaroon, there being no City of note between that and Tripolis.

The chiefest Trade now is in Blacks or Negro's, which formerly were sold in Sicilia, but now in Turky. But when we have said all, we must con∣clude, that their Pyracies at Sea brings in their greatest Gain: for though it be the most inconsiderable of all the Corsaire Towns, yet they do much mischief: which the fitness of their Scituation doth exceedingly promote, though it is a place that usually all Christian Ships, Laden with Merchan∣dise to Alexandria, Siorte, or Seide, Aleppo, and other Ports that way, must pass by.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Borders of the Ter∣ritory of Tripoli.
• * 1.2

  Old Tripoli.
• * 1.3

  New Tripoli.
• * 1.4

  The Scituation.
• * 1.5

  Kaps, or Kapis.
• * 1.6

  Machres.
• * 1.7

  Elhamma.
• * 1.8

  Zoara.
• * 1.9

  Rasalmabes.
• * 1.10

  The Syrtes.
• * 1.11

  The Lake Tritinis.
• * 1.12

  The Rivers.
• * 1.13

  The Soyl.
• * 1.14

  Their Scarcity of Water.
• * 1.15

  Their Employment.
• * 1.16

  The Revenue and Trade.
• * 1.17

  Gramay.