esting result will be afforded by the inquiry than any which relates
to the quantity of corn produced at Tripoly. We find, for instance,
that the lands to the southward of Tripoly (we mean, those in the
immediate neighbourhood of the town) were subject, in the time of
the African Geographer, to be overflowed for some extent by the
sea; while the same parts are now above the level of the water,
which never reaches high enough to cover them ». , “ All the country
about Tripoly” (says Leo Africanus) “ is sandy like that ofNumidia;
and the reason of this is, that the sea enters freely towards the southward,
(entra assai verso mezzogiorno,) so that the lands which ought
to be cultivated are all covered with water. The opinion of the
inhabitants,” he continues, with respect to this riviera, is, that there
was formerly a considerable tract of land extending to the northward
; but that for many thousand years the sea has been advancing
' and covering i t ; which is observable,” he adds, “ and known to be
the case, on the coast of Monasteer, aswell as at JVIahdia, Sfax, G#es,
and the island of Girbe; with other cities to the eastward, whose
shores have but little depth of water; so that one may walk a mile
or two into the sea without being up to the waist. Wherever this
occurs,” (continues Leo) “ such places are said to be considered as
parts of the soil overflowed by the sea ;” (that is, not within the original
bounds of the latter,) “ and the inhabitants of Tripoly,” he tells
“ us, are of opinion, that their city stood formerly more to the north*
P a rt of the sandy plain to the south-eastward is, however, occasionally flooded dur-
ing the prevalence of strong northerly gales, and there is a tract of marshy ground, to
the westward of the town, between the cultivated parts and the sea.
ward; but. that owing to the'continual advance of the sea it has been
gradually extended in a southerly direction; they also declare, ’ says
our Author, “ that remains of houses and other buildings may still
be observed under water*.”
From this account, contrasted with the actual appearance of the
place in question, we must either suppose that the level of the lands
here alluded to, which are those in the immediate neighbourhood of
Tripoly, is higher, .at the present time, than it was in the age of Leo,
or that the sea has retired since that period. For although the soil
of Tripoly; still continues to.be.sandy, there is now no part of it, as
we have stated above, overflowed to the southward of the town j~.
* (Leo-Africanus in-Ramufido,Jp^ 7'2f.)—With respect to the former extension of T ripoly
to the northward, here mentioned by the African geographer, the observation is
certainly in some degree correct, and consistent with the present appearance of other
parts o f the coasl; of Northern, Africa; but we must a t the same time observe that the
town: could scarcely have projected any farther to the northward than the sites of the
French.and Spanish fo rts ; for beyond these we get into five and eight fathoms water,
i. / t We must, however,, confess, that we cannot altogether understand, why the loss of
the grom^d in .theirnrnediate neighbourhood of Tripoly, said by Leo Africanus to have
begn flooded, in, his days., should haye necessarily occasioned to the inhabitants of the
town so great a scarcity of grain as that mentioned by this geographer. For the high
grounds immediately beyond the parts which were overflowed, must a t all times, we
should conceiye, from, their rocky foundation, have been placed above the level of the
sea a t its greatest height, and might therefore have been cultivated as we find them to
l?e a t p re sent; and; tlie Gharian. mountains, as well as the country of Tagiura, both of
>yhich are still, very productive, are mentioned by Leo as places highly cultivated a t the
period o f the overflow alluded to. . .
We may remark on this subject—th a t the coincidence of the former with the present
state of the lalst-lnentioned places, appears to be the more worthy of notice, from the
circumstance of our finding the actual produce of other districts, both in Tunis and
Tripoly, very different from what it appears to have been in earlier periods. Among
other examples, in proof of this assertion, we may notice the great difference which has