Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/177

 TOPOGRAPHY OF TUNISIA. 145 villages, scattered in the midst of plantations like those of Culx»s, constitute a centre of {X)puluti(m known collectively us El-Ilnmina, or the " Hot Sprinj^s." These springs are the AquoD TacapitanoD of the ancients. The four hot springs, which have given their name to the oasis, have a temperature of from 9JJ° to 113° F. and are still used by the natives, who huve re-erejted an establishment on the site of the ancient hot baths. Beyond the El-Hamma oasis, which is environed by sands and steppes overrun by the Beni-Zid Berbers, the traveller must pursue his way between the escarp- ments of the Jebel Tebaga and the shores of the great sebkha before reaching the palm groves of Nefznira, about -JO milf s distant. These palm groves, some fortv in number, standing in the midst of the sands or encircled by rocks, occupy the lower portions of the triangular peninsula which stretches north-westwards between the Shott-el-Fejej and the 8hott-el-Jerid. The most numerous follow in succession along the shore of the great shott on the southern slope of the chuin of hills and dunes. In many places they form a continuous forest of palms, very picturesque in appearance but very dangerous to live in, on account of the miasmas arising from tl:e surrounding lagoons. In Nefzawa it is by no means rare to see ten or twelve date-trees springing obliquely from the same root, in such a way as to form a vast framework of verdure encircled by graceful clusters of pendent fruit. Most of the villages are enclosed bv walls and ditches, which would be sufficient to protect them from the attacks of the Beduins, but not against- those of an organised force. Kehilll, near the north-east extremity of the Shott-cl-Jcrid, is the principal village of Nefzawa, and in a neighbouring hamlet, to the west, are to be seen some inscriptions which afford grounds for believing that, in the time of Hadrian, the chief Roman station stood on this spot. The settled population of the Xefzawa oasis, now assimilateil to the Arabs in religion and sjx>ech, belong to two primitive races merged in a common nationality of half-brcwls. One of these elements was a tribe of Negro ajfriculturists, the other the Nefzawa Berbers, a branch of the great Lu&ta tribe, originally from Marmaridis. Around these inhabitants of the oasis are the encampments of the Arab tribes, most of whom are of a peaceful disposition. Amongst them are the Merftzigs, who feed their flocks to the south of Nefzawa and frequent the market of Duz ; they occasionally push on their trading exjwditions as far as Ghadames. Farther south, in the few oases and around the wells skirting the southern jmrt of the Shott-el-Jerid, is the powerful Ghorib tribe, which is allied to the Algerian peoples of the Wed Suf, from whom it is separated by the region of sandhills. A nuch smaller tribe, but still very dangerous on account of their plundering habits, is that of the Ulad Yakub, or *' Sons of Jacob," who are not to be confused with another of the same name, encamped in the mountains south of the Mejerda. These Ulad Yakub of the desert wander to the south-east of Nefzawa over upland steppes, whence they com- mand the routes between Tunis and Ghmiames. These are the nomads who have stopped the direct caravan trade between Tunis and Nigritia. Like the Tuaregs, the people of the oases, both nomad and settled, wear the /ifzftw, or veil, which