Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/79

 along the seaboard between Tunisia and Cyrenaica. Even the upland Tar-hôna plain, whose fertile soil formerly nourished a vast population, has nothing now to show except scattered hamlets and Arab camping-grounds, besides Misrata, chief town of the maritime districts. This place, however, which lies near the headland forming the western limit of the Great Syrtis, is little more than an obscure hamlet, although officially described as the headquarters of forty-four villages. A stone house, a modern lighthouse, two or three irregular lanes lined with hovels, and a few huts lost amid the palms and olive groves, make up the town of Misrata, which, nevertheless, possesses some importance as a market for the surrounding towns.

Carpets, matting, goat and camel-hair sacks are amongst the more valued products of the local industry. In Misrata is found the mother-house of the famous order of Sidi-el-Madani, whose founder emigrated from Medina in 1833. In the sixteenth century Misrata was a wealthy place, enjoying a lucrative trade with Venice. It was the starting-point of most of the caravans bound for Fezzan, and even till recently those of Tripoli followed the coast route as far as Misrata in order to avoid the dreaded hostile tribes of the Ghurian highlands.

West of Misrata follows Sliten, a town or rather a group of villages scattered amid the palm groves, and partly inhabited by Marabuts and Jews. Then comes the village of Khoms or Lebda, humble heiress of the ancient Leptis, whose