Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/86

 66 NORTH-WEST AFRICA. finding purchasers. The return trip is reported from Sokna or Ghadames by couriers mounted on meharis, and fresh negotiations are then opened with the Eurojx'au dealers in anticipation of the approaching convoy. Since Wadui has voluntarily suspended its commercial relations with Egypt, and especially since the revolt of the Upper Nile provinces from the Khedival rule, a fresh current of traffic has been established across north-east Africa through Dar-For and Wadai to Tripoli, from which, instead of from Alexandria, Kordofan procured its supplies and materials of war during the rebellion of the late Mahdi. At the same time the chief source of prosperity for Tripoli of late years has been its export trade in alfa grass, of which about thirty-six thousand tons were shipped for Europe in 1875. Besides its monopoly of the direct commerciul exchanges with the interior of the continent, Tripoli also enjoys the advantage of a favourable geographical position at a central point on the Mediterranean seaboard in proximity to Malta, Sicily, and Southern Italy. Nevertheless its trade, although six times more than that of the whole of Tripolitaua in 1825, is much inferior to that either of Tunis or of Algiers, towns which have to supply the needs of a far larger local popula- tion, and in which the European element is much more strongly represented. Great Britain, mistress of Malta, with which Tripoli is in almost daily com- munication, enjoys more than one-half of the whole trade of the place ; she supplies nearly all the cotton goods, here known as " Maltese," from the name of the neighbouring insular depot, taking in exchange the great bulk of all the alfa grass of the country. The Italians, represented in the town by almost all the European immigrants, occupy the second position in the movement of exchanges. Till recently France ranked even after Turkey in the general trade and shipping ; but since the seizure of the neighbouring province of Tunisia, her share in the traffic has considerably increased. But the importance of Tripoli as a great emporium of trade must continue some- what precarious until its harbour has been deepened and sheltered from dangerous winds. During the month of January especially the approaches are much dreaded, and at this season vessels are often driven ashore by the prevailing north-westerly gales. The natural barrier of reefs urgently requires to be raised some feet higher in order more effectually to break the force of the surf, while other reefs obstruct- ing the entrance will have to be cleared away. The channel is only from 16 to 20 feet deep at low water, and very little over 20 at the flow ; but vessels drawing more than 1-^ or 14 feet cannot venture to cross the bar without risk of grounding. West of Tripoli the monotony of the Mediterranean seaboard is relieved by some pleasant districts, where a few permanent villages have been founded. But farther inland the naturally fertile and abundantly watered plains of Jefara are inhabited almost exclusively by nomad communities. They might easily be changed, says Rohlfs, into a second Mitija, richer than that of Algiers. The coast route traverses Zeiiziir and Ztiui/a, chief town of the eastern division of Tripolitana, beyond which appear the ruins of the ancient Sahratha of the Phoe- nicians, that is, the " market," one of the three cities which took the collective