Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/615

* TUNING. 535 TUNIS. sional regulation of their strings and pipes; but the stringed instruments need to be tuned con- stantly. See Musical Instruments; Pitcu; Temperament. TUNING-FOEK. A contrivance for regulat- ing the pitch of the voice or of a musical in- stnnucnt. It consists of two prongs of steel springing from a handle, and so adjusted as to produce a fixed note when struck. It is tuned in a', which has 435 double or 870 single vibrations per second. The tuning-cone is a hollow, metal cone used in tuning the metal flue-pipes of an organ. To lower the pitch of a pipe, the in- verted cone is pushed down over its top; to raise the pitch, the point of the cone is inserted in the pipe. TU'NIS (Fr. Tunisic). A French protecto- rate in North Africa. It is the most northern of African countries, and is bounded on the north and east by the Mediterranean Sea, on the soutli by Tripoli and the Sahara, and on the west by Algeria (Map: Africa, E 1). Its boundaries are still indefinite, but the area is estimated at 51.000 square miles. Tunis is physically continuous with the rest of North- western Africa. The northern part is a moun- tainous plateau constituting the eastern exten- sion of the Algerian coast range and the main range of the Atlas Mountains. Its elevation is on an average about 1500-2000 feet, rising in the peak of Sidi Ali, and in other summits to heights of 5700-0500 feet. This plateau region is fairly well watered by numerous small streams, many of which are perennial, the vege- tation in the northern mountains being abundant, with dense forests. The chief stream is the Mejcrda, the ancient Bagradas. The southern half of the plateau, generally treeless, is cov- ered with esparto grass. On the north coast the plateau falls abruptly in steep cliffs toward the sea; on the east coast, however, there is a low re- gion about 60 miles wide, fertile in the north, but becoming arid in the south. The southern half of Tunis belongs to the Sahara region, and. with the exception of a group of mountains in the southeast, is generally low, in some places even below sea level. In its northern part is the great salt marsh of the Jerid, surrounded by numerous hot springs, which are used for irriga- tion. The date palm is here indigenous, and grows in large numbers, but the rest of the Sahara region is arid. The climate of Tunis is healthful, with a temperature ranging from 50° to 96°. The rainfall averages 22 inches in the north, and is there fairly regular. In the south years may pass without any regular rains, though occasionally there are heavy showers which raise the average to nearly ten inches. The flora and fauna are almost identical with those of Algeria (q.v. ). Geologically Tunis is of comparatively recent formation, the moun- tains being mostly Tertiary, the coast region Quaternary, and parts of the plateau Cretaceous. The chief mineral products are zinc, lead, iron, salt, g^'psum, phosphates, and marble. Agricul- ture, the main industry, shows signs of progress. Cereals and the vine are mainly cultivated in the northern part, where the holdings are small. Farther south the holdings are large and de- voted to stock-breeding and the cultivation of olives (about 500,000 acres) and date palms. The eliief products are olives and olive oil, grain, fruits, and cork. The leading acreages in 1900 were 1,075,000 each for wheat and for barley. Large numbers of sheep, goats, cattle, camels, asses, and mules are reared. Tunis has practically no industries except the nUtivc lOr household. Carpets, saddles, and other leather articles and woolen goods are produced. The fisheries, controlled by the Italians, are active and yield principally allaches, sardines, and sponges. There are sixteen ports, three of them excellent. In 1901 they registered an en- tering tonnage of 2,724,092— about one-half French. The trade is increasing, but chiefly in imports, the exi)orts in 1901 having been only about GO per cent, of the imports. The total commerce in 1S95 amounted to about .$16,400,- 000; in 1901, to $20,700,000. Olives and olive oil, cereals, animals and animal products rep- resent the leading items of the exports; cereals and textiles (notably cottons) those of the im- ports. Nearly one-half the total trade is with France. There are 576 miles of railway — all controlled by the French. The French protectorate dates from 1881, At the nominal head of the Government is the native Bey, assisted by nine ministers — seven French and two native — who administer nine de- partments. There is also the Minister of For- eign Affairs, w^ho is the French Resident-General. He is virtually the Viceroy, All foreigners are governed directly by the' French. Tunis has thirteen civil and two military districts and a military post— all in charge of French repre- sentatives, French tril)unals of justice deal with cases involving foreigners, anil native courts with those of the Tunisians. The French army stationed here numbers about 20,000 men. The capital is Tunis. The budget for 1901 balanced at $8,000,000; for 1902, at $10,800,000— including the large items connected with the State rail- ways (nearly 50 per cent.). The other prom- inent items are expenditures in connection with the debt. The debt was consolidated in 1884, and amounted to $27,768,740. In 1888 it was put in the form of a 3V2 per cent, loan guaranteed by France. The coinage, weights, and measures are for the most part French. The population is estimated at about 1,900,000 and consists chiefly of Berbers and Arabs. They profess Mohammedanism. The foreign popula- tion in 1901 was composed mainly of 67.420 Italians and 38,889 French. There" are numer- ous French as well as Jlohammedan schools, a Mohammedan university in Tunis, and a college. Tunis is as rich in antiquities as almost any part of Italy, Punic, Roman, and Byzantine ruins abound, the two former classes re]>resent- ing magnificent epochs. The site of Carthage is still marked by the remains of substructures. A fine museum of relics has been established here. The Bardo collection near the capital is valuable. The early history of Tunis is connected with that of Carthage (q.v.). After the fall of Carthage the region became the Roman province of .Africa (Africa in the narrower sense), sub- divided into the northern district of Zeugitana and the southern district of Byzacium (Provincia Byzacena). Carthage was rebuilt, and in the second and third centuries of the Christian Fh'a was one of the most important cities of the Ro- man Empire. Tke Romans were vanquished by