From the London Magazine.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE PRESENT
STATE OF TRIPOLI.

THE city of Tripoli, in Barbary, has of late years attracted particular attention, as affording the means of communicating with the regions of central Africa, for which purpose it is more favourably situated than any other place on the coast. The social condition of the inhabitants appears also more advanced, and the government better established and more secure, than those of the other Barbary states. Whilst Algiers, always the foremost in lawless insolence, is renewing its depredations, whilst even Morocco, emboldened by the example, is trying anew the course of piracy, and Tunis still keeps its corsairs armed for the first favourable opportunity,-the Bey of Tripoli appears to have, in earnest, given up for ever the old practice of privateering, and he keeps at peace with all the Christian powers, not excepting the feebler Italian states. Consuls, and merchants of various nations, are residing in the capital; their trade is protected and their property safe. In short, Tripoli stands now higher in the scale of civilization than any other part of Barbary.

We have been led to this subject by the perusal of an interesting memoir on the commerce, industry, and social condition of that country, and its intercourse with the newlyexplored regions of the interior, written by the Swedish Consul at Tripoli, M. Graberg de Hemso, and which has lately appeared in an Italian journal. We imagine that a short abstract of its contents will not be unacceptable to our readers.

The Regency of Tripoli has now been for a century past under the sway of the hereditary dynasty of Caramanli; the present Bey, Sidi Jussuf, is spoken of by Mr. Graberg in terms of high commendation. Considered as an African Prince, he is distinguished above all others by his moderation, the good choice of his ministers, and by principles of equity seldom violated. If led astray at times by the suggestions of some crafty courtier, he has shown himself open to remonstrance, and has listened to the evidence of right." It is especially since the last general peace, and after the final abolition of Christian slavery, obtained by Lord Exmouth, a stipulation ever Museum.-VOL. XIV.

since strictly maintained by the watchful care of the English Consul General Warrington, that the civilization of Tripoli must be dated. "The last-mentioned gentleman," candidly observed Mr. Graberg, "has exerted a great influence over the manners of these people. Before his time a Christian could hardly venture out of the town-gates with any safety; and now a European may, without protection, cross alone almost every tract of that vast state." The people of Tripoli begin to understand the value of peace, and the advantages of arts and commerce; they lose by degrees their former wild, roving habits; they are no longer the dependants of a lawless militia; and these are better securities of their future conduct, than the fortunate accident of their having now an intelligent and well-disposed sovereign. But when we speak of civilization and liberality, we ought not to forget that we are speaking, at the same time, of Barbary, and must not expect too much from any of her people. The capabilities of the country are very great, but sadly neglected by the indolent natives. The total absence of commercial and economical science in the government; the monopolies given to Jews and other speculators, to deal alone in certain articles; the reservation to the Bey himself of the sale of others, and the ruinous competition he exerts in the purchases; the injudicious restraints on trade, the taxes upon exports, and upon plantations,--all these act as checks upon industry. The occasional depredations of the Bedoweens in the interior, and the want of capital, which is felt in countries where men are still afraid of appearing wealthy, and prefer burying their gold to exposing it, by circulating it with profit, prevent agricultural improvements on a large scale. The country people also, who bring their produce to the bazaar, have been of late guilty of trickery and cheating, such as mixing water with their oil, putting stones in the packages of wool, &c. Such things were formerly unknown; and even now the inland trade between Tripoli and the interior is carried on with perfect faith. "The times are still," says Mr. G., "in the memory of men, when the mercantile probity and loyalty of the Mussulmans was proverbial; nor are these qualities altogether extinct in them, although no longer displayed in their intercourse with the Christians. Their own primitive ignorance, and their respect for the moral precepts of the KoNo. 79.-A

ran, rendered them a long time honest, and often the dupes of the designing Europeans."

The only manufactures of the country consists of coarse carpets of Messrata, baracans or cloaks, and prepared leather or morocco, red and yellow, the fine green and blue morocco being exclusively made in the country of Tafilet, a dependency of the empire of MorocCo. About five thousand goat-skins are prepared in Tripoli in this manner annually. The manufacture of potash is a monopoly of the Bey, as well as the exportation of salt, of which there is such a quantity, says Mr. G., as to sup. ply all Europe if wanted. The Venitians, in the time of their republic, had purchased the privilege of exporting salt, for which they paid a thousand sequins yearly; they went to load it on the coast of Zoara. The other articles of exportation are wool, hides, oil, salt butter, barley, dates, saffron, wax, and madder-root. Cattle and horses are also exported, the former chiefly for the supply of Malta. All these branches of trade would be susceptible of great improvement and increase, if the natives took pains to cultivate their soil, and to assist nature; but such is their neglect, that almost every article of produce has deteriorated, and the demand lessened, although the prices are exceedingly low their wool is dirty and mixed with sand; their oil, which is very good, is in small quantity, although the olive plantations might be increased without limit; the saffron, which is of the very best quality, is spoiled by being mixed with flour and other heterogeneous matters. The mulberry trees grow luxuriant ly, and yet silk worms have not been introduced.

A liquor called lagbee, is extracted by incision from the date tree, which at first tastes sweet and cool, but soon after ferments and becomes stronger than brandy. This is the lag; bee that has been mistaken by Horneman, and by his commentator Langles, for the name of the tree itself, and has led the latter learned man into useless researches about this supposed unknown plant. Out of the dates themselves a sort of brandy is distilled at Tripoli. A Jewish house enjoys the monopoly of this, as well as of the sale of wines and spirits, for which it pays the Bey 20,000 dollars annually.

This

Mr. Graberg gives a detailed table of the annual exports and imports of the three principal harbours of the Regency, Tripoli, Benghazi, and Derna; the exports ascending to 449,000 dollars, and the imports to 524,790. trade is chiefly carried on in Italian and French vessels. The natives have only boats of thirty tons or less, in which they carry on a coasting trade with the neighbouring countries of Tunis and of Egypt, which, however, is nearly at an end, since the Greek insurrection. The trade of Derna has suffered most from the latter cause. The Boy and his ministers are possess ed of four or five brigs and schooners.

The profit on the sale of European goods, especially manufactures adapted to warm cli mates, is seldom less that sixty per cent.; but it ought to be observed that months, and even years, often elapse before the entire payment is liquidated. Few purchasers pay in cash and

the government never. The latter, however, is, in many instances, the chief buyer, and it pays in bills called tezkheret, drawn at long terms on the governors and receivers of the revenue in the provinces along the coast, who pay the value in produce of their respective districts, such as oil, salt, barley, cattle, &c.

The exchange trade with the interior constitutes another active branch of the commerce of Tripoli, which place is one of the principal depots of European goods for the remote regions of central Africa. The caravans proceed from Tripoli to Marzouk, the capital of the tributary kingdom of Fezzan, where & great fair is held in the months of December and January. Then the goods are exchanged for those brought by the caravans from Bornou, Sakkatou, Houssa, Kashna, and Timbuctoo. The track of the caravans to the lastmentioned place passes through Ghadames, which is another state tributary to Tripoli, and governed by three sheiks. The inhabitants of Ghadames are supposed to be an aboriginal race; they speak a peculiar language which they call A'Dems, and are quite distinct from the Arabs, who surround them, and with whom they are generally at war.

The

The merchants from Fezzan and Ghadames arrive in the months of February or March at Tripoli, where they take on trust the goods after a twelvemonth or more, and pay punctuthey want for the interior, whence they return ally in gold dust and other articles. The profits on this exchange trade are enormous. goods most in request in the interior of Africa are swords, pistols and guns, Venetian glass beads, of which an incredible quantity is imported, coarse French and Italian cloths, silks, earthenware, yellow copper from the Levant, printed cottons, calicoes and striped muslins, writing paper from Genoa and Leghorn, coral, The returns are gold dust, chiefly from Timlooking glasses, razors, perfumes, and spices. buctoo, to the amount of fifteen hundred ounces annually, besides the tribute from Fezzan, which consists of four hundred and fifty ounces, ostrich feathers, ivory, senna, red alum, fine black slaves. cotton and dates from Fezzan, nitre, and lastly,

About two thousand of these poor creatures, caught by the Mahomedans of the interior in their grazzies, or marauding incursions, are yearly brought to Tripoli, whence the greater part are exported to Egypt and Turkey, a few only remaining at Tripoli for the service of the inhabitants, and these are generally treated with humanity. The Christian residents at Tripoli cannot purchase or hire slaves. The following are the prices of the black slaves in the market of Tripoli :-A grown up man, from 90 to 100 dollars; a boy from 10 to 18 years, 70 to 80-a child below ten years, from 40 to 50;-a grown up woman, from 120 to 150 dollars, according to her beauty;-a young girl from 90 to 100;-eunuchs, from 650 to 700 dollars each.

It is not, we believe, generally known that the slave trade, although forbidden on the Atlantic, is thus carried on freely in the Mediterranean. The number of slaves yearly brought to Tripoli, and thence exported by sea, used to be double the present amount, when the ves