a kingdom of Africa, about 300 miles long from north to south, and 200 broad from east to west. It is bounded on the east by the Harutsch and line of the deserts; by the country of the Tibboes on the south and south-east; by that of the Nomadic Tuaregs on the south-west; and the country which forms the western boundary is inhabited by Arabs. It contains 101 towns and villages, of which Mourzouk is the metropolis. The climate of this kingdom is neither temperate nor agreeable at any season whatever; for the heat of summer is almost intolerable, even to the inhabitants, especially when the wind blows from the south; and the prevalence of the north wind during winter makes the cold so intense, as not only to chill the natives, but those also who visit it from northern Fezzan regions.

Rain falls but seldom in this country, and in very small quantities. Thunder is also a rare phenomenon; Mr Horneman affirms us that there was not a single storm from November 1798 to June 1799; and that on the last day of January 1799 there were some faint flashes of lightning unaccompanied by any claps of thunder. Winds, however, blow very frequently, both from the north and south, whirling up the dust and sand in such a manner as to give the atmosphere a yellowish appearance. There is neither river nor rivulet of any consequence in the whole country, according to Mr Horneman, who informs us that the soil is a deep sand, beneath which is found calcareous rock or earth, and sometimes a stratum of an argillaceous substance.

Date trees may be considered as the natural production of Fezzan, in the western parts of which some senna grows, of a superior quality to that which is imported from the country of the Tibboes. Culinary plants, and almost every vegetable peculiar to the garden, are met with in abundance. Wheat and barley seem well adapted to the nature of the soil, as well as to the climate; yet corn is not raised in sufficient quantity for home consumption, which is brought from those parts of Africa bordering on the northern parts of the kingdom. This is most probably owing to the native indolence of the people, the despotism of their government, and the difficulties inseparable from their peculiar mode of tillage.

They bestow little attention on the rearing of cattle, which are only found in the most fertile parts of the country, and even in these their numbers are but small. They are made use of to draw water from the wells, and are never killed but in cases of absolute necessity. The common domestic animal is the goat; and although sheep are reared in the southern parts of the country, the most abundant supply is furnished by the Arabs on the borders. They make coarse cloths of the wool, which constitute the apparel of the inhabitants in general. Their horses are not numerous, as they make most use of asses, either for carriage, draught, or burden. Camels bear a most extravagant price, being only made use of by the higher ranks, or by opulent merchants; and the common food of all these animals is the fruit of the date tree.

Although the trade of Fezzan consists entirely of foreign articles, it is nevertheless considerable. Mourzouk is the great market and place of general resort for different caravans from Cairo, Bengasi, Tripoli, and other places, between the months of October and February. The caravans which come to Mourzouk from the west or south, deal in ostrich feathers, tiger skins, gold dust, and also in slaves of both sexes as articles of commerce. Tobacco and snuff, with other articles manufactured in Turkey, are brought to the capital by the merchants from Bengasi; and paper, firearms, sabres, knives, and woollen cloth, are conveyed to it from Tripoli.

Fezzan is governed by a sultan, a descendant of the family of the Sheerefs; and according to the tradition of the country, his ancestors came from the western parts of Africa, invaded and made a conquest of it about 500 years ago. He reigns over his dominions with ab- Fezzan. Solute power, but is at the same time tributary to the bashaw of Tripoli, who annually receives from him the sum of 4000 dollars by the hands of an officer appointed for that purpose. The sultan who was upon the throne when Mr Horne man in 1798 visited the country, assumed the title of "Sultan Muhammed ben Sultan Manfur," engraved on a seal which is applied to all public acts, and also to correspondence within his dominions; but he makes use of a smaller seal when he writes to the bashaw of Tripoli. The crown is hereditary; yet it descends not in all cases from father to son, for when the heir apparent dies, a nephew may succeed in preference to a second son, which is frequently the occasion of much bloodshed, when the right of succession comes to be warmly contested. The palace of the sultan is within the walls of the fortress of the capital, where he leads a life of retirement attended by his eunuchs. The harem is near the palace, into which he never enters, as the female whom he inclines to see is conducted to his apartment. The harem consists of the sultana and about 40 female slaves, which last he frequently dispose of, and replaces them by others, unless they bear him children, or become the objects of his ardent attachment, either by their personal beauty or other accomplishments.

Those who wish for an audience with the sultan, approach the throne, which is an old elbow chair raised a few steps from the ground, kiss his hand, and raise it so as to touch their forehead, and then kneel before him to give a statement of their business in common language, taking care, however, to intermix it with such exclamations as these: "God prolong thy life, God protect thy country," and to offer him some small present. The court of the sultan consists of a first and second minister, the general of his forces, a number of black and a few white slaves. Some of the black slaves who are purchased while boys, and educated according to their distinctions and talents, often acquire considerable influence with the sultan.

The dress of the sultan, when he appears in state, consists of a white frock of stuff, ornamented with gold and silver, and sometimes of satin interwoven with silver. The appearance of his turban is remarkable, which measures not less than three feet from the fore to the hinder part, and two feet in breadth. His revenue arises from certain taxes on all gardens and cultivated lands, and from fines and requisitions imposed in an arbitrary manner. The slaves who are employed in collecting these are often rigorous in the extreme, but it is often possible to procure their lenity by means of a bribe. The expenditure of this revenue is chiefly confined to the support of the sultan, his court and palace; for the cadi and department of justice, the religious order, and principal officers of government, are supported by the produce of date-tree woods and gardens.

The administration of justice is vested in the hands of a cadi, whose decisions are guided by the Mohammedan law, by antiquated customs, and established practice; but judgment in all criminal cases is purely arbitrary, or is referred to the sultan. The office of cadi has been hereditary in one family, ever since the conquest of the country by the ancestors of the present sultan; and when he dies, his place is filled by one who is the most eminent for learning, or who can best read and write, which is all the learning that he is ever possessed of.

It is difficult to ascertain anything like an accurate statement of the population of Fezzan; but Mr Horne man conjectures that they may amount to about 75,000, all of them professing the religion of Mahomet. The complexion of the people varies considerably; those in the northern parts bearing in this respect a striking resemblance to the Arabians, while those in the southern districts are very much like the Tibboes and Tuaregs. Those who are strictly indigenous are of ordinary stature, and their limbs far from being muscular; of a deep brown colour, short black hair, with their face formed like the people of Europe, and their nose not so flat as that of the negro. Their walk, mien, and gesture, indicate a total want of energy, either of body or mind.

The women of this country are in general fond of dancing, and the wanton manners and public freedoms in which they are permitted to indulge, are frequently astonishing, even to Mahometans from other countries; and the men are very much addicted to the vice of drunkenness, using the juice of the date-tree, or a drink that is called bufa, which is of an intoxicating nature.

Different species of the venereal disease prevail in this country, but that which is brought from Soudan is reckoned the most inveterate. The common lues venerea is called franzzi, for the cure of which they make use of falts and colocynth as powerful cathartics, healing the fores with natron water or dissolved soda. They are sometimes afflicted with haemorrhoids, the cure of which is no doubt rendered more difficult by the too liberal use of red pepper; and a fever and ague which are very pernicious to foreigners. They are entirely unacquainted with phlebotomy, yet they sometimes draw blood by means of cupping; and some are as much acquainted with surgery as to be able to cure a simple fracture.

Their houses are miserable structures, composed of stones or bricks mixed with clay, and dried in the sun, and the hands of the labourer are all the tools which are employed in building. When the walls are finished, they are covered over with mortar made of calcareous earth, which is also done with the hand. Their houses are extremely low, and there is no other entrance for the light but by the door. They are uncommonly abstemious in respect of diet. Indeed they can never abstain from butcher meat when it is placed before them; but this is not an article of food with the generality, and their expression for a rich man is, "that he eats bread and meat every day."

FEWEL. See FUEL.