34 JOURNEY FROM After passing through the Messeah, or cultivated district in the neighbourhood of Tripoly, and along the large Salt Marsh, mentioned in Tully’s Memoirs, which was now completely covered with water, we entered the scattered villages of Tagiura. They are surrounded by gardens, yielding abundant crops of corn, fruit and vegetables, and shaded by thickly-planted date and olive-trees, which are equally valuable to the inhabitants. We find Tagiura described by Leo Africanus as a country containing a good many villages, or hamlets, and many gardens of date and other fruit trees ; and its present general appearance is probably little different from that which it presented in the time of this geographer.

In consequence of a considerable emigration from Tripoly, this country (he adds) became “ assai nobile e civile but we must confess that there are at present very little remains of its importance, or extraordinary civilization ; unless a large mosque, of some apparent antiquity (highly reverenced by its Mahometan population) and the good-humoured hospitality with which we were received by the natives, may be considered as examples of both.

The people, however, appeared to be contented and happy, and greeted us Itli many friendly salutations as we passed through their highly-cultivated country. Some Koman columns, which are said to be in the interior of the mosque, would seem to point out its vicinity to an ancient site * ; and if we must necessarily consider I'agiura to * This circumstance is however by no means conclusive, even supposing the columns to be as stated; for Leo Africanus informs us that modern Tidpoly was built from the ruins of Leptis Magna, after the final destruction of that city : and the columns in