heat now grew intense; there was a dead calm; the naked surface of the sandy plain glowed like a furnace; and each of us, closely wrapped in his bernous, plodded silently along, under the burning rays of the' sun, now approaching the meridian. At eleven o'clock, greatly to the relief of man and horse, we reached a spring of fresh water, rising in the plain, and, throwing ourselves on the ground, thrust our heads into a stunted bush a foot or two high, glad to have obtained even so sorry a shelter from the scorching heat. The thermometer, well protected from the sun, marked ninety-nine degrees, whilst the temperature of the running water was seventy-three degrees.

Resuming our route, and keeping more towards the coast, we rode along the base of a range of undulating hillocks on our right. To the left, the mirage was displaying the magic wonders of its fairy scenery; bright specks swelled imperceptibly into lakes, and the lakes became a sea; a continent dissolved beneath the eye into islands, now bare, now covered to the water's edge with waving woods; and, floating on the glittering surface of the mimic ocean, these again divided

into a thousand islets, or, re-uniting, appeared to lay the foundations of another land. We had often witnessed the mirage before, but never in the perfection in which it appeared on this day. Its extreme beauty was probably owing, in addition to the usual causes, to the perfect level of the plain, and the vicinity of the mountains to the westward.

Towards evening, we circled round the base of the mountain range that extends from Zouwan to near the sebkah el Jereebah, which we had passed on our road to Hergla, and halted for the night, at half-past six, with a tribe whose chief had made the first step towards civilization, by building in the centre of the pasturage belonging to his tribe, for his own occasional residence, a small house. He is very proud of his stone and lime habitation, but, for living in, he much prefers a tent. We had intended starting next morning for Zouwan at three o'clock, but no one awoke in time, so that it was past five when we set forward.

Passing under the picturesquely situated village of Takroona, perched on the flat summit of a hill, we followed a northwesterly direction through the mountains; the valleys,

rocks, and wooded glens, appearing more beautiful than usual, after the sameness of the country we had lately traversed. For the greater part of the distance we kept the track of a Roman road, passing the fragments of several ancient mile-stones, so worn and defaced that only detached figures and letters could be made out. Judging from the numerous ruins, these mountains must have been densely populated, for we saw, in the space of a few miles, the remains of three considerable towns.

At noon we arrived at Zouwan, and, the Sheick being in prison at Tunis, we were lodged in the house of a wealthy Jew, who, for a wonder, had a tolerably clean room to offer us.

CHAPTER VIIL

Zouwan-Its spring and temple-Untried adventure-Shasheahs-New quarters-Ascent of the mountain-Ruins of Oudena—The great aqueduct—Mahmudiah-Locusts— Return to Tunis-Plans-Farewell interview with the Bey -Court of Justice-Ancient and modern costume-" Chattars"-Interior of the Bardo-Young courtiers-The Bey's stud-Manuba palace-Barracks-Sidi Tolhah-An Arabic ode-The Kasbah-Powder mills-Public buildings of Tunis-Statistics of the Regency-The Bey-Abolition of slavery-Government.

THE situation of Zouwan is extremely beautiful. The town, surrounded by gardens and groves of magnificent trees, stands on the lower slope of the mountain, the rugged peaks of which rise precipitously from the rich bed of verdure at its base. The arched gateway of the ancient city, with its sculptured -key-stone and vacant niches,* still forms the

* The devices on the key-stone are a ram's head, over it a wreath of leaves around the word AUXILIO; the whole surmounted by the letter A, of a large size.

entrance of the modern town. Higher up the acclivity lie the tombs of many a generation; clear streams pour down the mountain's side, while picturesquely placed around the town and embosomed in trees, the snowwhite domes of several marabouts are seen.

Two miles to the westward springs the fountain of Zouwan, whose ever-flowing stream was once conveyed by the great aqueduct, through hills and over valleys, a distance of fifty miles, to Carthage. Care seems to have been taken to protect and adorn the source in a manner worthy of the great city which the spring supplied. The basin within which the waters rise, is in the singular form of two intersecting ovals; on either hand a flight of steps leads, under an arch, to a terrace immediately behind it, where are the ruins of an extensive temple, with a central shrine, and arcades, open to the interior and containing niches, which probably were once filled with statues of the presiding water nymphs.

Overhanging the basin is an aged tree, whose gnarled roots, forcing their way between the loosened stones, have formed an arched entrance to a narrow passage in the