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ancient habitations, and several deep wells ; there are several smaller
rocks, comprised under the general name of El Mekattya (b.),
whose respective appellations are, d. é..next -
is Sennenye (a), Nakhle, or El Eraneb (S), with
several palm trees, formerly inhabited by a great number of rabbits; ¬
El Ramkein (), and Shayshet el Kadhi ( 42422).
The inhabitants of the Myna are chiefly Greek sailors or shipwrights ¬
; I found here half a dozen small country ships building or
repairing. There is also a good Khan. On the southern side
the triangular plain is a sandy beach, where the sand in some
places has formed itself by concretion into rocks, in several of
which are large cisterns. In the bottom of the bay formed by the
plain and by the continuation of the shore to the south, is a spring
of sweet water, and near it large hillocks of sand, driven up from
the shore by the westerly winds. The sea abounds in fish and shell
fish ; the following are the names of the best, in French and Arabic;
they were given to me by a French merchant, who has long resided
in Tripoli; Dorade (), Rouget (sll,) Loupe (G), Severelle -
(), Leeche (s), Mulaye () Maire noir (is),
Maire blanc (), Vieille (); these are caught with small
baskets into which bait is put ; the orifice being so made that if the
fish enters, he cannot get out again. It is said that no other fish
are ever found in the baskets. The names of some others fit for
the table are Pajot (ax, or e).and J.
Half an hour north of Tripoli, on the road we came by, is the
tomb of Sheikh El Bedawy, with a copious spring near it, enclosed
by a wall; it contains a great quantity of fish, which are considered ¬
sacred by the Turks of Tripoli, and are fed daily by the
guardians of the tomb, and by the Tripolitans ; no person dares
kill any of them; they are, as the Turks express it, a Wakf to
the tomb. The same kind of fish is found in the Kadisha.