These Dates Grow In A Belt Of Sand, At About Two Or Three Miles Distant From The Town, And Are Of A Quality Far Superior To Any Produced In The North Of Africa. Owing To Their Excellence, They Are Sold At A Very High Price At Tripoli.

The adjoining country is entirely destitute of shrubs, or any kind of food for camels, which are therefore sent

To graze about five miles off; while in the town, all animals are fed on dates. Sheep are brought here from Benioleed, and are, in consequence of coming from such a distance, very dear. In the gardens about three miles from the town, barley, maize, and gussob ohourra are cultivated, as well as a few onions, turnips, and peppers. The number of flies here are immense, and all the people carry little flappers, made of bunches of wild bulls' hair tied to a short stick, in order to keep those pests at a distance. The dates all being deposited in store-houses in the town, may account in some degree for the multitude of these insects, which in a few minutes fill every dish or bowl containing any liquid.

The costume is here the same as that of the Bedouins, consisting generally of a shirt and barracan, a red cap, and sandals. A few, whose circumstances allow of it, dress in the costume of Tripoli. The neat appearance of the men in general is very striking, compared with that of the Arabs about the coast. The women are considered exceedingly handsome, indeed one or two were really so, and as fair as Europeans, but they are noted for their profligacy and love of intrigue.

The first day of spring is at Sockna a day of general rejoicing. It is then the custom, to dress out little tents or bowers on the tops of the houses, decorating them with carpets, jereeds, shawls, and sashes. A gaudy handkerchief on a pole, as a standard, completes the work, which is loudly cheered by the little children, who eat, drink, and play during the day in these covered places, welcoming the spring by songs, and crying continually, "O welcome spring, with pleasure bring us plenty." The women give entertainment in their houses, and the day is quite a holiday. From the top of the houses in which Captain Lyon lodged, these little bowers had a very pretty effect, every roof in the town being ornamented with one. Four ears of corn were this day seen perfectly ripe, which was very early for the season. The gardens here are excellent, compared with the others in Fezzan.

Ten miles east by south from Sockna is the town of Hoon. It is smaller than Sockna, but is built and walled in the same manner. It has three gates, three mosques, and a large building, which is dignified with the name of a castle, but it does not appear to have even a loop-hole for musketry. The palm groves and gardens come up close to the walls of the town, and completely conceal it.

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