Fezzan

Fezzan, a country of the Sahara belonging to Turkey, and in the government of Tripoli. It extends for 390 miles from N. to S., and 420 from E. to W., and lies between lat. 30° 40' to 24° 10' N. and long. 10° 30' to 18° 20' W., and contains 156,000 square miles. It is crossed about lat. 28° N. by the Black Mountains, which are a volcanic mass in a plateau of white limestone, and reach a height of 2,982 feet. .A peculiar feature are the shallow Trona lakes, which produce a kind of brine shrimp, which when made into paste much resembles red-herring in taste. The climate is, for the most part, regular, though it is at times very hot, and in winter the cold is at times considerable. But the country is dry and healthy, and there is next to no rain - a matter, however, of little importance, as plenty of water is to be obtained at a slight depth for irrigation and other purposes, and the roots of the large trees, such as the palm, penetrate to the water-bearing strata. Although there are five harvests a year, and plenty of fruit might be grown, the cultivation of the soil is a good deal neglected. The date is the chief food of the people, and of the animals, of which there are few besides the camel, fowls, pigeons, a few horses and sheep, and here and there an antelope. Views vary much as to the amount of population. The trade of the district is small. The jurisdiction is vested in a lieutenant-governor.