[Footnote 23: The principal tribes living in the district Tarhóna are the Hhamadát, the Drahíb, Welád Bu-Síd, Welád Bu-Mʿarah, Marghána, Welád ʿAli, W. Yusuf, Megaigerah, Firján, W. Meháda, W. Bú-Sellem, Naʿaje, Máta, Khwárish, Gerákta, Bu-Saba, Shefátra, Welád Hámed, Erhaimíyeh.] [Footnote 24: The quarter of the village nearest to the castle is principally inhabited by Jews.] [Footnote 25: The elevation of this place was determined by Lieutenant (now Rear-Admiral) Smyth, in 1819.] [Footnote 26: The inhabitants of the Sahel in general, and those of Zlíten and Masráta in particular, are more attached to the Turks than almost any other tribe of the regency; they would rather be subjected to a foreign power, than suffer oppression from their own brethren the Gedádefa and other tribes in the valleys of the interior. Hence, in the revolution in 1855, they remained faithful to the Turks; and a good many of them were killed in the first battle between the Turks and the rebel chief Ghóma.] [Footnote 27: Wanderings along the Coasts of the Mediterranean, vol. i. p. 317.] [Footnote 28: Mérkeb means here “the high seat.”] [Footnote 29: This tribe does not seem habitually to frequent this district, the indigenous name of which is Khoms. The principal tribes of this stock, named to me, were as follows: viz. the Sambára, the Shuwaig, Ziadát, Legáta, Shekhátra, Drúga, Argúb Jehawát, and Swaid.] [Footnote 30: Smyth’s Benzbárah, which he seems to have confounded in some degree with Wadi Terúggurt.] [Illustration: DR. BARTH’S TRAVELS IN NORTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA Sheet No. 3. MAP OF THE ROUTE from TRIPOLI TO MÚRZUK 24. March to 6. May 1850. Constructed and drawn by A. Petermann. Engraved by Edwd. Weller. _London, Longman & Co._] CHAP. IV. DEPARTURE FOR THE INTERIOR. — ARRIVAL AT MIZDA. — REMAINS OF A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Meanwhile the instruments provided by Government had arrived, and proved in general well adapted for their purposes.[31] But the tents and arms had not yet reached us; and I thought it better to provide a strong, spacious, and low tent, which, even after the government tents arrived, did not prove superfluous, although perhaps rather too heavy. All tents intended for travellers in hot climates should be well lined, and not high. Those which we received were quite unfit for the country whither we were going, and while they were so light that they could hardly withstand a strong blast of wind, they scarcely excluded the sun, particularly after a little wear and tear. All the tents ought also to have top-ropes, which can alone secure them in a tornado such as are common in those climates. Mr. Richardson was soon obliged to provide himself with another tent, so that in the course of our journey we had altogether five tents, but generally pitched only two, or, where we encamped for a greater length of time, four.