That the ancient cubit, called the hashemide, amounted in propor. tion to no more than 21 inches and a few lines, though reasons might be adduced for supposing it to have been longer; for according to Marufides, the height of the church of St. Sophia, which from the floor to the dome is 78 hashemide cubits, is com. puted by Evagrius at 180 Greek feet; and according to the proportion which exists between the Greek foot and ours, the cubit in question will amount to 26 inches and about 2 lines. Even this is not enough if we follow the standard of the hashemide cubit, which, according to Edward Bernard, is marked upon a manuscript in the library at Oxford, and which he represents as measuring 28 inches 9 lines of the English foot, equal, within a trifle, to 27 inches of the Paris foot. The measures of the length and breadth of St. Sophia given by Marufides, namely, 101 cubits for the one, and 93 for the other, will make the cubit still longer, if we compare them with Grelot's dimensions of 42 and 38 fathoms. The comparison not being perfectly con sistent, the result given by the length will be near 30 inches to the cubit, and by the breadth 29 inches 3 lines, good measure.

I am aware that persons might think themselves justified in supposing that the length, whatever it may be, of the ancient or hashemide cubit, has an influence over the proportions of the other cubits; and that it would make the common one amount to 20 inches 3 lines, if we adhere to the standard itself of the hashe. mide cubit: since the apparent comparison between them is as 4 to 3. But as such an argument is not sufficient to suppress and render null the analysis of the cubit resulting from the positive measure of the terrestrial degree under Al Mamoun, even though this measure should not be judged to utmost degree of precision; it must be natural to presume that there is no proportion among the different Arabian cubits better calculated to suit this analysis of the cubit than the common cubit. The black cubit will be the less fit for this purpose, as, according to the hashemide measure, it must have amounted to

22 inches 9 lines.

possess

the

Thevenot, whose accuracy and sagacity, so superior to those of the generality of travellers, are well known, having remarked,

in a geographical work written in Persian, that the finger, the fourth part of the palm, and the twenty-fourth part of the cubit, was defined to be equal to six barley-corns placed by the side of each other, (a definition which is in fact universal among oriental authors), says, that he found the measure of six barleycorns, multiplied eight times, to amount to six inches of our foot; from which he concludes that the cubit, composed of 144 grains, must have been equal to a foot and a half. Now is not this the same thing that results not only from the measure of the terrestrial degree by order of Al Mamoun, but likewise of the special application which we make of the common cubit to that measure? I remark that the black cubit, in proportion to the analyzed measure of the common one, will be 20 inches and 4 or 5 lines, which, be it observed by the way, comes very near to the Egyptian and Hebrew cubit. Now, as this black cubit exceeded the common measure only because the breadth of the Ethiopian's hand, or the palm which was taken for a standard, surpassed the ordinary measure; not because there was any intention of altering the cubit calculated at six palms; would it not be making too great a change in the natural proportion, to extend it to 20 inches and almost a half, while the six Greek palms, though proportioned to the stature of a man of 5 feet 8 inches, amount to no more than 17 inches? If these consonances and probabilities do not extend to the comparison which has been made of the ancient or hashemide cubit with the other cubits, we observe that this comparison is probably but numerary in regard to the palms and fingers, without being proportional as to the effective length. Do we not see the same difference between the measures of a foot, though they are all composed of twelve inches? And, to take an example from the very subject before us, though the black cubit exceeded the common by three inches in the 24 of that common cubit, were more than six palms taken to compose it?

Into this discussion of the Arabian cubit, which relates only to one particular point in what forms the subject of our Dissertation, I have the more willingly entered, as I am not aware that the result deduced from it has hitherto been developed.

No. II.

MEMOIR ON TUNIS.

QUESTION I.-Are the Beys, who govern Tunis, Turks or Arabs? At what precise period did they usurp the authority which the Deys formerly possessed?

It is near one hundred and fifty years since the Beys of Tunis wrested the authority from the Deys; but they have not retained without revolutions the authority which they usurped. The party of the Deys several times recovered the superiority, and was not completely discomfited till 1684, on the flight of Mahmed Icheleby, who was expelled by Mahmed and his brother Ali Bey. An hereditary monarchy was then established; and Mahmed Bey, the author of the revolution, was the first sovereign. This new order of things was no sooner established than deranged. The Dey of Algiers, taking umbrage at the Tuniseens, went to enforce his pretensions at the head of an army (October 13, 1689), laid siege to Tunis, obtained possession of it in consequence of the flight of the Bey, and set up Ahmed Ben Chouques in his stead. Mahmed Bey having gained over the Arabs on the frontiers to his side, advanced against Ahmed Ben Chouques, engaged and defeated him, and then proceeded to lay siege to Tunis. His competitor having, after the battle, retired to Algiers, Mahmed Bey, without difficulty, made himself master of the capital, where he once more established his authority, which he retained till his death. He was succeeded by his brother Ramadan Bey, the mildness of whose character encouraged the Tuniseens to expect a tranquil reign. They were not disappointed, but this very circumstance occasioned his ruin. His nephew Murat, son of Ali Bey, impatient to enjoy the throne to which he was the next heir, availed himself of his uncle's indolence, rebelled, took him prisoner and put him to death. Murat's reign, too long for the welfare of his people, was

marked with atrocious cruelties. Ibrahim Cherif, the Turk, put a period to it by assassinating him, (June 10, 1702). The house of Mahmed Bey becoming extinct by this murder, Ibrahim had no difficulty to procure himself to be acknowledged as Bey by the divan and the soldiery. Being afterwards taken prisoner in a battle in which he was defeated by the Algerines, the army elected Hassan Ben Ali, the grandson of a Greek renegado, as his successor. With him commenced a new dynasty, which has continued without interruption till the present time.

The new

Bey was aware that his throne would not be secure as long as Ibrahim lived. This consideration induced him to employ va rious means to get him into his power. This he at length effected, by declaring that he was but Ibrahim's substitute, and only waited for his appearance to abdicate the supreme authority. Ibrahim, deceived by this apparent submission, repaired to Porto Farina, where his head was struck off, (January 10, 1706.)

Hassan Ben Ali reigned in peace, and nothing but an heir was wanting to crown his wishes. Finding that he was not likely to have issue by any of his wives, he resolved to nominate his nephew Ali Bey, who commanded his army, as his successor. Several years had elapsed; when a prize was brought in by one of the cruizers of the regency, which happened to have on board a Genoese woman, who was placed in Hassan Ben Ali's harem. This woman, for whom he conceived an attachment, became pregnant. When this circumstance was fully ascertained, he assembled the divan and put the question, whether, in case this woman, whom he had in vain solicited to turn Mahometan, should be delivered of a son, this child could be acknowledged as his successor? The divan was of opinion that he could not, unless the Christian slave embraced the religion of Mahomet. Hassan renewed his solicitations, and his favourite at length consented to renounce her faith. She was delivered of a son, who was named Mahmed Bey, and afterwards of two more, Mahmoud and Ali Bey. Hassan seeing that he had now three heirs, informed his nephew Ali Bey, that, as heaven had changed the order of things, he could not leave him the throne after his VOL. II.

A A

death; but that, as a proof of his constant friendship, he would purchase for him the place of pacha, whom the Porte still con. tinued to nominate at Tunis. The young Bey, submitting to his uncle's pleasure, accepted the promised appointment, and assumed the title of Ali Pacha. His ambition appeared gra. tified; but he affected a content he did not feel, to disguise the great designs which he had conceived. He could not without impatience behold the sceptre snatched from his hands, and, to spare himself this disgrace, he fled from Tunis to the moun. tain of Osseletis, put himself at the head of a party which he had secretly formed, and attacked his uncle. This attempt proved unsuccessful: he was defeated, and being obliged to quit his retreat, he sought refuge at Algiers, where, by intrigues and promises, he prevailed on the Algerines to espouse his cause. They sent an army to Tunis, and, after a complete victory, obliged Hassan Ben Ali to leave his capital and flee to Keyrouan. On the conclusion of the civil war, which produced a famine, the fugitive prince quitted Keyrouan and repaired to Sousse.

A French captain, of la Ciotat, named Bareilbier, who had long been attached to Hassan, gave proofs of his zeal by going continually to procure him corn and provisions: the prince gave him bonds for the amount, which he was to pay in case fortune should replace him on the throne. Affairs, however, grew worse and worse, and being deprived of every resource he resolved to send his children to Algiers (which seems to be the refuge of all the fugitive princes of Tunis), with a view to join them there; but when he was preparing to accomplish this design, Younnes Bey, the eldest son of Ali Pacha, overtook him, and with his own hand struck off his head. Ali, having thus got rid of his most dangerous enemy, looked forward to the peaceable enjoyment of his power; but his tranquillity was interrupted by the disharmony of his children. Mahmed Bey, who was his favourite, formed the plan of excluding his elder brother Younnes Bey from the throne, to which he was the next heir. He accordingly endeavoured to ruin him in the good opinion of his father, and succeeded in the attempt. Ali Pacha