The Daily spy., 1849-06-22
cURIosITIEs OF THE LYBIAN DEsER1

The Oasis of Siwab, the site OF the ancient
Temple OF Jupiter AmmOn, is fertile spot in
the Lyhian desert, about fifteen days journey to
the southwest from Alexandra in Egypt Like
Palmyra, it acquired great wealth and mpor tance
II rom IFS situation and Its water, which compelled
all caravans from Central Africa to pass throu ii
it. From the earliest period it was a half w ay
station" and so continues to the present day,
| though al the present time the enterprise OF its
people have been crushed by the exactons OF
the Egyptian ruler. Its existence now depends
on the cultivation OF date trees and sale of the
truit. Eighty-six thousand trees are cultivated
IN this oasis, and between four and FIVE thousand
camel loads are annually exported. The people
are exceedingly primitive, and ii is all interest
ing Tact that they speak the Berber language.
This was the ancient speech OF Northern Africa,
and many believe that ii was the primitive Ian
guage OF Egypt, before the invention OF letters or
hiereoglyphics.
The capital OF the oasis Siwah-el Kebir is not
the least remarkable of its curiosities. Its con-
rtruction, according TO Mr.. ST. John. a recent
traveller in that country, is as follows:
g The site originally chosen was the summit
and sides of two pointed hills, or masses OF rock,
that rose out of the level plain. This hill seems
to have been first covered with mass OF closely
packed houses, with narrow lanes between. AS
the population increased, the ire gular octagon
into the air-house upon house, street upon
street. quarter upon quarter, until it became a
bee hive, not town. The streets being thus
covered over 1T is dark at mid day so that all
are obliged to have their lanterns %
Our traveller was not permitted to enter these
strange abo9es, and could, there lore, Judge of
them only by their exterior and by an examination
OF similar group in an adjoining oasis. He adds:
4" All know from my own observation is that
house Is leaned against house, and story above
story, round the central rock TO great elevation,
and that the backs OF the outer buildings, regua
~ corresponding, form vast WALL encompass
ing the city, OF the height of more than one hun
dred feet. n
The cause Of that singular mode of building is,
that when son Of family married, his father
built him house, not in the suburbs or by the
side OF his own, but on the top; every succeeding
generation did the same, as though this barbara
an people had determined TO initiate the tower OF
Babel and climb the skies. They stopped short,
however, within reasonable limits; the great
grand son OF detunct constructive genius per.
haps deening it safer to occupy the lower rooms
lett vacant by his torefathers. than TO be thursi
aoft into the air to the dizzy height which some
have attained, and SO the accumuladve process
at length ceased. 1t is probable that successive
generations push one another up and down as the
stories become vacant, so that whilst IN one pile
Of buildings the chiet of long line is at the bot
tom, in another he is at the top!"
The seclusion of this people has led them to
form curious notions OF others. For instance,
they consider the English ga degraded race.
without home, wandering about the ocean in
ships-the Freneh, as people OF blacks, dwell
ling on great mountain, in caves and holes in
the rocks ~