The Republican journal., 1901-08-22
rur SACRED CITY OF KERoUAN.
D;ous Pilgrimage to One of the Meccas
of Mohammedanism.
n.cial correspondence of The Journal.

of Mohammedanism.
special Correspondence of The Journal.]
TINS. AFRICA, July 10, 1901. Though
...,4llpg in this desert country taxes
t,rbp utmost ones patience and powers
- Andurance-being here, you should
al ,hlrk the several pious pilgrimages.
AN. of them leads to kerouan, the
..,.r sacred city of the Mohammedans
-...i Mecca and Medina. 1t is not quite
An, miles from Tunis, as the crow
a4, hut Won prepare for the expedition
..-,is Journey around the world. Now
iays Won may go most of the way by
.,,.. or stick to the old transit of donkey
,.aleel back. But this is another of
.la rumerous instances where ''the
,.alrst way round is the surest," and
-,s viii ind it easier, quicker and
.5ner to sail out of the Gulf of Tunis,
i,,r the eastern coast of the Regency
oal.us 40 miles, to Sousa on the Bay
II Hammamet. By local coaster this
go, p.tupy day and night, if all goes
..s.1aAy we'll, but if q sirocco hap
,4..- lr be blowing-as it generally is
d.. , time of year-only Allah can
r0 long it will take. From Sousa
.. Yceed to kerouan by private
aws-r if fastidious-seven or eight
....- diive across the desolate plain:
DIFF uo may patronize the democratic
,rJmWay, which belongs to the
military. but is now open to ordinary
.ay. ers.
neither case, you will want to spend
ala. u Nousa-or Sousse, according to
f- biography of its new masters,
ynrnG, if possible, in the curious cot
t-r ,ap called by the Arabs Kahwat
NuaOba. or Cafe of the Dome" 1t
Sd small building, square in plan up to
about light feet from the ground, then
using ylindrically eight feet more and
nrmo5uted by fluted dome. The
cylindrical portion has eight deeply
sygled inches. with quaint cornices,
Swinging from semi-circular pilastres
trtveeu them; and the whole has
mDIr angular effect than can be de-
Nfae4 III words.
Ii wetty well up in classical his
-og you will remember that this port
-l, the ancient Hadrumetum, capital
o., gvzancium, which Sallust says was
A PHotuician colony before Carthage
a- north of the city of Tunis) was
pluded; and Carthage, you know, was
bqir elght hundred and tifty-two years
oriue hrist was born. Trajan turned
t1., ol town into Roman colony. 1t
pa,ed an important part in the Punic
8a and like many other cities of that
5a lime, was destroyed by Vandals
rG nstored by Justinian. After the
reverted Mohammedan Saint, Sidi Okba,
H Hlt kerouan \. d. go, he came
us o this port and remained a year.
- u show you the house in which
we'd. according to tradition but
must have been built at least a
CENTURIES after his death Later,
a-u Tie Turks took up the profitable
piracy, Sousa became one of
s- .tyOrite haunts, whence they
. forth ON predatory raids along
res of Italy. In all the wars be-
Ie0 Turks and Arabs, the Importance
10 '4i- port as strategic point was so
ST .iat its possession was considered
tt aer 10 supreme power. Built from
,t Waters edge up to the gentle slope
I'LL, surrounded by a crenollated
Ut. with square towers and baStionS,
lt-s-nrs most picturesque appearance
9en Ire deck of an approaching steam
M Ae town is entered by four quaint
-eorated gates, bearing such jaw
n8hlu5 names as Bah ell Gharbi,
Western Gate and Bah el-Djidid, or
t-@ cate" Inside, the mighty walls
ara deep arched recesses, which serve
HSloPs and storehouses; and on top of
is The kasba, or citadel, which has
recently been thoroughly restored by
tr french and now contains the resi-
-aoe of the commanding general.
Among many curious structures in
W.s3 IS the kasr er-Ribat-a square
H4Gng, fanked by seven round bas-
.ons With strange high tower rising
'.gn a square base. 1t was the palace
a Lladet Ullah, third prince of the
4silabite dynasty, who ruled here
~mething over thousand years ago
y 81, believe. Another remark
ahe riifice, either Roman or Byzantine,
With great dome supported on arches,
@ue narrow vaulted rooms and many
NNmnS, once encruSted with tiles or
40sdcs-is now used as all oil mill.
Inc modern trade of Sousa is mostly in
Le lands of the Maltese, who are every
Where in northern Africa the most in
'asirious and best behaved part of the
pulation. They also monopolize the
awning trade, with their karatonis, or
lg5 carts with two wheels, to each Of
"ltl one horse, or mule is harnessed.
l4ey are the liverymen in all the prin-
pal towns, keeping horses and CARR
dseS TOR hire. Four-wheeled vehicles,