centre of the
outer harbour. The canal is 2600 ft. long and 787 ft. wide on the
surface. Its banks are lined with quays, and ships drawing 26 ft. of
water can moor alongside. At the end of the canal is a large commercial
harbour, beyond which the channel opens into the lake--in reality an arm
of the sea--roughly circular in form and covering about 50 sq. m.,
two-thirds of its waters having a depth of 30 to 40 ft. The lake, which
merchant vessels are not allowed to enter, contains the naval port and
arsenal. There is a torpedo and submarine boat station on the north side
of the channel at the entrance to the lake, but the principal naval
works are at Sidi Abdallah at the south-west corner of the lake and 10
m. from the open sea. Here is an enclosed basin covering 123 acres with
ample quayage, dry docks and everything necessary to the accommodation,
repair, revictualling and coaling of a numerous fleet. Barracks,
hospitals and waterworks have been built, the military town, called
Ferryville, being self-contained.

Fortifications have been built for the protection of the port. They
comprise (a) the older works surrounding the town; (b) a group of coast
batteries on the high ground of Cape Bizerta or Guardia, 4 m.
north-north-west of the town; these are grouped round a powerful fort
called Jebel Kebir, and have a command of 300 to 800 ft. above
sea-level; (c) another group of batteries on the narrow ground between
the sea and the lake to the east of the town; the highest of these is
the Jebel Tuila battery 265 ft. above sea-level.

The LAKE OF BIZERTA, called Tinja by the Arabs, abounds in excellent
fish, especially mullets, the dried roe of which, called _botargo_, is
largely exported, and the fishing industry employs a large proportion of
the inhabitants. The western shore of the lake is low, and in many
places is covered with olive trees to the water's edge. The
south-eastern shores are hilly and wooded, and behind them rises a range
of picturesque hills. A narrow and shallow channel leads from the
western side of the lake into another sheet of water, the Lake of
Ishkul, so called from Jebel Ishkul, a hill on its southern bank 1740
ft. high. The Lake of Ishkul is nearly as large as the first lake, but
is very shallow. Its waters are generally sweet.

Bizerta occupies the site of the ancient Tyrian colony, Hippo Zarytus or
Diarrhytus, the harbour of which, by means of a spacious pier,
protecting it from the north-east