TBIONAL. 471 TRIPOLI. milk. It is prompter in its action and safer tlian sulphoual. TRIPITAKA. Sec 1'itaka. TRIPLE ALLIANCE. The name by which three ditl'erent European leagues are known: (1) The alliance concluded in 1008 at The Hague between England, Holland, and Sweden, having for its object the checking of the conquests of Louis XIV. (2) An alliance concluded in 1717 between England, France, and HoUand against Spain. ith the accession of Austria in 1718 it became the Quadruple Alliance. (3) The Drcibund between Germany, Austria-Hun- gary, and Italy, which has existed since the be- ginning of 1883. An alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary was formed on October 7, 1879, on the terms of mutual assistance in the case of an attack by Russia on either party to the alliance, and friendly neutrality in case of an attack by any other power. This dual alli- ance became a triple alliance about three years later with the accession of Italy. The treaty be- tween Italy and Germany provided for common action in case of French encroachments on either power, and that between Italy and Austria- Hungary for the maintenance of a friendly neu- trality in the event of hostilities between France and Italy or between Russia and Austria-Hun- gary. TRIPLET (from iripJe, Fr. iriple, from Lat. triplus, threefold). In music, a group of three equal notes, to be performed in the time of two of like value, in the regular rhythm. For in- stance, when a quarter note is divided into three eighth notes, the group is called a triplet, and it is usual to place the figure 3 over it. TRIP'OLI. A vilayet of the Ottoman Em- pire, situated on the northeni coast of Africa, and bounded by Barca and the Libyan desert on the east, Tunis on the west, and the desert of Sahara on the south, on which side the boundary is very indefinite (Map: Africa, F 2). The northern half is the country called Tripoli and the southern half is Fezzan (q.v.). The area of Tripolitania. including Barca (the nnites- sarriflik of Bengazi), is in round numbers about 400.000 square miles. The interior of Tripoli is elevated and sandy, with fertile spots along the wadis. The country is exposed to the clouds of sand from the deserts. The coasts are mostly low and sandy, with the exception of the north- eastern part, where some of the mountains attain an altitude of nearly 2000 feet. Tripoli has no permanent rivers, but there are a consideral^le number of springs, and the dry river courses fill up during the rainy season. The climate is hot during the summer, but it has more of a Mediterranean than African character. During the winter the coasts are occasionally covered with snow, while in the interior the win- ter is marked by copious rains. In its flora and fauna Tripoli resembles the rest of the countries on the northern coast of Africa. Owing to the scarcity of productive land and its small popu- lation. Tripoli is very little developed. Agriculture is carried on only to a limited extent. More attention is paid to stock-raising. The chief agricidtural products are wheat, dates, grapes, and olives. Sheep are raised on a large scale, and cattle are also to some extent. Some sulphur and salt are obtained near the coast, and there are small sponge fisheries. The commerce was formerly very considerable, and the port of Tripoli was once an important outlet for the products of the interior, with which it is con- nected by numerous caravan route.s. The cliief domestic exports are wool, oil, and cattle, while from the interior of Africa come gold, ostrich feathers, ivory, rubber, and a few otlicr African [iroduets. The imports from Europe consist cliietly of manufactures. The centre of foreign commerce is Trijioli, the capital (q.v.). The annual value of the commerce is in the neighbor- hood of $4,000,000 annually. Tripoli, including Barca, is divided into four provinces, administered bj' beys, who are ap- pointed by the Govci-nor. The latter is appointed by the Sultan, and is intrusted with extensive powers. The Turkish Government maintains a considerable military force, necessitated by the frequent political outbreaks. The population is estimated at from 800,000 to 1,000.000. It con- sists largely of Berbers and Moor.s, the latter living mostly in the cities. The Turkish element outside of the official circles is very limited. The official language is Arabic. Hi.STORY. Tripoli appears early to have formed a portion of the territory of the Carthaginians. It ne.xt passed to the Romans, who included it within the Province of Africa, and gave it the name of Rer/io Syrtica. About the beginning of the third century A.D. it became known as the Regio Tripolitana (on account of its three prin- cipal cities, (Ea., Sabrata, and Leptis, which were leagued together ; whence its present name Tripoli), and was probably raised to the rank of a separate province by Septimius Severus, who was a native of Leptis. Later it passed into possession of the Vandals and Greeks. In the seventh centtiry it was conquered by the Arabs (see BARnAEY States), and the feeble Christianity of the natives was .supplanted by a vigorous and fanatical Mohanimedanism. In 1510 the city of Tripoli was captured by Ferdi- nand the Catholic, from 1530 to 1551 it was in possession of the Knights of Saint .John. Since 1551 the coiuitry has formed part of the Turkish Enqiire, though the authoritj- of the Sultan, down to 1835, had been virtually at zero for more than a century. During this period Tripoli was a piratical stronghold. In conse- quence it was attacked by successive expeditions of the English and the French. In 1801-5 it was involved in an unsuccessful war with the United States, and in 1815 an American expedition ex- acted reparation for injuries done to American commerce. (See Baruary Powers, War.s with THE.) In 1835 an expedition was dispatched from Constantinople; the ruling bey, Karamanli (in whose family the sovereignty had continued uninterrupted since 1714), was overthrown and imprisoned; a new Turkish pasha, with vice- regal powers, was appointed, and the State made a vilayet of the Ottoman Empire. Several re- bellions have since taken place (notably in 1842 and 1844), but they have always been sup- pressed. Bibliography. Fournel, La Tripnlitaine (Paris, 1887) ; Borsari, Grofirafia dcllit Tripolitania (Naples, 1888) : Thompson, Life in Tripoli (Liverpool, 18!)4) : Cowper, The Hill of the Graccx (London, 1897) ; Tago, "Report on Agri- culture and Other Natural Resources of the
