Letters from the South

Preface

. More than two years have elapsed since these letters were written. During this interval, the Algerine territory has been the scene of several remarkable events, which, though they have not yet solved, are obviously bringing towards a solution, the grand problem, whether France will relinquish or retain the co lony. This question, I conceive, carries no very particular interest to the minds of Eng lishmen as a merely international question, for we have much more important and painful points to settle, than whether France will do

PREFACE.

. VI us good or harm by possessing the harbourless coast of Algiers. But in the course of these letters, it will be found that I have addressed myself to better feelings in the hearts of my countrymen, than petty national jealousy : I have dealt with the subject mainly in as far as it appeals to philanthropy, and regards the general interests of civilization. And Eng land would not be herself if there were not innumerable readers susceptible of interest in such a subject. I was the first Englishman who visited Algiers after the French conquest with a view to take a deliberate inspection of the changes produced by that event. I went thither, I can hardly venture to say, with feel ings unheated by partiality ; for, my imagina tion was filled with pictures of the prospective advantages that might accrue to mankind from

PREFACE.

. VII the French thus opening, as it were, the north ern gate of civilization into Africa ; and pre paring the way for commerce and intelligence, to expand over a large space of the globe. I cannot deny that my first impressions, on arriving at Algiers, considerably damped my enthusiasm. I found, by the confession of their own writers on the subject of Algiers, that they had committed gross errors, to use a softening word, in their conduct towards the natives. Still, however, my wishes for the success of the French in Africa, though damped, were not extinguished. When human conduct is con victed as blameable, I always recal that boldly charitable expression of the philosopher, David Hume, who, in speaking of Charles I., says, " His conduct was brought to the test of rigor ous scrutiny : a test which no human conduct will stand."

PREFACE.

. I offer no apology for those errors in Africa, to which the French themselves plead guilty : except this consideration, that in the drama of human affairs there is no rehearsal that pre cedes the acting, and there is not always an au thoritative prompter behind the stage. In many respects, the French have been unwise with regard to Algiers ; but let us put the question to ourselves — have we been overwise on the same subject ? — To our honour, Lord Exmouth silenced the batteries of Algiers, and brought the Dey to submission — but to our dishonour, Sir Henry Neale, after that victory, suffered the Dey to insult the English Consul at Algiers, and made a secret convention with the Pirate Chief, that Mr. Macdonald (our Consul) should be dismissed from his consulship. To return to the question whether the French will retain or relinquish Algiers, I must refer

PREFACE.

. IX the reader, who is anxious on that point, to the French themselves. Eighteen months ago, I should have had no hesitation to say, that the French nation, generally speaking, were decidedly in favour of retaining the colony. At present, I can easily see that opinions are going the opposite way ; and, if the flow of opinion continues in the same direction, the supposition which I threw out in one of the following letters, namely, that France will re tain the colony, will be falsified. If it serves the interests of humanity that the colony be abandoned, God knows I shall be but too happy at its abandonment. It will save us the pain of hearing of thousands of French soldiers perishing miserably in the Algerine Regency, and of thousands of the natives, who have not a surgeon among them to dress their X I'KKIACK. wounds, dying by the musket and sabre.

But, another question arises, — to whom should France restore this colony, if she were resolved to relinquish it ? On my return by way of Paris from Algiers, I was honoured by the King of the French, with a conversation of twenty minutes, which was principally on the subject of Algiers. — A man like Louis Philippe, — I speak of him as a man and not as a king, — is not to be met with every day ; and a trait of his sagacity struck me when speaking of Algiers : he men tioned this grand difficulty as to the relinquish ment of the colony, — "To whom can we restore it?" I said to him, " Your Majesty has con centrated into one question, an answer to all the arguments which my mind could ever collect in favour of one side of the subject,

PREFACE.

. XI namely, the abandonment of the colony." To whom would the Algerine territory be given back ? The Turks, — they would immediately be at war with the Moors for superiority : and both Moors and Turks would join in oppress ing the Jews. Then the Arabs would assert their independence, and there would be a universal civil war. Nay, it is a doubt with me whether, in the event of the French relin quishing Algiers, and even blowing up their forts and arsenals, the Algerines would not again rebuild their pirate vessels, and react their cruelties on Christian captives. The extracts from various works of repute, by writers conversant with Algiers and the neighbouring district, given in the Appendix, are submitted to the reader's attention, as being likely to throw additional light on some of the

PREFACE.

. XII topics touched upon in the following pages. But it is proper to add, that the arrangement of the matter thus brought forward is the work of another person, and that I am not to be con sidered as responsible for the Appendix. T. C. Page 1 CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

Letter I

Departure from Paris for Algiers — Arrival at Marseilles — Fruitless endeavour to procure a Servant — Com pelled to embark without one — Departure from Mar seilles — Mediterranean trading-vessels — A Master of the Belles Lettres — Natural gaiety of the French character — Mount Atlas — View of Algiers from the Sea — Its novelty and uniqueness — Numerous Villas — Christian Slavery — The Citadel — Emperor's Fort — Numerous Cannon — Mosques and Minarets — Effects of a Southern Latitude — M. Biron — Obtain lodgings in the house of M. Descousse — Description of an Algerine House — Dr. Riviere — Moorish Houses

Letter II

Streets of Algiers — Supply of Water from Aqueducts — Sewers constructed by the Romans — Fountains — The Grande Place — Varieties of Character and Cos tume — Vegetable Treasures — Barbary Figs — The Cactus — Its prickly Leaves — The Camel — The Horse ■The Mule— The Ass— The Caged Wild Cat— The CONTENTS. XIV Page 22 53 Poodle— The tail-less Monkey— Mode of taking them —Moorish Women — Population of Algiers — The Mosques — Description of the Vapour Baths — Coffee houses and Shops of Algiers — Native Minstrels— Algerine Airs— Beauty of the Opera Women—De scription of the Shops— Food of the Natives— The Bazaars— A Cook's-shop — The Algerine Barber- Expense of living at Algiers— French Soldiers victims to Drunkenness — Prices of Provisions

Letter III

British Consul General, Mr. St. John— Cemetery of the Jews — Aspect of the Country — Wild Flowers — Ad miration of female Beauty compared with Flowers — Treasures of Flora — Iachimo — His opinion of his Master — Mr. St. John and his Family — Description of his House and Grounds — Mr. Brown, the American Consul— Price given by the Algerines for the Heads of French Soldiers — Turkish Garrison in Algiers — The last Dey — The Aga of the Janissaries — Effect of Lord Exmouth's Victory on the Algerines — Mr. Mac donell — Concessions of Admiral Sir H. Neale — De grading Ceremonies required of the British Consul — French Blockade — Greek Captives — French Conquest of Algiers — Anecdote of an Armenian Interpreter — Surrender of the Fort to the French — Two hours allowed for the removal of the Dey's Family — French Prisoners liberated — Account of the Dey's Treasures — Compared to a scene in the Arabian Nights CONTENTS. XV Page 77

Letter IV

The Prison of the Christian Slaves — Once a Catholic Chapel — Treatment of the Slaves — Anecdote on the subject related by an Algerine — Curious Fact in refer ence to Christian Slaves — Their Food and Dress — Their Sufferings exaggerated — Anecdote of an Inn keeper, a slave — Redress in case of ill-usage — La bourers at the Public Works in the worst condition — Abolition of Christian Slavery — Estimated number of Christian Slaves — Sojourn of an European not par ticularly enviable — Free Christians formerly well off as to personal security — .\necdote of the Wife of an European Consul — Principal outlets from Algiers — Bab-el-Oued and Babazoun — The latter the scene of hideous Executions — The Garden of Experiment and Naturalization of Plants — Parsimony of the French Government — French efforts at Cultivation around Algiers — Want of Capital — Culture of the Olive and Mulberry — Wealth to be derived from Algerine Wine and Tobacco— Silk and Oil — Capital to be obtained by making Free Ports — France not envied the Posses sion of Algiers by England — The Palm-tree — Road to Douera and Boufaric — Superb View — Studies for Wilkie — The Dey's Gardens — Dr. Maris— Botanical Studies — The young Dutchman — The Powder-Mill contiguous to the Dey's Palace

Letter V

Extent and Population of the Regency of Algiers — Fi nances — Ancient Boundaries — Vestiges of the Romans CONTENTS. XVI Page 113 147 — Sewers — Barbary ravaged by the Vandals — Saracen Conquest — The Algerine Moors mostly of Andalusian Origin — Algiers a Pachalic of the Porte — Military Force — The Colouglis — Furniture of a Moorish House — Turkish Aristocracy — Their present condition — Characteristics of the Moors and Arabs — Dress of the Moorish Women — Anecdote — Manners of the Moor ish Ladies — No text in the Koran which denies that Females have Souls — A bit of Scandal — Dress of the Children — Use of Henna — St. Cyprian — His remarks on the Employment of it by Females — Moorish Arti sans—The Kabyles — Moors frugal and temperate — Their Schools — Early risers — Their domestic habits — Extraordinary coincidence between the death ceremonies of the Algerine Moors and the ancient Irish

Letter VI

Picturesque variety of the population of Algiers — The Jews — The Rabbins — Costume of the Jewish women — Feast of Tabernacles held on the House-tops — The Jews form a considerable portion of the population — Seldom found out of trading-cities — Best Shopkeepers in Algiers — Tradition of their Settlement in the Re gency — Oppressed under the Turkish dominion — Frequently burnt alive — Dreadful instance of a Jewish Merchant put to death by fire — Rich Jews had their Turkish protectors for a sum of money

Letter VII

Dress of the Kabyles — Differs little from that of the Arabs — Their Food — Their mode of Warfare — Univer- CONTENTS. XVII Page sally profess Mahometanism — The Maraboots — The Bedouins — Dexterity of the Kabyle Tribes in the Ma nual Arts — Practise most of the handicrafts of Europe — Forgery of five-francpieces — The Arabs distinguished from the Kabyles by their physiognomy — The Arab women tattooed — Their dress — Anecdote of a French Soldier — Excellence of the auditory faculty of the Arabs — An Arab Camp — Various Tribes in the Re gency — Negroes of Algiers — Generally well treated — Superstitious ceremony practised by Mahometans and Jews — The Mozabites — The Piscaris, the night watch men of Algiers . . . . . 158

Letter VIII

Bad reputation of the Restaurants at Algiers — The Climate — Clearness of the Atmosphere — Queries pro posed as to the French holding possession of this part of Africa — Considerations on the Questions proposed — France not disposed to abandon the Colony — A whimsical circumstance — Expense of retaining Algiers — Arab Cavalry — Might be rendered a productive Colony — Doubts as to ancient Numidia having been the granary of the Romans — The Mountains rich in Metals and Timber — Fossil Salt in the eastern parts adequate to the supply of the whole world — The Vine — The To bacco-plant — The Olive — The Silk-worm — Capable of immense production — Natives dislike the French — A Moor's opinion of them — Mussulman hatred of the Jews — The African wealth of France, calculated to make her a better customer to England — French occupation of Algiers likely to promote the civilization of VOL. I. C CONTENTS.

XVIII Page 180 204 232 Africa— Ignorance and Poverty of the native popula tion — Effects of the doctrine of Fatalism — Want of knowledge in Medicine and Surgery — Enormous Mor tality and Suffering — France, if disposed to retain Algiers, will learn the policy of being just and humane

Letter IX

French mismanagement — Captain Saphor — Unex pected meeting with a French translator of my own Poems — Count D'Erlon — His partiality for the Eng lish — Proclamation of the Governor — Fete in honour of the New Governor — Courtesy of the French Autho rities — Severity of the French Penal Code — Punish ment of the Pillory— Instance of a French Officer — Death of his wife from grief — The Galleys — Remon strance with the Procureur on the use of the Pillory at Algiers — Colonel Maret — Ben Omar — Description of an entertainment at the house of the latter — His little Nephew — No wine either at or after dinner — Hints given in reference to " the liquid ruby" — Extensive establishment of Ben Omar — Tombs of the six Deys beheaded on one day — Anecdote of an Algerine Turk

Letter X

Tribunal of Commerce — Comparison of British and French Settlements — General Clausel — Duke of Rovigo — Massacre of an Arab Tribe — -Dispensing of Justice — Pu lishments — French Tribunal — An Elope ment — Description us a Cadi — A Case decided be fore him CONTENTS. XIX Page 251 264 288

Letter XI

The " Moniteur Algerien" — Moorish Chronicles — Algerine Literature — Popular Songs — Anecdote of Canning — Modes of Courtship — Anecdote of Hussein Pacha — An Algerine Poem : " Dialogue between the Wine and the Wax-eandle" — Moorish Schools — ' The Mirror of Algiers," an Historical Work by a Moorish Algerine — An effusion of the modern Algerine Muse by a native poet

Letter XII

Report of the Cholera at Oran— General Desmichel — Resolve to stop at Algiers — Madame de Verger — Society of the French very agreeable — Ruins of a Roman City — The Rustonium of Ptolemy — Antiqui ties near Algiers — Mount Bouzaria— French Cabarets — Coffee Houses of the Natives — Profligacy of the Moors — Public Women — Moorish Funerals — Cere monies over the Dead— Burial Grounds — A Highland Funeral — Epitaphs of the Moors — Graves surmounted by White Turbans ....

Letter XIII

The Jewish Cemetery — Visit by Moonlight — Inscrip tion on the Tombs in Hebrew — Specimens Translated — Ceremonies at a Jewish Funeral — A singular Super stitious Custom — Algerine Melodies — The Chevalier Neukomm — Highland Music — Some Native Airs set to Music ..... XX CONTENTS. Page 306 324

Letter XIV

Ravages of the Cholera at Oran — Weekly Fair at Boufaric — African Showers — Review of Native Ca valry — Description of the Country — Belida — Mode of building their Houses — Retreat of the French from Belida under General Bourmont — Population — The French take it by Storm under Clausel's Government — Pillage of the Town — Misconduct of the French — Arrival at Douera — Description of an Auberge — At tacked with Pleurisy — Kindness of a French Colonel — Disturbed in my Garret by a Legion of Rats — Re turn to Algiers ....

Letter XV

Kindness of Mr. and Mrs. St. John — Story of an Irish Actor — Trip to Bona — " Leo Africanus" — Dellys — The Work of Leo Africanus on Africa, 1526 — Dr. Shaw — Bougia — Description of the Town — Gran deur of the Mountain Scenery — Anecdote of Turner the Painter — Mr. Bransil, the English Consul — Pre sent state of Bougia — Singular Story of General Trezel losing an eye at Waterloo — Storming of Bougia by the French — Description of the place by Leo Afri canus — Present Population — Inscriptions on the Walls of the Fortress — Description of Laugier de Tassy — Native Tribes around Bougia — Products of the Coun try—Jigel or Gigery — Adventures of an Irish family wrecked there

Letter I

Departure from Paris for Algiers — Arrival at Marseilles — Fruitless endeavour to procure a Servant — Compelled to embark without — Departure from Marseilles — Mediterranean trading-vessels — A Master of the Belles Lettres — Natural gaiety of the French character — Mount Atlas — View of Algiers from the Sea — Its novelty and uniqueness — Numerous Villas — Christian Slavery — The Citadel — Emperor's Fort — Nuri',°rous Cannon — Mosques and Minarets — Effects of a Southern Latitude — M. Biron — Obtain lodgings in the house of M. Descousse — Description of an Algerine House — Dr. Reviere — Moorish Houses. Algiers, 19th September, 1834. My dear Friend, One. day that I was in the King's library at Paris, exploring books on ancient geography, I cast my eyes on a point of VOL. I. B the map* that corresponds with the site of this city.

Its recent eventful history rushed full on my thoughts, and seemed to rebuke them for dwelling on the dead more than the living. The question of how widely and how soon this conquest of Algiers may throw open the gates of African civilization, — is it not infinitely more interesting than any musty old debate among classic topographers ? To confine our studies to mere antiquities is like reading by candle light with our shutters closed, after the sun has risen. So I closed the volume I was perusing, and wished myself with all my soul at Algiers. Ah, but the distance — the " mare sœvum et importuosum " of Africa — the heat that must be endured — and the pestilence that may be encountered — do not these considerations make the thing impossible ? No, not impossible, * The ancient Roman city Icosium.

I said to myself, on second thoughts ; the distance is not so great, and the risk of contagion has been braved by thousands with impunity: I will see this curious place ! I went to my friend M. Galignani, and told him my intention ; he introduced me to M. Laurence, who was soon to return to the colony as the Procureur du Roi *. M. Laurence, with the greatest friendli ness, sent me about a dozen books relating to the colony, and offered, if I would ac company him in the mail-post to Toulon, to procure me a passage from thence to Algiers in the government steam-packet. Unfortunately for me, I had too much bag gage to be accommodated in the mail, so I had to set out in the diligence, trusting to meet with M. Laurence at Marseilles. As I travelled night and day, I had but a * Corresponding with our Attorney-General.

B hasty view of the country, and when I reached Marseilles, I found that the Procu reur du Roi had got there before me, and (as I concluded) was already embarked at Toulon. A merchant-vessel was to sail for Algiers the next morning; I took a berth on board of her, being anxious to get across before the season of the equinoctial gales. I have since learnt that these gales are not so punctual in their visits to the Medi terranean during the autumn as to other seas. Meanwhile, an advice which M. Lau rence had given me dwelt in my mind, namely, by all means to take a servant with me from Europe, as the Algerine lodging-houses leave you very much to serve yourself. The only day therefore which I spent in the most interesting city of Southern France was devoted, not to seeing its curiosities, but to searching for the most valuable of all curiosities— a faithful domestic.

A ■5 LETTERS FROM THE SOUTH. young man with an honest-looking coun tenance, who reminded me of your inesti mable servant George, brought me a cer tificate of his character for a twelvemonth past ; but farther back the recommender could not speak for him, and there was a mystery over his anterior biography which makes me fear that he was only an outside resemblance of George. I engaged him nevertheless. He said he was a British subject, and a native of Gibraltar; but when I took him to the British Consul his answers were not so satisfactory as to procure a passport. He then recollected that he had been born at Cadiz ; the Spanish Consul, however, doubted the accuracy of his memory. Afterwards he discovered that he was a native of Naples, but with no better success. In fine, we went hither and yonder in search of some testimony as to the place of his birth, which appeared to be as doubtful as that of Homer; only with this difference, that the cities where he alleged he had been born seemed to vie with each other rather in disowning, than in claiming, the honour of his nativity ; and nobody would give him a passport.

So I was obliged to em bark alone — a knight-errant without a squire. I sailed from Marseilles the 11th instant, and we crossed the Mediterranean in six days. That they were not in all respects the pleasantest days of my life you will easily imagine when I tell you that twelve of us adult passengers, besides an obstre perous child of four years old, were potted alive in a cabin nine feet square. There was no refuge during the day-time on deck, for it seemed to be kept from being set on fire by the sun only by incessant buckets of water. It is true that we could sally from our den in the evening, and in the night-time we had some repose, but it was constantly interrupted at day-break by the impious brat I have mentioned, beating a toy-drum, and bawling lustily when it was taken from him. At last the very mother who had borne him lost all patience ; she threw his plaything into the sea, and threat ened to send the little drummer himself after it.

Several of us humanely, but in vain, implored her to fulfil her threat. We were fortunate, however, as to our ship's crew, who, from the captain down to the mousse, or cabin-boy, were all assiduously attentive to us. The Mediterranean tra ding-vessels have generally a bad character for feeding their passengers with tough salt-fish, and lying-to at meal-times, so as to make the rocking of the ship an antidote to their guests partaking freely even of that sorry fare. But here we had ex cellent food and wine, though the passage price was very moderate. One day we had even a fete and plenty of champagne ; it was when a brother skip per came on board and dined Avith us. He was a strange mad-cap, who, not contented with being master of a ship, imagined him self master of the " Belles Lettres " and philosophy.

Nay, he was a poet to boot, and, to my misfortune, learning that I was a litterateur, he cruelly inflicted several dozens of his own verses on my naked ears. It was a voyage altogether with many sufferings, but with some consolations. The cool of the evening* gave us breath and appetite to sup upon deck, and, in order to promote cheerfulness, it was made a law that we should all sing after supper in turn, whether we could sing or not. I never recognised more of the natural gaiety of the French character, and I fell in with it the more easily, inasmuch as that, bating the discomforts I have described, and in the absence of stomachic affliction, I was, as far as the mind is concerned, very tolerably happy. The prospect of seeing a new quarter of the globe, and of descrying, even afar off, Mount Atlas, with his head in the clouds and his feet in the sands of the desert — this prospect every now and then made my thoughts, I could almost say, delicious ; and I blessed my fate that I had not in youth exhausted the enjoyment of travelling.

We passed between the islands of Ma jorca and Minorca, but at too great a distance to observe distinctly the features of either of their shores. Early in the morning of the day before yesterday, I awoke to the joyous sound of land having been discovered from the mast head, and to the sight of land-birds wheel ing around our sails. I should think that as far as thirty miles off we saw the whole portion of the Algerine territory, which stretches on the east along Cape Matifou, and on the west along the peninsula of Sidi Ferruch, where the French first landed in their invasion of the regency. At that distance, and even when you come nearer, by a great many miles, the view of Algiers from the sea is not beautiful. It is true that the tops of the lesser Atlas form a fine background in the south, but the prospect assumes not its full picturesqueness till you come almost within a mile of the shore.

Farther off, the city itself looks like a triangular quarry of lime or chalk, on the steep side of a hill, whilst the country-houses that dot the adjacent heights seem like little parcels of the same mate rial lying on fields that are to be manured. On nearer approach, however, the ima gined quarry turns out to be a surprising city, and the specks on the adjoining hills to be square and castle-like houses, em bosomed in groves and gardens. No town that I have ever seen possesses, in proportion to its size, so many contivie-w *D>*F .'JUSfSE jtOM TMK NORTH. borough, Street guous villas as Algiers ; and their brilliance and high position give a magnificent ap pearance to this suburban portion of the coast. Meanwhile the city itself, when you come in full view of it, has an aspect, if not strictly beautiful, at least impressive from its novelty and uniqueness.

Inde pendently, indeed, of its appearance, its very name makes the first sight of Algiers create no ordinary sensations, when one thinks of all the Christian hearts that have throbbed with anguish in approaching this very spot. Blessed be our stars, that we have lived to see the chains of slavery broken here, and even about to be unrivet ted on the other side of the Atlantic ! But, without these associations, the view of Algiers is interesting from its strangeness to an European eye. It is walled all round in the old style of fortification, its whole mural circuit being, I should think, about a mile and a half. It forms a triangle on the steep side of a hill, the basis of which is close to the sea, whilst its apex is crowned by the Cassaba, or citadel. That strong place was the palace of the last Dey.

His predecessors had dwelt at the foot of the town ; but so many of them had died a violent death, that Hussein Pasha thought a higher position would enable him to take better care of his loving subjects and faithful Janissaries ; so he removed quietly one night, with all his treasures, to the Cas saba. Farther off, on a still higher hill, stands the Emperor's Fort — so called from having been built by Charles V. — which commands the whole town. The terraced and square houses which rise, seemingly condensed, close behind one another, are, like the forts and city walls, all washed with lime, and dazzling as snow. These objects, together with the pier and light-house, the batteries, lined, tier over tier, with hundreds of enormous cannon on the sea-side rocks, give an imposing aspect to the city that seems to justify its old appellation of " Algiers the warlike."

At the same time the mosques and minarets, surmounted by the crescent, remind you that you are now among the Moslems ; whilst a palm-tree which is visible, though remotely, seemed to me like a graceful characteristic feather on the brow of an African landscape. I had soon, however, a less agreeable indication than the palm-tree of having got to a southern latitude. There was no keeping below when one came close to so inter esting a scene ; and, as the day advanced, the deck became burning hot. The officers of health, as they are called, detained us for two hours in the harbour, gasping and execrating them, before they would visit the ship and permit us to land. I had been recently so sick as to bring up blood. I now grew feverish, faint, and almost blind. I felt bereft of every faculty except my fancy, and that was ill-naturedly busy in persuading me, falsely, that I was about to die.