Part 48

The Boulevards, from the Madeleine to the Bastille, a distance of three miles, were lined on both sides with booths, offering every variety of fancy and useful articles for presents and use, as at this period all classes expect gifts and souvenirs, which tax the ingenuity in the selection, and the purse in the acquisition. In this manner several millions of francs change hands. The number of Americans is much less than usual this season, but at a ball given by our Consul in Paris, I should judge that three hundred of both sexes were present.

The crisis is less visible in France than in most of the countries of Europe. One would scarcely infer from the manner in which the theatres, operas and masked balls are frequented at the opening of the carnival season, that a money panic existed in the capital of France; in fact very little publicity was given through the press, as the Emperor had declared the thing a humbug, and not intended for his Empire. At the grand Hotel du Louvre, near the Tuileries, where I lived, I noticed that the number of arrivals kept up pretty well for the season. It is the St. Nicholas of Paris, and a stupendous structure, far exceeding anything of the kind in Europe as a hotel, for its style of architecture, decoration, magnificent marble staircases, luxuriant dining and reading rooms; the former has splendid crystal candelabra and six hundred gas lights at the six o’clock table d’hôte. It is better adapted for travellers who have been accustomed to warmer heated apartments in winter than most French hotels, as the halls and passages are heated by registers throughout. Russians, Americans, English and Hollanders are the best paying guests. The French, with more strict notions of economy, are unwilling to pay for the extravagant outlay and parade. The transition from the recent cold in Paris to the mild temperature of this region, which one reaches in the short space of twenty hours by rail, a distance of five hundred miles, is most striking. Here the almond trees are in blossom, and the silvery leaf of the olive has a more cheerful aspect. The contrast is more marked now than before the construction of the railroad; I once experienced a similar change, but after a tedious journey of four days and nights; the lightning line now accomplishes it in less than one day.

The community is now excited, as well as all France, at the recent attempt on the life of the Emperor, which, had it been successful, would have put all Europe in a blaze of revolution. Marseilles is particularly interested as a commercial port in the preservation of the existing dynasty, since its growing commerce with Algeria, as well as its other interests, would suffer by a change of government.

It has been suggested that the Emperor designed visiting Africa, and the project of railroads has been proposed. The Kabyle districts and warrior tribes having been subdued by the French troops, a good opportunity is offered of visiting the northern part of Africa; and, as I wish to escape the cold changes which occur even in Italy in winter, I have decided to embark for Algiers, where I shall find a race of Moors and Arabs differing perhaps from the Bedouins of Syria and Egypt, and find many monuments of Moorish architecture more antique than those of the Alhambra of Granada, and the Alcazar and Giralda of Seville, continued after the Arab conquest of Spain, I shall be able to judge of the effects and progress of French civilization over barbarism, and shall in addition have something to communicate.

I notice many changes and improvements, each time I return to this point of departure for Italy, Spain, Egypt, and other lands on the Mediterranean.

CXXVIII.

ALGIERS, AFRICA, _Feb. 1, 1858_.

Notwithstanding we had some boisterous weather in the Gulf of Lyons, our voyage across the Mediterranean brought us in less than forty-eight hours in sight of the African coast. The city seen from the sea with its triangular form upon a steep slope, appears like a white mass of chalk surrounded with verdure. The Arabs compare it poetically to a diamond set in emerald and sapphire. Its primitive appearance, as occupied by the Dey before the conquest by the French, in 1830, is greatly changed by the opening of wide streets near the base, and the erection of buildings of modern style, and public squares and gardens. The new port and quays give portions of the city an European air.

The blending of Moorish and French architecture, and the great variety of costume worn by Arabs, Moors, Jews, Spaniards, and government troops and officials, strike the stranger with astonishment; and had I not been familiar with Egyptian, Turkish, Greek, and Continental races, I should have been as much astonished as some of our fellow passengers seemed to be.

The day of our arrival was fine, and the sun’s rays warm, as the thermometer in winter always keeps considerably above the freezing point, although the Atlas Mountains in the distance are at times tipped with snow. The venders of fresh dates, oranges, bananas, and other fruits, advised us of a much warmer climate than we had left.

The summit of the triangle is crowned with the chateau La Casbah. A half league to the left of this ancient fortress, the last residence of the Dey, stands the famous Fort of the Emperor, the explosion of which, by the French, in 1830, decided the fate of this well-fortified city.

Algiers was founded by the Berbers Mosgan tribe of the BeniMezarhama, and the companions of Hercules the Lybian, who left the army of the hero and fixed themselves here. It then became part of the Mauritanic Cæsariene.

On the fall of the Roman empire, it became the prey of the chief of the Vandals, and was destroyed. It was reconquered by the Arabs, who armed piratical vessels, which became so formidable that the Spanish king, Ferdinand, fitted out an expedition, and occupied a small island in front of the city, where the lighthouse now stands. The Algerines called to their aid the celebrated pirate, Barbarossa, who was checked by the Spaniards. Furious with his defeat, he seized and killed the sovereign, and took possession of the city.

All the efforts of the Spaniards were defeated, and the fleet destroyed by tempests or otherwise.

The brother of Barbarossa, Kair-ed-din, with the aid of thirty-six thousand Christian slaves, for three years united the island with the main land, and formed a port for his vessels. After his death it became the property of the Turks.

The city suffered various changes of masters, and was desolated by plagues and earthquakes, and other scourges, too numerous to mention, until the French Consul-General was insulted in 1827, which led to a strict blockade, maintained in 1829, and finished with thirty-five thousand troops in 1830, by blowing up the fort mentioned, which commands the city; the Dey was shortly after transported to Italy.

I notice the results of the earthquake of last year in many of the mosques, as well as private buildings. The government botanical gardens, on the sea-shore, beyond the pretty residences of the Europeans, in the village of Mustapha, are worth visiting.

Here are found date trees filled with fruit, sugar-canes, bananas, oranges, lemons, indeed all sorts of tropical fruits and productions, calculated to encourage the Arab races in agriculture; and as the caravans of mules, donkeys, and camels, pass along loaded with articles for market, their owners and drivers can see what the labor of man is capable of producing. The principal agricultural colonists are Spaniards and Maltese. The French, it would seem, are unwilling to leave La Belle France, excepting those engaged in commerce and mechanical operations; their ideas are still confounded with apprehensions of fever, the attacks of Arabs, the ravages of lions, jackals, hyenas, and other beasts of prey, the legitimate result of the thousand and one narratives of returned soldiers. The government makes every effort to induce colonists to accept concessions of land, but the work moves tardily, and they learn with surprise that thousands and hundreds of thousands of Germans and other Europeans emigrate to America, while Algeria affords a home for all who choose to accept it. The truth is, these people are tired of monarchy and military rule, and breathe freer in the United States, with a brighter prospect for the future.

The theatre is a structure of some pretensions; a ball was recently given there, under the patronage of Madame Randon, the wife of the Governor-General of Algeria, for the benefit of the poor, and was well attended by the élite of the city. The balcony of the first tier was occupied by about fifty Jewesses, in full Algeria costume, and produced a pretty effect. They wear vests or bodices of colored silks, embroidered with gold; sashes and flowing robes of rich stuffs; head-dresses of silks, or conical caps made of gold coins; head-bands of diamonds, as well as necklaces of emeralds, pearls, and rubies; armlets of gold, with jewels piled on in profusion, producing a blaze of light eclipsing the gas of the establishment. The second tier was occupied with quiet, grave Musselmans, with the red fez, and white turbans. These two classes, of course, do not dance, but watch intently the fashionable crinoline-dressed European ladies, joining in the giddy waltz or polka upon the stage or platform below. The foyer, or saloon, was fitted up for refreshments and gaming, and I noticed that both Jews and Musselmans of the wealthy class like the excitement of play.

The whole of Kabyle is subject to French rule, since the conquest of last autumn, and all is tranquil in that direction. Having lost all hope of recovering his liberty, the Arab, formerly accustomed to a wandering life in the interior, must now see the necessity of fixing himself on the soil in the neighborhood of towns and villages, and supplying the markets with his productions. Their habits of economy and frugality enable them to accumulate and hoard money; their consumption of French articles is small, however; consequently, the money concealed or kept out of circulation is a loss to the empire. The possession of this large territory by France, say two hundred and fifty leagues of coast from east to west, and fifty leagues from north to south, may prove in time a source of revenue, but at present it is attended with great expense. The outlay is some twelve millions of dollars, the receipts about two millions. It is a fine military school for the fifty thousand troops employed in keeping possession. If once properly colonized, it would give France a full supply of grain. As to the product of cotton, I doubt if it can ever be cultivated here in competition with our Southern States, notwithstanding the proposition of introducing the apprentice system for negroes from Soudan. The African wheat and barley are of excellent quality; corn is tolerable; tobacco can be raised in great quantities, but the quality does not compare with ours. At the Museum or Exposition of Industry, I have examined all the products of the provinces. In the event of a general war in Europe, and a rising of the Arabs, France might be obliged to abandon the interior and occupy the sea-ports only.

We have had some rain, and the roads are bad. As soon as they improve I shall go in the interior, and reconnoitre the ground, visit the towns and villages, and attend the fairs of cattle, sheep and horses.

CXXIX.

MEDEAH, PROVINCE OF ALGIERS, AFRICA, _Feb. 15, 1858_.

Medeah is built in amphitheatre form, upon an inclined plane beyond the first chain of the Atlas Mountains, some twenty-three leagues south of Algiers; it is some three thousand six hundred feet above the level of the sea, and is rather difficult of ascent. It is the site of the ancient kingdom of Tittery.

Medeah has been occupied four times by the French troops, since 1830, and indefinitely in 1840. The hostilities of 1830 demonstrated that so long as the Arabs were free to organize forces in the mountains and make sudden attacks, there was no safety. The occupation of this point with troops makes it perfectly tranquil. Abd-el Kader, whose prison I visited at Amboise in France a few years since, and whose exploits are often brought up in this country, gave the French much trouble.

One of the greatest achievements was in the zigzag road constructed by the French army through the gorges of the river Chiffa, some four leagues in length, which enabled them to conquer the country of the warrior Arabs of the mountains. The points of view through these rocky passes, with their precipices, towering masses of rock above, and deep chasms below, in many places without parapets, look frightful in making the ascent. I was reminded by it of a road constructed by the English in the Island of Ceylon, which I once described to you, and which was the only means of conquering the mountain King of Kandy. In one of these mountains there are large numbers of monkeys, which may be seen clambering up the rocks and branches of trees, and basking in the sun’s rays. Gibraltar is the only point in Europe where they exist, and they are supposed to have been introduced there from Africa. One passes through several large towns on his way to this place. Douera, which was a camp in 1830, is now quite a town, with a wall around it, and gates for protection, and the imposition of octroi duties. The country produces cotton, tobacco, cereal grains, and pasturage for animals. When water is not abundant, as they are subject to drought on the plains, wells are dug for irrigation.

Boufereck was the first post established on the plain of Misidza, in 1830, when the army advanced to Blidah for the first time. It was then humid, surrounded with marshes and bad exhalations. It was known for a long time as the cemetery for soldiers and colonists; but it is now quite healthy. The weekly market of the Arabs, bringing in all the tribes from the surrounding country, with horses, cattle, goats, &c., is a striking feature in that settlement. The inclosure of the grounds is ample, with a mosque adjacent for the Mussulman to say his prayers in. One often sees them by the road-side prostrating themselves towards Mecca in the east. Often in towns and cities you pass from the bazaars and densely-crowded streets directly into the mosques, with fountains of water in the court, as in Constantinople, where they wash their feet and trip in upon the matting and carpet rugs to pay their devotion, while you hear the cry of the muezzin from the lofty minaret adjoining, calling the faithful to prayers. The mosques are generally plain, with whitewashed walls, and lamps suspended, as well as ostrich eggs strung upon cords. Some, however, are of beautiful Moorish architecture, with an infinity of columns, and a great variety of arabesque work. The mausoleum or tomb of the Marabout is much venerated, being a sort of pilgrimage for the devout believer.

An anecdote was related to me in visiting the edifice erected to the memory of the Marabout; it is upon a hill, a beautiful position, outside the walls of Algiers.

The Koran forbids the use of wine and all alcoholic drinks, still the holy man indulged freely, being supplied by the persecuted Jews, who took this way to obtain the favor of the chief of the sect. There being a sort of veneration for idiots, this besotted individual was once aroused by the cries of the people, that the enemy’s vessels were off the port and approaching the city. With difficulty awakened from his stupor he cried out, “Where are the infidel dogs? Give me a whip and I will lash them off the surface of the great deep.” Reeling on the seaside he slashed away upon the calm surface of the water, venting his anathemas and imprecations. As fortune willed it, one of those sudden tempests arose, not unfrequent in this latitude, and the vessels were driven off or dashed to pieces. He was shrewd enough when he witnessed this singular phenomenon to take advantage of it, and exhorted the people to exhibit greater faith for the future. A temple was erected over his tomb, and his memory perpetuated to posterity.

I passed a couple of days at Blidah, some twelve leagues from Algiers. It is the chief place of the first military division, at the foot of the Little Atlas mountain. It has a population of fifteen thousand Arabs and foreigners; it is surrounded with a belt of foliage, forests of orange, lemon, fig, olive, and palm trees, which give it the air of a delicious garden. The Arabs call it The Voluptuous. In 1825 it was visited by an earthquake, which entirely destroyed it, with one half of its eighteen thousand inhabitants. On the 23d of July, 1830, after the occupation of Algiers by the French, the General advanced to this place, and was well received, but in returning was attacked by the Kabyles.

The European part of the town is well built, with regular streets, public squares, cafés, and a theatre; the Arab part has narrow streets, low, one-story, whitewashed houses, with a single door or hole in the wall for entrance, and little portholes or latticed windows for the women to peep out. The women are rarely seen in the streets, and never in the mosques; when they come out they are closely veiled in white shawls, which show the eyes only.

The Arab market at Blidah exhibited horses, cattle, grain, dried fruits, hog skins, or rather wild boar skins, filled with olive oil, wool, charcoal, &c.; the Arabs buy iron, hardware, coffee, sugar, thread, and such things as are actually necessary.

I visited the haras, or government stables of the Arabian, Persian, and Syrian stallions, some eighty in number, one of which, El Haz, presented by the emperor, cost forty-four hundred dollars.

The environs of Blidah are enchanting; the supply of water for irrigation, from the mountains, is abundant, and the climate lovely even at this season of the year. The Arab poet, Hamed Youssef, said, “They call thee a little city, I call thee a charming little rose.” I was reminded of a lovely little spot, called Soler, in the island of Majorca, where one rides for miles through orange groves, which, like those of Blidah, are exported to France. I noticed, in passing through the village of Ben Mered, an obelisk erected to the memory of twenty-two soldiers who were attacked by three hundred horsemen of Ben Salem, in the year 1842, and all killed after the most heroic resistance. Only one, a sergeant, who was wounded and left for dead, could give the details. The young sergeant, in the midst of the conflict, fell, mortally wounded, with the words upon his lips, “Friends, remember that the French never surrender, but defend themselves to the death.”

The Arabs in this part of the country are now turning their attention to agriculture; the plough merely scratches the surface, and without doubt, is the same used in the primitive days of Abraham. Herds of sheep and goats are seen in the mountains with Arab boys and dogs.

CXXX.

CONSTANTINE, AFRICA, _Feb. 27, 1858_.

Returning from Medeah to Algiers, I embarked on board of a French government steamer for Stora. We landed troops at Delys, Bougie, and Dzidzelle, and after a two days’ run, arrived at Stora, and proceeded to Philippeville to procure a conveyance for this city, which is situated some seventy miles in the interior.

Constantine is the Cirta of the ancients, the Cossentina of the Arabs. It is situated upon the river Rhumel, at the point where the torrent crosses the elevated mountains to penetrate the upper basin of the plains of Milah. The ancient capital of Jugurtha is now the chief city of the eastern province of Algeria. It lies some eighteen hundred feet above the level of the Mediterranean, upon a triangular plateau. This plateau is surrounded by the two branches of the river, and crowned by the heights of Mausourah and of Sidi-Merid, from which it is separated by deep chasms and precipices, at the bottom of which courses the Rhumel, with its wild and magnificent cataracts. It has the aspect of a lofty island, with its high rocks, almost perpendicular, rendering the city almost, or quite, invulnerable, with its strong gates and fortifications. Constantine has been the scene of great events in the grand history of Africa. The founder of the city was said to have been a Greek adventurer, 250 years B.C. Marva reigned over the Mumides. It was in turn occupied by Masinissa and his sons. Juba sided with Pompey, and was chased by Bogad, king of Sittius, who founded a Roman colony.

Cæsar undertook great works, and one finds many of the old walls, ramparts, and inscriptions remaining. The ancient aqueducts, the ruins of which still stand, some forty feet high, about a mile from the city, are said to be the work of the emperor Justinian. The invasion of the Arabs destroyed the opulent city, and it passed from one to another among all the African conquerors; it was in the hands of the Turks in the sixteenth century, and afterwards in the hands of the Deys of Algiers, many of whom were assassinated.

The last, Hadz-Ahmed Dey, kept it the longest, but it was by oppressing his subjects. From 1826 to 1830 he cut off the heads of some three thousand of his people, and committed the most revolting deeds. At that time the French government denounced his acts, and named the brother of the Bey of Tunis his successor; but he managed to keep possession until 1836, when Marshal Clausel attacked them, at the head of an insufficient army, but was driven back from this stronghold, and obliged to retreat.

The next year, however, a body of ten thousand men, with the second son of Louis Philippe in the avant garde, took the city by assault, General Damremont losing his life in the attack. I find his monument in an inclosure of the ancient casbah or fort, near the caserne and hospital grounds, which are now crowned by large structures. I have just visited them in company with my present travelling companion, a captain in the Russian army, sent out for general observation. The French officers have shown us much civility and attention, making our stay here agreeable.

The reservoirs constructed by the Romans upon the summit are repaired thoroughly, and contain a full supply of water for a long siege. The view from these points is of the boldest character. The city is now divided in two quarters, Arab and French, and offers the most striking contrast.

The Arabs said that Constantine was a rock in the middle of a river, and that it would require as many French to take it as ants to take an egg from the bottom of a pot of milk; but in this they found their error, and concluded it was the will of the Prophet. The trade of the city with Biskarah is large in dried dates, and with Setif and other ports in wool; ostrich feathers, elephants’ tusks, and gold dust are seen in small quantities. At Philippeville, on the coast, I found some English officers who came out to join the famous Jules Gerard, the lion slayer. They were going to form a camp in the neighborhood of Bona, further up the coast. I shall probably meet them again when I get up there, and learn what success they meet with. The conductor of our stage has assured us that at one point near El Cantour, a dreary mountainous country, lions are known to follow the vehicle when driven to extremity for want of food. Not a very pleasant prospect for a traveller. I saw the skin of a famous fellow, some sixteen feet in length, recently killed. The jackals, hyenas, and wild boars are abundant; the latter may be seen in quantities in the market places, filled with olive oil, which is brought on the backs of camels. We passed through sections of the country entirely uninhabited, where the wild olive and cork wood grow in abundance. In the settlements they engraft the domestic olive, which does well.