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seemed to have just arrived from the Quartier Latin; Jew women, wrapped in those long cloaks of brown silk, which give to their indolent gait something of the stiffness of Egyptian statues; and, lastly, Moorish. women, tripping through the groups, like white phantoms, with laughing eyes.

At night the Government Square offers us another Algiers, quite new, and not the less strange. This square is the forum of the Europeans. It is a vast space contained between houses, with arcades, planted with trees on three sides, and facing the sea. So soon as the sun has sunk below the horizon, a military orchestra plays here waltzes and quadrilles, and an indolent crowd comes to listen to the band, while seeking the absent breeze. Here you meet, in turn, the military colonist, an old officer who gained all his steps on African soil, and now cultivates a little farm in the plain of the Mitidja; the colonist who landed immediately after the conquest, who has exchanged many a shot with the Arabs, and seen whole villages depopulated by fever; the restless and crafty tradesman, ever busy with loans, lawsuits, buying, credits, and usury; the merchant of Marseilles, a gay, plump, and good fellow, recognizable by that accent which makes him laugh at himself; magistrates, sailors, young officers, and travellers who have returned from a lengthened trip, say, to M'zab, Tripoli, or Tunis. The latter are bronzed by the sun; the desert belongs to them, and Lord help you if you allude to it in their presence! Add to this crowd, dressed in convenient garments, the wives of tradespeople and clerks, and a few laughing lorettes, who display the amplitudes of their crinoline on the asphalt. Remember that all these people are walking about, and talking in the light of thegas and the stars, and you will have a faithful idea of the spectacle offered each evening by the Government Square of Algiers.

From St. James's Magazine. HOME LIFE IN ALGIERS. WE Confess that it was with some feeling of apprehension that we cut the leaves of a new French work, which bore on its cover the notorious name of the author of "Fanny and Daniel." Nor did his selection of a subject decrease that apprehension; for a gentleman of M. Feydeau's peculiar turn of mind would find ample scope in describing the penetralia of home life in Algiers. Greatly daring, then, we proceeded to read, and soon found ourselves agreeably disappointed. On this occasion * M. Feydeau has discarded all his psychological ideas about women, and produced a modest, well-written volume about the unquhile capital of the Dey, which adds much to our store of knowledge about a city which will ever prove attractive to visitors from all parts of Europe. Public life in Algiers bears to a great ex.tent the character of a carnival. In the hilly, shadowy streets running between the white houses, on the squares surrounded by arcades, and in the neighborhood of the plashing fountains, a strange crowd collects from early dawn, composed of the most varied types, and dressed in the most attractive costumes. Let us pay a visit to the grand square at 6 A.м. The Moors flock down from the upper town, and mingle with the Jews standing near the bazaar; the Mahon fishermen who come up from the quays carrying large hampers full of fresh fish; Biskris, driving before them long files of donkeys loaded with gravel; and Maltese gardeners, dragging small trucks full of oranges and pomegranates. All along the white walls on either side of the street, crouching negresses, wrapped from head to foot in a piece of cotton cloth, are selling their pink loaves, while laughing together with that childish laugh which it is a pleasure to hear. Sherbet sellers tinkle their bells, and beggars artistically draped in their ragged burnous, and lying in the shade on the In the upper town night is thoroughly bazaar steps, are voluptuously driving away Oriental. The Moorish and Jewish women the flies with their fans of rice straw. Daily sit outside their houses, with their naked feet there are types cnough assembled here to oc- stretched out before them; the whitewashed cupy an artist for life; bare-legged riders wall against which they lean forming a relief thrusting their stallions among the muttering to their gay costume. There is a good deal footmen; any quantity of soldiers in fantas- of talking going on, and the few promenaders tic uniforms, showing off before the women with the air of a conqueror; grisettes, who Alger. Etude par Ernest Feydeau. Paris: Michel Levy,

pick up interesting scraps of conversation. At times it is an Arab, wrapped in his burnous, who asks hospitality through the massive gate of a discreet-looking house; some

times it is a Frenchman, who from the streets of vials, and nameless articles employed in tries to strike up a friendship with a native ladies' toilet, but they are not worth talking woman, seated at her small window; and about. But now to introduce you to the there are also men singing, in the hope of mistress of the house. touching the heart of their beloved, and the beloved often replies from the other side of the wall, without showing herself. The effect of these duets is rather graceful; here is one which our author overheard sung by two lovers who could not see each other :

"Deprived of my reason,' the Arab said in the street, despised in the towns where I wander, tortured by the pains of love.' "I live in despair,' the Moorish girl took up the strain inside her house-I live in despair at not having two hearts; one would serve for my private existence, the other would be surrendered to the torments of love." "The Arab continued immediately,"But, alas! I have only one, which love has seized on, so that I can neither hope for a peaceful existence nor a speedy death.'

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And I am,' the girl replied, like the bird which a boy holds in his hands and which he causes to feel the agonies of death while playing with it.'”

Let us enter one of these native houses. In the first place, the reader must not expect to find here—or, indeed, anywhere in Algiers -sumptuous and noble furniture. That of the principal room, in which strangers are received, consists of three mattresses, spread on the ground, and forming three sides of a rectangle. Very common carpets are laid on the mattresses; and in the centre of the rectangle, a large pewter salver supports a cupful of pomegranate seeds, or a large nosegay. There is only one very small window, and the little light in the room reaches it through the open door. This: room, however, like the whole house indeed, is exquisitely clean, being carefully whitewashed, and the floor composed of colored tiles. At one of the ends of the room, a white muslin curtain with a fringe of gold, half raised, enables you to catch a glimpse of an iron bedstead, such as are usual in colleges and hospitals. At the other end is a clumsy chest of drawers, by the side of a gaily painted Turkish trunk. The rest of the furniture hangs rather haphazard along the walls, and consists of a set of painted shelves, on which amber necklaces, and handkerchiefs, are hung, a mirror with a carved frame, a big-bellied guitar, and straw fly-disturbers, in the shape of small flags. There is also here and there on shelves a pile

M. Feydeau confesses, with a sigh of regret, that though he can remember an infinitude of Moorish women, very few of them were pretty, say two or three in fifty. The one he selects for a type, however, is young, and may pass for agreeable. Seated, in her gala costume, with legs crossed like a fakir, her naked foot resting on her knee, and holding the guitar under her arm, she torments the cords of the instrument with a reed. It is almost needless to tell you that her arms are the color of oranges, that her toe-nails are blackened with henna, and that her white satin gold-flowered trousers spread out on the divan around her, and, fastened at the knee, fall back to the middle of the leg. Her transparent chemisette covers her bust without concealing it, and falls below her hips, with two long bands of crimson silk. A yellow ribbon is fastened around her neck, with a necklace of eight rows of fine pearls; a blue, gold-striped handkerchief is fastened across her forehead, its long fringe hanging down to the middle of her back. The delicate skin of her face, which has never been assailed by the sunbeams, is pink on her cheek-bones, and derives a marvellous lustre from a patch on the temple or chin. Lastly, she has red lips, very white teeth, black eyes overshadowed by heavy lashes, and painted eyebrows; and there is something timid and resigned about her whole face, which resembles the expression of a wild beast caught in a trap. We must not omit one charming detail of her costume. A garland of jessamine flowers, threaded like the beads of a rosary, describes an elegant spiral round her head, half concealing a diadem of diamonds, and falling on either side down her cheek. She also wears a broad, loose girdle of silk, embroidered with gold thread, round her waist. Moorish women adore the marriage of fine clothes, flowers, and jewelry. They never wear mosaic, and from their leg-rings up to their ear-rings, everything that glistens about them is made of good, fine gold.

The native races of Algiers are divided into two classes, the hadars, or citizens, constituting the fixed population; and the berranis, or foreigners, composed of artisans and traders, temporarily dwelling in the city. At

time of the French conquest, the Moors formed the largest part of the Algerian population, but at the present day they are not more numerous than the Jews. They have disappeared; some have gone away to seek a government less offensive than the French for their habits and religion, while others have died of privation and misery. Those who remain, after pledging their most valuable articles, at times select a trade the easiest possible. On the other hand, they have their good qualities; respect for the aged, absolute submission to paternal authority, and resignation, are the virtues which they transmit from generation to generation. They have lost their sobriety, it is true, but they have retained a host of traditions; and this is something, at a period when traditions are dying out to make way for hypocritical mercantilism. Lastly, they are most religious

the time of the conquest the berranis formed the necessary element for renovation. At the a certain number of corporations, managǝd by the amins, or syndics. The French, however, speedily altered all this, and every berrani coming to Algiers to carry on his calling is obliged to go before the representative of the administration. He receives a ticket, bearing the name of his corporation, and a book, in which his name, origin, and description are entered. The different masters who employ him record their remarks in this book, and when he wishes to leave the town, he must change his book for a permit to depart. Any disputes that arise between them are settled by the assembled council of the amins, and M. Feydeau took a delight in paying visits to the court, which was held in a garden. The charges were very amusing. At one moment it was a Biskri, who came to complain of a Moorish woman, whose furniture he had moved; and the woman, thrusting her hand, red with henna, from under her in the highest sense of the term; never tryhaik, explained to the court, with a multi-ing to make proselytes, and contenting themtude of gestures, that the Biskri had injured her furniture, and it was only fair that she should stop the cost of repairing it out of the price agreed on. Another time it was a negress accusing a Laghouati of spilling a jar of oil over her melaïa. The Laghouati claimed the value of his oil; the negress that of her garment. Again, it was a negro whom a Kabyle had beaten, or a Kabyle whom a negro had smashed, and both demanded money as a consolation for the blows they had received. Or, again, it was a Jewish woman accusing a M'zabite of stealing her rings, which she had forgotten at the bath; and the M'zabite, to prove that he had not stolen, displayed to the court his ten fingers bare of rings, with an ingenuous air.

Puerile enough the cases were, but they enabled M. Feydeau to form a good notion of the home-life of Algiers, by which he has profited. He has arrived at the conclusion that the Moors, formerly so powerful, are at the present day a very little people of artisans, scribes, and merchants. The younger become barbers, embroiderers, coffee-shop keepers, flower-sellers, servants, farriers, cobblers, and fanmakers; the elder become tobacco-sellers, bakers, buttonmakers, musicians, or grocers. There is nothing manly about these turban-bearers; by the side of Arabs they appear bastardized, and are so, indeed, as they no longer have in their blood

selves with personal humiliation before the Deity, who has rudely chastised them during the last three centuries. Among them expiation entirely absolves the crime. When a robber leaves the galleys, his whole family go to meet him; they lead him home, and his friends assemble to greet him with songs and dances. They say of him, He has expiated; he is, therefore, absolved from his crime, and no one thinks of alluding to it. Suicide does not exist among the Moors after our fashion; that is to say, when a man is crushed by misfortune, he does not seek relief from a pistol. He flies to haschisch, and hence happy people never smoke it. Here is an affecting story as told by our author :

"I wished to see one of these self-condemned men, and that was not difficult in a town where there is no lack of unfortunates. Mohammed was a clever barber, but for his sins he married a woman who ran off with a colonist, and died of fever at Aumale. He did not even attempt to discover where his wife had gone; he loved her, she had left his house with another, and that was enough for him. For some days he was seen wandering about the upper town like a ghost; he neglected his customers, and his shop remained closed. At length, one morning he took his seat in a Moorish café close to the Cathedral Square, and was seen to produce a small pipe of red clay. Everybody in the café knew the meaning of this pipe, and even the cahvedji addressed a few friendly remonstrances to Mohammed;

but he did not listen to him. He filled his fuls of gold on her naked feet. Caids and pipe calmly with a greyish substance, which Aghas thus ruined themselves at Algiers in was powdered hemp leaf, and then began smok- one night, for women whom their grooms ing. This took place two years ago. Now he would not have looked at. At length, a passes every day in the same café, and seated at the same spot. Each customer that enters dance girl returning home one night was foloffers him a cup of coffee; he takes it in his lowed by two Arabs, who quarrelled about hand without saying a word, and drinks it her. Knives were drawn, and the next day slowly. At night he goes up the Marabout one of the gallants was found ripped up in the of Si-Mohammed-el-Cherif, and lies down, street. This put an end to public festivals. still dressed, across the threshold; but he Another amusement greatly appreciated at does not sleep-he has not done so for two native parties is ventriloquism. Formerly, years. He lives on alms. Once a week he holds out his hand in the street to the first the most indecent and disgusting spectacle Arab who passes; the Arab gives him two of the Kara-gouz formed the delight of the sous, with which Mohammed buys a loaf, and Moors, but it was suppressed by the French, eats. For his dress he is satisfied with the-not for its indecency, be assured, but beold clothes the Moors offer him without his cause it was found a convenient medium for asking for them. He does not perform his saying biting things against the invaders. ablutions, nor go to the mosque; he has forgotten everything. Thin, sunburnt, with an ecstatic glance, trembling hands, and uplifted head, he really sees the world which men do not know. He has the look of a blessed man, and Paradise is resplendent on his face. His countrymen regard him with curiosity, with compassion, and some with envy. They treat him gently, as a lunatic, for they know that. his mind is no longer his own, that he is not conscious of his actions, and that he is condemned to death. One day, a French dealer, exasperated by his serenity of face, suddenly cried to him Mohammed, thy wife is dead!' Mohammed looked down at the cruel man, and then began smiling again with delight, as if no earthly thing could now affect him. The Frenchman did not understand the feeling, and left the café, saying, 'Such a brute ought to be smothered.››

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Another peculiar custom, which we should not regret personally to see introduced in this country, is the "Derdebah." It happens, at times, that a respected native is short of cash, and this is how he procures it. He sends round to all his friends to tell them he will have the honor of receiving them at such a spot on such a day. He then hires a large house, has it illuminated, and installs the nearest cahvedji in the kitchen. This is the way in which the Chaoush of the M'zabites obtained the sum he needed at a derdebah to which the author was invited. A Turko stepped into the centre of the ring, and imitated all the contortions of a dance girl, after tying two handkerchiefs over his uniform. The audience rose in turn, and stuck fivefranc pieces on his forehead, one of the Caids going so far as to throw a handful of gold over his feet. All this money was intended to help the Chaoush out of his difficulties, and we can only say that we would give our numerous friends a ball on the same conditions.

From M. Feydeau's description, we should judge that the fêtes given by the Moors are rather slow, as the only amusement consists of dancing girls. They perform the whole night through, restoring their energies with glasses of rum and absinthe, until they fall into corners, to sleep off their intoxication. The Jews constitute an important factor in Public fêtes of this description used formerly the aboriginal population of Algiers. As a to be given at Algiers, but the authorities rule, they are well to do, and have profited have now prohibited them, for the following greatly by the French conquest. They are valid reason: it was the fashion to stick small the same as they are everywhere, and are gold coins on the forehead of the dancing equally willing to sell you an orange, or lend girls, while they pranced about, and those you any sum you want, on good security. who were well trained could contrive to go on By this prudent course they have managed to dancing with twenty or thirty coins between get into their hands all the best houses in the the hair and the eyebrows. The Arabs who city, and nearly the whole of the Rue Napoattended the public fêtes began by producing léon belongs to them. Their wives heartily five-franc, then ten-franc, and lastly twenty- help them in making money, and many of franc picces, and if the dancer were pretty, them lend out their diamonds by the night to and several chiefs fell in love with her bright Moorish ladies who wish to make a display. cyes simultaneously, they would throw hand-'Since the conquest, the Jews have given up

and then, as if to form a sad contrast with these fine things, very common carpets, shawls, Balmoral boots, gloves, and even a parasol? The latter article made me turn away in horror, but my companion did not share my anger. He was very busy twisting his moustache, and smiling agreeably at the little bride. And truth compels me to allow that she blushed a little while taking a side

their traditional costume, and now dress like jewelry, sheets bordered with embroidery, Europeans, not because they have a liking for the tight garments, but they secure them respect. The Moors detest them as much as ever; and an Agha, indignant at seeing our author shake a Jew's hand, said to him, " And yet it was this people that killed thy God!" Such a remark was certainly unanswerable. The Jews, however, have learned to resist, and at the slightest insult offered them ap-glance at his handsome face. I know very peal to the authorities. As, too, they are considerably petted by the French officials (perhaps for valid reasons), there is every reason to believe that they will flourish in Algiers like the green bay tree. One extract is sufficient to characterize them :

well what she was thinking of, and what head. Her stumpy, vulgar husband, occucomparison she must be making in her little pied in counting all the articles of the trousseau on his fingers, paid no attention to her."

The remaining population of Algiers is made up of Arabs, negroes, and foreigners who have come to make a fortune. Thus nearly all the fishermen are Neapolitans or Maltese: the dealers in earthenware and fruit are also Maltese, and most of the gardeners are Mahon Spaniards. The latter, through a spirit of national rancor, detest the Moors, and the Moors are not at all fond of them. They generally live in the narrow lanes of the lower town, near the port, and you may frequently see their daughters and wives combing their long auburn hair in the doorways. These people are fond of an open air life, and maintain the customs of their country in Africa. M. Feydeau at nights heard the young men serenading their belles, but prudently kept away, for he had heard that they had sharp knives at the service of cavesdroppers. Of course, like all scaports in the Mediterranean, Algiers has its own Ratcliff Highway; but we need not visit it, for it is the same all over the world.

"I was walking down the Rue Staoueli with a friend, a good-looking young staff officer, when a sound of native music afflicted our ears, and we saw a crowd assembled before an open door. After inquiring the reason, we asked leave to enter, which was granted most politely, and we were invited to ascend to the first-floor gallery. Here were a dozen Jews walking about and smoking cigars, and children gorging themselves with bonbons. But the real sight was not here, and we leant over the balcony to see it; it consisted of a large body of women assembled round the courtyard. They were in full dress, drawn up in three lines, and their gowns of satin, velvet, and taffetas, embroidered with gold, displayed the strangest and most violent colors. Nearly all wore pearl necklaces, and diamonds on their forehead. But, alas! they also displayed big feet, thrust into kid boots, and their hands were covered with cabbage-green gloves. Op-| And here we will stop for the present, while posite the door two Moorish singers were awaiting another volume connected with the strumming their instruments, and near them colony, which M. Feydeau promises us. The the young and pretty bride was sitting mo- subject is an interesting one, for it has often tionless in an arm-chair, like a painted wooden been said that the French have no talent statue. I never saw a woman more covered for colonizing, and the case of Algeria has with jewelry, and I believe she had borrowed been appealed to in confirmation. This, howfor the day all belonging to the members of ever, is scarcely fair. During the two-andher family. Her head disappeared under dia- thirty years the French have held the colony, dems of diamonds; she had a sort of tall cra- they have been fighting almost constantly, vat of fine pearls, triple drops in her cars, and it must not be forgotten that they have and enormous bracelets covered her arms up no race, like the Irish, to act as the pioneers to the elbow. . . . In the centre of the yard of civilization. It is with great difficulty that was two parallel tables, one covered with pas- the Frenchman can be induced to expatriate try, preserves, bonbons, bottles of liqueurs, himself, and the reluctance is increased when and large bouquets of roses; the other with he knows that he will have to fight without a the articles composing the bride's trousseau. chance of acquiring glory. And yet the A Jew raised each article in turn from the French, in spite of all these obstacles, have eftable, held it in the air above his head, so fected great things in Algeria; and now that that all might see it, and then carefully the cotton question demands a final settledeposited it in a basket. And thus the ment, it is very probable that the Emperor most diverse objects defiled in succession past Napoleon will concentrate his energics on the us; rich fabrics of Morocco and Tunis, silver-colony, and render it the cotton emporium at framed mirrors, large plated salvers, lace and least for France.

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