202 



ALGIERS. 



out an armament, not only to chastise the Algerine 

 government, but to take permanent possession of 

 the country and of the port, which had so long been 

 a den of robbers. This expedition consisted of 

 ;i7,G39 men, with the requisite cavalry and artillery. 

 The number of vessels altogether was'644. The 

 c ominander, Marshal Bourmont, conducted his sys- 

 tem of attack with great prudence, and gave France 

 possession of Algiers with very slight loss. The 

 captive dey, or sovereign, was sent to Europe, and 

 he now lives on an allowance as a private individual. 

 The expenses of this expedition were amply repaid 

 to France by the public treasures of gold and silver 

 which were found (amounting to about two millions 

 of pounds sterling); besides 300,000 of stores. 

 She was left mistress of the finest district of 

 Northern Africa, and had besides the satisfaction 

 of breaking up thoroughly a nest of pirates, who 

 had kept the Mediterranean seas under contribution 

 for nearly two centuries. 



When the French first obtained possession of the 

 country, their design was to convert it into a co- 

 lonial settlement, and to introduce French cultiva- 

 tors with habits of European industry, and more 

 efficient modes of labour. They accordingly 

 brought over a number of settlers both from France 

 and from Rhenish Bavaria, established a ferine mo- 

 dele, or pattern farm, and gave every encouragement 

 to colonists who had either skill or a little capital. 

 It was soon found, however, that there were diffi- 

 culties in the way of carrying this plan into effect, 

 which had not been anticipated. In the first place, 

 the French had calculated on taking possession of 

 all the lands held by the Mahommedan religious 

 establishments, and which were considered as public, 

 property, but it was soon found that the greater 

 part of these were only nominally in possession of 

 the church (if the mosque may be so called), having 

 been merely conveyed in a certain form to the 

 priests, in order to remain under their protection 

 for the use of the actual owner or his heirs, in case 

 of any attempt at confiscation by the government. 

 The priests were in fact only trustees for others. 

 This narrowed greatly the choice of lands which it 

 was intended to bestow on the new colonists. In 

 the next place, the settlers themselves, being gen- 

 erally poor people, were without means of procur- 

 ing effectual shelter from the heat or dews, and ac- 

 cordingly numbers of them fell victims to the 

 change of climate. Their manner of living was, 

 besides, much more expensive, and required much 

 higher wages to maintain them in health, and in 

 working condition, than that of the natives of the 

 country. There was an additional reason, we be- 

 lieve, which must always prevent French colonies 

 of this kind from being successful, that France has 

 neither capital nor skill to throw away on such 

 'enterprises. All the people who have either stock 

 for carrying on business, or skill for any useful 

 trade, are wanted at home by the .necessities of 

 their own country, and have no temptation to emi- 

 grate. 



These causes, and perhaps others, have now de- 

 termined the French to give up their original idea 

 of colonising the country, and of introducing Euro- 

 pean modes of agriculture. The object now is, by 

 establishing a regular and steady form of govern- 

 ment, to give confidence and alacrity to the indus- 

 try of the natives themselves, and to lead them to 

 improvement, by the prospect of securely enjoying 

 the fruits of their own labour. Roads are in pro- 

 gress for this purpose between some of the prin- 



cipal towns, and every means are taken ta prevent 

 tin- incursions of those dcmi-savage and hostile 

 tribes who have been accustomed to harass the 

 country from their fastnesses in the mountains. 



The people who are thus to be managed, consist 

 of several distinct races. 



The following enumeration of the different tribes 

 is given on the faith of the French "Journal dis 

 Sciences Militaires" : 



Moors and settled Arabs 



Independent Arabs 



Kabylies or Berbers 



Jews ...... 



Turks and Christian renegades . 

 Kolouglis, or descendants of 1 urks . 



European population. 

 French settlers, merchants, &c 

 Knglish subjects (chiefly Maltese) 

 Spaniards 

 Sardinians, Germans, Italians 



1,870,000 



1,927 

 . 421 



. f i-.il 

 1,874,031 



The same amount, of population is stated by M. 

 Gravery de Henesro, the Swedish consul ; but the 

 numbers of the several classes are with him very 

 different : the reason of which no doubt is, that 

 the distinctions betwixt the classes are not very 

 obvious, and in some cases cannot be at all recog- 

 nised. He reckons, however, 70,000 negroes, 

 whom we do not find in the French account. 



The population of the town of Algiers was esti- 

 mated at 70,000 (Captain Roset makes it no more 

 than 30,000) before its subjection to the French, 

 since which it has undergone considerable diminu- 

 tion perhaps of one-fourth by emigration ; but, 

 on the other hand, it is to be remembered that the 

 French army of occupation in the territory amounts 

 to 24,862 men, with 2,775 horses. The prices of 

 commodities have undergone a very considerable 

 increase during the period in which the town has 

 been under French authority. Thus, the average 

 price of an ass has augmented from Vis. to '2, 10s. ; 

 a horse from 2 to 8 ; a mule (the use of horses 

 was interdicted to the Moors) from 6 to 14; an 

 ox from 15s. to 2, 10s. ; and a sheep from 2s. to 

 10s. : the camel, of which the French make no use, 

 has preserved its former price. The prices of 

 other necessaries have increased in nearly the same 

 proportion as those of animals: thus, for instance, 

 the value of corn and wood has been doubled.* 



windows of French shops. Upwards ot ntty merchants nave 

 established counting-houses; and a considerable number of 

 mechanics and tradesmen, including of course a full proportion 

 of modistes, couturieres, and perruquiers, are thickly scattered 

 about. Kleven grand cafes with billiard-tables, four grand 

 hotels (which are, however, execrable), three restaurateurs, 

 one hundred eating-houses, two cabinets litteraires, one circug, 

 a cobmorama, &c., have already been established, and cabriolets 

 and omnibuses were shortly to ply from the Bab hazoon to 

 Mustafa Pasha, and from Bab el haout to the Dey's country 

 villa. The Kazbah is a little town in itself, containing the late 

 Dey's palace, and several other houses and gardens. The 

 palace has suffered much from the French soldiery, who, on 

 first occupying it, pulled up the pavement, tore down the 

 glazed tile-coating of the room?, and otherwise committed 

 great injury in their eager search after treasure. The i 

 flooring, ttie arched galleries, supported by marble pillar- t 

 fantastic but graceful forms, which surrounded the open courts, 

 the elegant fountains which scattered coolness around, and the 

 latticed shahnesheens. still, however, remain to pay the t 

 and trouble of the visitor's ascent. The corps-de-garde, \ ith 

 the gate, and the sycamores, banana-trees, and vines, \\ Inch 

 surround it, together with the mixture of French uniform* mid 

 Moorish costumes, formed altogether a beautiful little picture : 

 as did also a wine-shop, shaded by a vine-covered pergola, un- 

 der which were seated groups of soldiers playing at cards. 



