24 NOTES ON THE PERMANENT EXHIBITION OF ALGERIAN 



only lately been turned to a useful account by M. Coopmann, of 

 Constantine, who has produced with it some apparently very good 

 leather. 



India-rubber, pimento, pepper, coriander, cumin, castor seeds (Ricinus 

 communis), and other products of tropical climates, are likewise grown in 

 Algeria, but most of them to a limited extent. It is doubtful whether they 

 would compete in price with similar articles from other countries. There 

 is, however, one particular branch in which they are likely to excel, and 

 that is the distillation of essential oils for perfumery purposes. Algeria 

 abounds with sweet-scented flowers and aromatic plants of powerful fragrance, 

 which are mostly found growing wild, and can be brought to great perfec- 

 tion by a proper system of cultivation. Among the essences exhibited 

 are those of Neroly, petit-grain, andbigarrade (the first produced from the 

 flowers, the second from the leaves, and the third from the rind of the 

 fruit of the Citrus bigaradia, or bitter orange tree), melarosa, nessri, or 

 musk rose, peppermint, geranium {Pelargonium odoratissimum), lemon, 

 orange, fennel, sage, wormwood (used principally for liqueurs), rose- 

 mary, aniseed, marjoram, origanum, spear-mint, lavender, &c. The 

 flower fields of Grasse, Cannes, and Nice, which have hitherto supplied the 

 entire Avorld with the principal perfumery materials, cannot now meet the 

 demands of an increasing consumption, and Algeria is admirably situated 

 to fill up the best part of the deficiency. Four distillers of essences have 

 been awarded prize medals, which shows the desire of the French Govern- 

 ment to encourage that industry, and, from the high prices obtained, 

 it must prove remunerative to those who embark in it with proper know- 

 ledge and spirit. To conclude the list of vegetable productions, I may 

 mention Cork, which is found in abundance in some of the Algerian forests, 

 and Sorgho {Holms saccharatus), a sort of millet cane, from the sap of the 

 stalk of which sugar and alcohol are obtained, whilst the tops are largely used 

 for brooms. 



Algeria is almost as rich in mineral as it is in vegetable treasures. It 

 possesses iron, copper, lead, antimony, arsenic, and even silver and gold 

 mines ; besides some fine marble quarries. The principal of those is at 

 Djebel-Filfila, and was well known by the Romans, who worked it, until 

 they were driven out of Africa by the Vandals. It produces several sorts 

 ofynarble, and among others a fine white statuary marble, thought by some 

 equal, if not superior, in grain to the best Carrara, whilst it possesses the 

 semi-transparency of the Parian. The most beautiful of all, however, is 

 the onyx marble, or oriental alabaster, extracted from a quarry called 

 Ain-Tabalek, which was also well known to the Romans, who made from 

 it cups, pillars, baths, and other artistical works, some of which may still 

 be seen among the antiquities of the Vatican. The history of this quarry 

 is somewhat curious. Its existence had been completely buried in oblivion 

 for ages past, when M. Delmonte, a sculptor of Oran, discovered it by 

 mere chance some ten years ago. He offered sixty francs for it, which 

 were eagerly accepted by the Arab who owned the waste land which covered 



