SCIENCE -Supplement. 



FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1885. 



COLONIZATION IN ALGERIAN 



The problem of colonization in Algeria is by no 

 means the same as in America or Australia. In 

 the latter countries, the native population is sparse, 

 has no conception of the use of land for agricul- 

 tm-e to any extent, and yields with httle resistance 

 before the advance of civihzation. In Algeria, on 

 the contrary, the natives are relatively nmnerous, 

 have maintained themselves in j)ossession of 

 the land for centuries, often by force of arms, 

 and, however imperfect the use they make of it, 

 resist any encroachments upon their rights with 

 some intelligence and a great deal of vigor. 



The French government had originally no in- 

 tention of colonizing Algeria, but took possession 

 of the city of Algiers as a purely military measure. 

 But various classes of settlers, who were entitled 

 to French protection, contmuaUy arrived and oc- 

 cupied the vicinity of the city ; to protect them 

 against the marauding Arab tribes, the French 

 generals found themselves compelled, often against 

 their own will, to advance their lines farther and 

 farther ; and at last the government concluded 

 definitely to hold the whole country and colonize it. 



The liistory of the attempts at colonization since 

 the first, in 1840, presents almost an unbroken 

 succession of failures. Every governor-general 

 had a theory of Ms own, and his first step was 

 usually to make a clean sweep of all the arrange- 

 ments of his predecessor. Marshal Valee, in imi- 

 tation of the Roman military colonies, attempted 

 to use discharged soldiers as colonists. He over- 

 looked the fact that the ancient military colonies 

 only flourished where the veterans succeeded in 

 completely subjugating the former inliabitants and 

 forcing them to work the land. The result showed 

 how gross was his mistake in supposing that the ab- 

 sinthe-soaked old troopers would develop into good 

 farmers ; the 300 whom he established in 1840 at 

 Kolea, left to a man the next year. 



The next governor, Marshal Bugeand, also tried 

 the military plan ; but instead of discharged vet- 

 erans, he settled soldiers who had still two years 

 to serve, and were for that period subject to martial 

 law. Moreover, since bachelors are not the most 

 successful colonists, they received a three months 

 furlough to go home and provide themselves with 



' From ao article by Dr. W. Kobelt in Das Ausland. 



better-halves. The result was what might have 

 been expected. The military colonists, hemmed 

 in by their code of petty regulations, and prevented 

 from anything like independent action, felt much 

 less at ease in their settlements than in the old 

 barrack life ; and at the expiration of tlieir time 

 of service returned, almost without exception, to 

 ' La Belle France.' 



Besides these military attempts, some civihan 

 settlements were founded, wliicli promised better 

 results. The same method had been adopted which 

 is followed at present, and which, under the con- 

 ditions which exist in Algeria, seems to be about 

 the only one possible: The government provides 

 a place for a village of 50 to 100 houses ; it gives 

 for each house a certain acreage of land, puts up 

 the public buildings, provides for the water-supply 

 and connects the village by a paved street with 

 the main road ; after this is completed, the land is 

 parcelled out to the individual colonists, who must 

 agree to build a stone house of certain dimensions, 

 fence and break up the land, and set out a certain 

 number of fruit trees. The title of possession is 

 only provisory, and can be withdrawn if the con- 

 ditions are not fulfilled ; not until after a certain 

 number of years is the title unconditional, and not 

 until then can the land be sold. 



Much has been said against this plan ; but it is 

 difficult to see how any other could be employed. 

 It is impossible for individual enterprise to secure 

 land for a settlement ; the property-rights among 

 the natives are in too involved a condition. Four 

 kinds of landed property are recognized : 1st, the 

 Azel, or domain-lands — property of the govern- 

 ment, or more exactly, of the officials ; 2d, the 

 Habbus — property of the mosques, schools, hos- 

 pitals, etc. ; 3d, the Arkh — property of private in- 

 dividuals ; 4th, the Melkh — property of famfiies or 

 tribes in common. The first division comprises 

 some of the best land in the country, and there 

 was at one time a chance to get at it for coloniza- 

 tion ; but it has now fallen into the hands of 

 speculators, and only the forests are left for bona 

 fide colonists. The Habbus is, of course, unavail- 

 able for colonization. The Arkh belongs originaUy 

 to the Kabyles and Moors ; the former are very 

 reluctant to sell to foreigners, and in most places 

 have a law which gives the next neighbor the first 

 privilege of purchase ; while such of the Moorish 

 lands, as were saleable, have alreadj' passed into 

 the hands of native Jews. The Melkh belongs 

 to the various Arab tribes, and usually comes into 



