1800.] 
The privileges and prerogatives of the» 
Turks here are merely perfonal. They 
pay no poll-tax, and have an exclufive title 
to rife to the firft offices of the fate: to 
the dignity of Dey, none but a genuine 
Turk/can be exalted. No Turk can be 
punithed except by the exprefs command 
of the Dey: when condemned to death, 
the mode of putting them to death, accor- 
ding to rule; is by ftrangling « fometimes, 
though rarely and for fecret reafons of 
ftate, the execution is performed by the 
adminiftration of a dofe of poifon in a cup 
of coffee. To their other privileges muft 
likewife be added, that they buy all the 
neceflaries of life at a lower price; that 
from albgardens and: vineyards which are’ 
nbdt inelofed with high walls they may take 
as much frtiit as they can'eat; ‘and that 
their teftimony, ali other. circumftances 
being equal, is always prefered to and held 
of more. value than that of the Moors, 
Jews, and Chriftians. Their .male «chil- 
dren and defcendents inherit cnly a {mall 
part of thefe-privileges ; and ‘conftitute a, 
peculiar clafs of men, who arenext in rank 
and dignity to. the Turks. 
Thefesfons, who fpring from the mar- 
riages of Turks with women natives of 
Algiers, are called Cololis or Coloris. They 
have the privilege to be in cafes of nece{- 
fity admitted, by permiffion of the Dey, 
into the military. After their enrolment, 
they are confidered as equal to the ge- 
nuine Turks, and advance like them’in 
rank and pay. They may Jikewifle be 
raifed’to civil offices of the ftate, but not to 
the firft... The number of thefe Coloris is 
eonfiderable, efpecially in the vicinity of 
the capital. Among them are ancient, 
rich, and refpectable families... The fons 
even of the Dey bimielf belong tothe clafs 
of Coloris ; and confequently cannot fuc- 
ceed to the throne, or to any of the higher 
offices of ftate. It may even be afferted, 
that the richeft and moft confiderable fa- 
milies of this country confift of Coloris ; 
as all the Beys, Califs and Caits are al- 
ways Turks, who leave great wealth to 
their children. . The Coloris form a mid- 
dle clafs betwixt the Turks and Moors: 
they are certainly the moft dangerous ene- 
mies of the domination of the Turks, and 
continual envy and miftruft fubfifts between 
both parties.. The government therefore 
admits as few as poffible of the Coloris 
into the military corps ; nor ever employs 
them in fecret and dangerous expeditions ; 
and, in cafeof any difpute arifing between 
them, always favours the Turks. With 
refpect to the character of the Coloris, they 
refemble the Turks in being proud, vain, 
Account of the inhabitants of Alziers. 
jealous and courageous, and likewife va- 
taries of fenfual pleafure, but more labo- 
rious and addicted to bafinefs. On the 
-other hand, they partake of the perfidy and 
diffimulation of the Moors, and of their 
propenfity to fuperftition. In bodily ftrength 
and firucture, they are not inferior to the 
Turks, and cannot in this refpeé& be dif 
tinguifhed from them. Being the defeen- 
dants’ of the richeft and moft contiderable 
men, many of whom have travelled into’ 
diftant countries, they undoubtedly belone. 
to the molt intelligent and cultivated pare 
of the inhabitants of Algiers, from whole 
converfaiion a European may derive enter- 
tainment and inftruction. They have likes 
wife a genius for the arts: and the moit’ 
expert artifts and artificers of the country 
are Colotis. . 
The fecond grand divifion of the inhabi- 
tants, of Algiers are the Moors. Under 
this general name are comprehended the 
Moors properly fo called; the Cadbyles, 
mixed with Brebers (Berbers) ; and feveral 
proper Arabian tribes. The Moors in the 
Algerine dominions (Mauri, Mauritani) 
muft not be confounded with the Necroes, 
the more fo, as their natural colour is as 
white and beautiful as that of the natives 
of the South of France, of Spain, and 
Italy. The country people indeed, wha 
expofe themfelves haH-naked to the burn- 
ing rays of the fun, have an adult and red 
difh-yellow appearance: but this is’ not 
the natural colour of their bodies. 
With refpeét to their moral character, 
the Moors of this country are inferior ta 
the Turks. They are malicious, °falle, 
cowardly, revengetul, fanatical, ignorant, 
faperftitious, fraudulent, avaricious, and; 
_as far as regards the lower clafs, likewifé 
thievifh and rapacious. But, then, they 
aremore active than the Turks, and efpe-_ 
cially have a turn for commerce and the 
mechanic arts. The Moors who live in 
the cities, do not appear in fo odious 4 
light: for, by their frequent intercourfe 
and dealings with other nations, they be- 
come more polithed. hey are likewife, 
for the moft part, in ealy circumftances, 
and fome of themeven rich. ‘The Turks 
are hated, and even defpifed, by the rich 
Moors; who reject and avoid all connec- 
tion and inter-marriage with them and the 
Coloris: but they dare not’ openly thew 
theis hatred and pride; on the contrary, 
they are obliged to take refuge in diflimu- 
lation and flattery, and to purchafe with 
prefents patrons and protectors among the 
Turks. The lefs wealthy Moors in the 
towns are for the moft part artificers: 
many of them likewife follow the fea-fer- 
Vict. 
437 










