The Sun.
London, England, 1837-06-17 00:00:00

INTERVIEW BETWEEN GENERAL
BUGEAUD AND THE EMIR ABDEL KADER.

It is much more difficult to negociate with the Arabs
than to conquer them when they have accepted a battle.
The subtlety of their minds, their habitual diffidence in their
intercourse with Christians, a thousand religious prejudices,
narrow ideas of nationality, the necessity of negotiating
through intermediate persons, have contributed towards
multiplying obstacles and raising difficulties at every stage
Nevertheless, the able firmness of General Bugeaud, backed
by an imposing attitude, ultimately triumphed over all those
impediments, and after much coming and going between the
two camps, the treaty was brought to him, with the Enir%
seal, not his signature, for the Arabs never sign.
General Bugeaud then caused an interview to be pro-
posed to Abdel Kader for next day, at three leagues from
the French camp, and six or seven from that of the Arabs.
The proposal was accepted without hesitation; General
I3ugeaud repaired next day, at nine, A.M., to the spot
agreed upon, with six battalions, his artillery and cavalry.
It was the first time that he was to meet the Arab Chief-
tain a pacific manner. The scene could not fail to be of a
most dramatic description. General Bugeaud, and the
officers who bad accompanied him, found not the Emir at
the rendezvous. The delay was naturally accounted for by
the greater distance of the latter's camp. No anxiety was,
therefore, felt. Five hours elapsed without anybody ar-
riving—without any sign of the Arab Chieftain's advance.
At \length, towards two, v.M., several Arabs successively-
came up, with whom the French General had communi
cated on the preceding days—some bringing excuses—
otheri dilatory pretences, At length a messenger arrived,
who urged General Bugcaud to advance a little, adding that
it could not be long before he met Abdel Kader, It was
about five o'clock, The General wishing to conduct the
troops to the camp, and to conclude all on that daydetermined on advancing, followed by his staff! Aftery a
march of above 4n how withotit meeting the Emir, Gen
Bugeaud at length perceived the Arab P"'- rat
. ...Li), at the bottom
of
a valley, drawn up in rather good order upon various
hills in such a manner as to exhibit itself to advantage. At
that moment the Chief of the Oulassahs tribe, Bouhamedy,
OM to him, to tell him that Abdel Kader was close by,
upon a declivity, and that he would conduct him to the Emir.
The General and his escort were amidst the enemy's ad-
vanced posts, and if any alarm had been felt, to retreat
would have been useless. Besides, Gen. Bugeaud felt perfectly
safe i but some s.igns of hesitation having been manifested
about him the Kaybyle observed to him, " Quiet yourself,
have ,o fear,"

" I fear nothing," replied the General," I am accus-
tomed to see you ; but it is indecorous on the part of thy
Chi, f to make me wait so long, and come so far."
" He is there, you will presently see him."
Another march of about a quarter of an hour was, how-
ever, necessary. At length the Emir's escort was seen ad-
vancing on the side of the little band at the head of which
General Bugeaud marched. Its aspect was imposing ; it
included between 1.50 and 200 Marabout chiefs, of a re-
markable personal appearance, which their majestic costumes
further improved. They were all mounted upon magnifi-
cent horses, which they managed with great elegance and
dexterity. Abdel Bader himself was some steps in advance,
riding a beautiful black horse, which he managed with pro-
digious dexterity ; at one time he raised his fore legs from
the ground ; at another he made him walk on his hind legs.
Several Arabs of his household held the stirrups, the flips
of his bornous, and even the tail of his horse.

To avoid the slowness of a ceremonial, and let him see
see that no apprehension was felt, General Bugeaud gal-
lopped immediately to him, and, after asking whether he
was Abdel Kader, tendered him cavalieremenl his hand,
which the Emir took and twice pressed. The latter then
asked him how he did ? " Very well," replied the General,
putting the same question to him ; and to shorten all those
preliminaries usually very long among the Arabs, he _in-
vited him to alight from his horse in order to converse more
conveniently. The Emir got off his horse, and sat down,
without urging the General to do the same. The General
then sat down by him, without ceremony. The band, wholly
composed of shrill hautboys, then began playing in such a
manner as to prevent the conversation from proceeding.
General Bugeaud beckoned it to be silent. It ceased, and
the conversation commenced.
Abdel Kader is pale ; he resembles the portrait tradition-
ally given of our Saviour. His mouth is large ; his teeth
badly set and not very white ; his eyes and beard of a ches-
nat-colour ; his skull is well developed. His countenance
altogether expresses a devotion slightly affected. His cos-
tume does not differ from that of the most vulgar Arabs ;
at least on that day his garments were dirty, coarse, and
three-fourths worn out. " Knoweth thou," said General
Bugeaud, " that few Generals would have dared to conclude
the treaty I have concluded with thee. I have not feared
to aggrandize thee and increase thy power, because I am as-
sured that thou wilt use the great estate we give thee but to
improve the condition of the Arab nation and maintain it in
peace and activity with France." " I thank thee," replied
Abdel Kader, " for thy good feelings towards me ; if it please
God I shall render the Arabs happy, and if peace be ever
disturbed it shall he no fault of mine." " Upon that point I
have given security for thee to the King of the French."
" Thou bast incurred no risk in doing so ; we have a religion
and manners which oblige us to keep our word ; I have never
broken mine." " I trust in that, 'and it is on that account
that I tender to thee my private friendship." .4 1 accept
thy friendship, but let the French take care not to listen to
intriguers !" " The French suffer themselves to be led by
nobody, and it is not some isolated actions, done by indivi-
duals, that can disturb the peace ; for that the inexecution
of the treaty or some great act of hostility would be re-
quisite. As for the guilty acts of private individuals, we
shall apprise one another of them, and reciprocally chas-
tise them." "It is very well ; thou bast only to apprise
me, and the offenders shall be punished." " I recommend
to thee the Couiouglis who may remain at Tlemesen."—
" Thou mayest be quiet about them ; they shall be treated
like the Hadars. But thou bath promised to put the
Douers into the Haifa country."—" The Hafra country
would, perhaps, be insufficient ; but they shall be stationed
so as not to injure the maintenance of peace."
" Hath thou," resumed the General, "ordered the Com-
mercial intercourse at Algiers, and round all our towns,
to be restored'?"—" No, but 1 shall do so the moment
thou shalt base restored Tlemecen to me."---' Thou
knoweth well that I cannot restore Tlemecen before the
treaty be approved of by my King."—" Thou hath, there-
fore, not the power to treat ?"—" I have it, but the treaty
must he approved of. It is necessary for thy guarantee,
for were it made by me only, another General suc-
ceeding to me might annul it, vt hilst, being sanctioned
by my King, my successor must maintain it."—" If thou
restorsth not Tlemecen to me as thou bath promised in the
treaty, I see not the necessity of making peace ; it Will be
but a truce."—" That's true ; this may be but a truce, but
it is thou that gaineth by it ; for while it lasts I shall not de-
stroy the crops."—" Thou may'st dt stroy them, that's all
the sante to us, and now that we have made peace I
shall give thee a writ ten permission ts destoy all that thou
liketh ; thou can'st destroy but a very small portion, and
the Arabs arc in no want of grain."—" I believe the Arabs
do not all think like thee ; for I see that they much wish
for peace, and some of them have thanked me for having
respected the crops between the Schika and this, accor-
ding to my promise to Amady-Sakal." Abdel Kader dis-
dainfully smiled, and then asked what time was necessary
to have the French King's approbation? " Three weeks."
That's a very long time."—" Thou risketh nothing ; I
alone can lose by it." His Khaliff, Ben-Harach, who had
just approached, then said. to the General—" Three weeks
is too long a time ; we must not wait above ten or fifteen
days."—" Doti' thou rule the sea ?" replied the General.
" Well, in that case," resumed Abdel Kader, " we shall
re-establish commercial relations only after the arrival of
the King's approbation, and when peace shall be finally.
concluded. It is to thy countrymen that thou doeth the
greatest injury, for thou depriveth them of trade which
they want, and we can do without it, since we receive by sea
all that we want."
The General deemed it not advisable to insist more on
the point. He asked whether the detachment which he
had left at Tlemecen might come and join him in safety at
Oran, to which Abdel Kader replied in the affirmative.
The General had risen, but the Emir remained seated, with
a look denoting some pretension to making the French Ge-
neral stand before him. But it lasted not long. The Ge-
neral told him, sans peon, that when he (the General) rose
the other party must do the same, and, without waiting for
an answer, he took him by the hand, smiling, and raised
him from the ground, to the great astonishment of the
Arabs, who stared, and no doubt thought the act an pea
kale. The Emir's hand is a pretty one, but small and
weak, and the man himself appears not very robust.
It was late ; Abdel Kader and General Bugeaud took
leave of one another and parted, the former being saluted
by the acclamations and joyful shouts of his numerous es-
cort, which were majestically echoed along the hills, and re-
iterated by his whole army. At that moment a long and
violent thunderclap was heard, the multiplied echoes of
which added to the imposing scene. The corlcge shud-
dered, cries of admiration were raised, and the troops
brought along with the General were joined, amidst con-
versations upon the Arab chieftain and the beautiful scene
just beheld—a scene which can never be forgotten by these
who witnessed it.
Eye-witnesses rate at near ten thousand horse the arms,
of Abdel Kader, which was concentrated at a great deptii
from the foot to the summit of the hills, scattered about
the valley, along a line of above half a league. But it pre-
sento gre4 vestiges of 4n organiaatiog Ar
without which numbers are nothing in war,
General Bugeaud found his little corps which he had left
above a league .in the rear, rather uneasy about his adven-
turous expedition, 4.0 already who he re-appeared with
his escort, it was agitated whether it would not be proper
to advance, in order to support him.—Monitcur.