The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-16 00:00:00

LIT E.RATURE.

Through Algeri r. By the Author of "Life in
Tuscany." Bentley.
Belonging to the rapidly increasing class of lady
tourists, and commencing her work with an apology
for the same, the author conducts her readers
through the various phases of Algerine life, jotting
down her impressions in a light and agreeable man-
ner, and conveying a vivid idea of the condition of
that part of Africa which is now under the paternal
Government of the French. The notice population
of Algeria consists of a mixture of Moors, Jews,
negroes, and Arabs, and of the former she says :
"The Moor has an innate love of beauty. The
colours of his dress are well assorted, and his em-
broidery designs are graceful. He is passionately
fond of flowers—he has them often in a jar beside
him as he works, and he frequently inserts them
beneath the edge of his fez or turban ; the oppres-
sive fragrance of the large white jasmine and the
orange flower is his delight. Though loving to lie
in the shade, he likes to have a gush of sunshine
lighting up the scene on which he locks. Poiite in
speech, his gestures are always graceful, his bear-
ing dignified, and the calm self-possession of his
address is never disturbed by the most unex-
pected incident." Algeria, at present, consists,
as it were, of two divisions; that occupied by the
French having been almost entirely rebuilt by them,
has consequently lost its distinctive architectural
features, but in the old portion of the town the
oriental aspect is still preserved. "It is but a step
from a wide French street to a native thoroughfare
about four feet wide, scaling the side of a steep hill.
The shops on either hand are in European eyes no-
thing but mere stalls; many of them are not so large
as a good-sized wardrobe, and in every case their
open fronts serve the place of doors and windows.
Here is a stall whose entrance is ornamented by
pendant bunches of red pepper pods and onions,
whilst the proprietor, coiled up upon his bench,
has fallen fast asleep. Opposite is a narrow room,
some five feet long, in which a barber is exercising
his skill upon a well-lathered head ; and on a bench
inside a handsomely-dressed Moor is evidently wait-
ing to undergo a similar operation. Close by three
shoemakers ply their trade in a recess, whose en-
trance is garnished by pendant strings of shoes,
black, red, and green, and showing here and there
a resplendent front, glittering with gold and silver
twist, and tinsel ornament. A few steps further up
I pass a cafe, whose walls are lined on either side by
a row of cross-legged natives, of whom some smoke,
some play at draughts, whilst others sip coffee out of
diminutive cups, amidst an almost unbroken silence.
In a small recess raised a few steps above the street
a solemn Greybeard sits, resting on his knees a sheet
of paper, on which he is slowly tracing with ex-
quisite neatness some Arabic characters." But the
author did not confine herself to Algiers, but made
excursions into the country, and even penetrated as
far as K-Ibylia ; the natives of which, differing in
many essentials from the Arabs, have the character
of being by no means fond of strangers. She was
received, however, everywhere with courtesy,
though her advent not a little astonished the
Kabyles, and the accommodation with which she
had to content herself was often of a most primitive
kind. The great curse of the country seems to be
malaria ; the soil, wherever turned up, emits pesti-
lential exhalations, and the French settlers have

" died off like flies." This has been a terrible draw-
back to the prosperity of the colony, and notwith-
standing all the inducements held out by the French
Government progress has been exceedingly slow.
Scattered through the volume we find some interest-
ing anecdotes illustrative of Arab character, together
with curious d, scriptions of their superstitious rites
and festivals, and the reader will obtain from it not
only amusement, bat also a considerable amount of
information.

The Channings. By Mrs. Henry Wood. Bentley.
This is a reprint, in a single volume, of Mrs
Henry Wood's extremely popular novel, and in its
present handsome and convenient, but cheap, form
we have no doubt it will command an extensive
sale.