The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-02 00:00:00

ALGERIA.

MASSACRE OF THREE HUNDRED FRENCH

PRISONERS BY THE ARABS.

MARSEILLES, MAY 27.—The France Algerienne, in
date of 23d May, has the following :
" The master of a small sailing vessel, which left
Djemmail-Ghazaeuat on the 9th inst., has announced to
us a horrible event—the massacre in the Deira of Abd-
el-Hader of all the French prisoners I General de La-
moriciire immediately ordered the G4geois steamer to
repair forthwith to Djemmia-Ghazaouat with Colonel
Martimprey on board, to examine the merits of this
alarming report, to establish its authenticity, or other-
wise, and to collect all the particulars of this odious act
of barbarity, of the fact of which we would fain doubt,
but, alas! we fear it is but too true. The state of the sea
prevented for three days the execution of M. de Martim-
prey's mission; the Gri,;eois, however, arrived at length
this night. From the report of M. de Martimprey, as
well as from all the reports collected relative to this fatal
event, it is clear that Abd-el-Kader ordered the mas-
sacre of our prisoners, and that this order has been
executed. We hasten to state that up to the present
time this order has nut extended to the officers, who
have escaped this horrible butchery. I will now sum-
marily relate the reasons which induced the Emir to
adopt so merciless a resolution.
" In the course of March last, Ab-el-Hader ordered
Bou Hamedi to transfer to Mustapha Ben Thami the
charge of the Deira, and to join him immediately with
the Beni Amers. Although noised about in the
_south ,
as if it had been executed, the order never was, for the
Beni Amers and Boil Hamedi refused to depart. The
tribe, by the confession of . the Kalifs
himself, on the
contrary, began with Bourtanne Oulid Chaoui, negotia-
tions with a view to securing his assistance, in order to
separate themselves from the Deira. It was agreed
between them that the Beni Angers should not go beyond
Tasa, that Bou Hamedi should act as mediator between
the tribe and the Emir, and that he should return to the
Deira as commander-in-chief of the same. Bou Hamedi
kept his word ; but the Beni Amer's breaking faith,
departed for the westward, heedless of the Kalifa, who,
dreading the consequences of his abortive intrigue, pro-
ceeded to rejoin Bousianne Oulid Chaoui.
" It ensued from from these events, which occurred in
the latter end of April, that Mustapha Ben Thami, who
had remained alone amongst the Hackems, and some
emigrants from various tribes, and could not execute the
Emir's order, received from his brother-in-law instruc-
tions to transport to the southward all the people that
remained with him; whereupon he wrote to Abd-el-
Kader, that reduced as the Deira was to one-fourth of
its numbers, he would be unable to resist any attempt on
the part of the Moors to seize possession of the French
prisoners, the custody and maintenance of whom was
becoming daily more difficult.
" Abd-el-Kader returned for answer the barbarous
order to put the prisoners to death, and that the exe-
cution of this order might be facilitated, the report was
spread in the Deira that the Mussulman prisoners had
been similarly treated in France. It is by such means
as these that the agitators stimulate the ignorant and
cruel hatred of the Arabs.
" There is not the least room to doubt the execution of
our unfortunate brothers in arms. We have seen the
corpses of several. A few, who escaped death, fled,
although pursued, and contrived to win the protection of
the Beni-Massem. This tribe has saved the life of one
of them, and promises to restore others to us, who are
already in safety. i shall probably soon be able to send
you the particulars, alas! deplorable to read, of this ter-
rible massacre, executed by order of the Emir. in whom
our examples of philanthropy have as yet taken no
TOOL

After the catastrophe the Dc.ira was completely dis-
banded. Many of the tents have gone over to the Beni-
Masson and to the westward. Mustapha Ben Thami,
with eight or nice I)ouars, turned his steps towards the
south, and has encamped on the Oued Kseuh, whence he
will proceed to join the Emir, rid Aiounsidi-Melouck,
where he (the Emir) has been seen.
" All inaiounts agree in stating that all the remains of
the Deir including the aunt of Abd-el-Kader, has pro-
ceeded to the westward, and is by this time far away
from our frontier. The Beni-Amers have pitched their
tents between Fez and Mequinez. An old Spahis met,
at three days' march from the latter town, El Berkem.
This change of r,ute has been induced by the fear with
which General Cavaignac's column, at Lalla-Maghrina
must have inspired the Emir, as well as the danger to
which the Deira was exposed from the Moorish tribes.
" This di,p2rsion of the Deira, its state of weakness
and poverty, and the difficult task to which the Emir
will have to restore it, if be ever should do so, form so
much excellent news, over which we might be permitted
to rejoice, if they were not connected with that of the
tragical end of unheard-of sufferings of our brave fel-
lows who had fallen into the hands of the Erair. This
disaster will throw the army into mourning, and the
whole African population."
The followine, is from the Courier de Marseille
" I have bad news to give you. The steamer from
Oran reports the massacre of our prisoners in the power
of Abd-el-Kader, three hundred in number, among whom
are comprised Sl5l. Cognard, Larages, Thonas, officers
sure -iurs ; Doctor Cabasse ; all of whom supported
their misfortunes with the greatest fortitude, and enabled

and encouraged by the force of their example the re-
mainder of our unfortunate soldiers, captured in our
various encounters with the Arabs, to do the same. It
would appear that the tribes who were encharged with
the custody of our prisoners were divided in sentiments :
one party was in favour of preserving their lives, and the
other not. Unhappily the latter party were in the
majority, and the poor soldiers were butchered. After
this let the Paris papers praise the clemency of the
Emir."