The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-19 00:00:00

FRENCH AFRICA.

The following letter from Oran, quoted by the Tou-
lonnais, gives a graphic sketch of the circumstances at-
tending the submission of the tribes of that province :
" General Tempoure and General Mustapha encamped
on the Rio Salado, at a place called Hammam Bou Adjer,
a stratejic point at the foot of the Tassala hills, where
the Beni Amars have their Douars, and which General
Mustapha selected as being equally favourable for the
negotiations wished to be entered upon, and for a razzia,
in case it should become necessary to make one. This
has not become so, for when the tribes heard of the ar-
rival of the French and General Mustapha, the chief
came into this general's tent, did'homage to him, and en-
treated him to forget all their differences, and remember
only the days when they marched under the same stan-
dard, and requested him to use his interest with our com-
manders to save them from our ruinous razzias. During
the six days which the weather detained us at the bi-.
vouac of Hammon Bou Adjer, ,Gen. Mustapha's tent
was crowded with chiefs and envoys pressing from all
parts. Some, by the strange fashion of their arms and
costume, showed that they came from far distant parts
to see the venerated warrior, whom the Arabs call the
Sword of the Sultan of France. It was, indeed, a truly
imposing spectacle, to See the worthy old man, seated at
the entrance of his tent, which was too confined to re-
ceive all the chiefs who came to kiss his hand, and hear
him explain the benevolent intentions of the French.
Among the envoys were those charged to make arrange-
ments for an interview between him and Sidi Mohamet
Ben Abdallah. The latter; whom the tribes wish to
obey as their new chief or Sultan, had left the Moun-
tains of Tara with 1,000 horsemen, and the chiefs of all the
tribes who have acknowledged his authority. Having
come two-thirds of the distance towards our camp, and
taken up a position on one of the slopes of the Bou Haft
Mountain, commanding the road to Tlemcen, about two
leagues from the old Roman road, called by the Arabs
Ain el Bredji (Fountain of the Forts), General Mus-
tapha recommended Colonel Tempoure to go so far to
meet Mohamet Ben Abdallah, who is not only a politi-
cal chief, but the most venerated Marabout of the pro-
vince. The Colonel set out, accompanied by Captain
Azema de Montgravier, of the artillery, commaleant of
one of the battalions of the column, Captain Feri
Pisani Jourdan, commandant Of the artillery, Captain de
Laumiere, the Colonel's aide de camp, and Lieutenant Sa-
varres, 21 the second African Chassvurs. General Musta-
pha marched at the head of his auxiliary cavalry, clad in
his finest burnous and wearing his richest arms and ac-
coutrements. After a three hours' march they came
in view of the cortege of the new Sultan, having dis-
played at its head four standards, taken for this occasion
from the celebrated mosque, in which are deposited the
ashes of Sidi Chiqze, the founder of his race. On --seeing
the cortege the Douars uttered shouts of joy, flourished
their arms in the air, and showing general anxiety to
contemplate the countenance of the Marabout. On a
sign from Mustapha theprincipal chiefs detached them-
selves from the troops, and went to announce our ar-
rival to the Sultan. The rest soon followed, and the
two Arab chiefs, their standards and followers, were
completely intermingled, embracing, and giving each
other takens of mutual and entire confidence. Gen. Mus-
tapha alighted, in deference to the religious character of
our ally, and the latter hastened to embrace him, without
waiting for the kiss on the hand, a mark of respect which
Pachas themselves never refuse to pay to certain Mara-
bouts. Tit: s first interview was extremely short between the
parties. Gen. Mustapha told Mohamet Ben Abdallah that
the Chief of •ithe French, informed by his out-scouts of the
appearance of some of the enemy's cavalry on the heights
of Ain el Bredji, had made a reconnaissance up to that
point, and w,'shed that the Arab united troops should
join him there,. The two chiefs immediately mounted
their horses, and "'loved towards the point, at which the
Colonel had taker, up a position, after having driven
away some spies of .Abd-el-Kader. During the confer-
ence large fires were lighted on the plateau, which Abd-
el-Kader must have 'beheld from Mechouar. A blaze of
joy, lighted by the spirit of vengeance, illuminated the fine
countenance of Mustapha, the family of Meheddin having
done so much evil to his race. Abd-el-Kader has caused
the death by poison or the sword of so many of his rela-
tions and friends, that the venerable old man has ever upon
his lips the following words, which have been adopted
by the Arabs :—` Mustapha Ben Ismael has only two
enemies in the world— Saian and the Son (j. Meheddin.'
Our Aga is not the only ove in whose breast Abd-el-
Kader has planted implacably' hatred. Among the chiefs
present at this important meetng, there were five whose
fathers, sons, or brothers, have pserished by order of the
Emir, in frightful tortures. it 1,',1 in vain that some
writers, seduced by the apparent grop.:eur of the struggle