The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-17 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

JOURNAL OF A RESIDENCE IN THE
ESkIAILLA OF ABD-EL-KADER.
W hittaker, London, 1842.
The author of this volunie of travels in the country
of the Arabs, bordering on Algiers, is Colonel Scott,
who was for same time an officer in the service of
Queen Isabella of Spain ; when, however, it was pro.
posed to incorporate the Carlist with the Christino
regiments, at the close of the late civil war, the
Colonel, finding it impossible to associate with those
who had supported the cause of despotism, retired from
the service, " with the full intention," as he observes in
his introductory chaloter, "of proceeding to Tege-
dempt, to join the Emir, Abd-el- Kader, whose glo-
rious resistance against the united power of the French
nation, inspired me with admiration, at that time only
considering him in the light of an Arab chief." In
pursuance of this resolution, he set out for the Court of
the Emir, and accepted the appointment of Chief of
his Staff, an office which brought him into frequent
contact with Abd-el-Kader, of whom he speaks in
terms of the warmest eulogium, observing that " his
zeal and tone of character is that of a youthful hero,
possessing a noble and generous mind; one who is
incapable of treachery, and whose liberal policy and
goverinnent, were he only on the throne of Algiers,
would render that country in a short time the most
enlightened under the Moslem sway. He looks
towards the British nation as a friend of the brave and
free; but our Government cannot assist him in his
glorious struggle for independence, although private
individuals might do so. His cause is far more
worthy of their philanthrophy than that of the Greeks,
being, above all, of the highest and greatest im-
portance to the mercantile interest of the British
nation." Our author proceeds to state that the war-
fare now carrying on in Algiers will never be attended
with any benefit to France; and that it ruins British
commerce in that part of the world, as seven millions
sterling are about the average of the exports and im.
ports of Algiers, including also the territory occupiea
Ethe French, and that under the dominion of the
mir. While Colonel Scott was residing with Abd-
el-Kader, at the town of Twedempt, a caravan ar-
rived from Timbuctoo, and from one of the slave-
merchants belonging to the caravan, the Colonel
received some information respecting that mysterious
city,—of no great importance, however, for he merely
learned that Timbuctoo was as large as Fez, one of
the principal towns of Morocco, and that gold-dust
and ivory were its chief articles of trade. Though
our author travelled over an interesting tract of
country, and one less known to the generality of
English readers than could be desired, yet we do not
find much of novelty in his descriptions ; his long ac-
count of his halt at Fez is perhaps the most entertain-
ing portion of his volume ; but we prefer giving a
curious anecdote of Abd-el-Kader, and his adventure
with a lion :

"It appears that Abd-el-Kader, like Araoun-al-
Raschid in the Arabian Nights' entertainments, fre-
quently goes about in disguise, in order to .inform him-
, self of the actual state of affairs ; one night he came
from the Esmailla to Tegedempt alone, to ascertain thi
correctness of a report which had been made, that it was
unsafe to he in the streets after nightfall. He remained
walking about the town till near midnight ; on his re-
turn he had to pass the brook of Tegedempt, and it
being the hour of prayer, he halted to perform his devo-
tions, and was washing his feet in the stream, when a
huge lion made his handsome bow before him,'
doubtless having just dropped in like Paul Pry to make
a call, The Sultan met the lion's stare, and with a
frown, calling him a Kilb-ben•el-Kilb, for intruding upon
him at so unseasonable tal hour, bade him begone for a
kaffer ; strange to say, the lord of the forest cowed his
head before the defender of the faithful, and turning tail
walked oft By the Arabs this was considered as a
miracle wrought by
,the prophet in favour of his protege
Abd-el-Kader, who is rrequttitly styled by his subjects
' the beloved of Mahomet. '
I should, however, be more
inclined to place this circumstance to the .generosity, of
this noble animal, who seldom attacks the human species
unless driven so to do by, extreme hunger. The Arabs
say that the females of their tribes, if a lion makes his
appearance at their tents, have only to show him their
breasts, when he invariably hangs down his head and
walks away 1 although a traveller, and used to strange
stories, I did not exactly give credit to this assertion."

SIRt. ROBERT PEEL ON THE COST

OF THE PROVISION MONOPOLIES.

Among all the speeches against the Corn-laws, which
have been delivered in Parliament during the present
session, we question if there has been one which con-
tained more conclusive arguments in favour of the total
abolition of the food monopoly, than are to be found in
the speech of Sir Robert Peel, on Tuesday evening last.
He contends that we ought to take prompt steps to
64'tiure ourselves " against the extravagant prices of
meat in this country, caused by partial supply and by dis-
orders among cattle, which diminish our means of sup-
ply ;" to which we add, that it is still more incumbent
upon Government to take effectual measures to secure
the people, of Great Britain against the extravagant
prices of wheat in this country, caused by partial supply
and by unfavourable seasons. The Right Honourable
Baronet quoted the - contract prices of fresh beef at
Greenwich Hospital, and also the Navy Contracts
for the last seven years, for the purpose of showing
how much dearer butchers' meat is now than it was
a few years ago ; and certainly he made out an
excellent case, as the table, which he read, testifies.
The advance of prices was from forty to fifty per cent.
in the short space of seven years. Little wonder, then.
though the meal required for Greenwich Hospital
should, as Sir Robert Peel stated, have cost 4,4201. more
in 1841 than it did in 1835, or that the total amount of
the household expenses of the establishment should have
been 12,0001. more in the former year than they were in
the latter.

Now, if we extend these calculations—furnished by
the Premier himself—to the consumption of animal food
throughout the kingdom, we at once perceive what a
monstrous sum the country must have been paying to
the landlords in consequence of the beef monopoly. In
1835, the cost of the total quantity of butcher's meat
consumed in London was estimated at 4,000,000/. per
annum. Assuming this to be correct, we may safely
conclude that the annual cost of the butcher's meat con-
sumed in Great Britain at that time could not be less than
32,000,0001.; so that, if we reckon prices in 1841 to be 25
per cent. above what they were in 1835, which is much
below Sir R. Peel's estimate, it will be found that the addi-
tional sum which the nation is now paying, for that ar-
ticle of food alone, amounts to 8,000,000/. a-year.
Surely those philanthropists in the House of Commons,
who complain so much against manufacturers, who force
their workmen to buy food from them at a higher price
than they could purchase it elsewhere, will rejoice to see
that the power of the landowners to force the people of
this country to buy food at their shop is in a fair way of
being destroyed. Of course, we regret, as all friends of
free trade must do, that the measures proposed by Go-
vernment fall so far short of what a truly great Minister,
with the power which Sir Robert Peel possesses, would
have sought to accomplish. But when .51inisters come
before Parliament, with statements exhibiting the cost of
any monopoly, even if they should not venture to propose
its " total and immediate abolition," we may rest assured
that the clays of that monopoly are numbered, and that
all the efforts of the most dexterous statesman will be
imufficient to save it from speedy destruction.—Man-
cheater Guardian.

STEAM-BOAT ACCIDENT.—.About half-past. eleven
last night great alarm was manifested on the river be-
tween Waterloo and Blackfriars'-bridge, in consequence
of a collision between the Vivid and Era steam-boats.
From the statements of the Thames police it appears
that the Vivid was on her passage up from Greenwich,
loaded with passengers, and was making her way to the
Waterloo-bridge Pier and Hungerford, when, upon being
opposite Arundel-street, the passengers on board were
suddenly alarmed by a tremendous shock, followed by a
crashing, as if the boat was going to. pieces. From the
alarm and confusion which prevailed a considerable time
elapsed beflire the cause could be ascertained, and still a
considerable difficulty exists, arising from the contra-
dictory
statements. It, however, appears that the Era,
which had been bringing down passengers from Wands-
worth Fair, had landed them at Hungerford, and was
making for her moorings off Arundel-street, when she
struck the Vivid on her starboard bow, the Vivid having,
in the first instance, sent her stern into the Era. From
the time at which the collision happened it was deemed
advisable to put in shore, and the Vivid accordingly ran
in the mud, and by means of boats landed her passen-
gers,but, froth the
many of whom got a severe ducking. The Era,
the course of
no lives were
e Assheinstant,far
sustained,ca as mcea ti ob he
we
aresnemte ot
oar
liivnnnegds in,
lost, unless any person fell off at the time the collision
at
hta e 6 the
iggseha whichmt
.
occurred.
THE GERMAN OPERA.—MOZares well-known
opera of Die Zaubedlote, one of his earliest and most
meritorious operas, was reproduced by . the German
company at Govent-garden, last night, Madame Heine-
fetter performing the part of Pamina, Madame Schodel
that of Die Conigin dar Nacht, and 2,111 e Wettlaufer
that of Papagena. The male characters were Sarastro,
Herr Staudigl ; Papageno, Herr Mellenger ; and Tamino,
Herr Abresch. The opera was well and worthily repre-
sented, and the beauties of the music seemed fully en-
joyed.
FRENCH PLAYS._Mademoiselle Dejazet gave her
enchanting personations in the amusing vaudeville of
Mademoiselle d'Angeville, at St. James's, last night, and
in which she represents one of the actresses of the Court
of Louis XV., who assumes three different characters
to cajole an old professor of the College des Jesuits,
named Pantouillet. Her first, was -T
~acquot, a smart
peasant lad, full of rustic humour ; her second was the
Marquis de Nesle, in petticoats and powdered head-
dress ; her third was Tehing-Ka, a Chinese visitant at
the Court. Her costume, dancing, and singing were
whimsical, graceful, and fascinating, and drew down great
applause at the fall of the curtain.
SUDDEN DEATH 1N THE STREET.—Yesterday
afternoon, about three o'clock, a man, apparently about
fifty years of age, and most respectably attired, was
found leaning against the wall at the end of Shoe-lane,
Holborn, bleeding profusely from the nose and mouth.'
He was immediately conveyed towards a surgeon's, but
died on his way there. A newspaper, in an envelope,
addressed to "Nr. Goddard, 134445n-1;th? Shaftesbury,"
was Mud in his pocket.