Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-08-12


gers, seeing they themselves are impoverished b.
heavy taxes and the injustice of those who are
1 IN authority.
The dey draws immense revenues from his own
subjects which consist in money, gold and silver,
corn, cattle, ard such other articles may be
most useful 10 the Turks in Algisrs The prizes
(which the corsairs take at sea- some wears equal
| the taxes imposed on the people. 1t is from
hence easy TO collect that any calculation of re-
venue must be extremely guest enable. and It can
hardly be supposed that the dey himself is ca
Fable ofgiv.ng an accurate estimate.
| The regenc,e s Of Tuns and Tripol acknow-
edge some subsection 20 the dey, but the only
ANIMAL tribute they payhim is cargo ofbutter
and oil.
The Alcade, with detachment of To kish
soldiers, collects I'll taxes within twenty miles of
th's city OF A!gers. Beyond that distance the
deyhas three Turkish armies of about two thou
sand men each, continually reinforced as cmer-
gene eS require, and stationed in different parts of
his kingdom, for tie purpose of rapine and ex-
tortlon. These armies are severally commanded
| BY the bashaws ofConstantine, Biscara and De
tire at the places of the:r respective residence
They a""nether sctuated by justice or human
| lty; but with the assistance Of these Turkish
loppressors, they not only force subsection TO the
| dey, out compel the Moors TO the payment of
such taxes rs they think proper. This miserable
race OF beings, who are the objects OF every in
dignity and oppression that can be offered 10 hu
man nature, are hunted like wild beasts among
the mountains those who discover the least re
luctance in paving the assessments ofthese bash
avs, or fly from the rapacity of their pursuers,
are oeheaded and all their property confiscated.7
| II they have the least suspicion that Moor has
concealed any part OF his treasure, he is tortured
| till he makes complete discovery, and n.any OF
| these poor wretchcs who arc unable 10 make any
disclosure are tortured to death, without beng
able llp tOr
all gold, silver and other valuable articles, are ex
torted from the inhabitants. Some of them,
however, have courage enough sometimes to at
tack their oppressors in some of the narrow de-
files of the mountains through which they are o.
| bhged to pass, where they frequentlymate great
slaughter among tine Turks but generally after
the first FIRE they fly to the craggy recesses the
mountains. They make these tax gathering ex-
cursons twice year, and in every expedition
they bring away immense numbers ofheads and
ears, which are sent to the dey, as an evidence
OF the bashaws exertions in having raised the ne
cessary contributions. The dey requires that the
ears only OF the heads ofthose who murder
ed at distance, be brought him; and the bear
! or is rewarded with a certain sum of money for
each pair he tenders to mis- humane sovereign.
| Once in every SIX months each ofthese bash
avs sends the califs, their sons, with about fifty
mules laden with money and other valuable arti-
Giles. They all enter Algiers within nine DAYS of
each other at their approach the cassan aga
and the aga go out to meet them, and they form
a procession INTO the CITY.
| The bashaws visit the dey once in every two
years, with about 80 mules laden with the spois
OF the country, and when they approach the city,
a grand procession is formed. The cassan aga,
he aga, The wick eibadge, the elbows and the ls-
berors, with 4 detachment of five or 600 Turkish
soldiers, go out to meet them, and they are es-
corted into the city with drums beating, French
horns playing, and colours flying, attended BY an.
rnmese concourse of people. The booty is then
taken to the dey's palace, where he distributes
lportion TO his fayorite wIft, and part among
the different officers of government.
y After their entry into the city, they wait inn
patiently for the Italian, an elegant robe which it
| is usual for the dey to send them, to signify his
appreciation of their conducts md till they re
ceive this present they are in the utmost sus-
Pense and apprehension; for if it does not arrive
the day after their entrv they know that the loss
OF their heads will be the consequence.
| PUNISHNiENTS.
In this country IT is not to he expected that JUS
tice will be administered with any degree of i'm
Partially. The Mahometan soldiery in particu-
lar, are soTuch favored, that they are not pun
shed Lnpublic, and seldom put to death FOR any
crime except rebellion; in which case they are
leither hanged on an iron hook, or strangled with
n bow string, which, is tied round the neck ofthe
Iofiender, and drawn different ways by two execu-
tioheTsJ Win all ther strengths so that he is in
stantly despatched. Women guilty of adultery,
have halter tied about their necks, with the o.
Their end fastened to a pole, by which they are
Iheid under the water till they are sufFocated
| Il Christian slaves arc liable to variety of
lpnnishmentG. They are some times burned or
rather roasted alive. At other times they are
lmpaed. This is done by placing the criminal
on the end ola sharp stake, which is thtrst mn
his posterious close by the back bone, till il a5-
pears above his shoulders. Crucifixion, BY nail
ing the hands and feet to walls is often practised
Butthe most terrible punishments are those
inflicted upon the Jews or Christians who sneak
against the Maholnetan religion in which case
they must either turn Mahometan or be impaled
alive. Ii they apost.ttIze they are roasted alive.
or else throws down from the top of the CITY
walls, upon ronhOoks. These catch blythe laws.
therlbs or otter parts Of the BODY. according as
they happen to fall, and the sufferers have been
known TO hang in different positions for seven
days alive, in the most exquisite torture though
BY accident they are sometimes put out of pain at
once, was the case with John Gascon the Span
ish adyenturer. This terrible punishment has
frequently been inflicted upon slaves, but at pre-
sent it begins TO be generally disused
There is law here, by which any woman con
victed of an anorous correspondence with a chris.
tan, is tied up III a sack and thrown into the sen
Examples of this kind frequently happen, as the
far sex, in thus part ofthe world, are remarkably
fTstl
There is another singular punishment which is
inflicted upon a gallo%s, Which sliews the savage
~. a.