The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-09-08

= IN: III an advantageous manner.
h ne CITY OF Algiers is the residence :
.ne Dey and his Court, and has lone bee
e she chleI station for the Algerine corsalrs
~ ""tS DraVed the resentment Of TN
strongest powers in Christendom, and file,
the Mediterranean with dismay. 1t is ex
] tremeiy we'll defended, as well to resist tn,
) vengeance of nations despoiled of tbei
. properly and subjects, as to guard the i'm
mehse treasures resulting from long Sc
RES OF successful piracies. The harbor
"h,ch Is an artificial one, is small, shallow
ana insecure, and its entrance is cucumber
ed with several rocks and shoals. The en-.
trance OF the port is defended by citadel
and considerable batteries. 1t is formed by
mole constructed on low strip of ground
OF about 500 yards long, which connects the
city with small island on which the CHIEF
IortlhcatIons are built. On this island are
the custom house, navy hall, dock-yards,
ana SAL lofts, In which the slaves work
and here they are employed in loading and
unloading vessels, fitting out corsairs, &c.
a guard ship is stationed at the entrance OF
the harbor. and several gaIlies, armed and
manned, are near in case of an alarm, or an
attempt on the part of the slaves to escape,
The city of Algiers has five gates. The
Marine Gate opens to the mole; and here
che slaves, every afternoon, when they have
finished their work ARE examined one by one
to see that they convey no arms or danger.
Gus implements from the magazines and 9th
er places where they have been working.
n strong guard is always posted at this
gate. This is the spot where the cruelties
exercised against the slaves are most fire.
quently witnessed. Parties are seen COM
ing up tae mole with driver over them
carrying Large casks Divine, or oil, or heavy
DaieS Sung on poles, and resting on their
shoulders. In consequence of the ascent,
the weight and strain rests so much on the
legs that the hbres of many of the old slaves
are seen IN knots and Jumps about the calf
Inc Babazira, or Fish Gate, SO called
from It's being the rendezvous of the fishing
boats, Is little to the south of the above.
and near it, vessels are built and hove down.
The Babazon Gate is due south, and ter
inmates the main street which 'intersects
the city nearly from north to south. This
is me gate that principally communicates
with the interior of the country and round
1t, without the walls, are stalls and cnclos-
ures io' the camels and other beasts of bur-
den winch bring provisions, or convey away
merchtndlze. This is also the seat of pub
lie executions. In the ramparts large ten
Textbooks are fixed, on which Indicators.
or Christian slaves who have mutined are
cast from the walls, and left to decay or be
devoured by the birds of prey.
The Babalonet Gate terminates the Same
street to the north, and opens to the best
walks near the city.
The Babaxdit, or New Gate, is at the up
per end OF the city, leading to the Star Cas-
tie and Emperor's Fort, so called from its
being commenced by Charles ", on a CON-
handing eminence.
The houses of Algiers are built in the
Spanish style, with large paved court in
the centre, round which the apartments are
placed. They have only very small. bigb.
and grated windows to the street. With
the exception of the main street, the rest
are SO narrow that a loaded ass is an iacon-
venlence to the passenger. They have
gates at each end, which are shut and
guarded at night to prevent intercourse;
only Turks or privileged persons then can
pass through them, and this with lanthorn,
carried by the individual or his servant.
The city contains ten large mosques, or
houses of prayer, and many more smaller
ones. AS no bells are used, the people are
assembled by man ascending to the turret
of the mosque, and calling aloud. The
slaves, when the tolls Of the day ara over,
are shut up in bagnios, o. slave prisons,
under guard. In these same places the
Dey also keeps his wild beasts, such as Ii
ons and Tigers, which the Beys of the inte-
riOr send to MIN as presents. On the walls
of the porticos leading into the bagnios, are
hung all kinds of instruments of punshment,
as constant memento to the miserable oc-
cupiers, o: what awaits them if they are i'm
subordinate or unruly.
The principal buildings in the place, are
the five Cdsserias or Barracks for the Turk
ish soldiers, and the Dey's palace. Each of
these barracks 10 capable of containing 1000
men. There are three Public Schools, with
several bazaars, and market places. There
are also five lock up houses for the slaves,
near which is market for their sale. The
Paschalick, or Dey's Palace, has two great
courts, which are surrounded with spacious
galleries, supported by tive rows of marble
columns its interior ornaments chiefly COR
sist of mirrors, clocks, and carpets. There
are several taverns in the city kept by
Christian slaves; and these are often fire.
quented even by the Turks and Moors
There is, however, no convenience for sleep.
| lIiS ~ Suos ehOsC WIZ Cnt0A AlRlcAS lIui
the country, are obliged to lodge at the
house of some friend. European merchants
visiting this place, hire apartments in the
houses of Jews. Many public, as we'll as
private baths, are kept, to which the Alger
ines resort, to perform ablutions before tht
hours of prayer. The operation is by va
por and hot water poured on the body
whilst strongly rubbed by slave. With
out the Babalonet Gate, are numerous tomb
and grave yards. The sepulchres of 81
, Deys are there seen, who were strangle'
on the day of their election, and within
short time Of each other. As the chic
, magistrate is chosen from among the sol
D diers, this frequently gives rise to the mos
: bloody factions. The Turks, who are a
e soldiers, treet the Christians, as well a
q the Moorish inhabitants, in most despotl
0 manner.
d The slaves are designatedby an iron rim
n worn round thu leg which 1t is death