The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-04-23
SsA5~enQecnv.
aAR interesting Oriental Story.
Vhe Modern Haroun-al-Rathschild

In the district Of Ferdj Onah,
algeria, (Which signifies Fine Cou,,.
t,y) lives a Schcik named Bon
Akas.bon-Achour. He is also dis
tinguished by the surname of Bou.
D5eaoni (the Man of the Knifc)
and may be regarded as type Of
the eastern Arab. His ancestors
conquered Ferdj' Onah, but he has
been found to acknowledge tho
supremacy Of France, by paving
q yearly tribute of $4,000 francs.
His dominion extends from Miah to
Rabouah, and from the southern
point of Babonah so within two
leagues Of GigIli. lie is forty-ninc
years old, and wears the Rahlyc
costume; that is to say, woollen
gandoura, confined by a lcathern
belt. He carries pair of pistols
in his girdle, by his side the Rahyle
.fisea, and suspended from his neck
q small black knife.
Before him walks negro carrying
his gun, and a huge greyhound
bounds along by his side. lie holds
despotic sway over twelve tribes: and
should any ncishborins people
venture to make an incursion on his
territory, Bou-Akas seldom condc.
scends to march against them in
persons, but sends his negro into the
principal village. This envoy just
displays the gun of Bou.Akas, and
the injury is instantly repaired.
lie keeps in pay two or three
llnlred Tobias &c read the Koran to
tho people: every pilgrim going
to Mecca, and passing through Fer'i
Onah, receives three francs and may
remain as long as he pleascs to enjoy
the hospitality of Bou.Akas. But
whenever the Scheik discovers that
che fast lad been ceived by o. pretensi.d
psl grim. IL clcs
cinisarries after Che impostor; who,
wherever he is, find him, throw him
down, and give him fifty blows on the
soles of his feet.
Bou-Akas sometimes entcrtains
three hundred persons at dinner; but
instead Of sharing their rcpast he
walks round the tables with baton
in his hand, seeing that the servants
attend properly to his guests.
Afterwards, if anything is left, he
eats; but not until the others have
finished.
When the governor of Constan-
tinoplo, the only man whose power he
recognises, sends him n traveller; &C.
cording to the rank Of the latter, or
the nature Of the recommendation
Bou.Akis gives him his gun, his dog,
or his knife. Ifthe gun, the traveller
takes it on his shoulder; if the
dog, he leads it in least; or if the
knife, he hangs it round his mock: and
with any one Of these potent talismans,
of which each bears its own degree of
honor, tho stranger passes through
the region Of the twelve bribcs, not
only unscathed, but, as the guest Of
Bou-Akas, treated with the utmost
hospitality. When the traveller is
about to leave Ferdj' Onah, he con
signs the knife, the dog, or the
gun to the care Of the first Arab he
meets. IF the Arab is hunting, he
leaves the chase; if laboring in the
Geld, he leaves his plough; and,
taking the precious deposit, hastcns
ito restore it to Bou.Akis
The black.handled knife is SO we'll
!known, that it has given the surname
>ef "Bou-Djcnoni, the man Of the
Anife," to its owner. With this i'm
piement he is accustomed to cut
,off heads, whenever he takes fancy
to perform that agreeable Office with
alis own hand.
Whom first Bou-Akas assumed the
government, the country was infested
with robbers, but he speedily found
aneans to cxtirpatc them. He dis
:guised himself as poor merchant;
walked out, and dropped do,wo Ca
gold coin) on the ground, taking care
mot to lose sight oft. If the person
who happened to pick up the do,uo,
put it into his pocket and passed on,
Bou.Akas made sign to his chinaur
(who followed him, also in disguise,
and knew the Schcik's will) rushed
forward immediately, and dccapitatcd
the offender.
In consequence Of this method of
administering justice, it is a saying
amongst the Arabs, that child
might traverse the regions which own
Bou-Akas's sway, wearing a golden
crown on his head. without a single
hand being stretched out to take it.
The Schcik has great respect for
woman: and has ordered that whcn