Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-09-08
An Arab Banquet in Algeria.


While conversing on these subjects, we ar
rived at the little plateau of ElBordi, where
we were to receive the hospitality Of Caddour-
BEN Murphi. Grand halting tents, made Of
white woolen cloth were pitched before the
gate of the enclosure, which gave to the place
the name Of the fort, (El-Bordj) A detach-
ment of soldiers from The garrison of Mascara
were at the moment engaged in repairing its
wall, and In building, at the expense of the
Arabs, stone houses for the Agha and his cav
alters. General De I,amoriciere was hirhlv
pleased with these works, which he justly re-
garded as very important; for the Arab will
be completely ours when he quits his tent, and
fixes his abode in an immovable house. He
encouraged the soldiers with his praises, and
they deserved them, for they were as ready in
peace to give their sweat, as they had been in
war to shed their blood, for the aggrandise-
nent of France. 1t was nearly twelve o'clock
when the general had finished his survey of
the place and as we had been on horseback
since five o'clock, our stomachs began to cry
cupboard
1t was, then, with no inconsiderable pleas
ure that we found our legs crossed under the
table of the great tents, on which presently
appeared large plates of couscouss, pigmented
ragouts and roast sheep. The couscouss is a
corn-cake, the flour of which is rolled on a
bolter like powder. This cake, cooked by
the vapors of meat, is basted the moment be-
| fore it is served up, either with milk or with
the bouillon of the mutton for the Arabs new
er eat beef, unless forced by hunger to do So
Enormous dishes, followed out of a single
| block of the walnut tree, receive the cake and
the pyramid of boiled meat and vegetables that
surmount it. Little spoons are then distribu-
ted to the guests, and all plunge at once into
the smoking mountain down to its centre,
where the part is warmest and most saturated
with the bouillon. Caddour and his little son
stood in waiting at the door Of his tent, accord
ing to the Arab custom, which obliges a host
to superintend the serving up of feast.
AS soon as Caddour saw that the guests eat
more of the couscouss, he made sign to his
chevaliers, grouped about the green sward in
| front, who forthwith attacked the relics most
| heartily, the palms of their hands serving them
| for plates. Meantime other servants brought
In pOrrlngers without number, filled with ra-
gouts of a thousand sorts; eggs prepared with
red pepper, fowls in onion sauce, pimentos
powdered over with saffron, and so many other
good things, that the French palate must have
become somewhat Arabized to relish them
The round saphi, those lately come from Eu-
rope, so greedily attacked the first dishes that
had no appetite for those which were to fol-
low.
But would advise you, if you ever 90 to
Africa, to initiate our example, for we imposed
wise restraint on our hunger, in order to do
honor to the standards which we saw in the
distance. A dozen Arabs, indeed, soon came
forward, carrying on long poles, sheep roasted
entire. Pulled on one side and pushed on the
other the sheep slipped from the poles and
fell, so being dished up, on large cloth Of
blue cotton. An Arab, skilled in carving,
then made large cuts in the animal with his
knife, to facilitate the entrance of our hands
into the interior, when every one tore out such
bits as struck his fancy. To these roasts,
worthy of the heroes of Homer, succeeded
dishes of milk, sugar, raisins, &C., pasties by
thousands and when these, which closed the
fete, were removed, large ewers were brought
to every guest, who having washed his hands
in these silver basins, smoked his pipe or his
cigar, slipping the while boiled coffee, handed
to him in little cups without handles, in silver
stands, to protect the fingers from the heat
And the general then gave the signal Of de-
. parture.-Lite in Algeria.