The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-06
Moorish Ladies, Marriage Ceremonies.
Balls. &c.

A winter in Algeria. There Is novelty
| and raciness in the sound. Algiers is toe
| distant to becomea refuge for the numer-
| GUS classes whom poverty, the wish OF
| cheap education, and, still more, "past fol-
lies, induce to quittheirnativelan and
many an invalid, who will quietly work
| his or her way to the South of France,
is deferred from proceeding further by
the voyage of nearly 500 miles from
| Marseilles in the Messagerie boats,
which are slow and uncertain, having
| insufficient engines and poor accommo
| dation. This will be obviated when the
lines of railway are completed-the
| European one to Carthagena, and the
| African between Algiers and Dram
when short sea voyage will bring the
| traveller at once among the palm trees
and bananas. But by that time many
of the most curious features of Algiers
will have disappeared. The ancient
Moorish houses are being rapidly de-
molished to make way for stately pala-
ces raised by the magic wand of Sir
Morton Peto. Handsome quays have
arisen where five or six years ago lay an
immense swamp; and although the city
| is still in q state of transition, encum-
bered by debris, and the roads are cut up
by immense wagons laden with stone,
| it is perhaps, at present in its most In
| teresting condition.
There is enough done to show the
power of European civilization, and at
the same time to contrast most favora-
bly, with all that still exists o. the curl
GUS Moorish archi ecture. Three of the
finest of these palaces are now inhabited
by the French archbishop, the governor,
Mcmahon, Duke of Magenta, and the
SOus-G Ouverneur General LES eauX.
There is great similarity in all tnes>
houses, which are oriental and suited to
the climate; lofty buildings of two or
three stories, with chambers opening on
to galleries, surrounding the four sides
of a spacious court, and supported by
beautiful pillars of carved marble. The
Duke and Duchess of Magenta are de-
servedly beloved, not only by the
French, but, if possible, still more by
the various races of Arabs, Moors, and
Jews; whom they have done all in their
power to assist and elevate. The Ouch
tss superintends in person, every Fri
day, distribution of money, provisions,
and clothing among several hundred of
these destitute beings, whom she visits
in theirwretched habitatiOns, and makes
herself personally acquainted with theii
| several circumstances.
The Duchess receives every Monday
during the winter season, the first and
last being official balls, and arranged
with all the charm of the best French
society. The courtyard forms the ball
room, the top being merely covered over
with hags-an ample sufficient protec-
| ton in this warm climate, where fires
are never seen.
On the 18th of February aslight change
the usual arrangements, the balcony oi
the first-foor gallery being hidden by 6
muslin screen, in which very small open
ings We're visible. In the course of the
evening the mystery was explained by
| the Duchess inviting very few French
and some English ladies to visit the gal
lery with her, where they found three
Moorish princesses, one of them with
| two lovely little girls, watching the gay
and animated scene below. The ladies
| and children were magniticently attired
| in cloth-of-gold interviewer with threads
| of green and crimson silk; trousers oil
the finest white muslin tied round theil
ankles, and their tiny bare feet thrust
into slippers literally covered with gold
and silver embroidery; their beautiful
eyes rendered still more expressive by
the dark shade painted below them, and
their luxuriant black tresses perfectly
blazing with diamonds. They all spoke
French-one of them remarkably well
and truly curious and interesting was il
to watch their countenances, and to heaI
the most original remarks upon scene
which they beheld for the first time, and
which must have impressed them as
only one to be imagined in an oriental
fairy tale.
The kind Duchess had persuaded their
lords and masters to give the desired
permission, and had their smoothed
every difficulty. The ladies' heads were
closely wrapped in muslin sacks, and,
surrounded by slaves, they were brought
up to the gallery by q private staircase
which led to the Marechale's boudoir,
charmfngly arranged for their reception,
where they were waited on by many fe-
male attendants, and among the rest the
Duchess's two English bonnes for both
she and her children speak the English
language perfectly, almost without the
slightest foreign accent.
1t is devoutly to be hoped that this be-
ginning may lead to some further eman-
cipation of the Moorish ladies, whose
submission to life of such utter seclu.
sion can only be accounted for by the
listlessness occasioned by total absence
of all education. The majority have
nothing to do, and do it well;' but few
have been persuaded by their European
friends to attempt little embroidery,
&C., and they are evidently grateful for
the interest taken in them. There are
many Moorish females to be seen in and
about Algiers, carefully shrowded in
muslin or white flannel, with nothing
visible but their eyes. These, however,
are entirely Of the lower orders, as wo.
men of rank are supposed never to leave
their houses but twice in their lives
once when they leave the home of their
childhood for their husbands dwelling !;
and once to visit their parents graves,
should they have died before them
Tney are usually married at or before
the age of thirteen; and Twas informed
Of some curious particulars by an Eng
lish lady who was present at one of these
marriages, the families on both sides be-
ing of the highest Moorish birth. The
young lady was very beautiful, and un-
der the age have mentioned above
The company of ladies (headed by her
mother) amountingin all to upwarSs of
sixty, among whom were my informant
and few French ladies, surrounded the
bride, whose head, as usual, was wrap.
ped in q sack, and led her, few hours
after dark, to her future home, where
thew were received by the mother and