The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-08-25
Miscellaneous.
Scenes In Africa,
AN ARAB FAIR-A WONDERFUL GORGE
MYSTERIES OF KABYLE LIFE
AFRICAN ADJUSTMENTS.

M hSIEhlES OF kAHN LIE LIFE
AFRICAN AMUSEMENTS.
In reviewing recent volume from
the pen of Lieutenant.Colonel 9. s..
Vereker, the London Examiner says:
"After remaining for o time in AL
giers, visiting the palaces, the monas.
teries, the ruins and the chief show
places of the city and its vicinity, Colo
mel Vereker set off for the interior On
his way he was fortunate enough to
witness the celebrated Fair at Boulfarik
which is frequented by the wild Ber-
Der and Arab tribes from the mouh-
tains. There he saw Kabyles In great
numbers selling olive.oil out of wild
boar skins. Arabs with their sheep and
herds, and Moabites and Jews Offering
for sale all description of merchandise.
AT Blida, beautifully situated at the
foot of the Atlas range, the scenery be-
gins to be romantic and picturesque.
The lofty mountains in the background
are covered with immense forests while
here and there Kabyle fields peep
thro' the vstas; from the heights pour
down sparkling streams, (which feed
the fountains and irrigate the groves of
oranges and lemons for which Blida is
celebrated" From this charming place
our author ratified off in the diligence,
drawn by eight-in-hand, and soon reach
cd the steep ascents of the Chiffa Pass.
This wonderful gorge, cutting the Atlas
range in two, deserves its name of lone
of the wonders of Africa" The pass is
twenty-five miles in length, and the
precipices are covered with luxuriant
maiden-hair fern, lichens, and long
weeping grasses. "Rock swallows skim
sportively about the crags, while eagles,
kites, falcons, buzzards and ravens soar
aloft in the azure sky, and the tame
black and blue thrushes dip along from
spray to spray, as If to keep the travel
or company" But it is not until the
Ruisseau des Singes is passed that the
finestscenery commemorative grand
and more Alpine than Pyrennean," as
Tristram enthusiastically describes it.
"Soon after passing the heights of
Mouzaia, the traveller reaches Boghar, a
town perched on an eminenco above the
valley of the Chelif and commanding
the northern portion of the Sahara. 1t
is situated in the territory of the Oulad
Auteur, who, although mountaineers,
disclaim the appellation of Berber's
G@tulians or Kabyles, and boast that
their ancestors came from the East with
Autar, renowned chieftain whose
heroic deeds are perpetuated in Arabic
poems. 1t is curious fact, too, as Gen.
eral Daumas has pointed out, that the
more the mysteries of Kabyle life and |
society are explained, the more traces |
do we find of the ancient Christianity |
of the Roman era among the descend
ants of the Berbers. Thus, in many of |
their usages and customs, they differ |
materially from the precepts Of the
Koran, more especially in the laws re-
lating to theft and murder. The Ka-
byles, unlike other Mussulmans, do not |
regard the Koran as the only complete
and universal code, but observe, besides,
certain particular statutes, called can
ons, which they trace to pre.Saracenic
period, before the religion of Mahomet |
was forced upon them.
After wandering for time on the |
Atlas Mountains, indulging in boar
hunting and other African amusements,
Colonel Vereker found his way to Con-
stantine, the ancient Cirta, city inter-
esting both for its ancient associations
and for its extraordinary situation.
Founded by the PhWnicians, some time
the capital of Syphax, the birthplace Of |
Massinissa and Jugurtha, afterwards |
the residence of Juba, destroyed in the
year 3l1, and rebuilt by the Emperor
Constantine, it is perhaps historically |
the most important of all the cities of |
Africa. 1t stands on rocky promon-
tory surrounded by tremendous precip- |
ices, except at the dorsal bridge where |
the Mila gates stand. 1t is said to have |
undergone forty.eight sieges, and it was |
before the invention of artillery,
probably the strongest city in the world.
The city itself, however, is intersected
by narrow streets, and the houses are
low and filthy. One Arab writer de-
scribes it as "the city in the air." while |
another compares 1t to "a beautiful wo-
man reclining, clothed in rags" The |
Roman ruins in the neighbOrhood are |
very remarkable, more especially the |
lofty arches of the aqueduct built by |
the Emperor Justinian.
Colonel Vereker visited Tunis and
the ruins of Carthage on his way back |
to Europe Although he allows that the |
country generally looks civilized and |
well-cultivated, he protests against the
disgraceful way in which it is govern |
ed. Even in the city of Tunis it is dan
gerous to go abroad at night. Nearly |
every one carries lantern and revol- |
yer, tn ough it is sometimes dangerous
to show pistol, as stranger may be
murdered by native in order to obtain |
possession Of the weapon. Among the |
curiosities which our traveller saw at |
Tunis were the camel-butcher's shops |
and the Courts of Justice. The Bey |
has at present one wife, and thirty or |
forty beautiful Circassians in his harem. |
His wife wears a huge diamond ring on |
her thumb, and has her hair hanging |
strait down, and cut off across her
cheeks. She and all the other inmates
of the harem are enormously stout /; in
deed, it is considered disgraceful for a
married woman to be thin in Tunis AS
soon as young girl is engaged to be
married, even at ten years of age, the
htteniug process begins, and she is
stuffed, even through the night, with
"kouskoussou" and water.
CrOmwell's Scull.
The scull Of Cromwell is still above
ground, in the possession of a citizen of
London. Several years since it was ex-
hibited publicly. The history of the
head is az follows: (rOm wall yuos bur.