Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-11-07
Sights in Algiers.

A writer in the Gentlemans Magazine
chats pleasantly about what he saw in
Algiers
Any of the streets ascending the hill
from the Place de Chartres-which may
almost bo considered as the extreme limit
of the European town-will lead immed-
lately to the Mahomedan quarter. Here
will be found obscure and frequently
vaulted narrow thoroughfares, resembling
alleys, bordered by houses, where the
monotony of the bare plaster walls is only
broken at wide intervals by small case
ments crossed With iron bars, and low
arched doorways. There are no gardens
or vendure, and hardly foot of even
sickly looking vine or fig tree dying
amidst the rubbish of its croSsways; there
are mosques so surrounded by buildings
that they can hardly be seen, vapor baths
whittier people 60 mysteriously, the men
at night, the women in the day time. In
word, the Mahomedan quarter of Algiers
is compact and confused mass OF masonry,
where almost every vesrige of life is
hidden, and where it seems as if it were
forbidden that gayety should be heard.
The doors of the houses are never opened
but half way, and they then close again
by their own weight. Everything looks
suspicious about these curious buildings,
which are admirably adapted for their
masters love of secresy. The small case
ments looking on to the street are barred,
and every kind Of precaution is taken
against curiosity from without and indis.
lcretion from within. Inside these bare,
dsmal.looking walls and massive doors,
resembling the gates of citadels, are the
two great mysteries of the country -
namely, the personal fortune Of its inhabi
tants, and its women, of neither Of which
much is klown. Money hardly circulates.
1t is only seen passing from the hand
Of an Arab to an Arab hand, and is only
used to purchas, the ordinery daily neces-
sites OF lite, and .ewelry. The women go
out but seldom. 1npublie they are invaria-
bly, closely yelled, asd the baths, which
are their usual places # resort, are inviol-
able. Passing along thse lonely alleys,
beside these silent dwellings, one hears
noises which are almost iu9erceptible to
the human car, and whispers which might
be mistaken for sighs. At TINS it is the
sound of voice coming through an apcr,
ture in the wall, or decending finn the
terrace on the roof of the house at .thers
it is the whimpering ola child complaining
in strange tongue, whose lisp mingad
with sobs has no signification for foreig,
ear at Others again it is the strain Of ar
instrument, whose unique note, slowly
marking the measure of an unheard song
seems to accompany dream. 1t is thu
that the captive consoles hersclf, dreaming
| ola liberty which she has never had, ant
which she cannot understand. There is al
Arab prover5 which says: "When
woman has seen the guest, she cares n
more for her husband" anu upon thi
precept the whole system of conjugal lif
among Mahomedans is based. Thei
I houses, whether they be agreeable or no
to those by whom they are inhabited
whether their interiors be luxurious Q
poor, are prisons. They are like iron safe:
= of which the avaricious masters have tn
keys, and within which they lock up al
their secrets, so that no one may kno1
!, what they possess.