The Red Cloud chief., 1881-07-07
The City Of Tunis.

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The City Of Tunis.
Tunis, situated on an isthmus bound
ed by two lakes of salt water, presents
a most imposing and picturesque APP
pearance as the traveller issues from the
narrow canal that connects the capital
with Goletta, a small seaport On the
Mediterranean, winch possesses one of
the sfacst and most commodiOuS road
steads on the coast. Tunis, in all times,
has been renowned for its beauty, the
ancients styling the city as Tunis the
Fair, while the Arabs have surnamed
il, turn bv turn. The Glorious. The
Faithful, The Heavenly and The Abode
of JOY; but ia more modern times. in
common with other celebrated Nnham-
medan cities. it has become nots-i for
the absence OF all sanitary precautions,
and some traveller, have called it Tunis
the Filthy. The principal lake on which
the city is situated is called FL Bahyr-
an. 1t is about seventeen miles in cir
conference, and under favorable con-
ditions its waters might be made as
useful and aSornamen al as are the ca
mails of Venice; but, unfortunately. since
centuries il has been The receptacle of
all the filth of tie city. aud it is 10Y SO
choked as to render navigation impOs-
Sible save ia the long. narrow and tor
tuous course pursued by the boats that
sail between The two cities. But even
such serious defects are ignored ut the
first aspect of these waters flashing
brilliantly in tho blue and gold rcllec-
lions of the glorious sky, with Tunis III
all its Oriental splcndor at the eXtrem-
ity of the lake. The city is built IN a
gentle slope, and its walls and buildings
are softened in the radiant atmosphere
To 4 white satin tinge, in strong CON-
trast 10 the surrounding mountains,
that assume 4 rose and darkish-blue
tint, according to the bold relief or tho
shadow of their formation. while the
scene is enlivened by countless flocks
of bright-colored birds hat Hit over the
waters.
An Italian proverb says, ''See Naples
and then die" and there is also au
Arabian saving to the efie"t rs regards
TuniS; but to the European Traveller
the Mohammedan city with its mosques.
! its minarets, its huge palms and fir
tees, and above all, tho z eat fortress
that dominates its site, viii always be
preferred. Unfortunately. on landing
the pleasing illusion is speedily lost. and
that which appeared from afar as u
succession o; line streets and princely
residences is found to he a labyrinth OF
small lanes, the buildings generally in
a wretcbed state of di'apidatiOn, and the
narrow roadways filthy in the extreme.
Evidently there has never been any
recognized plan in its construction, but
| of late years. especially since the oc.
cupatiCn of Algeria by the French, the
influence of European residents has re-
suited in amel Grating and identifying
some of the open sites with VIII CHI the
city is studded, but which are mostly
dedicated To cemeteries and to the
runs of palaces and strOngholds that
mark the salient history of TuuiS since
its foundation in the birth Of our civil
i~zation. The city may be divided into
three parts, respectively devoted to the
Europeans, the Arabs and the Jews.
The square in which is situated the
Exchange presents 4 fine appearance,
being built with some semblance of
regularity and containing the abodes Of
the Consuls and rich foreign residents.
This quarter assumes the livrliest and
most picturesque appearance during
the busy hours o. the day. when Arab,
Moor. Turk, Frank and jew meet in
this the principal mart of the northern
coast of Africa, where are to be found
all the products of this magnificent but
as yet poorly exp'ored continent.
The upper part of the city. forming q
species of amphitheater, is inhabited by
| the MuSsulmans. and on the summit is
the Kaslah. or citadel, which is justly
celebrated for its Oriental magniicence,
the approaches being embellished with
massive Roman and Saracenic ruins,
with fountains shaded py marble porti-
COS wrought with the most intricate and
elaborate devices, and with the uppe,
spaces studied with palm and other tro2-
zeal trees. The citadel itself must have
formed a redoubtable stronghold during
the Middle Ages, but with modern ar
tillerv its heavy embellishments could
be preached in q few hours. 1t con-
tains mani monuments dedicated 10 the
! Kings of Tunis, some huge towers on
which are cut various texts from the
Koran. and an armory dating from the
time of Charles ", of Spain. containing
a most valuable collection of military
trophies. There is also an arsenal. a
powder mandatory and depots for
provision. and supplies; indeed, the
citadel is almost a complete city of it
self, with its arcades. its galleries, its
vaults and subterranean passages. in
which. without = guide. it would be as
easy to lose ones way as in the cata-
combs of Rome. From the ramparts is
a most magnificent view. but the chief
attraction to the eye is the Bey's pal
ace. the DarelBey, which is justly con
sidered as the finest type yet extant of
the Moresque style of architecture. and
superior even to the ALEXANDRIA ip the
beauty of its lacelike ~ornamentation
and the brilliancy of the cnlored marble
with which it is chiefly adorned. This
superb building shows in all its purlieus
that strange mingling of misery and
magniticence that, since the DAYS OF
Haroun-Al-Raschid and the Thousand
and One Nights, appears to be inevitable
in all Oriental palaces not subject to
European rule.-Cor. San Francisco
| Chronicle.