Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-18
IN A DISTANT LAND.
The Homes OF the Algerians Under
CiyiIixing Influences.
PIRATE RULE GIVES WAY TO PEACE AND PRosPKR-
uY-MoDEKS IMPROVEMENTS CROWD OUT THE
RxLIcs OF BARBARrsA PICTURESQUE FEATURE
THAT INTEREST VISITORS.

NY MODERN IMPROVEMENTS CROWD OUT THE
RuIcs OF BAKBAKSx - PIcruREsQU. FEATURE
THAT INTEREST VISITORS
From tia 81. louis Globe-Dsmocrat
To read OF that distant but interesting country,
Algfers, as &c Is to-day. and compare it with the
condition OF less than one hundred years ago
shows contrasts that are extraordinary. The old
saw, History repeats ITSELF" seems to reveal a
detection In this instance at least for IL would
be hard TO md In the present life any suggestion
OF the past. When looking over Algiers now from
It's delightful suburbs. and seeing steamers and
pleasure yachts from all parts OF the world an
chored peacefully In the harbor, while the blue
Mediterranean beyond Is dotted with the merchant
ships OF all nations, 1t is not easy TO realize that
only few years ago the land was ruled by pirates
with the only American or English residents Chris
tan captiveS From the surrounding heights,
now 80 attractive TO visitors, the murderous ma
tves watched the spreading sea for prey, their
victims either being put TO death or thrown into
The history of Algfers in a nutshell comes In ap-
propriately At this point After the Roman civil
war Algeria became Roman province and was
exceedingly prosperous Agriculture was encour-
aged, commerce extended, towns sprang up, and
the Romans were conquered by the vandals, sue
ceed1ng which the land was the scene OF almost
constant strife and changes OF rule. The conse-
Quence was that In the seventh century the people
had sunk into barDar1sm- There Was but little
change until In 1903. when Ferdinand king OF
Aruch Barossa, a notorious Turkish pirate, by
treachery and force acquired the rule and intro
as late a date as 1880 Barossa was taken prisoner
and beneaded by the Spaniards while In the glory
OF his reign, but his successors perpetuated his
Among other things the port OF Algiers was
protected by q mole that IL took 10000
Christian slaves three years to construct. Out
rian pirates were feared by all the maritime pow
ers Matters finally came TO such pass that in
on July Algiers surrendered. But the French
were not allowed TO remain undisturbed, war and
Ss Un Ishs MSen ssere w ase am armsce
agreed uron, military rule Withdrawn, and civil
government established Since then peace has
horrors of pirate rule have been swept away. The
slave prisons and gates where the heads OF muir
Tered Christians were displayed have been re-
moved. the palace OF the pirate king is occupied
by the French encouragement, and military
bands play for balls and receptions by the Euro
peans In the halls formerly held by mercilesS cut
throatS. Modern streets and bOulevards are
crowdlng out the old town.
The sea Is circed by tramways, cabs and omni-
buses rattle along, and throDgs of Europeans bent
on business and pleasure NIL the walks. But while
this new order Of life is in the supremacy much Of
the pictu esque OF old Algiers remains, and the
Moors are not lost sight or aIthoug h outnumbered.
In the Old town silence and mystery reign. The
houses are high and windowess, the streets mere
alleys so narrow that the caves OF the houses meet
overhead, and so dark In places that a stranger
feels uncertain as 10 his steps. Yelled women and
turoaned men pass 10 and fro. FromenIin, the
artist and writer, says the 'dirt OF the Arabs has
a dignity Gifts own, their beggars are epic poems
half Lazarus, half job. They grave, they can
be Violent but never stupid never coarse
SUCH are the people seen today in old Algiers.
They SIT cross-egged In little shops look from the
high roofs on the sea, theirs no longer are met
outside the city on little donkeys or trapped
horses, crowd on platforms OF the horse cars run
ming TO Mustapha, take seats on the top OF busSes
going to Berkadeen and other inland towns. Brio
a-orac vendors nave places along the terraces and
garden walks, spreading embroideries from Tunis,
and almost endless variety OF products over the
path. With apparent Indifference they smoke
cigarette while the collection Is looked through,
never relaxing their imperturbable gravity.
The terraces, that are particularly pleasant
feature OF the place, are chiefly gwen TO villa life.
They are sunny, and from them exquisite views
are possi BILE. The houses are often 100 cool and
DARK for comfort and so the sunny terrace Is made
sort or outside sitting ROOM where with comfort
able seats, little tables and Jugs, there is much
that Is really charming. IL IS also the way to the
garden, where flowers OF all kinds bloom in pro-
repays triing care with luxuriant generosity. The
vineya ards also do wonderfully we'll Each year
more land IS brought under cultivation by grape
growers, and great caves are dug in the rocky
banks, In which the wine Is stored.
The best preserved OF the old Moorish country
houses at the present Is the Chateau Hydra There
are long narrow rooms surrounding the court little
raised cnamocrS al the end or the rooms, inches
and cupboards In odd places, arabesque Ornamen-
tation over the doors and windows, and small
grated openings through the walls looking into the
secluded and shaded retreat that was a garden In
u
Elizabeth Broughton, who lived six years IN
Algiers while her father was British consul has
tanning Narrative. Her description OF the Moorish
women, who go about with the lower part of their
faces veiled Is complete and interesting. But this
was before haremS were done away with under
ciyillZ.ng Influences The consulate has fallen
into decay, being owned by an old French woman
who lets IL look itself Across an interven,
tng ravine with wooded slopes are the houses FORM
ally occupied as American, Danish and Belgian
headquarters The Spanish consulate was also
h.sra hnrr has
seminary. Not FAR away Is the church or Notre
Dame a Antique, where every Sunday afternoon
an impressive service 70 the dead lost at sea Is
OF the drives about Algiers, writer's refer to the
one 10 Notre Dame as commanding the most adj
miration- Others complimented highly are those
20 the Trappist convent, 10 the French Bay, along
The Sahel promontory, and down the valley OF the
Femme Salvage. After the French occupied the
country splendid roads built In all directions
traversing the uplands and curving up and down
the hills. These grand highways are connected
py crosS-roadS, and from almost any point The
views are beautiful To the north Is the sea and
southwark Is the plain OF Metid1a, extending TO
the snow-crowned Atlas Mount4ins- Alluring
foctpatns abound. being as pleasant In their way
as the drives. Some are sai1 10 have been made
by the Romans wnen there were no other avenues
o. travel lr0m point 10 point IL Is hot unusual
for one Of these Arab LANES 10 lead 10 a mosaue
and cemetery In the midst OF quiet wood.
In The outlying country are the towns OF Bidah,
Nilanan, Tenet, Cedar Forest and other pretty
places, 10 which excursions are Usually held Dy
strangers Another place regarded as worth see
INC 81 EuocEe quarter, anu Is q mosque,
maraoout and cemetery combined. In the oppo.
site end OF the city Is another cemetery a large
one, called Sid Adder RnaIaaneth Thalabi, alter
one OF the Arab saints. On Friday, the Mohamme-
Dan SaDoath, TIE native women nock 10 the cene-
tery In BODY and picnic among the graves The
grounds are surrounded BY a nigh wall and no
men are admitted until the women have gone
IneEnSlsa church OF the Holy Trinity Is naturally
enledred 70 many foreigners. It's walls bear Ia.
scriptionS going back 10 the time OF John TypJon
tne n-st English consul, who was appointed In
looo- Memorial slabs form a dado around the
walls, ana the windows are memorials. In tine
west end OF the church Is a large circular window
OF stained glass, representing ST. Peters deliver
ance lrom prison oy the angel with the inscrip-
ton lord, snow Ihy Pity on ali Prisoners ana
Captives- IL Is In memory Of the English who
persisted In captivity.
Thin Women and Eai Women.