Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-15
AMONG THE MOSQUES.
Wakeman's Pen Pictures of Pleasant
Scenes in Old Algiers.
LAND FNATURAL ENCHANTMENT,
Haunted by Ghostly Memories and Mystic
Traditions of 0lden Times.
LEAVES FROM AFRICAN HISTORY

| CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH
ALGIERs, February 25.-Unless the
United States Government shall speedily
do what should have been done any time
during the past half century, take or buy
Cuba, and thus provide vast and splendid
winter sanitarium for the American people
and for hosts of European idlers and travel
ers. nothing can prevent the Rarbary States
of North Africa in general and that Of
Algiers in particular, from becoming the
winter resort of the whole civilized world.
An outline of Algerian history can be
| given in few sentences. Algeria became
| Roman province at the close of the Roman
civil war. Commerce and agriculture -four
ished, and Christianity was in the ascendant.
Then. in the fifth century, when the Van
dals swept in conquering hosts upon Roman
territory, Algiers became the scene of awful
| strife and constant change of rule. On the
incoming OF the seventh century, Algerians,
| as we'll as the people of nearly all North
African States, had sunk into ferocious bar
barism. This was remedied to some extent
during the brief Algerian reign of Ferdinand
of Spain, from 1909 to 1916, when Ferdi-
nand died, and that most famous of all
pirates, Barossa, graduating from brilliant
curriculum of Turkish horrors in piracy, ac-
quired Algerian rule by force and diplomacy,
and introduced that system of piracy and
compulsory tribute which, until as late as
1880, period OF more than 300 years, was
not only a merciless scourge to the maritime
interests of the whole world, but carried
with it the most diabolical outrages upon
countless enslaved Christians known to the
history of man.
Thirty thousand of these sufferers labored
under lash and torture three years to build
the great mole which protected Algiers from
their own release by the maritime powers;
and it is curious fact that the defiance of
this bugaboo of the Mediterranean, leading
to the eventual overthrow of the last strong
hold of piracy on earth. came IRON a
Yankee" Government, and was effectively
conveyed by yankee" frigate bold. 1
think 1t was in 1915, and under Monroe's
administration, that our Government de-
cided to curb Algerian pretensions.
BoMBARDING ALGIERs.
Commodore Decatur was sent to the Med
iterranean to serve notice on the then Dey
of Algiers that from that time forth the
United States merchantmen and battle ships
touching at the port of Algiers should cease
to pay tribute. One refusal like this, as
precedent, would ruin Algerian piracies,
and the august Dey parleyed with excellent
diplomacy, finally agreeing to accept nom
Decatur an insignificant amount of powder
for the sake of appearances. The answer of
the plueky Commodore to this was: "If
you succeed in taking any powder, you will
get the balls with them." And he kept his
word. He gave the town hot lombard
ment, letting light galore into many a
shadowy mosque, and sailed calmly away.
This spirited example touched the pride
of the English, and gave them courage to
order the bombardment of Algiers the fol-
lowing year, under Lord Exmouth. But
little came of all this until France took
her turn at Algiers. This was effectually
done by the landing of a large
army on her coast in 1880, followed
by such thorough work that on July
4, of that year, Algiers surrendered; France
took formal possession of the country; waged
unrelenting though often unsuccessful war
upon the savage interior tribes; finally
effected the establishment of powerful inter
ior fortresses and splendidly equipped out
posts, carrying civilization and progress
close TO the butt end OF every rifle; until, in
1871, the powerful shieks were glad to sue
for a permanent armistice; military rule
was withdrawn; and now. under a wise and
ritory as great in area as that of France,
have in less than two decades been reclaimed
from positive barbarism to at least con FORM
ity with civil administration, and put in
the line of such elevation and progress as
will at no distant day render this land of
tradition and natural enchantment the most
lovely garden spot of the whole world
unless, as have said, we will make of our
nearer Algeria Cuba, its twin sister in Ian
guorous cline and radiant possibilities, a
Paradise Park for the new world and the
old.
NIGHT IN THE TROPICS.
Your steamer will convey YOU from Mar
seilles to the port of Algiers in trif1e over
one days time. 1t is seldom out of sight of
some Mediterranean craft, and there is al
ways a consciousness of nearness TO other
human interests and of quiet and restful
companionship upon this great land-locked
ocean which 1 have never known upon
other waters. So, too, glimpses of lovely
Minorca and Majorca, the easternmost
gems of the Balearic Islands, still held by
Spain, and midway between the Spanish
and African coasts, their white villages
nesting upon emerald mountain sides, or
blending with the glitterlng spume at the
edges of circling bays. are full of winsome-
ness and delight. Then, far away, before
the tropic night settles softly upon sea and
land like a perfumed, translucent cloud of
da kening pearl, there is spread before you
such a reach of grand and glorious coast
line-the real "Afric's coral strand" OF in
describable beauty, and not the dread coast
of the old missionary hymn-as renders true
picturing impossible; the whole changeiul
panorama of headland, beach, forest, gilt
tering village and noble bay, backed along
n hor hr-f bo
the Atlas heights which even under tropic
suns soar above the clouds to the region OF
silences, ghostly and phantomful with their
crowns of snow and ice.
The very air at sea is odorous, as with
thyme and balm. The fancy, quickened by
tradition and the memory of oriental mys-
ticisms, builds wondrous creations surpass-
ing the widest and most fabulous tales of |
the arabian nights" Snug in steamer |
chair one reclines and dreams Subtle es- |
sences as from lotus flowers mingled with |
subtler rose affairs touch the sense and bind |
in sleep. The deck stewards are no doubt |
enthralled, for you are not rudely |
disturbed; and through all the caresstul |
1lght, while the stars grow and glow above.
Ind the silent. phosphorescent sea pulses |
Ind throbs in pale flames beneath, you near
his radiant haven of this radiant land,
MORNING IN AFRICA.
Then for time all is still. The night
Ind sleep and languorous tropic airs enfold |
Ind hold until the dawn has come. The
yreat steamer with her silent enginery, softly
ugging at her anchor chain has drIfted |
With the tide, until her stately PROV mods
to the white city upon the heights.
Your chair happens to stand amidships upon
he port side. There are sweetest zephyrs
playing through the riggings eff the number
ess craft upon the bay. These kiss your
ace until your eyes open lazily, as one who