Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-16
Where French, Arab and Moor Pic
turesquely Mingle.
A STROLL THROUGH THE CITY
Many Types Of Men Seen on the
Boulevard.
IN THE MOORISH QUARTER
U. s. 8. BALTIMORE,
ALGIERS, December 1. 1893,

| ALGIERS, December /, 1893.
! Just 400 miles from the Rock Of Gibraltar
| lies the modernized ancient town of AL
giers. half French. half Arab and Moor. 1t
| Is snugly ensconced under the shelter of
Cape Coeni, on whose heights stands the
| mosque-shaped Church of Notre Dame
d Antique. the patron saint of the fishermen
who throng the African shore of the Medi-
terranean. Every Sunday high mass is
| performed in tine open air on the overhang-
ing cliff on which the church Is mounted
Tor the souls OF the sailors lost in the sea
that slashes against the rocks below
Rounding Cape Coeni he sees the town of
Algiers, so long the stronghold of the pratt
cal Moors, covering the hillside with it's
square houses Of native white stone. From
the green tree-topped hill to the smooth
water below the white houses lie as If
they had slipped down from the ridge and
now rested as IL they had piled themselves
the one upon the other. The arms of stone
'hat reach out from the shore to clasp the
smooth harbor were made by Christian
slaves FAR back in the days of the old AL
serlan pirates, and through the narrow
opening between them went forth in those
bygone days the galleys that terrorized all
europe. BY one Of the stranger turns of
Fortunes wheel, the descendants OF these
cruel Moors abored to finish the very break
waters on which SO many Christian slaves
had been employed. But we are close to the
entrance, and even now pass between the ex-
Irenlues or the arms Of the breakwater.
Oh our right Is weatherbeaten light house
ana on our left an old fort with crumblinv
walls beaten to dull gray hue by wind and
STORM once inside we lie In smooth water
G ,.,u 10 meet OF lateen sailed feluccas,
whose brown sails and browner fishing nets
nang from their high yard arms in quaint
Iestoons Before US stretches out the high
stone terrace whose broad top forms the
, nISuie'aru de la Republique, and under
whose arches all the commerce of the town
dohe. a stumpy, double-ended boat paint-
ed In half dozen bright colors lands us on
fhe long. broad quay of massive stone.
wine from the fertile vineyards Of R,ida
hslf cover the quay.
On the boulevard.
we climb up two long flights of stone
steps and gain the Boulevard. II ia <
CLOCK and all Algiers is out In its best bib
olo tucker 10 see and be seen-and those
types OF the strange life Of this loop hole OF
the desert are worth being seen. Here
ssohters tall Arab whose rank is shown
py the Icing, brown camers-hair cord hind
ing his "naik' to his fiat skull can His
aress Is tnat OF the true wanderer of the
desert. The flowing snowy .burnousa,.
parts in front to show the white "pando,ra
which covers his body and Is bound in close
70 MS waist by long sash of sink. Full
s sA ieet TAN. with aquiline features and the
pose OF conQueror the Arab of the dasart
AT least Is not disappointment He oIoncas
from SIDE TO side with fierce, curious eyes
as II ne wondered at the Europeanized tou,n
.nat Moorish el-Dtezair had become, and
tnere is scorn In his wonder But this SANE
civilization Is not always powerIea. haTora
savage virtue. for here is an Arab of the
sown, small merchant. with clothes Of the
taliiiar Zouave cut Turkish rez and
horror or horrors, white cotton stockinps
anu European shoes. He is standing in tho
doorway of his little shop. BARGAINING with
very voluble Frenchman whose tall siIk
nat SNAKES with every vehement nod of the
heao beneath. Both are talking at once in
what seems to be a hopeless endeayor 70
NIX price for the roll of silk the Arab holds
IN one hand A stranger figure vet Is that
VI nan-starved kabyle. who stalks along
peak on his coarse camel s-hair burnouse
covers his head as with a monktsh cowI and
ne peers out from under 1t with wolfish ewes
al the throngs OF people sitting in the MANY
chairs and tables I'LL the sidewalk and even
pre-empt goodly portion of the street In
true Partisan style; for we all take our tone
from Paris here In Algiers Paris is Anglers
as well as France. Let us turn aside and sit
at one Of the little tables and watch The
crowd go by. Just across from our table a
party OF French officers are sitting SHINING
their absinthe and discussing the state of
or Turcos are drinking with a chasseur A,
ARGUE whose long. heavy saber rests on a
chair beside him. A little farther of a
party or civilians. the women in the gowns
or the latest Paris mode, form a strong
contrast to the groups Of Arabs who throne
the street. As II to complete the bizarre
scene native cavalryman dashes down
the wide street, giving US a glimpse of white
nalk, shading lean, brown face and melt
ing into a snowy burnouse that is in turn
lost In the high red leather cantle of the
Arabian saddle.
The Moorish Quarter.
But 1t Is not down here on the boulevard
that we can find the native Of northern
Africa at his best. Let US turn I'D one of
the steep streets-if these narrow alIeyways
can be called by that name-that lead to
the Moorish quarter. Up. up we Chamber
until we find ourselves in the Cas- bak, q
quarter where the houses, clinging to the
steep hill side. seem to lean the one toward
the other for support. Few windows have
these neighborly houses, and those few COW
ered win pars, crossed again and again
so as TO enectualiy hide all view of tnelr
interiors from the passers-by. The door
ways are arcned ana carved III that quaint
fashion we term Arabesque. and their por-
taiS are nlied by massive wooden doors,
studded with large iron bolts, and having
near their top little barred windows. through
winch the cautious warder may scan the
draws back the many bolts that secure the
door at foot, head and middle. At one of
these doors stands water carrier, on
whose shoulders rests one of the large
earthen pots which these people have for
centuries used for carrying that precious
liQuid-water.
Rarely does European enter one of these
jealousy guarded doors, but fortunately
for us. little farther up We find one ajar,
and catch glimpse Of an ample court
yard, in whose center plays a fountain
shaded by palms and shrubbery. All is
white within. Even the pillars surrounding
the court have their delicate carving almost
filled in with coats upon coats Of white
wash.
The Arab Women.
Down the narrow lane in which we stand
come a couple Of Arab women, carefully
rolled up in numberless yards of white
muslin; the yash max Of thin white muslin,
although 1t hides all but the eyes, conform
able to Mohammedan custom, Is still 80
thin as to be transparent. Doubtless its
degree Of thickness depends largely on the
features Of Its wearer. AS to the rest Of the
costume. it Is a complete disguise and in
1t all look alike, young and old. rich and
poor. They pass US just as we reach
cross street, from whose recesses energies q
Jewess in all the glory of gold thread en-
broidery and gold ornaments These Jewish
women must carry their dowry on their per-
sons. This one was decked out in a gor-
geous gown of heavy brocade, with a breast
Mate Of stiff gold embroidery: her head waa