Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-03-21

nearing Alexandria,
February 10, 1860.
| To the Editor of The american:
As l came on deck Monday morning the
| steamer was just opening the bay of
Algiers, which somewhat bles Seal
Harbor some ten times enlarged, except
that 1t opens to the north and has no
islands in front.
The city is ON the west side of the bay
facing the east, and in the early morning
| surely 1t justified its name of the "beauti-
full white city,. The city front on the
water is modern, built by the French, but
rising behind that, up the steep hllsides,
| is the old Moorish city, white even to
ghastiiness, as viewed from the steamer.
Its Wilderness was unrelieved by a single
tree or other bit OF color. 1t looked like
an immense quarry of the whitest marble.
Our big ship anchored near the quay, and
almost instantly was surrounded by hun
dreds OF small boats propelled by gestic
ulating. clamoring Arabs dressed, how
| ever, In all kinds Of garments. As soon as
the health officers of the port ascertained
| we had no infectious diseases on board,
| five hundred of US were on the soil OF
Africa, many Of us for the first time.s
| A carriage and guide were quickly Sc
cured by my party, and away we went to-
ward the east overlooking the beautiful
| bay, through the gardens, past handsome
villas, all built, however, in Moorish style.
Then we turned and gradually elm bed the
Ill = ka ala
isb castle, kasbeh, in which dweit those
| worst OF Barbary pirates, the Deys of
AIgiers. 1t is now French army barrack
and school.
We now dismissed our carriage and, re-
tanning our guide. wandered on foot
| through the very heart of the Moorish
| orient, through narrow, crowded lanes,
almost stepping on Arabs who were Sleep
| ing in the streets. We had to crowd by
men who seemed to be dressed in meal
bags or burlaps, and women dressed in
cheesecloth with nose and chin covered.
The numerous children were handsome,
| and flocked about US with hands out for
"bakshish" The adults, however, were
generally repulsive.
the dealer or workman could sit in the
middle and reach every article without
rising. The second stories projected over
| the first, and so narrowed the street that
the occupants OF the second stories could
almost shake hands across the street. 1t
was all intensely curious and interesting
We caught sight of the interior of one
l.
was washing the tiled court. AS soon as
she saw US looking in she swung the door
to with IA bang. In these narrow lanes are
| huddled about 100000 Arabs or Moors,
| cooking, sleeping, and working, as thick
as ants in a hill.
We went into the old mosque, but as it
happened to be during afternoon prayer
we could not go about, and so only stood
and looked and listened. There were some
800 mussulmen kneeling in rows facing
the east, where were some priests who
were said to be chanting. 1t sounded to
US as if they were simply saying: "yoh-
yoh- yoh, " or rather "'uyah uyah" throug h
their noses. At frequent intervals, how
ever, tue whole 300 worshipers threw
,
and so remained for a moment, and then
recovered themselves to their kneeling
position They we're certainly deyout.
All too soon the warming si,en of the
steamer doomed in our ears, and off we
went to dinner and then 70 bed, tired but
cage for the next port,
After a resttul sail of two nights and a
Il 10
arrived early Wednesday morning at
Naletta in Malta. As we went on deck
the steamer was slowly moving up the
harbor between the great fortresses Of st.
Elmo and lsola and among huge warships,
All about Us were the walls, meats, towers,
churches and other buildings erected by
the famous knights of st. John, who held
this island from 1870 to l79S, and defended
it so often and ,trenuously against the
Turks. The old walls would offer little
resistance to modern guns, but they are
interesting as the greatest fortre,se, of
the sixteenth century.
Naietta is built on the top and sides of a
steep hill. Carriages have to zigzag up and
| down, but pedestrians go up and down by
Hldll1. iudSttly lHt StIttls ulEttllN up anu
down the hill are simply flights of stairs
with queer little shops at nearly every
step Among the buildings at the top of
| the hill or rock is the old church OF the
! knights of 81. John, under the floor of
which are buried some 200 of the principal
knights The interior of the church is
ablaze with costly paintings on walls and
ceilings, with frescoes and mural sculpture
carved in pure marble, with silver and
gold affairs and ratings. Here the old
knights worshiped, and here they
| lavished the wealth wrested from the
| intidel.
The harbor itself was of great interest TO
me, and | spent two hours with boat in
cruising about it. Some twenty of the
most powerful ships of the British navy
! were anchored in two long IinRs The