The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-01
LITTLE JAUNT INTO AFRICA
4fL-JEZAIR. THE CAPITAL OF 1I-
 GLRTA.
Mosques and Marabouts, synagogues and Protestant Churches, Amicabiy Side by Side.

Side by Side.
 Especial Correspondence of the Journal
 and Courier)
 Algiers April 27-We have been hov
 ering so long between Europe and Af-
 rica, expecting from day to day to cross
 the dividing Mediterranean, but de-
 tained by some new interest, that now
 1t is hard to realize we are at last in the
 land of the Moors and Arabs. It seems
 like the phantas magoria of 9 dream-
 the strange things we are seeing in AL Jezair (Arabia for "the Islands'0, the
 queer old city which an Arab chief built
 for his stronghold nearly a thousand
 years ago and which foreigners call
 Algiers And the curious costumes that
 are constantly passing through it's mar
 row streets-the motly throngs of many
 races-the confusion of tongues, which
 puts to shame the time worn compari-
 son of Babals tower! Arabs stalk sol-
 emnly by-tall. erect of magnificent
 bearing and with handsome features,
 dark, sombre eyes and skins like pol
 ished bronze; their heads always cov-
 cred, the white capote of the bernouse
 folded just above the eyebrows and
 held secure by thick cord of camePs
 hair wound several times around the
 forehead. Arab women are also en- veloped in white from head to feet, like stage ghosts, with one bright eye shin
 ing out like star, the only sign of diff ference in worldly station being greater f1neness in the texture of the haik and bernouse. The Moors are simply Arabs who live in towns and have intermar- ried with other races They have the same straight features, oval faces and clear brown skins but of lighter shade than their nomad relatives. They wear a piece of muslin wound, turban fash ion, around the little red shashea, or skull -cap, jacket of brightly colored cloth, and two richly embroidered waist-coats, full trousers, bare legs and large, loose shoes. Their women, like the fair Arabians, are never seen out of doors without the all-enveloping haik and bernouse; but we know that under- meath the ugly wrapping is a short sleeved gauge chemise, wide trousers, naked feet in yellow babouches, or slip pers. and a little velvet cap, covered with embroidery set coquet tishly on one side of the beautiful black hair, which is simply knotted low at the back of the head. All of them wear many barbaric JeWels-pearls, emeralds. sapphires, di- amonds-the finest gems, but rudely set, often merely pierced through the mid de and strung on pack-thread. Next in number are the Berbers, or Kabyles distinguished by their wooen bernouses, striped black and white, like convict cloth, their leather aprons and bare heads, often shaved. They are much more industrious than the Arabs and are the artizans of the country, said to &C., quire any trade with remarkable faeili- ty. Equally numerous are the Hebrew brethren, with the same unmistakable features that characterize them the wide world over,-small, shrewd eyes, set too near the prominent nose, greasy skins and greasier clothes shuffling be- tween their synagogues and places of business. The population of Algiers is stated as seventy thousand, of which number twenty thousand are French (the present owners of the province), and about as many of other European nations; the remaining thirty thousand being equally divided between Jews and t native tribes. And those above emu merated are but few of the mongrel races that shoulder us as we toll up the I steep Arab streets and wander through l he ever amusing bazars. Their are [ BedaWeens of the desert driving long | Hes of heavilyladen asses; Biskris, r ike porters of Constantinople, each | under a load which would 4 ,tagger mule; Zibanis, or water-car- | 'iers, with their shining brass jars t poised upon their shoulders; Mzab, sit- " ing behind their stalks of oranges I vater-melons and palm leaves, or by e heir tiny cooking shops, in which infl- a litessimal bits of meat are forever sig a ling on little skewers, set upright in lt ow, for the temptatio of passers- by; I 1aroceatis, or dealers in oil, who have A 10 need to advertise their wares beyond f what they carry on their garments; f dzitis, with their great sacks of wheat, W eside which the wearied camels are fl esting occasionally growing and a u