The Republican journal., 1901-08-22

rest of them. Frankly, it is not worth
the trouble-except for the vanity Of
being able tc say that you have walked
in the footsteps of antiquity. After
Scipio's defeat, Caesar condemned this
place to yearly fine of corn. Here the
pro-consul. Gordian, set up the standard
of rebellion against Maximin, A. D.
| 25S, and was proclaimed Emperor in his
eightieth year. He wore the purple less
walls of his palace, he saw his son slain
and himself defeated in battle by the
procurator of Numidia, and thrust his
spear into his own heart. To-day all
that is visible of the Roman city is the
! vast amphiteatre and few tombs,
modern village having been built en-
tirely out of the ruins. So solid is the
masonry of the amphitheatre that a
hundred times during the various peri
DDS of their history, the Arabs have
converted it into fortress; yet to this
day the mighty walls are standing, four
stories high. In visiting El-Djem, you
must bring everything required, even
drinking water. There is an Arab fon-
douk near the amphitheatre, but it is
so dirty and hea-infested that you would
better pass the night i'll your carriage.
Keroun, the sacred city, is surround
ed by olive groves of great extent.
In the year $40, Okba ibn Nafa pro-
posed to his troops to build a city
some distance from the sea, which
might serve him as a camp and be a
rallying point for ISlamism till the end
of time. He led his men to where ker-
oun now stands-then region Of lions
and leopards and noxious reptiles. Col
! lecting around him the eighteen chosen
| companions of the Prophet, who were
in his army, he called out in loud
voice, ''Serpents and savage beasts, we
are the companions of the blessed
Prophet Retire, for we wish to eStab-
lish ourselves here" Whereupon-so
says Mohammedan history-the lions
and leopards and tigers and snakes de-
parted in orderly procession, never once
looking back on their exodus to the
desert. Okla then planted his lance in
the ground, remarking: Here is your
Kerouan,' (caravanSerai, OF resting
place: and kerouan it has remained to
this day. He, himself, traced out the
| found 9 finns of owe
and the great mosque, the true position
of the direction of Mecca from this
point having been miraculously COM
municated to him by Allah. Before the
French protectorate no Christian could
enter the walls Of this sacred city with
out special order from the Bey, and
then he did it at the imminent peril of
his life; while Jew dared not approach
within sight of its outer walls. But its
sacred character did not exempt it from
war and violence. Even the great
mosque has more than once been al
most totally destroyed, by the Moham-
medans themselves, though it was never
absolutely polluted by Christian inva-
der. When Tunis was first occupied by
the French, formidable preparations
were made for the attack of the holy
city, where desperate resistance was
expected and the occupation of which
was considered the only means of con-
trolling the fanaticism of the people,
Under such show of force, the Tunisi-
ans yielded without a word. The Gov
ernor of kerouan opened the gates
and voluntarily surrendered the town.
Strange to say, this is the only place in
the Regency of Tunis where Christians
are permitted to visit the mosques and
religious edifices; but to do SO an order
: is required from the French command
ing officer. OF course the holy city is
: strongly walled with towers and bas-
tions, gates and posterns Everywhere
! you see shrines and huge cisterns. mos
, ques and sacred burial places. The
J principal object of attraction is the
great mosque of Sid Okba, which occu-
, pies nearly all the northern angle of the
| town. How can one describe itp The
Immense rectangle is divided into three
parasitic Maksoura, or prayer cham
Der; the vestibule, where the shoes are
3 left, and the great clustered court.
: where additions are performed and
+ from which rises the minaret. The
simple grandeur OF the maksoura makes
) the most frivilous feel "the place where
' on thou standest is holy ground" It has
, seventeen naves, each of eight a riches
!. supported by coupled marble and Dor.
phyry columns, the spoil of the most