The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-06-20

ladle, nor plates on which to serve it.
To partake gracefully of a Moorish dish
is a task of some difficulty to persons
not to the manner born. The party
gathers around the jar and the master
OF ceremonies must carve, dip up gravy
and arrange the meat for mastication,
with the thumb and two first fingers of
the right hand; no help being admiss-
ible from the left hand, which is be-
lieved to be used only by the evil one.
You may extemporize something for
| plates, if you prefer, such as box-cov-
ers, pin-trayS or soap-diShes, but the ma
tive fashion is for each to help himself
in turn from the central tray, using the
thumb and two fingers with which to
convey the selected portion to the
| mouth. A favorite entree is called
ohikoula, and appears to be conglom-
GRAFTON of tomatoes, eggs, capsioum,
oil and lemon juice The Moors excel
in pastry, which they flavor with the
most delicious essences. Their bever-
ages-except the coffee-are too insipid
| for Anglo Saxon taste; and salads,
which redeem the vilest meal of South
ern Europe, are altogether lacking in
Africa. However, in this land of plenty
and infnitesimal prices, whose markets
are crowded with luscious fruits, honey,
nuts, etc, one need never go hungry.
Such delightful days as we are having
proving about the old city and pre-
tending that we are contemporaries of
Aladdan and Queen Scheherezade, Pass
ing i'll and out of our inn, whose halls
and corridors are at all times silent and
deserted, we gets peeps into the cafe,
where Moslems sit cross-legged, smok-
ing their long pipes with imperturable
gravity, apparently saying nevera word
to each other-in striking contrast to
the noisy, jabbering, gesticulating
throngs in the French and Spanish
restaurants of the Lower Town. AL
giers, as you know, is built on very
steep declivity, and most of the ex-
tremely narrow streets of the older
quarter are assembled by interminable
steps. Up and up we go-sometimes
through vaulted passages thrown across
the road, with houses directly above
them; anon coming to moss grown
arches of single span, through which is
obtained a wonderful vista of Saracenic
architecture. AS each story of every
house projects beyond that below it
the part so projecting being sustained
by inclined props against the wall-the
upper stories on opposite sides are
necessarily very close together so that,
but for occasional ribbon-like strips of
| bright blue sky overhead, the pedestri-
an might fancy himself Injured in a
subterranean city. Only in the tiny
parks does the sun penetrate to the
pavements; but when it Eliminates the
upper walls, the roofs and gargoyles,
towers and nlinarets of the quaint old
buildings, the effects of light and shade
are such as to rejoice an artists soul.
What pictures there are to paint in this
Arab quarter! What bits of architec-
ture are hidden away in dark hooks aud
blind alleys; what studies of character
in the natives clustered around the
fountains with their copper jugs; what
peeps into Arab interiors, afforded
through the little arched vestibules.
whose oval doors stand always ajar!
You see dignified Moors squatted upon
platforms, embrOidering colored cloth
with gold and silver. each with the great
toe of one outstretched foot brought
into requisition to hold the thread,
which is twisted around it; shoe-mak-
ers, sitting tailor fashion on matted
floors, stitching away at red and yellow
morocco shoes and slippers; barber
shops, where the customers offer their
heads instead of their chins to the
razor. There are numerous cook shops,
where strange compounds are sizzling
or stewing in tiny kitchens open to the
streets; and cafes where, instead of
reading the daily papers and discussing
politics, the natives silently drink COT
fee, smoke chibouques, play at damah
and listen to the interminable tale of
some professional story teller, "a male
Scheherezade) or to the doleful strains
of a wandering musician. Shrouded
Arabs solemnly play at chess in the
streets, unheeding the passing crowds;
and Mzabis-that is, descendants of
Ali, the great son-in-law of the prophet
lin their harlequin costumes of red,
yellow and blue, sell fruits and flowers
from little square booths. Each Mzabi
is so barricaded by his wares-above,