The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-07-04

i
which can claim high antiquity, though
some writer's attempt to identify it with
the Portus Magnus of the Romans. II
appears to have been founded at the be.
ginning of the 10th century, by two
Arab merchants from Spain, who, COM
ing to this coast for commercial pur-
poses, obtained leave from the domi-
nant tribe to establish a small set
Element. They called it "Wahran, -
meaning ravine; and until the Spanish
conquest it remained little village be-
side the stream, with an Indifferent
harbor and fortiicatian on the shore.
After holding it seven years, in the name
of the caliphs of Spain, the original
founders were driven out Subsequently
it was several times burned and rebuilt
by contending tribes, until it fell into
the hands of the Almoahides, about the
middle of the 18th century. These held
it until their overthrow by the tribe of
Ben-Zian, in 1870; after which it became
part of the new kingdom of Tlemcen.
But on account of its valuable COM
merce with Italy, established by the
Almoahides, it retained considerable
independence, being allowed to appoint
its own governor and simply paying
tribute to Tlemcen. Being one of the
nearest ports to Spain, Oran always
maintained an intimate connection with
the Moors Of that country, and to-day
1t seems as much Spanish as Moorish,
and decidedly more Moorish than
French. When the Mohammedans of
Spain retreated before the conquests of
the Christians, they sought refuge in
Oran. Moulai Ben-Hassan, one of the
last of the Moorish kings of Grenada,
fled to this place when driven from his
kingdom by reverses in the wars with
CASTLE: and in the year 1900, on the
final triumph of the Cross over the
Crescent in the near by Peninsula, the
Moors flocked here in great numbers.
Under their influence, the former con-
siderable export trade of the town gave
place to the pursuit of piracy. Then
Ferdinand, the Catholic, turned his at.
tention to the extirpation of these
dangerous neighbors. The king himself
was as poor as king could be, but Car.
dinal Ximenes supplied the cash and
also most of the soldiers by giving out
that it was ''holy war; and all who
engaged in it should have indulgence
| from certain fasts for the remainder OF
their lives. Under the 'Crusade dc
Aimenas' the port was soon overcome
and the doughty Cardinal sailed with
the second fleet, which took possession
of Oran. The Spaniards had now a firm
footing in Africa; but, as usual, over
mastering greed defeated their owr
ends. They fortified Oran, converted
| its Mosques into Romish churches, mas
sacred its citizens, appropriated its
treasures, and set up the Inquisition-
only to find it after all but barren arc
expensive possession, regular white
elephant" on the hands of Spain. Con
stantly harrassed by the Turks, they
more than once contemplated giving w
their bit of African territory. Finally
the Turks, having overthrown the ma
tive kingdom of Tlemcen, consolidated
their power throughout the Barbary
states and deprived Spain of all the
tribute she had received from the neigh
boring tribes. In 170S, Oran was over
come by the Dey Of the province under
orders from Algiers and became the
chief town of the Brylick, populated
by Jews and Arabs. The government
was about the worst that could be
imagined, Deys following each other in
rapid succession, generally fastened to
their exit by poison or pestilence; or by
the bow-string of their masters at AL
giers for misrepresentation of the levied
tribute from neighboring tribes. Each
in his little way INDUCED in every form
of tyranny and vicious pleasure; and
when the French took possession of
| Algiers in 1880. Hassan, the last Dey of
Oran, gladly offered his submission and
was at once shipped off to Syria. Since
then, Oran has undergone an entire
transformation, and the French have
proved themselves excellent masters
at least by contrast to Turks and Arabs.
We did not tarry to visit the city on the
way through, but joined party which
was just setting out for Tlemcen, eight
miles inland, in the heart of the i'm
mense olive forests which are the glory
of northern Africa.
| FANNIE B. WARD.