Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-25
View of Constantine and Street Scene.

road which runs from Algiers to Tunis.
This landed me on the heights opposite the
city and 1t was In cab that / crossed
the gorge by the Kantara bridge to the
hotel situated on a street SO narrow that q
carriage cannot turn round In 1t. am only
short distance from where the ledge drops
on into the depths, and were sleep
walker might find my way out Of the
house and dash myself to pieces In the
gorge below.
Constantine now belongs to the French;
but the greater rart of its population is
composed of Mohammedans and Jews, SO
that all the strange characters OF North
Africa walk through its streets.
In one part Of the town there are many
fine buildings. The French have put up
city hall at cost Of several million francs.
There are some excellent stores. and off
at the north, reached by bridges, a Euro
scale by a syndicate of capitalists from
Lyons. In France. The city Of Constantine
has now about two thousand Europeans
outside the French soldiers stationed in the
kasbah or Notifications at one end Of the
town.
The Mohammedans. >
Constantine has about forty thousand
souls who bel we in the Prophet Moham-
med. and in addition something like eight
or ten thousand Jews. The Mohammedans
are the controlling native element. Living
at this place they might be said to actually
have mansions in the Skies" I wish I
could show you their homes They are along
narrow streets, the houses In some places
being SO close together that you stand in
the center of the road and touch the walls
on both sides. The streets wind this way
and that. There are many blind alleys, and
the maze of crossing ways Is often such
that one might wander about a long time
and only learn his location when he came
to the edge of the plateau and looked down
into the gorge.
These houses are squa' i'd and rough. They
are usually of two and three stories, made
OF brick and stone covered with stucco
They are painted blue white. with the
and each has low wall about It, The roofs
form the Fairgrounds of the women and
chhdren, and they are often the Sleeping
places of the whole family as well.
But few of these houses have windows
racing the streets, and the windows are
covered with an iron network for fear
the ladies of the harem may be seen by
others than their husbands.
The Arab women here are quite as Sc
cluded as those of other parts of Algeria
They wrap themselves in shawls when
they go out Of doors, and wear pieces Of
white cotton tied tightly about their faces
so that one sees only their eyes So far
have not observed a single pair of the
voluminous ladies' breeches which are so
common in the streets of Algiers. The
gowns of these Constantine ladies fall clear
to the feet, and the female population looks
like so many big fat bundles waddling along
upon slippers. The Arab men. on the other
hand, are gorgeously dressed, and they
spend lot on their clothes.
The Jews of Constantine.
The Jews here are different from their
race in Europe or America, and what /
write is not to be considered In connec-
ton with our Hebrew population. There
have been Jews in Africa since the time
of the Carthaginans They are a people
of their own class and quite as African as
the Arabs themselves. In Constantine they
dress like Arabs The men wear rich
Jackets. beautifully embroidered. and full
trousers tied In at the knee. They have
red Fee caps which are often bound with
great turbans. Some wear gowns, and
now and then one is to be seen in Euro
pean clothes. The faces of these Israelites
are darker than those of other countries,
but they have the same Jewish features.
and many OF them are fine looking Sd
/ especially like the appearance of the
women, although / sadly fear that some of
them are no better than they should be. The
Jewesses do not veil their faces and they
look at the men boldly and without shame.
Today is Saturday, the Israeiitish Sabbath,
and as II Is also fete day the people are
all out In their fine clothes. The streets
are swarming with young Jewesses loaded
with jewelry. Their arms re bare to the
shoulders, their fingers sparkle with rings.
and their wrists and forearms are adorned
with bracelets of silver and gold. Many of
them are dressed in silk gowns. over which
| lace shawls are thrown. Their heads are
tied up in silk handkerchiefs, aad ON the
| top of them. just over their crowns, are red
velvet caps embroidered with gold. These
caps are much like cornucopias. They are
about four inches In diameter. and are worn
on the crown of the head. They are sfas-
tened on by silk bands tied under the chin
and these bands are often decorated with
gold coins Sometimes gold chains are used
Nearly all of the Jewesses wear earrings;
| some have brooches set with diamonds and
Il anu N Str IN faf II oNn
| necks.
A Visit to the Synagogue.
| During my stay here have visited the
chief synagogue 1t Is situated near the
/ gorge in the heart CT the city and is well
| attended, When entered it today 1t was
filed with Hebrew men wearing the same
IL draSa aa h. H. ai, had ala .I.i.~