The Republican journal., 1913-09-11
is connected with Tunis, four hundred

is connected with Tunis, four hundred
miles away, by steam railway. 1t has
been under French rule since 1881. Iti
situated on the north slope of Mount
Boujarin rising 500 feet above the bay.
The fine harbor is sheltered by two great
moles. A fine lighthouse is at the en-
trance. The beautiful white buildings
are arranged mpitheatrewise. The
streets and boulevards are wide and lead
from spacious squares. Sub-tropical
gardens abound. The palaces of the
government and of the archbishop the
public library and museum, tine grand
mosque and the military works, are i'm
posing. There are large school buildings
both for the Whites and the Arabs;
banks, hospitals, mosques and churches.
The old Arabian town with it's Byzantine
domed mosques is indeed picturesque,
but more so to me are these nut-brown,
dark eyed Oriental people.
With friends and an Arabian guide,
on leaving the ship for a three hours
tour of Algiers, struck at once for the
nearest mosque. 1t was o'clock, p. M.
one of their four daily hours Of prayer.
Men Just out of the market were wash
ing their feet in a lavatory at the en-
trance Of the mosque. | went to look in.
Not word of remonstrance was given,
but almost as swift as lightning they
pulled away the rug that my intidel feet
were about to touch. Not picture nor
an image was in the mosque. Three
kinds of carpet were on the floor. In
places men were praying on their knees
with heads touching the carpet. Others
were reciting the Koran, others seemed
/ to be asleep. Down front in chancei
was group of eight men on their knees,
swaying to and fro. chanting in chorus
/ like great nest of bumblebees, Allah!
Allah! Allah! Mahomet being the only
words | could catch.
next went to the palace the French
took from the Arabian Sheik in 1880.
The bust of the first French Governor
and the Field Marshal was there. The
inner court, opening up through three
stories, is beautiful. The rooms on the
second floor now contain fine library
We next visited the court and burial
place of family of the wealthiest of
the Arabs, and the windows having no
glass we could see inside the palace. 1t
looked charming. The graves in the
yard had low black-slate head and foot
stones, with most exquisite beds of
and small, curbed in. Their priest and
the morgue were in apartments adjoln
ing. The priest deigned to converse
with US after we first accosted him.
Then strolled to the market to study
humanity. The women with wells and
masks will look man cut of counte-
nance. By Tom Cain! Their great round
black eyes were too much for my hazel
green. | had better luck with the men.
A mixed line of brown Arabs and Jet
black negroes sat on low bench, for
Vic ouii w do sGlllilS anu tuelI Qdy WOEh
was done. tested the tolerance of the
Arabs by passing down the line and
shaking hands with the negroes. Then
went back and through the perform
ance with the Arabs, and believe me,
every man of them, one hundred years
old, put out his brown, horny hand and
greeted me as heavenly visitor. Every
brown man on the street answered my
salute when l gave it. sat down on
curb by fountain. An old Frenchman
told me my courtiers were Spaniard,
Frenchman, Jew and an Arab. Then
a sweet, chubby faced little Arab boy
climbed on my knee and nestled in my
arms. | knew he wanted sou, and he
got it. But, my, throng of urchins
then came for "mon, - "mon, +" "mon."
gave out all the small stuff | had, the
last coin to little brown girl. Her
brother, with faith undying, was at the
ship when went on board, and got his.
F. F. P.