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Algeria

Algeria image
Parent Issue
Day
21
Month
November
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The last number of Blockwood conains an article on the French operations n África, deriving ts information mainly om two recent works on that country, ne by Captain Kennedy, of the British rmy, and thcother by Count Marie, a M-enchmnn. The origin of the war beween France and the Dey of Algiers, in onsequence of which, during the lasl ficen years, according to this article, half million of French soldiers have perishd, is thns dribed : "In relating the well-known incident ïat gave rise to hostilities between ? ranee and the Dey of Algiers, count St. Vlarie goes back to the remote cause, vhich, by his account, was a lady. In ie time of Napoleon the Bey of Tunis ïad a favorite female slave, for whom he rdered, of an Algerine Jew, acostly and magnificent head-dress. The Jew, unble to get it manufactured in the counry, wrote to Paris j the head-dress was made, atan expense of twelve thousand Vanes, and the modest Israelile charged t thirty thousand to the Bey. Thelat;er vas too much pleased with the bauble to emur at the price, but, not being in cash, ie paid it in corn. There chanced just ben to be a scarcity in France; the ew sold his corn to the army contracors, and managed so well that he became a creditorof the French government for upwards of a million of francs. Nnpoeon feil, and the Buorbons declined to ay ; but the Jew contrivedto interest heDey of Algiers in his cause, and renonstrances were addressed to the French jovernment. The affair dragged on for years, and at las, in 1829, on the eve of a festival, when the diplomatic corps were admitted to pay their respects to the Dey, he latter expostulated with the French consul on the subject of -the long delay. The anwer was unsatisfuctory, and the onsequence was the celebrated rap with fan or fly-flap, which sent its giver to xile, and converted Algeria into a French irovince. On visiting the Kasbash, or Citadel at Algiers, Captain Kennedy was hown ih ; little room ín which the inult was ofTcred tothe representative of ?rance. It is now used as a poultryard. " Singularly enougli," says the aptain, u as we entered, a cock, strutting n the deserted divan, proclaimed his 'ictory over some feebier rival by x triumpliant crow - an appropriaie emblem of the real state of aiFairs." But the conuered cock is game ; and ahhough seiously punished by his adversary'sspurs. ie returns again and again to the charge.