Miscellany

The following oxtracts are from nn agreeable Ieller writlen by an American lady. Althougli not intended for the public eye, it contains so interesting nccount of a región seldom visite) by American travellers ihat we venture to pjiblkh.it. - Balt. Frecmari. Algiers, 1847. I can scarcely realize that I am writing to you from África - and from Algiers, that city of the Mediterránea!) so nssocinted with ihe stories we used to lisien to in our childliood of Corsarios and i Piratrs, whose favorita iiaunt was tliis boautiful bay. What n change! Tliis is now a French city. The Frencli langungp, costumc, manners, and above all, 20,000 Fre:icii so!dirs,secm strangely Out of p!ace nrnoug ihe Moorish towers, mosques, ihe snowy turban, fiowing !."ivsers nnd Arabic longue. As f;ir as ! comtnf rec is concerned. all other nntions, I supposo are benefitled bv what hascost' the French such nn immense number of ives ;mJ sucli vast sums of rr.or.ey. The Meriiterranean lias long been as safe as ihe Hudson River, so lar as piratesare to be dreaded. But my sympaihir-s nrc, as asnal, with ! the nppressed, - wit the Moor. Many ofthcm i!l not live in the vicmity of Algiers Oran, olihougl-. posse-sing immense velh there, hut prefer Tnngiers nnd Teluan, because there thfir religión is re-Pcted and thev divell soleIv among their own people. We hal SRveral of iliem, passstigers, on board the stenmer "Sully" tlint brought ns front Gibraltar, and sad indeed was u 10 waich ihe expression of their iiiifi ,'aees as ve npproaclied Algiers - once their honip, - now the abode of their conrji.ierors. - They sat togethcr upon the deck, silent and motionless.nnd as tiic while minareis of the mesqups gleamed forth in the mnonlishi, their lips bpcame more fnmly compressed and a light fl-ished from bene.Tth their dark brows wliich plainly told of the working of the spirit wiihin.- ! One of these, "Mahomet-ben-Cousa," so much interested me ïhai I spnt for him to our cabio, and, through an nierpreter, held quiie a conversaron with him. Hseemed much pleased that I was an American, nnd gave me liis name, mosi Sfcouiifulljr written in Arabic, to keep as i rpmmberanco of him. 1 daré sny I sliall see som! spe'ndkl specimen of mnnliiiess nnJ noble bearing nmong ihe aristocrncy of England, of which ve hear nnd read so much, bul I never expect to see equaled, in any lann, he combined dignity, ease, and courtesy of the Moor. Their fine, allílelic, pliant forms, regular fealures.clear olive complexions andglorious eyes, together wiih pictursque costumes, will, I fear, make me ever afler dimtufied With ruddy visages, rubicnnd forms, nnd all ihedisiorlions which French and English fashions nfiict upon iheir vi'-tims. Whon my young Engüsh friends endeavor lo convince me of the absolute necessity of 'homebrewed ale' & 'fine oíd Port wine" to a man's existence, I poini to the Moor and show them a man wiihout either, - and these, too, amid the 'lumblest walks oflife. We have been four days n Algiers, and have not recovered our nmazemem at being here at all. Not more than thieeorfour Erglish are here during thn course of a year- Amerioans hardly ever. Mjrself and daughter, wera the first American women who were ever in (he mosqucs in Algiers, and the grand Mnfti, "Hnmed-bpn-MahiimeH," gnve us n nost cordial & friendly greeting. Heask ed a great many quesiions respecting A merica, which seemed in reoüty a fnrofl world :o him. He showed many cif tliei r bonks beatltifully writtei) on parchment nnd illuminoted, epecia]lv the Koran, nnd when I lold him 1 had read it in tnv own lnnguage nnd country, he waf amnzed nnd del:gltd Upon lenving. he presented us with his Óard nnd ench with n pon mnde ol ree I, which tliey continue to use in preference to more modern inveniiors We jaw many of ihom atlheir morning devoiions, washing, praying .ii.d expounaing the Koran. In ons comer of the Grand Mosque a nrcie ot ngpd mfen vere seated on the ground lisieningto a young one, whose voice nnd manner were most impressive. I mustconfess I feit sliglitly piqued thnt neilher they nor he scarce seemed to notice our presence, even by a casual planee. However, it gave me an opportunity cf exatnining th m more neaily, and I do nssire yon, 1 let uothing pass unheeded. The mosques are simple in the extreme, - Kghtand clean, but wiihoul the least pre:ensions to ornament, and as the morning sun ('to which every face was turnedj streamed in upon them, I feit this is indeed a house of praver. Alihoijgh (here nre 20,000 French soldiers in Algiers, and of course,Frencli goods nnd wares in abundance, with cafes and reslaurants without number.yet in theBazaazisthe Moor.1 reign supreme. There they sit embroidering their beautifu! slipper?, caps and vests, anH surround ed by all sorts of Turkish and Moorish wares. I think we spent about halfoiir time among them, and bcame so well known tbat it seemed quite pleasant to receive tlicir murnine salutnlions S 's French served uson most occasions, and wliere ihey spoke only Arabic, tn'ed the langunge of the eyefj wliicli they seemed to understand full well. Mr. Sprague, the Consul nt Gibralter, kindlv gave mea letter to Mr. Lacroues, the American Consul nt Algiers, who Ireated us most cordially, inviting us to mnke h ia house otir home ndsending bis favorilo Moor abciut with us as nterpiter nnd " guide. He lias a most nteresling famihyind I wish t had been pnssible lo have accepled their kind nvitation to remain willi them several wpelis, when they proposed to take us inlo the cou:itryand introduce us to several Moorish families, the female part of wliicli I was most anxious to see more i.r. The dress of the common people (in the street j is a pure white Turkisli aera iaá a baud over the nose and mouth,- owly showing the eye - a white i tnusli'n veil hanging down Unir backs i and a white mnutle ihroivn over llieir shou'clers. Lidies seMcm go out of tlie house. Tlieir dress at home is of a thin gauzochemise nnd Tuiltish trowsers of muslin. Aruundtlio wait is ;i sc-arf, on the hrad sa beMtifu] olored hnijkerebief twis:ed very grncefully, and a knot attheside. Ön thd brow is a feroueon nfprf-cious stones; on the ferl are cmhroidered .sli[1(.ers; on the mms, bracelets, and a:ound the nnkles ankleis of gold. The Moor never sees hisiniendel bride Lefore marringo, excpt lojnake clioice. Two or three old potten s;iy to him thnt they know of a very prttty girl. He answers, "I will see her." - She is tlien drngged Mito the room, and according to the cus;om of ihe countrv, Teigns resistance. She is covered wiih a white veil, which le raises nnd if he s plcased with her nppenrance, he m:irries lieij otherwise she is distnisscd. - The Moor cares liitle for nioney; it is truttig th t capti ates liim. They are allo-ivi-d sftveral wives, but are generally satished with ono. The young girls begin to cover iheir fices at the nge of ninp, aud nfier ïhnt do not see any more frihair male relations. They marry nt ihe early nge of twelve or fourtern yenrs. But Moors, mosques, and Moorish curiosities were not the sole object of interest in Algiers. These were the Jewesses, innny of them very preMy, in their singular and hecoming tlresses; (he French peasant women, with their hig!i cnps and short skirts, so varied in shupé and mnterial tliat one wouldsupposeeverv province in France had sent a sample ; and lnst, not least, the countless numbers ofswarthy, filthy Arabs, who fill every square, street, and road, wherever you wander, or in whatever direction you may turn your eves. They alway8 go in riroves, sometimes riding with matchless bkill and grace, iheir beautiful horsep.but more frequentIv drivingbeforo thom with shrieks and shouts, their overladen camels and don. keys. They wear but one garment,- a filthy, greasy, uncertain colored robe, hnnging loosely from the shoulders,with a kind of hood, which they bin'J tightly arouod tbo bead by a píceo of ropr mg thein a wild and most unenrtlilv sori f appearnnce. At first I could not endure to look at thcm, butere long 1 disovered, Lenpalli their fiuttering ngs, limbs beautifully ibrmed and poüshed as ivory, wiili fei'ures rpgularlv nnd finely cut. 1 pepped inio some of iheir lioods, but a ppep sufficed. I cannot Venture to describí" :hem. VV'hnt their suflerings must be under a sultry July sun, willi tliesii-occo vind blowing fbr dtiys tngether, 1 cannot imagine. They told us thnt the sick'y sea?on had nlrendy commenced, but I find the weather in Alg'ers pnrticuirlv ilensani - so mild and warm,wth a pleasnnt breeze blowing frora the Medilerranean besides. VVe have lo ascend one mndred steps to arrive nt our hotel, so that we are al ove the smells and dusf, while just below, n the immense public square, moves the busy multitude of solliers, sailors, Arabs, Jews odq Negroes, a ving panorama.