tional appellation of Gezir bene Mozana, from the family who founded the city. By the Moors and Turks it is styled Al jelzir Alguzie, Algiers, the warlike. The position of this place is remarkably strong, and it is defended by several very formidable batteries: that of the Round Castle is bomb proof; those of Rabal Baker, which defend the port, are built with great solidity, and even elegantly formed. The castle of Sit Alcolett has also great command over the water. The Star Battery, and that of the Emperor, are chiefly useful against a besieging enemy by land. A deep ditch surrounds the city walls, the lower parts of which are in many places composed of marble. The Casserbach, and Castle of Alcasabar, in the city, are both very fine fortifications, and have generally large garrisons. There are usually four or five thousand men to work the guns in case of sudden assault; but nothing can exceed their ignorance of artillery and bad management of cannon. It should be observed, that a land force would have many advantages over a maritime one in the attack of Algiers, owing to the positions afforded by the surrounding hills, many of which command the town and its works. This city, with its white-washed houses, rising in amphitheatric order one above another, affords the inhabitants a fine prospect of the sea, and, as already observed, is extremely beautiful as you approach it by water. The charm dissolves, however, most effectually on entering the town, where there is nothing to excite admiration. The streets are so excessively narrow, that in some, two persons can scarcely walk abreast each other. This strange style of building is thought to arise from its affording a better shade, and more protection in case of earthquakes; by one of which Algiers suffered considerably in 1717. From the streets being concave and rising on each side, the greatest inconvenience arises to men and animals in passing through them; for when a Moor passes on horseback, you are obliged to get close up by the houses to prevent being trampled under foot.* When M. de la Con * Paris, "la plus belle ville du monde!" is in many places, as far as relates to foot Q damine first saw the fine pavement which ornaments the sides of every street in London, he exclaimed, "O happy country! where even those who go on foot are thought of." There are no shops in Algiers worth looking at. The rain water is received into cisterns, and there is a large fountain or reservoir, whose water is conveyed by an aqueduct, and thence profusely distributed all over the city in conduits made for the purpose. There are nine great mosques, and fifty smaller ones in Algiers; three public schools, with several bazars and market places. Its finest public buildings are those of the five Casserias, which serve as barracks for the soldiery; there are also five lock up houses for the slaves, near which is a market for their sale! The Pascialick, or Dey's palace, has two great courts, which are surrounded with spacious galleries, supported by two rows of marble columns: its interior ornaments chiefly consist of mirrors, clocks, and carpets. There are several taverns in the city kept by Christian slaves; and these are often frequented even by the Turks and Moors. There is, however, no convenience for sleeping; so that those who enter Algiers from the country, are obliged to lodge at the house of some friend. European merchants visiting this place, hire apartments in the houses of Jews. The level country round the town on its land side extends about four leagues, when it becomes mountainous. The immediate vicinity of Algiers is supposed to contain no less than twenty thousand vineyards and gardens; while the beauty of its environs is by no means inferior to those of Richmond, Chantilly, or Fiesole ;* but its effect is destroyed passengers, very little better than the African city. And notwithstanding the very liberal remarks and imaginary witticisms of its bombastic editors about the smoke of London, I doubt after all if it is not somewhat less intolerable than a Parisian pavè.-Ed. *A lofty eminence within three miles of Florence, and which should be visited by all those who are desirous of enjoying one of the most enchanting prospects in Italy. The town, which does not at present contain much more than a thousand inhabitants, was formerly a large capital; but lost its importance on the foundation of Florence, to which its inhabitants were transferred. Its Etruscan wall and amphitheatre are still particnlarly well worthy of antiquarian research and observation.-Ed. BARRENNESS OF THE COUNTRY. 115 when we reflect on the people into whose possession so fine a country has fallen. The landscape is truly delightful, if only seen in a passing and rapid glance: but when the eye rests on it, the barrenness and aridity of many spots are disclosed, shewing the contempt of its barbarous inhabitants for agriculture and cultivation, the place of which they supply, by dedicating themselves to war and plunder. From the foregoing chapter, intended to give some idea of the history and geographical position of this country, the reader's curiosity is naturally led to a consideration of its various productions. 116 PRINCIPAL METALLIC SUBSTANCES. CHAPTER VI. Fossils, Minerals, and other natural Productions of BARBARY..-Trees and Vegetables.-The Lotus and Palm Tree.-Domsetic Animals.-The Barb, Camel, and Dromedary.-Wild Animals.—Birds, Reptiles, Scorpions, and Locusts. IT is a singular fact, in the natural history of Barbary, that its surface exhibits less appearance of violent changes, than most other parts of the globe. Nor have the encroachments of the sea been by any means so conspicuous on this continent, as that of Europe. The northern shore of Africa is generally about the same height from the level of the sea, as Spain and Italy. Hitherto iron and lead are the principal metals which have been discovered the former, which is the most common, is strongly impregnated with clay, to which it gives a dark yellow tinge, the sandy particles turning black. Many have asserted, that the great Atlas abounds in gold; but as yet, this is mere theory. It being once proposed to the Bey of Tunis, to open mines there, he very philosophically replied, that gold and silver had caused the ruin of America; that, having no use for those metals, where was the necessity of searching for them? This moral lesson concluded, by his highness observing, that it is much better to leave the precious metals in the bowels of the earth, where nature had intentionally concealed them! Thus, unexpectedly corroborating the opinion of Horace, Aurum irrepertum, et sic melius situm SPRINGS AND HOT BATHS. Quàm cogere humanos in usus Omne sacrum rapiente dextra.* 117 Various marbles, jasper, and porphyry, are also found here, though not in great quantities; vermilion is more abundant, being found at a place called Zekker.† There is also, in this neighbourhood, a small, but very transparent crystal called Salenites; and the surrounding country abounds in a soapy earth, which is used in the baths to give whiteness to the skin. Towards the range of the Atlas, the mountain soil is calcareous; on the southern side it partakes more of quartz; the sand varies, from being white and fine, to dark and ferruginous. Minerals and hot springs are very numerous. Besides those of Haman near Bona, described by several travellers, the enchanted baths of which Shaw gives so interesting an account, are the greatest curiosities of the kind any where to be seen these springs rise a few leagues eastward of Constantina, in a deep valley; sending forth a dense vapour, almost insufferable to the smell. The chief ingredients in these singular waters, are sulphur and bitumen : they are in a constant state of ebullition, and rushing out of small circular apertures form a crater, curiously incrusted with various calcareous deposits, beautiful stalactites of sulphur, and native vitriol. The water boils so intensely here, as to raise the quicksilver to seventy-seven degrees of Reaumur. Not far from the hot springs there are others of an extremely cold temperature: the ground in their immediate vicinity, is so ardent, as to render it scarcely possible to walk over it: and murmuring sounds are * Let her the golden mine despise ; For deep in earth it better lies, Than when by hands profane, from nature's store, To human use compell'd, flames forth the sacred ore.-CARMEN III. FRANCIS. † Mr. Murray has furnished a very valuable chapter on the natural history of this continent, acknowledged to be from the pen of Mr. Jameson, the very enlightened and scientific professor of natural history at Edinburgh. See Chap. III. of Travels and Discoveries in Africa.-Ed. ! |