Continuing our voyage, we passed Trafalgar Bay and Gibraltar, where we
reviewed some Scouts.
On arrival at Algiers, the chief seaport and capital of Algeria, the
first thing that struck us was the strange mixture of people we met in
the streets.
There were Arabs, in their flowing white garments, brushing shoulders
with smartly dressed French officers and ladies, and picturesque
native soldiers and Turks and Italian peasants all busy at their
different pursuits.
Algiers is now a modern French town, though formerly it was the
headquarters of the Algerian pirates. The native quarter of the city
is still a network of narrow streets and alleys, made quite dark by
the houses that almost meet overhead.
Above the town stands the old fortress, called the Casbah. This was
the stronghold of the Turkish Corsairs and it was here that they kept
the prisoners which they captured from various vessels at sea.
Those of the captives who were Christians they treated with unusual
severity, and a large number of British sailors suffered torture at
their hands.
We saw here a massive doorway with chains hanging festooned upon the
upper part. This was called "the Gate of Pardon," because here the
prisoner was given a chance of release.
He was made to run between two lines of soldiers armed with swords,
all of whom cut at him as he ran by, and if he were able at the end of
the course to spring up and catch hold of the chain he was allowed to
go free. If he failed he had to run the gauntlet back again, and very
few survived it.
[Illustration: THE GATE OF PARDON, ALGIERS.]
Another reminder of the Christian prisoners is to be seen in the chief
mosque of the city. This was designed and built by these captives
under the orders of their heathen masters. They naturally constructed
it like one of our churches in the form of a cross. This was
afterwards recognised by the Moors, and the church was used, but the
builders were put to death for their temerity.
We can admire the bravery of these men, who, in spite of the danger of
being killed for it, did their best to maintain their religion to the
end.
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