Produced by Dan Horwood and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
[Illustration: R. Pheney, lith. M. & N. Hanhart, Impt.
MY TWO SERVANTS, ANGELO AND NERO.]
NOTES IN NORTH AFRICA:
BEING A
GUIDE TO THE
SPORTSMAN AND TOURIST IN ALGERIA AND TUNISIA.
BY
W. G. WINDHAM, ESQ.
NEW EDITION, WITH COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS.
LONDON:
WARD AND LOCK, 158 FLEET STREET.
1862.
LONDON:
PETTER AND GALPIN, BELLE SAUVAGE PRINTING WORKS,
LUDGATE HILL, E.C.
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
Two great faults have been found with my first edition. The first
was, that I had offended many people by personal allusions. To
this, I reply, that offence was very far from my mind; and to those
offended (if any there be), I say, consider the expressions unsaid.
For the rest, they are omitted in this edition. The second alleged
defect is, that, while I call my book, to a certain extent, sporting,
so little allusion is made to sport. I grant there is some reason in
this, and accordingly I have added matter which I think will be
useful to future sporting tourists. I would, however, not advise
the man who seeks sport alone and solely to go to Algeria, as I am
sure he will be disappointed, as I most decidedly was. With regard to
the illustrations, I have taken the greatest pains that they may
faithfully represent, not only the particular localities alluded
to, but also give a fair idea of the country and climate of these
latitudes.
W. G. WINDHAM.
_Hull, April, 1861._
ILLUSTRATIONS.
TO FACE PAGE
FRONTISPIECE: MY TWO SERVANTS--ANGELO AND NERO 1
SHOOTING HYENAS ON THE PURPLE MOUNTAINS NEAR EL
GREESHE 20
SHOOTING WILD DUCKS NEAR AIN MOKRA, PROVINCE OF
CONSTANTINE, ALGERIA 44
HOG-SHOOTING ON THE BANKS OF THE OUED EL AHWENA,
IN TUNISIA 60
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE VOYAGE OUT:--Paris in 1860--Notre Dame--Our
Hotel--Nero and the Groom--The Steamer for
Algeria--Gallic Peculiarities--Life on Board 7
CHAPTER II.
DESCRIPTION OF ALGIERS:--Arrival in Algeria--Murray's
Guide-books, and their Amenities--Disembarkation in
the Port of Algiers--Our Fellow-travellers--Algiers and
its Inhabitants--The Dey's Palace--Cause of the French
Invasion 13
CHAPTER III.
LIFE IN ALGIERS:--Algerian Society--A Soiree at
General Martinprez's--The Sirocco--My Maltese
Companion--The Theatre--General Youssouf and his Career 19
CHAPTER IV.
"UP THE COUNTRY:"--Departure from Algiers--Blidah--The
Zouave Officers and their Companions--Government
Establishment of Horses--Joseph, the Horse-dealer--To
Arbah--The Caravanserai--Journey towards Oued-el-Massin 25
CHAPTER V.
FURTHER EXPERIENCES:--Abd-el-Kader (but not the
Emir)--Difficult Road--Perils of the Way--Prospect of
Sport--The First Boar--The Chasseurs d'Afrique--Mine
Hostess of the "Scorpion"--Teniet 30
CHAPTER VI.
FURTHER PROGRESS--RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES:--Cold
Weather--Milianah--Vezoul--The Aubergiste--El
Afroun--The Rhamazan--Dancing Dervishes 36
CHAPTER VII.
BONA AND ITS VICINITY:--Passage to Bona--State of
Affairs on Board--Bona--The Lake Metitza--Ain
Mokra--Wild Duck Shooting on the Lake 41
CHAPTER VIII.
ON TO TUNIS:--Algeria in General--The Arabs and their
Conquerors--Antagonism between the Two Races--Social
Condition of the Arabs--The _Oasis_ Steamer--Arrival
at Tunis 46
CHAPTER IX.
MARSA:--Angelo's Horsemanship--The Bey's Palace at
Marsa--The Arabs and their Love of Tobacco--The
Friendly Moor at Camatte 52
CHAPTER X.
ABOUT BOAR SHOOTING:--Sleeman--the Oued el Ahwena--Its
Scenery, and its Dangers--Beauty of the Landscape on
its Banks 55
CHAPTER XI.
SPORTING EXPERIENCES:--El Greesh--Shooting Hyenas--An
Expedition with the Arabs--The Caid and his
Family--Another Wild Boar 59
CHAPTER XII.
TUNIS AND ITS GOVERNMENT:--Picturesque Situation of
Tunis--The Horse Market--Effects of Race--The
Bazaars--Mohamed Medea--The Bardo--The Bey of
Tunis--His Mode of administering Justice--Prince
Puckler Muskau's Account of his Interview 62
CHAPTER XIII.
THE RUINS OF CARTHAGE:--Reflections on Ancient
Carthage--Hannibal and his Career--An Arab
Domicile--Picturesque Appearance of the Ruins 69
CHAPTER XIV.
THE RUINS AGAIN:--Great Extent of the Ancient City
Marsa, on the Sea-shore--Carthaginian Catacombs near
Camatte--Quail Shooting--Trait of Honesty in the
Arabs--The Arab Character--Anecdotes concerning them 76
CHAPTER XV.
HOME:--My Fellow-passenger, the Sportsman--Passage from
Tunis to Malta in a Sailing Vessel--Disagreeables of
the Passage--Home Overland--Conclusion 83
NOTES FOR THE SPORTSMAN OR TOURIST IN NORTH AFRICA 88
NOTES IN NORTH AFRICA.
CHAPTER I.
THE VOYAGE OUT.
Paris in 1860.--Notre Dame.--Our Hotel.--Nero and the Groom.--The
Steamer for Algeria.--Gallic Peculiarities.--Life on Board.
_In medias res._ I will not stop to describe my journey to Paris, _via_
Folkestone, nor to chronicle the glasses of pale ale--valedictory
libations to _perfide_ Albion, quaffed at the Pavilion--nor to
portray the sea-sickness of "mossoo," nor the withering indignation of
the British female when her wardrobe was searched. Briefly, kind reader,
be pleased to understand that we arrived in safety--guns, rifles,
"and all"--at the Hotel du Louvre, in Paris, at about eleven o'clock
on a certain day in February, 1860.
The next day was Sunday, and I went to hear vespers at Notre Dame. How
I love the old gothic cathedrals, that seem to remove one at once from
this work-day world--the fanes wherein the very air seems redolent of
devotion, and peopled with phantoms of the past! 'Spite of all
disparagement, there is something grand and solemn about them. After
service, I ascended one of the towers to the gallery immortalised by
Victor Hugo's wonderful romance. The day was declining, and sunset had
already commenced. The galleries were crowded with students and
respectable operatives and _bourgeois_, with their wives and children.
Every face was bathed in the purple light of the departing sun, and
many eyes lifted up in silent meditation.
I was aroused from the reverie into which the contemplation of this
glorious sight had thrown me, by hearing a female voice exclaim, "How
beautiful is Nature--how magnificent!" I turned, and saw two ladies,
evidently mother and daughter, of sufficiently pleasing appearance. It
was from the elder that the exclamation had come, which brought me
back from my dream to this nether world. Conquering the shyness which
appears to be the Englishman's birthright, I made some remark on the
beauties of sunset. Like the earth, we revolved round the sun; but,
unlike that planet, we quickly diverged into other orbits. I dimly
remember that we talked of Angola cats, Dresden china, Turkish
chibouques, maccaroni, and Lord Byron, with whose poems this lady
seemed sufficiently familiar. I improved the occasion, as the right
thing to do, when talking with ladies about Byron, to find fault with
his impiety, his blasphemous scepticism, his cutting sarcasm, and the
unhappy frivolity which defaces the works of the man, who, with all
his faults, was undoubtedly the greatest poet the nineteenth century
has yet produced.
A pleasant walk along the quays brought me back to my hotel, in the
courtyard of which establishment I found an admiring circle of idlers
surrounding my English groom, who had just arrived with my dog Nero;
or rather Nero, who seemed by far the most popular character of the
two, had just arrived with him; and both appeared to know about as
much French one as the other, and to make themselves equally
understood or misunderstood. That evening, my friend and travelling
companion, B---- and I dined at Dotesio's, in the Rue Castiglione,
where we had an excellent dinner, washed down by more excellent wine.
The next day found us at Marseilles, at the Hotel D'Orient, concerning
which hostelry I have merely to place on record the fact, that B----
was mulcted in the sum of five francs for the matutinal cold tub in
which it was his custom to indulge.
The steamer which was to convey us to Algeria was well fitted up in
every way. We were the only Englishmen on board. The fore part of the
deck was crowded with Zouaves and French soldiers of various
denominations, with whom Nero soon made himself perfectly at home,
though the exclamation of a Zouave on his first appearance seemed to
forbode but an indifferent reception for the four-footed intruder.
"_Cre nom d'un chien_" cried the shaven, fez-capped warrior, "_mais
je ne t'aimerais pas pour mon camarade du lit!_"
Breakfast was served in French fashion on board at ten o'clock, and
dinner at five. With one or two exceptions, the company consisted of
French commercial travellers, and they were split up into the usual
hostile factions of north against south. North, of course, commenced
the conversation with Paris, _Paris_, and again PAR-RRI; the
southerners every now and then throwing in a doubt of the universal
superiority of the metropolis over the known world. One disputant
stood out for Marseilles, another broke a lance for Bordeaux, and the
war of words waxed so fierce that I began to tremble for the
consequences. One young man in company had been some time at Bordeaux,
and had much to say thereon; but all his remarks were on one
subject--the theatre. On its beauty, its luxury, and its actresses, he
held forth at unwearied but wearisome length.
While this conversation was going on, the inner man was by no
means neglected. Stewed pullets, potatoes, salad, and etceteras,
disappeared with marvellous celerity. The cheer was by no means
bad, though decidedly Provencal, as I remarked to my next neighbour,
a dark-looking Marsellais; which observation, by the way, brought
down upon me the anger of the Gods, as impersonated by a large, fat,
dirty Calaisien, sitting opposite. He was a big man, this champion,
and, according to Cervantes, should, by consequence, have been a
good-natured one. Giving himself a sounding blow on the chest for
emphasis, he declared the Calaisiens to be an infinitely more moral
people than the Marseillais--and washed down his own dictum with an
enormous glass of _biere blanche_. I am rather fond of going to sleep
after dinner; so I secured my nap on cheap terms, by feigning an
interest in the Picard virtues, and accordingly enjoyed a profound
rest, disturbed only at intervals by a monotonous and expostulatory
"_allons donc!_" thrown in by another dissentient southerner. He
was an enormously fat man, the new disputant, and wore a mass of very
greasy hair, hanging down over his shoulders. His flannel shirt, an
exceedingly dingy specimen of British manufacture, did duty for a
waistcoat also; but he was _decore_, though it was very doubtful to
what order the medal on his breast may have belonged.
Our captain merits a word of description. He was a short, red-faced
individual, of such ineffable seediness, as regarded costume, that I
should never have suspected his station but for the fact that he
sported a gold band "_bien usite_" round his cap, and sat at the head
of the table. For the credit of French politeness be it, however,
added, he was a perfect gentleman in his behaviour throughout the
voyage. There was also a young French naval officer, whom I afterwards
got to know much better in Algeria. He, too, like all the Legitimists,
was a most finished gentleman, and spoke English well--a common
accomplishment among the officers of the French navy. Though quite a
young fellow, he had been in the Russian and Chinese wars, and
imparted some very amusing and instructive intelligence on both these
subjects.
As the noise and the intimacy at the table increased, and the punch
and cognac had already "chased" the wine, I adjourned with B---- and
the French sailor to the after-deck, and, in company with two young
Dutch travellers, smoked our Havanas in a climate that was already
African in its heat, while Majorca and Minorca faded away in the
distance, and the pale moon rose silently over the quiet sea.