LIFE IN ALGIERS.
Algerian Society.--A _Soiree_ at General Martinprez's.--The
Sirocco.--My Maltese Companion.--The Theatre.--General Youssouf
and Career.
I have described Algiers as being built on the side of a mountain.
The city possesses a commodious and safe harbour, where flutter
the colours of every nation, from the red flag of the Swede to
the Spaniard's yellow ensign. Economy of space being a primary
consideration in the laying out of the city, the houses have been
built very high, and the streets made very narrow, so that there
is no room for carriages. The Consul has a very fine Mauresque
house in the old Turkish quarter, where he invited me to dinner and
a _soiree_ the day after my arrival; and the next day I was invited
to the reception of the Governor, General Martinprez.
The General received me and my companions most graciously, and, after
keeping me in conversation for about five minutes, introduced me to
his lady, a very pleasing person. My friend A---- and I were then
introduced to two or three other fashionable ladies of Algiers; and,
engrossed in conversation with these; we strangers were unconscious
of a general movement of the gentlemen towards the farther end of the
room, as a preliminary to the amateur concert. I was quite ignorant of
this Algerian regulation, by which the gentlemen and ladies are
separated as effectually as in a Lutheran church (a fashion,
by-the-bye, we appear to be adopting). Accordingly, on looking up, I
observed, to my infinite chagrin, that I was the "observed of all
observers," and probably was set down as a _bete Anglais_, who knew no
better. The extensive crinoline of the ladies effectually prevented a
retreat in any direction, and I was unpleasantly conscious of the
suppressed titter the fair ones tried to conceal behind their fans. I
endeavoured to summon up all the resources of my London phlegm, to
support me in this ridiculous position; but, unfortunately, I possess
very little of that desirable quality. The fair one with whom I was
conversing evidently felt for the unpleasantness of my situation, and
very good-naturedly kept me talking till the end of the first piece,
when I succeeded in making my escape.
How I inwardly abused the opera they were performing! It was called
"_Le Diable_;" and to me it appeared as though the fiend in question
had no tail--or rather, _no end_--to that appendage, so long did the
time seem. Far be it from me to despise the arts; I admire them in
every shape, except in the compound form of speech: _exempli gratia_,
art-union, art-school, &c. Why, in the name of common sense, can we
not talk English instead of German, and say school of arts, union of
arts, &c.? I suppose we shall soon go a step farther in imitation of
our Germanic neighbours, and call poetry by the appellation of
poet-art. In the last century, it seemed likely, as Johnson said, that
we should babble a dialect of France; in this, there is more danger of
our talking a Teutonic jargon. Let us stick to the middle course--for
our language is essentially half way between the German and the
French, the Teutonic and Romance tongues, and any attempt to
approximate too much to either extreme is simply preposterous.
The next day we had the sirocco; and, to quote the expression with
which I once heard a popular preacher commence a sermon, it was
"d----d hot." Start not, ladies of Belgravia, for the preacher in
question belonged not to the Anglican communion; he held forth to mere
vulgar audiences, at least, in a remote locality. Thrice he repeated
the expression (which I will not), and then improved the occasion by
describing a place hotter than the crowded chapel in which he was
officiating, in the month of July. He was evidently in his element. He
was especially hot against those modern spirits, who are not such
faithful believers in the burning flames of the lower regions, and
even begin to imagine they may have cooled down, if they have not been
quite extinguished. "And if"--he cried, in his ardour--"if they were
on the point of being extinguished, I would with my own breath
rekindle the expiring flame!" And his voice, which sounded like a gale
of wind, and his face, red as a furnace, and his enormous fists
fiercely clenched, made it appear to the congregation, for the moment,
that this terrifying assertion was no exaggeration. But to return to
the sirocco.
In spite, or rather by reason of the heat, I went for a stroll on the
sea-shore with Nero, that we might cool our wearied limbs in the azure
wave of the Mediterranean. We had been walking along the shore for
about a mile, when about twenty Arab dogs rushed out most ferociously
at Nero, and would, I believe, have torn him to pieces, but for the
large hunting-whip with which I managed to keep them at bay. There was
with me a young Maltese boy, of Irish parentage--a most amusing
character this urchin was. He wanted me to take him into the interior
as my interpreter. "Take me wid you, sir," was his eloquent appeal;
"give me pound a month, sir; tell Arabs you brother of Queen Victoria,
sir; Arabs great fools, sir; know no better, sir;" but I was proof
against the voice of the charmer.
In returning, I met General Martinprez on horseback, and saluted; of
course, he returned my greeting most graciously. But I was not a
little amused, and could hardly help laughing, when the young
Hiberno-Maltese tatterdemalion took off his dirty cap with a flourish
to the General, simultaneously with my salute, as if he had been my
confidential friend, taking a promenade with me.
That evening I went to the theatre. The piece performed was "_Les
Femmes Terribles_"--and a terribly Gallic flavour there was diffused
over the whole performance--a kind of _haut gout_, for which we stolid
islanders have, happily, no relish.
General Youssouf was at the theatre this evening. He is rather a
fine-looking man, and not too stout. His is a curious history.
Originally a Christian slave at Tunis, supposed to be the son of
Italian parents, he received the name of Youssouf (Joseph) from his
Mussulman masters at Tunis, where he was employed in the Bey's palace.
Of fine stature and handsome appearance, the Christian slave soon
attracted the notice of the Bey's daughter, an honour to which he was
not insensible. The Bey was soon informed of what was going on, and
Joseph would have been caged, if not racked, had not some kind friend
apprised him of the discovery, and of his own consequent danger. A
French man-of-war happened to be in the harbour at La Goeletta, off
Tunis, and young Youssouf, then about twenty years of age, managed to
effect his escape on board. The Franks, of course, gladly received him
as an escaped Christian slave. The Bey sent to demand him back; but
the French commander gave him politely to understand that he would see
the Bey experiencing the reverse of the joys of Paradise before he
would comply with such a request. The vessel set sail next day for
Algiers, where the Gallic occupation had just commenced. Young
Youssouf--who, in addition to his knowledge of French and Italian,
could, of course, speak Arabic perfectly--was here landed, and became
interpreter to a foot regiment. Quick and clever, he was soon
promoted, till he attained an officer's rank. He is now a general in
the service. Entertaining--perhaps naturally--a mortal hatred of the
Arabs, he has generally been selected to enforce those stern acts of
reprisal against the native population, which, though perhaps
justified by necessity, still bear the impress of great severity, and
are unpalatable to officers of French birth and education. These
measures he has always carried out with strict fidelity and
unrelenting harshness. He was the centre of attraction this
evening--every battery of eyes was turned upon him. He had fought a
duel with the editor of a newspaper, only that morning, for abusing
him or his wife, and had succeeded in running the journalist through
the shoulder.
The next few days I was engaged in making purchases, chiefly of shot
and necessary travelling articles, for the interior. I was swimming my
dog in the water of the port, according to my daily custom, when I
stumbled on my servant, Angelo, whom I determined to take with me into
the interior. Besides English, which he spoke very well, he could talk
Arabic quite fluently, and I found him very useful.