is due to the circumstance that a slave may purchase his freedom by money or services, and also that a rich Moor sometimes manumits all his slaves when he dies.

The free Negroes do not differ, either in dress or employment, very much from the Moors. Some of them are firework makers; others, musicians; and others derive no small profit from pandering to the superstitions of the Moors. There is one exhibition performed by the Negroes which is of so extraordinary a nature, that we must describe it at some length; it is called the Djelep.

The object of this is, to cause some particular person to be possessed of the evil spirit; since the Moors firmly believe that Satan gives a knowledge of future events to those who are possessed, and who may in their turn transmit their prophetic power to any other person.

The Djelep generally begins after the feast of Ramadan, and notice of it is given to such as are candidates for this demoniac knowledge. The candidates, who are principally women, proceed together with the principal actors in the ceremony, among whom are always an old man and an old woman, to a house devoted solely to the superstitious practices of the Negroes, where the intended prophets are put into a room well-provided with cushions and carpets, and the entrance to which is closed with a curtain. The old couple, assisted by some other persons, then throw into a lighted earthenware furnace a quantity of benzoin, and some other substances. But before this, they kill four hens, with the blood of which they rub all the joints of the candidates. They perfume them with the smoke arising from the drugs in the furnace, and afterwards dress them, each in a different manner. They clothe them in caftans reaching to the heels, and with belts and bonnets adorned with cockle-shells loosely fastened, so as to strike against each other when the wearers begin to dance. Twenty musicians then arrive, with rude and discordant instruments, and squat down on the floor, at one side of the room.

The Negroes who are already said to be possessed, and those who hope to be so, being all present, the musicians begin a frightful concert, and one of the possessed, or demoniacs, begins to dance. All the negro women accompany him in his dance, which is slow at first, but by degrees becomes animated and then furious. He now utters the most dreadful cries, and makes all sorts of contortions: this is the moment when the spectators hope to be inspired with the supernatural influence. They approach and throw some money, wax candles, bread, meat, or anything they please, upon a carpet spread to receive them. The music now increases in intensity and horrid discord; and the demoniac becomes more and more animated, until at length, overcome with the noise and the fatigue of his exertion, he falls senseless to the ground. His dancing companions then withdraw, and an old man brings forward the furnace, and perfumes his body. The instant the man falls, the music ceases; but he soon rises, the music resumes, and he proceeds with his dancing. He is again attended by other dancers, and goes on until he falls a second time; again he recovers and

dances, and this continues until his strength is completely exhausted. The evil spirit is now said to be in the body of the demoniac.

The manner in which the spectators benefited by the exhibition, may be illustrated by a Djelep which M. Rozet witnessed. The demoniac was a strong young negress who was dressed in a caftan of green silk with yellow stripes, and her belt and cap were ornamented with shells and morris-bells. After dancing some time, the old negress put two large blunt poignards into her hands, with which she proceeded to strike herself in various parts of the body. She then threw herself in a dreadful fury upon a Moorish woman, whom she handled very roughly;-then rushed out of the room ;-then returned, and continued to dance until she fell senseless. On recovering, she seized hold of one of the musicians, threw him down, and pressing his stomach against the ground, crossed his arms and legs, and tried to twist his neck. We need not proceed with these details of brutal fanaticism and imposture, but will remark, that those persons, who are ill-used by these pretended demoniacs, consider themselves very fortunate, and believe, that as the actions of the persons supposed to be pos sessed are directed by Satan, they shall assuredly participate in the knowledge of futurity which that person is supposed to have acquired.

Such is a picture of the shocking state of religion and morality among the Negroes and Moors of Algiers. It must be observed, however, that the free Negroes possess many qualities which elevate them among the Moors. The Dey and his lieutenants were always accustomed to entrust their more difficult commissions to Negroes.

ARABS. That portion of the Algerine population which consists of Arabs shows much the same features as Arabs in more eastern countries. From the time that the Arabs conquered Algiers, more than a thousand years ago, they have remained as part of the inhabitants, and have retained many of their peculiarities, although in some things they are amalgamated with subsequent conquerors. Some of the Arabs till the ground, and live in cottages, while others roam over the deserts, and adopt no particular dwelling-place. The Arabs are generally tall and well-formed, and the bodies tolerably fleshy. Their hair is black, their foreheads high, their eyes quick and piercing, the mouth and nose well made, the face oval, and the features rather long. Their skin is brown, sometimes olive. They are much more noble in battle than the Berbers or the Moors, since they do not torture their enemies when taken prisoners.

Those of the Algerine Arabs who lead a roving life have tents formed of a black and white stuff, made of cotton and camels' hair. The piece, which is very large, is fastened to stakes driven into the ground, and forms a tent in the shape of a prism, covering a space of about twelve feet long, and six or eight wide. This serves for a whole family, often consisting of a man, three or four women, and five or six children, who sleep in it upon mats, with the weavingloom almost always set up in the middle. The wandering

The Jews generally inhabit the central parts of the towns. The houses of the rich Jews are often elegant and commodious; but those of their poorer brethren are often very wretched. Sometimes a dozen families will reside in the same house, and each family will have but one room, in which father, mother, and children sleep, cook, and live. TURKS. The slight sketch which we gave of the history of Algiers will convey an idea of the manner in which the Turks got a footing in that country. That footing they have ever since retained, subject to changes from different causes. The manner in which a supply of Turks was kept up at Algiers was curious, and likely to give an immoral and dissipated tone to Algerine society. The Deys for a long time acknowledged the Grand Sultan as their sovereign, and paid him tribute; requesting in return that he would send them Turks to recruit the army and navy, when they became thinned by war. This was assented to, and the Sultan took advantage of the opportunity to send away troublesome subjects. The Dey used to send a vessel annually to Smyrna, to bring away the new recruits. On the day of their arrival, each one was conducted to the Dey's palace, complimentary words were addressed to him, and a dress and a gold sequin given to him. They were then forced to take the Mahometan oath, ("There is but one God, and Mahomet is his prophet,") and they then entered the service of the Dey. It was out of such materials that the powerful Janissaries arose.

The Algerine Turks are generally fine-looking men, with a stern expression of countenance, strongly marked visage, and skin nearly as white as that of an European. Their manner of living is much like that of the Moors, with whom they may be seen mingled in the walks, in the coffee-shops, and in the barbers' shops. With regard to dress, they differ but little from that of the Moors. The Janissaries are, however, often clothed with much magnificence; the dress being of more brilliant colours, and more richly embroidered than those of the Moors; and the turban is often composed of a cachmere or other shawl, of delicate texture.

The Turks possess many country-houses in the environs of Algiers, situated in the midst of beautiful gardens stocked with flowers. Fields, enclosed with hedges, contiguous to each mansion, form the domain: these fields, as well as the gardens, are cultivated by slaves and Berbers. But the hand of a Turk never touches a spade or a hoe. Agriculture is with them, as with military tribes generally, considered a debasing employment. The Turks were never brought before the Moorish magistrates for any fault either spiritual or temporal. There was a Turkish cadi and a mufti in each town, to render justice to those of their nation; and whenever a cause was to be tried between a Turk and a Moor, an Arab, or a Berber, it was always brought before a Turkish cadi. In a country where even-handed justice is but little appreciated, it is easy to see that the Turk would come off best under such circumstances. All the other Algerines were punished openly for a fault, but when a Turk was to be punished, he was favoured by having spectators excluded. The person of a Turk was almost as sacred as a European king. To kill a Turk was a crime punished by burning alive, or impaling the offender. If a Turk were assassinated in a tributary town or province, the aga made arrangements for seizing the assassin; and if he failed in so doing, he took twenty or thirty heads of families in that town or tribe, and conducted them to the Dey, who generally beheaded them all, as a punishment for the crime of their townsmen. Two years before the taking of Algiers by the French, a Turk, who had gone to live for a short time among the Arabs, was found dead one morning in a morass. As soon as the neighbouring aga had notice of this, he sent a detachment of cavalry, who carried off forty fathers of families, and conducted them to Algiers. The chiefs of many neighbouring tribes united to petition the Dey for their release, protesting that the prisoners were innocent of the charge brought against them, and offering a sum of money for their ransom. The Dey, after having taken the money, and pretended to believe the asseverations of the chiefs, said, "You have only to go to the gate of Bab-Azoun, and you will find your friends."-They went, and did indeed find their friends, hanging by the necks!

These and many other circumstances prove that before the French entered Algiers, the Turks were by far the most powerful of the inhabitants.

KOULOUGLIS. We have said that a supply of Turks was generally brought to Algiers every year, to fill up any vacancies that might have occurred; but these were always men, so that, if they afterwards married, not having a suffi

cient number of females of their own class in Algiers, they united themselves with Moorish females, or with such Christian slaves as preferred slavery under a husband to that under a master, The issue of the marriages with Moorish females are called Koulouglis, and are, as may be supposed, a kind of mixed race.

The children of Turks by Christian slaves have nearly the same privileges as the Turks themselves, but with the Koulouglis the same remark does not apply. They cannot enter the militia, nor rise to a high grade in the army. But still they are generally in easy circumstances, for the Algerine Turks are generally wealthy, from the share which they have in the prizes taken by the Corsairs, which wealth they are accustomed to leave to their children.

From the easy mode of life which the Koulouglis lead, they are rather effeminate and indolent in their character, although finely-formed men. Their dress and general manner of living are a medium between those of the Turks and the Moors, not so favoured as the one, but more so than the other. The figure on the right in p. 86 is a Koulougli.

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS.

We will conclude with a few details which relate to the inhabitants generally.

The following anecdote will illustrate the superstition of the Algerines. While some French officers were observing a total lunar eclipse, on the 2nd of September, 1830, and when it was about the middle of the immersion, they heard shouts, and a great noise of kettles, shovels, tongs, and such like instruments. The mosques were all soon lighted, and the muezzins, mounting the minarets, began to chant in long trills. This racket continued the whole duration of the eclipse, and from time to time small blasts of powder were seen to be let off by groups of people. At the same moment many considerable fires were kindled on the ridge of the lesser Atlas, and the inhabitants were probably assembled round these fires, to make a noise like the Algerines. When the turmoil was over, singing commenced in the mosques. On the following day, inquiries were made respecting the cause and motive of the exhibition of the previous evening; when it was ascertained that the Mussulmans believe eclipses to announce the termination of the world; and the racket which they make during eclipses of the moon is intended to awake all sleepers, in order that they may go to the mosques, and join their brethren in the last prayer. It is to this that the muezzins invite them. During solar eclipses, as they do not suppose any one to be asleep, they make no noise, but content themselves by going to the mosque, warned by the voice of the muezzin, who announces the eclipse from the top of a minaret.

The schools in Algiers are all nearly of the same character. The pavement of the hall in which the school is kept is always covered with a rush mat: the master sits in a corner, with a long rod in his hand, and several wooden tablets are hung round the wall. School hours are from eight to eleven in the morning, and from one to four in the afternoon. Each scholar, as he arrives, takes off his shoes, which he leaves at the door, and then goes to kiss the hand of the master, who presents it to him with a gravity altogether Turkish; after which the scholar takes one of the tablets from the wall, and squats down on the mat. When all the scholars are settled, they form a semicircle round the master. They have usually a writing-desk between two, and each of them is furnished with a reed, shaped like a pen, for writing. To those sufficiently advanced, the master dictates some sentence from the Koran, which they write with ink on the wooden tablets. When a scholar has finished the sentence, he refers to the master, addressing him by When the title Sydi, who then dictates another sentence. the master has repeated the same things many times, and the scholar does not understand it, the rod is brought into requisition, and the master himself writes down the sentence. As soon as a scholar has finished writing, he presents his tablet to the master, who corrects and returns it to him. He then quits the circle, and, seating himself against the wall, proceeds to commit to memory what he has written, chanting it in a loud voice, and moving the upper part of the body, as the Mussulmans are accustomed to do at prayers. Towards the end of the sitting, all the children may be heard chanting together in different tones. For those who have not yet learned to write, the master chalks the letters on the tablet, and the scholar inks them over the chalkmarks. The scholars then, at eleven o'clock, kiss the master's hand, and go home. Returning at one, they engage