Christianity was heard. From the centre of this continent we sce continually brought gold, ivory, precious stones, perfumes and rare animals; yet our cupidity remains unstimulated, our curiosity unexcited. Africa has remained a terra incognita; and whilst European civilization was spreading in all parts of the world, discovering new lands, founding or subjugating new empires, we permitted at our very doors a nest of corsairs to remain, to whom we paid an humiliating tribute to save our flag from insult. For ages Europe submitted to this ignoble position: many times did the sceptre of the seas pass from one nation to another, yet no one would undertake to deliver Europe from the yoke of the pirates of Algiers. In fact, since the expedition of Charles V. nothing worthy of mention was attempted, until the American expedition and the bombardment of Algiers by Lord Exmouth. As long as the spirit of chivalry existed, the knights of Malta combatted the barbarians of Algiers; by degrees however they submitted to the influence of an altered age and circumstances: they were no longer a terror to the Algerines, and their fame throughout Europe was turned into pity or contempt.

We shall not here investigate the causes which rendered the expedition of Lord Exmouth fruitless; but we believe that every Englishman considers our government censurable at that time, in having allowed Algiers to escape the British sway. Algiers is the point which naturally connects our possessions in the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and Malta, as the Ionian isles form the natural junction of our possessions in the cast. In order to throw light upon our subject we shall introduce it by a brief historical notice.

All that part of the north of Africa known by the name of the Regency of Algiers, and called by the French Algeria, is covered with ancient Roman ruins, which attest the sway of that people. But this country is known in history still carlier, both as an instrument of the greatness of Carthage and of her fall. There are several accounts of the ancient inhabitants of north Africa; but we shall content ourselves with the hypothesis of Procopius, a contemporary Byzantine historian, engaged in the war in Africa under Belisarius. He says that the tribes of Syria, from Sidon to Egypt, driven on by the invasion of Jesus the son of Navé, in Palestine, emi

grated and settled in the north of Africa, and that from these descended the nomade tribes of the Moors and Numidians. The primitive inhabitants, Autochthones, retired to the mountains, where they preserved their rural and quiet habits, together with their independence. The second emigration consisted of the Phoenician colonies, who in the year B.c. 1259 founded Carthage. These colonists were received by the inhabitants, who recognized in them the same origin. Soon however the spirit of dominion in the colonists forced the ancient inhabitants to leave the coast. It is sufficient to reinark here that the Barbarines or Kabailes appear to have continued the race of the primitive people of Africa; whilst the Numidians, the ancient Moors, Semitic peoples, are represented by the nomade Arabs, with whom they were amalgamated.

The enterprizing spirit of the Carthaginians, and the powerful organization of their government, gave them cre long the command over their neighbours, who, preserving their primitive customs, lived in separate tribes, under a patriarchal authority. The empire of Carthage lasted 700 years (from B.C. 880 to 146) when Rome supplanted Carthage. The Romans took 232 years to establish theinselves in Africa, but, a century after Augustus, this country was a second Rome. It became so flourishing, that .D. 411, at the council of Utica, there were present 576 bishops: the population was estimated at ten millions. The arrival from Spain (A.D. 428) of Genseric king of the Vandals terminated the Roman sway, which lasted in Africa nearly six hundred years.

The conquest by the Vandals was rapidly effected but insecurely held, and the first shock overthrew it: their king Gelimer was vanquished by Belisarius in 534, and Africa passed into the power of the empire of the East. At that period the Arabs, led by the fanaticism of Mahomet, appeared upon the scene and attacked the castern empire. The lieutenant of the caliph Omar took possession of Egypt, and Okba in 647 seized a part of Africa and founded Kerouan, the seat of the Arabian power in those countries. Moussa-ben-Nasseir, lieutenant of the caliph Walid, took Carthage in 697, effaced in Africa the name of the Roman and Greek sway, and, amalgamating his own people with the native inhabitants, established Mahometanism. In 710 he even passed into

Spain, which country in 712 was taken by his lieutenant from the disunited Goths.

This was the climax of the Arab power, which was soon broken by internal dissensions: these, more than the victory of Charles Martel at Poictiers in 733, saved the world from the domination of the Arabs. In 790 the unity of the caliphat was destroyed: there was one at Bagdad, and the sultan of Egypt and caliph of Spain were each independent. In Africa the East was under the rule of the caliph of Kerouan, and the West under that of Fez, whilst the interior was divided into an infinite number of small principalities. An uninterrupted series of internal wars was the result of this division of power; but it is remarkable in Africa that the principle of the difference of race, which is perpetuated to our times, predominates in all these wars; it is a continual struggle of the natives, the people of Barbary, against foreigners, the Arabs.

The Christians in Spain, taking advantage of these dissensions, hemmed in the Arab power more and more; and Mahometanism, seeing itself threatened, summoned all the faithful to the holy war (El-djehad): the banners of the two faiths met on the plains of Tolosa in 1212; Islamism was vanquished, and never rose above this defeat.

In Africa however intestine revolutions and wars succeeded one another: the Arab empire of the Almohades was divided, fell, and gave place to the sway of the chiefs of the Barbary tribes, Béni-Ifferen*, who were in turn expelled by the BéniZion. In 1370 the Arabs threw off the yoke of Barbary and established a new sovereignty at Mostaganem, whilst various small states arose at Fez, Morocco, Mequinez, Tlemecen, Tunis, Tripolis, Algiers, Tenes, Bougie, and Tugurth. This subdivi sion of the power of the Moslems in Africa rendered it impossible for them to aid their brethren of the faith in Spain, and the latter were finally driven from that country in 1499.

Not satisfied with their expulsion, the Spaniards pursued them into Africa, and in various expeditions took possession of Oran and Bougie and erected a fort which commanded the roadstead of Algiers. Algiers was at that time a kind of re

* It is said that Abdel-Kader is descended from these, but he maintains the nobility of his origin, and that he is djouad, Arab of the conquest.

public, governed by a prince and protected by the kings of Bougie and Tlemecen. This prince, Selim-Eutemi, with a view to free himself from the Spaniards, called to his aid the famous pirate Barbarossa. The Spaniards were expelled, but Barbarossa put Eutemi to death, took possession of Algiers in 1516, and, following up his successes, engaged the Spaniards, and afterwards the Arabs of the interior, and made himself master of Tenes, Medcah and Miliana. Ile then demanded the investiture of the Porte, which was granted him; and thus an end was put to the Barbary rule which lasted from 1070 to 1516. His brother Chercdin, relying on the militia established by Barbarossa, upon the model of the Knights of Rhodes, and on the protection of the Porte, extended the Turkish dominion, and took possession of Tlemecen, Mostaganem and Constantine. This ephemeral power was consolidated by the disaster of Charles V., whose brilliant army perished before Algiers from a combination of errors and adverse circumstances. The Pasha of Algiers, being unable to drive the Spaniards from Oran, appointed a Bey to that province at Mascara. This Algerine power was augmented by the arrival of the Moors, driven from Spain in 1600; and several subsequent fruitless expeditions against Algiers gave them a formidable military reputation.

In 1627 the Algerine militia revolted, and altered the organization of the government, electing their chief unanimously. This change led to the most frightful excesses of anarchy: six Deys were strangled in a single day. The Porte, as suzerain, had always a Pasha at Algiers, who possessed however only a show of authority, whilst all the power resided in the hands of the Dey, the chief of the militia. In 1710 however this body expelled the Pasha of the Porte, and retained only the Dey, who became an independent chief, recognizing merely the spiritual authority of the Sultan. The Spaniards at this period lost Oran, which they however reentered in 1732; but finding its possession onerous, they in 1792 again ceded it to the Dey of Algiers.

Following the history of this country, we observe continual revolts and wars against the foreign Turkish domination, at one time by Barbary at another by the Arabs; occasionally too the people were excited by some fanatic, cager to barter spi

ritual for temporal power. It is remarkable that in no other country have there ever arisen so many prophets and adventurers, to abuse the credulity of men, as in this part of Africa.

In the beginning of this century several expeditions were undertaken against Algiers. In 1815, the Americans obtained a complete success with a very small force and by threats alone. In 1816, the English fleet under the command of Lord Exmouth set sail, to avenge upon Algiers the massacre of the English, French and Spanish at Bona. The bombardment took place on August 26, and after the destruction of the whole Algerine fleet, the Dey submitted to the demands of the British admiral. The demonstration of the English and French fleet in 1819, and that of the English fleet in 1824, produced no effect. The latter inflated the confidence of the pirates and urged them on to their ruin. In 1830 the Dey insulted the French consul, and on his refusal to make the reparation demanded, a French fleet consisting of a hundred men-of-war, 357 transports, and carrying 35,000 men, sailed from Toulon on the 5th of May. The army landed in Africa, June 14th, and after an engagement took possession of Algiers. Thus was overthrown the Turkish dominion in Africa, which during 214 years (from 1516 to 1830) had spread terror throughout the coasts of the Mediterranean.

Before we consider the conduct of the French on entering upon their new conquest, we shall endeavour to give a statistical and geographical idea of this country.

The Regency of Algiers, which is now called Algeria, includes the three Roman provinces of Numidia, Mauritania Sitifensis and Mauritania Casariensis. Algeria is enclosed between Morocco, the Mediterranean, the province of Tunis, and the Sahara. The extent of its coasts, from west to east, is 200 leagues; its superficies is approximately estimated at 6,300 square leagues, and the number of the inhabitants at three millions. The soil is very fertile and well watered, although there are no navigable rivers. Algeria may be compared with Spain, but it is more beautiful and much more fertile. The temperature generally is moderate; the average heat in summer is 90° (Fahr.) and in winter 68°: the greatest heat being from nine o'clock in the morning till one o'clock in the afternoon. When the Khamsin, the wind of