A Winter with the Swallows

k AAAA A A AA AAAJl THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELED '* ''** (Henri V of France, Duke of Bordeaux) Born 182O Acquired by Maggs Bros. Ltd. A WINTER WITH THE SWALLOWS. LONDON; Printed by STRANQEWATS AND WALDEN, Castle St. Leicester Sq. ARABS AT PRAYER. FROM A DRAWING BY E. F. BRIDEI.L. A WINTER THE SWALLOWS J-'iinii n Itrnving by /?. L 8. Rodickon. MATILDA BETITAM EDWARDS. LONDON: HURST AND IJLAf'KETT, PUBLISHERS, SUCCESSORS TO HKNRY COLBURN, is, C;REAT MAKI.HOKOUUH STREET.. 1 S(J7. Tlit i-'jl.t f Ti-niitl'tHi> is n*rcid: TO MADAME BODICHON OF ALGIERS. Fain would I link your dear and honoured name or of To some bright page of story song ; That so my praises might not do you wrong, And I might take your thanks and feel no shame. But be my patron, though I feebly praise A time, when with the swallows taking flight, I sought your lovely land that loves the light, And woke anew and lived enchanted days : Ah ! could I tell with what a glory towers The palm-tree flushing gold on purple skies, Or how white temples, each a marvel rise, 'Mid oleanders tipped with rosy flowers. This little book were such for its own sake, A poet well might give an artist take ! 890082 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Intra Muros Meeting Old Friends Algerian Types Shopping The Little Moorish Girls at their Em- broidery Frames ... 1 CHAPTER II. Christmas Day in Africa How we kept Holiday The Hills and Hedge-rows The Orphans' Home in the Atlas Biblical Associations The Old Man amongst the Ruins . .18 CHAPTER III. Supping on Horrors Algerian Streets by Moonlight We are invited to drink Coffee and are after- wards tortured with Infernal Music The Aissaoua Dance 27 vi Contents. CHAPTER IV. The Garden of the Hesperides 'An Arab's Opinion upon Algerian Affairs The Cheapness of Living at Blidah Arab and Numidian Horses Mahometan Le- gends ........ 38 CHAPTER V. A Trip into Kabylia French Enthusiasm about the Ka- byles Lovely Aspect of the Villages A French Set- tlement in the heart of Kabylia Splendid Scenery Pottery 57 CHAPTER VI. Character of the Kabyles Legend and History The Kabyle Treve de Dieu Mountain Heroines Aspects ofKabyleLife .... 74 CHAPTER VII. The Beginning and the End of Ramadhan We are invited to Negro Festivals The Keg-ka-keb Incan- tations and Sacrifices on the Sea-shore Mosques during Ramadhan ...... 88 CHAPTER VIII. Journey to the Cedar Forest Crossing the Metidja Preparations for a Bridal Calls of Ceremony and a Ball Sleeping in a Caravansary . 107 Contents. vii CHAPTER IX. Life at Teniet-el-Haad Society at a French Military Station A Snow-storm in the Cedar Forest The Cedar Forest on a fine Day . .124 CHAPTER X. Breakfast with the Trappists and talks with the Father Superior Aspect of French Farms Moorish Women praying to the Dead . .141 CHAPTER XI. Cherchell A Colonist Family An Arab Fair The Orchard of Almond-trees Theatricals An Arab Funeral .150 CHAPTER XII. Life in the Country A Turk speaks his Mind A Pic- nic in Africa Twilight The Penitentiary at La Maison Carrie A Moorish Palace . 164 CHAPTER XIII. Kabyle versus Arab Triumphs of French Colonists Arab Incendiaries Wahabee Influence Fruitfulness of the Tell The Plague of Locusts . .182 CHAPTER XIV. Something about the Arabs French Liberalism in matters Luce concerning Religion The Efforts of Madame Polygamy in the Desert Arab Women before and viii Contents. after Islamism Mahomet and Art The Arab as Political Economist The Aristocracy of the Saints Kadijah French and Arab Schools . .201 CHAPTER XV. The Society and Amusements of Algiers Philanthropic French Ladies Climate of the Tell Mineral Springs Housekeeping in Algiers Experiences of an Al- gerian Summer Happy Prophecies . 238 Appendix ... 259 Notes 279 1, INTRA MUROS. MEETING OLD FRIENDS. ALGERIAN TYPES. SHOPPING. THE LITTLE MOORISH GIRLS AT THEIR EMBROIDERY FRAMES. REMEMBER wishing as a child that " " the Arabian were all true Nights ; little dreaming how I should one day discover nothing to be truer than poetic fiction. For, as Browning says, All we have willed, or hoped, or dreamed, of good shall exist, Not its semblance, but itself ; and I was no sooner in Algeria than I seemed to hear story after story added to the Thou- sand and One, all as new, as true, and almost as wonderful. One loses the grey and brown tints of our northern at Marseilles after atmosphere ; and, skimming the bright waves of the Mediter- ranean for two days, sights the coast of Libya whose story reaches from Dido down to Abd- el-Kader. The city of Algiers rises like a B 2 A Winter with the Swallows. vision from the sea, and one wants a pencil dipped in colour to give any adequate con- ception of it. Imagine terrace after terrace of pure white marble piled upon a sunny height a broad blue below hills with bay ; bright green stretching towards a vast velvety plain on either side; beyond all, a line of snow-tipped moun- dim and distant as clouds and have tains, ; you some shadowy idea of as fair a picture as the world can show. Soon the lines and shadows of this picture are out more one distin- brought distinctly ; guishes the pretty French villas dotted about the suburban hills the minaret of a ; mosque ; the dome of a marabout the of a ; tower light- house the arches of a line of docks ; superb ; lofty European hotels that stand between the harbour and the old Moorish town at ; ships anchor in the to the port ; gardens reaching shore a - tree an olive - ; palm here, grove there. The landing-place was a scene and a study that I shall never forget. The sky was of a blue and as we to the brilliant, burning ; glided foot very of the glittering white quay, a hundred boats surrounded the steamer, plied by First Impressions. 3 Arabs, Negroes, Maltese, Turks, and Spaniards. In the transparent atmosphere, the dark skins and bright-coloured clothes of these stalwart fellows seemed actually to shine with a lustre, whilst the wonderful power, majesty, and grace of their wholly unfettered limbs was quite a revelation. A splendid young Arab took pos- session of me and and whilst he my* baggage,oo o * was very likely making a sum after this fashion, so much feminine greenness, so many francs, I was admiring his beautiful oval face, and his perfectly proportioned limbs that seemed cast in bronze. I arrived late in December, thus escaping the miseries or diversions (for under what circumstances cannot travellers in good health and spirits amuse themselves?) of quarantine. But a sort of lesser quarantine awaits all those foolish travellers who embark too late to have their and whilst other baggage registered ; people went off in the happy assurance that their effects would be locked up arid cared for, I had to wait for permission to carry my own away, or leave them to chance. Baggage, like many another venerable thing, has got an undeservedly bad name, and most 4 A Winter with the Swallows. people will pity me, though, as will be seen, the circumstances proved bearable enough. True, that a burning sun slanted overhead, that ragged old Pariahs in inodorous burnouses elbowed me to right and left, that a crowd of dirty little Arabs and Kabyles hung to my cloak for a sou but the comical side begging ; of the scene outweighed all small annoy- ances, for a fight took place over my port- manteau, as fierce as the contest of Greeks and Trojans over the body of Patroclus. One after another, half-a-dozen bare-legged, brown- skinned fellows the and one leaped upon spoil ; by one they were rebuffed by my "guide Ali and a couple of grave Moors, who seemed to have, or rather to assume, some sort of authority. Then ensued a series of oaths and vitupe- rations, carried on in that patois Arab, so like sneezing and jangling, and Swiss German, and the cry of the camel, and a hundred other ano- malies in one. They pummelled, they stamped, screamed but on a a they ; sudden, appeared shabby little Frenchman, clerk of the Customs, and all the uproar vanished as quickly as the fisherman's giant turned himself into smoke. The shabby little Frenchman nodded, and Ali, An Honest Commissionaire. 5 like the lazy fellow he was, put the heaviest of the baggage on the shoulders of a couple of humble friends, or perhaps poor relations, and coolly walked by my side, carrying the umbrellas only. He spoke tolerable French and talked volubly all the way. It was a beautiful Africa and what numbers of country, ; Eng- lish came out there, ma foi, what numbers ! The more the better for him the ; English were so generous, and all the Arabs took kindly to them. He was a great favourite with the English himself, and it Madame wanted an honest commissionaire at any time, his name was Ali-Ben-Abdarrahman ; every- body knew him on the quays. In a quarter of an hour this honest All had mulcted me to the extent of several francs, and I was comfortably installed in the quiet Hotel d'Europe, telling my friends home news, over a breakfast of roast quails, bananas, dates, and olives. How pleasant it was to feel so far from home, and yet to find everything so home- " like ! French waiters brought us uncut Ga- " liguanis and English letters just four days 6 A Winter with the Swallows.

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