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THE LIBRARY 
 
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 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
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 littp://www.arcliive.org/details/cliipsfromtunisglOOpattrich 
 
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 Chips from Tunis 
 
 ^ (Slimpst of ^ra!i life. 
 
 BY 
 
 MADAME BARBE PATTESON. 
 
 OSTENOO NON OSTENTO. 
 
 COPIES MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE 
 
 LIBRAIRE HACHETTE & CO., 
 
 i8, KING WILLIAM STREET. STRAND, LONDON, W.C. 
 
DT2M 
 "Pal 
 
 THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS 
 
 ISftrtratrlr, 
 
 BY KIND PERMISSION. 
 TO THE 
 
 LADY CHRISTIAN MAULE. 
 
 i^04156 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. vAOE 
 
 Short History of Tunis and its Sovereigns — Progress of 
 Civilisation — Abolition of Slavery — Relations with 
 England— Death of Mohammed-es-Sadok and 
 Accession of Ali Bey, the Reigning Sovereign . 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Journey from Cannes to Tunis — Quarantine — First Im- 
 pressions — Visit to an Arabian Family — Fast of 
 the Ramadan ....... 62 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Religious Sects and Observances — Pilgrimage to Mecca 
 — Despotism of the Beys — Manner of Administer- 
 ing Justice — Anecdotes 86 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Precious Stones — Mineral Springs — Origin of Baths — 
 Visit to Carthage — Physicians— Polygamy— Per- 
 fumery — Native Races 133 
 
vi Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Habits and Customs of the Israelites— Pilgrimage to 
 
 Jerusalem — Negro Population — Ostrich Hunting . 162 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Visit to Susa— Towns on the Coast— Arab Wedding — 
 
 Visit to Kairwan — Return to Tunis — Conclusion . 185 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 "Chips from Tunis"! This is a title which 
 seems to promise a series of pithy anecdotes 
 concerning a place about which the public 
 curiosity has of late been aroused. What, then, 
 will be the disappointment of my readers at 
 having to wade through dull historical statistics ! 
 But have patience, and the "Chips" will follow 
 in due season, concerning this most Oriental and 
 interestincf of all Moslem cities. 
 
Cfiips from Tunis. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Short History of Tunis and its Sovereigns — Progress of Civilisa- 
 tion — Abolition of Slavery — Relations with England — Death 
 of Mobammed-es-Sadok and Accession of Ali Bey, the 
 Reigning Sovereign. 
 
 It seems certain that the city of Tunis was 
 founded by the Phoenicians prior to that of its 
 neighbour Carthage, from which it is distant about 
 ten miles. In the fifth century B.C. it had to sub- 
 mit, with the rest of the Phoenician towns in the 
 north of Africa, to the hegemony of Carthage. 
 
 It was probably in the neighbourhood of Tunis 
 that Regulus the Roman general was defeated and 
 captured by the Carthaginian forces under Xan- 
 tippus the Lacedaemonian. But it did not become 
 a flourishing town until after the destruction of 
 Carthage in 146 B.C. by Scipio ^milianus, when 
 the province of Africa was constituted. 
 
 In the year B.C. 29, Augustus carried out the 
 
TO Chips from Tunis: 
 
 design, originally conceived by Julius Caesar, of 
 rebuilding Carthage, which speedily regained some- 
 thing of its ancient importance. It remained a 
 flourishing town till about 430, when it fell into 
 the hands of the Vandals. 
 
 While the Romans thus sought to establish 
 their conquests in Africa, the vanquished tribes 
 strove to throw off the foreign yoke ; but, though 
 headed by brave chieftains, they were finally forced 
 to succumb to superior force, and about the year 
 25 A.D. the Roman power was firmly seated, and 
 extended from the Nile to the ocean. 
 
 The Roman nobility now emigrated in numbers 
 to Carthage and its environs, and built villas and 
 spacious palaces, vestiges of which are still to be 
 seen at Marsa, the residence of the present Bey 
 of Tunis. A period of comparative tranquillity 
 followed, though often troubled by internal dis- 
 sensions, until, in 310 A.D., Maxentius assumed the 
 imperial power in Rome, and visited his dominions 
 in Africa. Here he rendered himself odious by 
 his cruelty and oppression to the people of the 
 country, who, after many bloody conflicts headed 
 by Firmus, a brave Numidian general, finally threw 
 off the power of Rome in 375. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. ii 
 
 The Vandals now made a raid upon the coast 
 of Africa. This people had already distinguished 
 themselves by their devastations in France and 
 Spain. The province of Vandalusia (now Anda- 
 lusia), in the latter kingdom, had been abandoned 
 to them, and in 429 they crossed into Africa, under 
 the command of Genseric, who made himself master 
 of Byzacium^ Goetulia, and part of Numidia. He 
 then laid siege to Hippo, the metropolis of the 
 Numidian kings, and it was during this siege that 
 St, Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, died. He 
 was a native of Tagastum, a town in Numidia. 
 
 Christianity had already penetrated into Africa, 
 even before Constantine had, in 313, made it the 
 state religion of Rome, and Cyprian, the Bishop 
 of Carthage, had already fallen a martyr to his 
 faith, after having suffered much from the Decian 
 persecution. It was about this time that the 
 Arian heresy spread widely, being propagated by 
 the Vandals. But, in 533, Belisarius, the general 
 of Justinian, appeared before Carthage and en- 
 tirely conquered them. From this time they 
 entirely disappear from Africa as a powerful 
 people. 
 
 This country of Moors and Numidians had, as we 
 
12 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 have seen, by turns been oppressed by the Greeks, 
 Romans, and Vandals. It was now destined to be 
 conquered and inhabited by the Arabs or Saracens. 
 The natives had suffered so much that they hailed 
 their arrival as defenders and not as enemies of 
 their independence, for there were many character- 
 istic points of resemblance between the two races. 
 They were both warlike, enterprising, and adven- 
 turous, and they were probably of kindred origin. 
 
 The Arabs, headed by able chieftains, made 
 many conquests, and occupied successively, Cyren- 
 aica, Bizerta, and founded Kairwan, the Holy 
 city of the Moslems of the west. As they 
 advanced, they disseminated the religion of 
 Mahomet along their course. Towards 670 Kair- 
 wan became the capital of a principality subjected 
 to the caliphs of the East, under whose name these 
 conquests had been rnade. It was called the Holy 
 City, from the tomb of the friend and companion 
 of Mahomet (some say he was his barber) having 
 been placed here, where a splendid mosque was 
 erected to his memory. 
 
 The Arabs, after having taken possession of 
 Tunis, laid siege to Carthage, and utterly de- 
 stroyed it (a. D. 693), the fugitive inhabitants 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 13 
 
 taking refuge in Sicily and Spain. The ruins of 
 this town served to embeUish Tunis, its ancient 
 rival, where many of the houses were adorned with 
 its beautiful marble columns and other remains. 
 
 The caliphs now appointed governors at Tunis, 
 who, however, soon shook off their power, and 
 made themselves independent, barely recognising 
 the fact that the caliph at Bagdad was the 
 sovereign of Islamism. The famous Caliph Haroun 
 Al Raschid ascended the throne of Persia in 786, 
 and determined to re-instate his power in Africa. 
 He had already sought the alliance of Charlemagne 
 by despatching ambassadors with rich presents. 
 He accordingly sent Ibrahim-ben-Aghlab, a young 
 man of great ability, to Tunis as governor, and 
 thought to secure a clever and devoted subject, 
 incapable of following the bad example of his 
 predecessors. But in this hope he was deceived. 
 Aghlab soon broke into open rebellion, seized 
 upon Kairwan, and was the founder of the first of 
 those powerful semi-religious dynasties, called the 
 Aghlabites, followed in succession by the Fatimites, 
 Almohades, Almoravides, etc., which were destined 
 to wield such unlimited power over the followers 
 of Islam. 
 
14 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 Aghlab was succeeded by his son Zyadet Allah, 
 whose reign was distinguished by the conquest of 
 Sicily. Tunis now by turns fell into the hands of 
 victorious chieftains from Cordova and Morocco 
 till 1 1 20, when the Almohades, who were of Moor- 
 ish origin, succeeded in repelling the Almoravides, 
 after gaining a signal victory. The Almoravides, 
 who originally came from Yemen, had under their 
 chieftain Yousouf-ben-Taschfyn, greatly extended 
 their conquests until the Almohades drove them 
 out of the country. They then took refuge in the 
 island of Majorca, which formed part of the caliph- 
 ate of Cordova. 
 
 The country now enjoyed peace for a hundred 
 years, and during this time the arts and sciences 
 and commerce began to flourish. Treaties were 
 concluded with Italy, and commercial relations 
 established with various countries, the exports of 
 Tunis consisting of corn, oil, coral, gold powder, 
 carpets from Morocco, and precious stuffs. 
 
 The Christians were allowed to settle themselves 
 in the country, to build places of worship, and to 
 possess land, while Mohammedan missionaries were 
 sent into the interior of the country to convert the 
 negroes. They made them abolish human sacri- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 15 
 
 fices, as well as other horrible customs. It was 
 about this time, in 1236, that the Moors were 
 driven out of Spain by Ferdinand of Castile, and 
 lost a great part of their African possessions, the 
 Almohades having been superseded at Tunis by the 
 Beni Hafs, the last native dynasty. But the Moorish 
 power, though much weakened, still existed in 
 Spain till 1492, when their last king of Granada 
 Boabdil, was entirely defeated by Gonsalvo de 
 Cordova, the general of Ferdinand the Catholic. 
 He was forced to fly, and with the illustrious tribe 
 of the Abencerrages took refuge in Tunis, where to 
 the present day their descendants are proud of 
 their noble birth, and retain the remembrance of 
 their ancestors' famous exploits. This is corro- 
 borated by the following touching circumstance. 
 When the Abencerrages were expelled from Spain, 
 each householder carried the key of his house with 
 him, and religiously handed it down to his posterity, 
 who treasured it as a sacred relic. It is even said 
 that some are so sanguine as to cherish a hope of 
 one day returning to their ancient possessions. 
 
 In 1270 the throne of Tunis was occupied by 
 Mohammed Mostanser. Mohammed, whose sur- 
 name Mostanser signifies "he who implores God's 
 
1 6 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 help," had reigned eighteen years, when St. Louis of 
 France appeared before Goletta at the head of a 
 large army. This prince had already experienced 
 great reverses in his first crusade, and, as is well 
 known, had been made prisoner in Egypt after the 
 battle of Mansourah, only obtaining freedom by the 
 payment of a large ransom. But these reverses did 
 not deter him from fitting out a second expedition 
 on his return to France, and his brother Charles, 
 King of Naples and Sicily, who had his own 
 private cause for complaint against the king of 
 Tunis, for the non-payment of his annual tribute 
 to Sicily, easily persuaded St. Louis to invade 
 Tunis, as being the gate of Egypt, and the best 
 starting-point for gaining possession of the Holy 
 Land. 
 
 These were the causes which led to the second 
 crusade of St. Louis, which was destined to end 
 still more fatally than the first. The king, who 
 was accompanied by his three sons and the King 
 of Navarre, effected the landing of his army with- 
 out much difficulty. He made himself master of 
 the fortress, or Kasba ; but the infidels entrenched 
 themselves so strongly in the town, that it was 
 impossible to dislodge them, and they, in their 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. ly 
 
 turn, harassed the invaders, avoiding what might 
 lead to a decisive battle. The reinforcements 
 which Charles had promised did not arrive ; the 
 zeal of the soldiers began to cool, owing to the 
 fatigue and privation which they endured, added 
 to the excessive heat ; and at last the plague 
 broke out, and decimated the army. St. Louis 
 was himself attacked by it ; and in the year 1270 
 the last crusading monarch died at Porto Farina, 
 at the age of fifty-five. 
 
 The throne of Tunis was occupied by princes 
 who reigned in quick succession, but the dynasty 
 of the Beni-Hafs still maintained their power, 
 though often attacked and experiencing many 
 reverses. The history of Tunis at this period is 
 but a dry, uninteresting series of warlike and poli- 
 tical intrigues, accompanied by frequent crimes, 
 which led to speedy and short-lived usurpations of 
 the throne. 
 
 The kingdom of Tunis now comprised B6ne, 
 Bougie, and Tripoli, with other smaller towns. The 
 Moors had distinguished themselves by their in- 
 dustry and intelligence ; the commercial treaties 
 were strictly observed ; and gradually the fruits of 
 civilisation began to show themselves. 
 
i8 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 In 1553, Moulay Hassem ascended the throne, 
 and his first act was to cause his brother to be 
 strangled. The younger one, Reschijd, escaped, 
 and took refuge in Algiers, where he put himself 
 under the protection of the sovereign, who was no 
 other than the famous corsair, Khayr-ed-Dyn 
 Barbarossa. He and his brother Aroudi had made 
 themselves the terror of all navigators in the 
 Mediterranean by their daring exploits and shame- 
 less depredations. Khayr-ed-Dyn had prevailed 
 on the King of Tunis to give him the island of 
 Djerba as his residence; but not satisfied with this 
 concession, he had hailed with joy an appeal of 
 the Algerians to come to their assistance against 
 the Spaniards, who had made a descent on the 
 town, and seized on Oran. After making himself 
 master of the situation, he had paid homage to 
 Selim, the Sultan of Constantinople, who had ac- 
 cepted his vassalage, and given him a garrison of 
 janissaries, and finally conferred on him the dignity 
 of Pacha, and Generalissimo of the Ottoman fleet. 
 
 Khayr-ed-Dyn received the fugitive prince Res- 
 chijd kindly, and took him to Constantinople, where 
 it was agreed by the Sultan that his wrongs should 
 be made the pretext of a descent upon Tunis ; and 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 19 
 
 accordingly a powerful fleet was sent under the 
 command of Khayr-ed-Dyn, who on his arrival at 
 Tunis called upon the inhabitants to open their 
 gates and receive their rightful prince. The Tunis- 
 ians, believing that Reschijd was on board one of 
 the ships, and hating their present king, Moulay 
 Hassem, hastened to accede to his demands, and 
 compelled Moulay to fly. Then Khayr-ed-Dyn in- 
 formed them that from henceforth they were the 
 subjects of the Sultan ; and, however indignant 
 they were at his ruse, they were compelled by 
 superior force to submit. The unfortunate Reschijd 
 was thrown into prison at Algiers, and there ended 
 his days. 
 
 Moulay Hassem then had recourse to Charles V., 
 who had viewed with displeasure the dominion of 
 the Porte in Tunis, and he, in conjunction with the 
 Pope, the King of Portugal, and the Knights of 
 Malta, prepared for an attack upon Tunis. Khayr- 
 ed-Dyn, in his turn, called upon the Sultan to send 
 forces to support him ; but Selim being engaged 
 in other wars, replied that he must defend himself 
 as best he could, which, accordingly, he prepared 
 to do. Charles V. took the command in person, 
 left Barcelona at the head of immense forces, 
 B 2 
 
20 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 arrived at Carthage, and landed at the same place 
 where nearly three centuries before St. Louis had 
 formed his camp. Goletta and Tunis fell into his 
 hands after an obstinate resistance, and Barbarossa 
 was compelled to take flight. The emperor then 
 set free about 20,000 Christian slaves, composed 
 of Genoese, Venetians, and Catalans, who had 
 been captured at different times by Khayr-ed- 
 Dyn, and who had been employed in making a 
 canal at Goletta. Moulay Hassem was re-esta- 
 blished on his throne, and agreed to recognise the 
 dominion of Spain. The emperor then instituted 
 the famous Cross of Burgundy in commemoration 
 of his victories, and returned to Spain, leaving a 
 garrison at Goletta, commanded by Bernard Men- 
 doza. 
 
 Tunis, however, did not remain long under the 
 Spanish yoke, for in 1573, after many bloody 
 battles had been fought, Sinan Pacha seized on it 
 in the name of the Sultan. The Spaniards made a 
 brave resistance, but were finaUy overpowered by 
 numbersj the Turks massacring all who had taken 
 refuge in the fort at Goletta, with the exception of 
 the governor and Mohammed-el-Hassy, the last 
 scion of the family of Beni-Hafs. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 21 
 
 The dominion of the Turks now opened a 
 new era for Tunis. A pacha was appointed, who 
 governed in concert with the Dey, or chief of the 
 janissaries, though the pre-eminence of the Porte 
 was at first fully recognised. But the janissaries, 
 whose influence quickly increased, developed into 
 a formidable military power, and became the real 
 masters of the country. They could appoint the 
 Dey, and depose him at their will, of which privi- 
 lege they fully availed themselves, for in a very 
 short space of time twenty-three deys reigned at 
 Tunis, all of whom were dethroned, and most of 
 whom perished by a violent death. 
 
 This state of things lasted about half a century, 
 till the power was usurped by two brothers, AH 
 and Mohammed, who, by their activity and intelli- 
 gence, had succeeded in gaining the confidence, not 
 only of the Tunisians, but also of the whole sur- 
 rounding country. They threw off the military 
 despotism of the janissaries, and Ali, the eldest, 
 took the title of Bey, and established hereditary 
 succession without election. His brother Moham- 
 med succeeded him, but in the latter part of his 
 reign Tunis was besieged and taken by the Dey of 
 Algiers. Mohammed then sought the assistance of 
 
2 2 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 the Arabs in the country, and forced the Dey to 
 take flight (1695). 
 
 These Beys did not cast off all allegiance to the 
 Porte, and the Sultan conferred on them the title 
 of " Pacha with the Three Tails," a dignity which 
 consisted of the right to have three horses' tails 
 borne before them on occasions of ceremony. 
 They also sent annually magnificent presents to 
 the Sultan. 
 
 It was during Mohammed's reign, in 1685, that 
 the first serious treaty with France was concluded, 
 to protect the rights and privileges of those French- 
 men who had settled in Tunis ; and old documents 
 which are in the registers of the British Consulate 
 show that about this time a treaty was also con- 
 cluded with England, on account of the ill-treatment 
 which the consuls of the respective nations had 
 experienced at the hands of a pretender to the 
 throne, also named Mohammed, who had tempora- 
 rily usurped the supreme power. There is also a 
 letter from James II., dated from Windsor in 1686, 
 empowering Mr. Goodwyn to act as British agent 
 and Consul-general, and confirming the treaty 
 already made between Charles II. and the Bey. 
 The Europeans were, however, exposed to many 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 23 
 
 dangers and difficulties during this turbulent period 
 of piracy and constant usurpations. 
 
 In 1705 Hassan-ben- Ali ascended the throne, 
 and founded the present dynasty. His origin was 
 obscure, being the son of a Corsican slave, and he 
 owed his elevation to his popularity with the army. 
 For many years he had no children, and at last 
 determined on appointing his nephew Ali Bey as 
 his successor, who was already at the head of his 
 army ; but the advent of a son and heir, followed in 
 due time by two other sons, naturally changed this 
 arrangement, and the child received the name of 
 Mohammed Bey and was recognised as the future 
 sovereign by the Ottoman Porte. The Bey endea- 
 voured to compensate his nephew by conferring on 
 him certain dignities and privileges, but in vain, 
 for he rebelled against him, obtained the help of 
 the Dey of Algiers, who was always ready to foster 
 dissensions in the reigning family at Tunis, and 
 marched against Hassan-ben- Ali. A great battle 
 was fought, in which Ben Ali was defeated. He 
 took refuge at Kairwan, and then at Susa, a port 
 on the eastern coast, but, on endeavouring to escape 
 to Algiers, was discovered by Youmas-Bey, a son 
 of Ali Pacha, who killed him with his own hands. 
 
24 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 The new Dey of Algiers espoused the interests of 
 the unfortunate Hassan-ben-Ali's sons, and AH 
 Bey ascended the throne in 1759. Under none of 
 his predecessors had there been such peace and 
 tranquillity as during the first eleven years of his 
 reign, for he governed the kingdom with wisdom 
 and intelligence. At this time the population 
 amounted to 150,000, of whom 30,000 were Jews, 
 who developed and absorbed the commerce of the 
 country under the beneficent protection of the 
 Bey. 
 
 Tunis was now menaced by Louis XV., the 
 cause of the invasion being as follows : — 
 
 The island of Corsica, which was in the pos- 
 session of the Genoese, revolted against them, and, 
 after a long struggle, the Duke of Genoa, finding 
 he could not conquer these determined islanders, 
 implored the help of France. The French King, 
 fearing that the Corsicans would seek the help of 
 England, and that this important island would 
 fall into her hands as Majorca and Gibraltar had 
 already done, agreed to help them, on the condition 
 that the Duke of Genoa should cede his rights 
 over the island to him. At this time Tunis was at 
 war with Corsica, and the Bey still continued to 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 25 
 
 carry on hostilities, ignoring the representations of 
 the French ambassador. He also refused to liberate 
 the Corsican slaves captured before the French 
 possession, upon which the French fleet, aided by 
 the Knights of St. John, appeared before Goletta, 
 and bombarded the fort and the towns of Bizerta, 
 Susa, and Monastir, on the coast. 
 
 At this juncture the Sultan sent a deputation 
 from Constantinople to mediate between the hostile 
 parties ; and having succeeded in establishing peace, 
 the fleet returned to France. Soon afterwards, the 
 Bey sent ambassadors to Versailles, who were re- 
 ceived with great honour ; and from that time the 
 two countries were on friendly terms. Ali Bey was 
 a remarkable man in many ways, and the French 
 expedition to Tunis had brought out certain traits 
 of character which deserve to be recorded as show- 
 ing his high sense of honour and generous senti- 
 ments. During the siege the French consul went 
 on board one of the ships of war, and hostilities 
 having commenced by the sinking of a small Tuni- 
 sian ship, the French merchants living in the place 
 requested permission to leave the town. This was 
 immediately granted, and the Bey gave orders that 
 the French commercial interests should be strictly 
 
26 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 respected until the restoration of peace and the 
 return of the French consul. 
 
 Ali Bey, having reigned twenty years, died in 
 1782, and was succeeded by his son Hamouda. 
 This prince from his childhood had been noted for 
 his precocious intelligence, which developed as he 
 grew older, and rendered him exceedingly popular 
 with his subjects. His reign of thirty-two years 
 was celebrated for the justice and wisdom of his 
 rule, and also for his courtesy to the strangers 
 settled at Tunis, whose interests he warmly pro- 
 tected. 
 
 At this time great complaints were raised by 
 most of the European powers against the Tunisian 
 corsairs, who attacked all the merchant vessels, 
 plundered them, and carried off the crews and 
 passengers as slaves, and this notwithstanding the 
 annual tributes which had been paid to the Bey for 
 immunity from these pirates. It was resolved to 
 take immediate measures for suppressing this 
 system of levying blackmail, and after many 
 negotiations Hamouda consented to conciliatory 
 arrangements, but prudently opened up the en- 
 trance of the Porto Farina lake as a harbour of 
 refuge for his fleet of corsairs. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 27 
 
 The despotic power of the Beys at this time was 
 boundless, and Hamouda being deprived by death 
 of the valuable services of his minister and brother- 
 in-law, Mustapha Khodjah, resolved to take the 
 administration of affairs, and especially of justice, 
 into his own hands. It is recorded that a Ragusan 
 captain, having been found in a Jew's house in the 
 company of a Moorish woman, was denounced to 
 the Bey, who ordered all the three individuals to be 
 brought before him, and being satisfied of the 
 justice of the accusation, condemned the Ragusan 
 to be beheaded, the woman to be drowned in the 
 Lake of Tunis, and the Jew to be burnt alive in the 
 city, which sentence was immediately carried into 
 execution. 
 
 The latter part of Hamouda^s reign was dis- 
 turbed by an insurrection among the Turks at 
 Tunis, whose power he had long sought to weaken 
 and restrain. A conspiracy was formed to massacre 
 Hamouda and all his adherents, but was discovered 
 in time to save their lives. The Turks, however, 
 after pillaging the shops in the town and setting 
 fire to them, took possession of the Kasba, which 
 was guarded by a Turkish garrison, and strongly 
 entrenched themselves there, elected a new Bey, 
 
28 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 and opened a brisk cannonade on the town. The 
 affrighted population took arms, the Bey collected 
 all his soldiers on whom he could trust, and the 
 French consul, M. Devoize, offered the services of a 
 company of French artillery which had just arrived 
 from Malta, having been made prisoners by the 
 English, who sent them to the French consul. 
 This offer was accepted, and such a well-directed 
 fire was opened on the Kasba, that the Turks were 
 compelled to abandon the fortress and take flight. 
 The Bey gave orders not to pursue them, knowing 
 they would fall into the hands of the Arabs posted 
 in the environs. This was what in fact happened, 
 and the Bey rewarded the Bedouins by abandoning 
 the spoils to them, which were considerable, being 
 the money, jewels, and precious stuffs pillaged 
 from the shops in the town. Thus ended this 
 formidable insurrection, which annihilated the 
 power of the janissaries in Tunis. 
 
 Hamouda^s reign was of much longer duration 
 than those of his predecessors, and he died a natural 
 death, whereas most of the other Beys had perished 
 by the hands of assassins. He was succeeded by 
 his brother Othman in 1814, who was no exception 
 to the general rule, and was murdered with his 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 29 
 
 children three months after his accession, his cousin 
 Mahmoud replacing him. It was during this reign 
 that the European powers, seeing that half measures 
 were of no avail, determined to act energetically in 
 concert, and no longer submit to the system of 
 bribery offered to the Bey, under the name of 
 tribute, for protecting their subjects from the Bar- 
 bary corsairs, who, emboldened by success, laid 
 hands on persons of all nations, and sold them as 
 slaves. 
 
 One of the islands on the coast of Sardinia had 
 been lately attacked by them, and all the inhabi- 
 tants carried off, without regard to age or sex. 
 Admiral Fremantle had already appeared before 
 Goletta with the Mediterranean fleet, and had ob- 
 tained the liberation of some five hundred Christian 
 slaves. The French had, through their consul, 
 M. Devoize^s energy, set at liberty the Italian 
 slaves by the payment of a small ransom ; the 
 Austrians, backed by the Sultan, had made terms 
 for themselves ; and, later on, the Dutch sent their 
 fleet, under Admiral Jurien, to enforce their de- 
 mands for a cessation of piracy. But on hearing of 
 this last outrage on Sardinia, the English Govern- 
 ment dispatched Lord Exmouthin 18 16 to demand 
 
30 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 the final abolition of Christian slavery. And here 
 I cannot do better than to copy an extract from 
 Mr. Broadley^s excellent work on Tunis, entitled 
 " The Last Punic War " :— 
 
 " It happened that at this very time Caroline 
 Princess of Wales was enjoying the splendid 
 hospitality of Mahmoud Bey in his City Palace. 
 Neither party seemed inclined to yield, and matters 
 assumed a very threatening aspect. The media- 
 tion of the royal guest was invoked in vain. Lord 
 Exmouth was inexorable. The princess sent the 
 greater part of her baggage to Goletta, the British 
 merchants hastened to embark on board the vessels 
 of the squadron, the men-of-war were prepared for 
 action, and the Bey did his best to collect all avail- 
 able reinforcements.^' 
 
 The excitement in Tunis became intense, and a 
 pacific solution was considered almost impossible. 
 On the 1 6th of April Lord Exmouth, accompanied 
 by Mr. Consul-General Oglander and his staff, 
 proceeded to the Bardo Palace. The flagstaff of 
 the British Agency was previously lowered to 
 indicate a resolution to resort to an appeal to 
 arms in case of failure, and the Princess of Wales 
 expected every hour to be arrested as a hostage. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 31 
 
 The antecedents of the Bey were not precisely- 
 calculated to assuage her alarm, but Mahmoud 
 sent one of his officers to assure her that, come 
 what may, he should never dream of violating the 
 Moslem laws of hospitality. 
 
 While the messenger was still with her, Lord 
 Exmouth entered the room, and announced the 
 satisfactory termination of his mission. On the 
 following morning the Bey signed a treaty whereby, 
 in the name of the Regency, he abolished Christian 
 slavery for ever throughout his dominions. Amongst 
 the reasons which induced the Bey to yield to the 
 pressure used by Lord Exmouth was the detention 
 of the Sultan's envoy, bearing the imperial firman 
 and robe of investiture, at Syracuse. The Neapolitan 
 Government would not allow him to depart until 
 the news of the successful result of the British 
 mission had arrived, and Mahmoud felt it impossible 
 to forego the official recognition of his suzerain. 
 
 The visit of the wife of George IV. to Tunis is 
 hardly yet quite forgotten. The Bey gave her a 
 guard of honour composed of sixty mamelukes, and 
 during her stay a coach and six was always kept in 
 readiness for her use. The most prominent mem- 
 ber of her suite was Count Bergami de Brescia 
 
3« Chips from Tunis: 
 
 who suggested a variety of amusements which 
 comprised a fete champetre amongst the orange 
 groves of the Manouba, and picnics on horseback 
 to the ruins of Carthage, Utica, and Zaghouan. 
 The Princess was extremely displeased at Lord 
 Exmouth^s inopportune arrival, and was not even 
 consoled by the salute of loi guns fired on her 
 departure for Greece, the day after the signature 
 of the treaty. 
 
 Mahmoud was succeeded by his son Hussein 
 Bey whom he had already associated with him in 
 the power. This prince followed the example of 
 his father, encouraged the visits of Europeans to 
 Tunis, and afforded every facility to the scientific 
 men who came to explore the ruins of Carthage. 
 He also re-organised his army, and sent for 
 European officers to instruct his soldiers. A 
 Tunisian ambassador was sent to the court of 
 Charles X. of France, and assisted at the coronation 
 of that monarch, being received with great dis- 
 tinction. 
 
 The war between France and Algiers now broke 
 out, the cause for discontent being the delay in cer- 
 tain monetary transactions between the two powers. 
 The Dey, forgetting his usual circumspection, ques- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life, 33 
 
 tioned the French Consul too closely in the presence 
 of his court. Monsieur Deval replied haughtily 
 that the King of France could not correspond with 
 a chieftain of pirates without compromising his 
 dignity. The Dey, furious at this insult, struck 
 Monsieur Deval a blow with his peacock fan and 
 poured out a torrent of abuse against the French 
 king, and Christians in general. M. Deval left 
 Algiers and carried his complaint to the French 
 government. War was decided upon, and a power- 
 ful fleet set sail from Toulon under the command of 
 Admiral Duperre, who soon succeeded in conquer- 
 ing the country, and an end was for ever put to the 
 shameful tributes which until then, in spite of Lord 
 Exmouth's convention in 18 16, the different Euro- 
 pean powers had paid to a handful of pirates. 
 England, France, the United States, Holland, Han- 
 over, Sweden and Denmark, Spain and Portugal, 
 and other smaller states had all paid tribute in 
 money or other ways. 
 
 The Bey of Tunis had maintained a strict neu- 
 trality in the war between France and Algiers, and 
 now in 1830 a new Franco-Tunisian treaty was 
 concluded, and the Bey presented Louis Philippe 
 with some rising ground which dominated the ruins 
 
34 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 of Carthage, for the purpose of erecting a chapel 
 to the memory of St. Louis. 
 
 Hussein Bey died in ,1835, leaving his brother 
 Mustapha to succeed him, who only lived two years. 
 Sidi Ahmed, his son, then ascended the throne, and 
 the events of his reign may be expressed by two 
 words. Progress and Civilisation. 
 
 On the representations of the different consuls, 
 he declared that all children born of slave parents 
 should be free, and soon afterwards he abolished 
 the slavery of men of colour, emancipating those of 
 his own household, which generous example was 
 universally followed by his subjects. In 1842 the 
 slave-market was closed at Tunis, and severe penal- 
 ties were issued against all those who should trans- 
 gress the law. 
 
 But here, perhaps, it will be well to give a short 
 account of the treatment of slaves at Tunis. 
 
 In the early ages the Christians were exposed 
 to frightful tortures, but as civilisation progressed it 
 began to be understood that it was wiser to get 
 money by their labour or their ransom. The cele- 
 brated St. Vincent de Paul, who, as is well known, 
 was carried off by corsairs in 1604, during his pas- 
 sage to Narbonne, gives a graphic account of this 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 35 
 
 event. During the attack he received a shot from 
 an arrow, which served as an internal clock during 
 the rest of his life. When he arrived at Tunis his 
 captor led him about the streets with a chain round 
 his neck to be sold, like an animal at a fair, to the 
 highest bidder. He was forced to open his mouth 
 and show the state of his teeth, and to trot and run 
 like a horse to show his paces, and at last was sold 
 to a fisherman who, finding him a bad sailor, parted 
 with him to an old alchemist, who had been trying 
 for the last fifty years to discover the philosopher's 
 stone. Here he was kindly treated, but his em- 
 ployer dying, he again changed masters, and be- 
 came the property of a renegade from Nice, whose 
 wife, being a Christian, protected him, till ultimately 
 he made his escape to France. 
 
 Some time afterwards, he dispatched a monk of 
 the name of Guerin under the protection of the 
 French Consul, to administer the consolations of 
 religion to his suffering brothers in captivity. This 
 priest gained the admiration of the Tunisians, by 
 his noble and self-sacrificing labours during the 
 plague which was then devastating the country, 
 and to which he fell a victim. St. Vincent de Paul 
 
 himself ransomed 12,000 slaves for an immense sum. 
 c 2 
 
36 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 Of later years each nation had its separate 
 dwelling-house where the corsairs brought their 
 captives. Here they were fed and lodged, and 
 made to work at their own trades, while others 
 were obliged to work as servants. A fixed sum 
 was daily remitted to their masters from the 
 proceeds of their work, and the remainder they 
 were allowed to keep. 
 
 In 1846 the Bey visited France, and was every- 
 where received with great honour. He inspected 
 most of the public buildings in Paris, and was 
 much gratified by his reception. The Due de 
 Montpensier had visited Tunis the year before, 
 and Louis Philippe had sent the Grand Cordon of 
 the Legion of Honour to the Bey. Sidi Ahmed 
 had intended visiting England, but some difficulty 
 arose about his being received as an independent 
 sovereign, for in fact the regency had always been 
 a fief of the Ottoman Porte, and the project was 
 abandoned. But the next year presents were sent 
 by the English Government of Axminster carpets, 
 and other things, and the Bey often had recourse 
 to the advice of Sir Thomas Reade, the able and 
 intelligent British Consul-General at Tunis, for he 
 knew that France had cast a longing eye on the 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 37 
 
 regency, and that England mamtained his equili- 
 brium between that country and the Porte. In- 
 deed, he had written to Lord Palmerston the 
 following words : " Only one thing can be worse 
 for Tunis than its extinction by the Porte, and 
 that is, its absorption by France." 
 
 The Bey after a visit of six weeks returned to 
 Tunis, and during his voyage, having been in- 
 formed that some danger existed for navigators 
 in the vicinity of Cape Blanc, immediately gave 
 directions for the building of a lighthouse, thus 
 terminating his pilgrimage to the centre of civilisa- 
 tion by an act of philanthropic benevolence. He 
 was received by his subjects with the greatest 
 enthusiasm. 
 
 In the summer of 1849 Sir Thomas Reade 
 died, and by desire of the Bey his remains were 
 honoured by a splendid funeral. Sidi Ahmed him- 
 self died in 1855, and was the last of the Beys 
 who exercised even a shadow of that despotic 
 power for which they had been so long celebrated. 
 
 His cousin Mohammed began his reign by 
 instituting many useful reforms. He endowed the 
 regency with a new constitution, embodying first 
 religious equality, thus protecting his Israelitish 
 
38 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 subjects ; secondly, a common law of taxation for 
 all classes ; thirdly, permission to foreigners to 
 possess land and exercise trades. The constitution 
 contained many other liberal provisions, which it 
 would be too long to enumerate. 
 
 Before granting this constitution it must be 
 acknowledged that a strong pressure had been 
 put upon the Bey by the consuls of the different 
 European powers. Mr. Wood, who was then English 
 Consul, and Monsieur Roches, the French Consul, 
 had gone to the Bey to lodge an energetic com- 
 plaint of the treatment of a Jew, who had been 
 condemned to death by the Cadi for having 
 execrated the Bey and his government, in con- 
 sequence of his ill treatment by Moslems. A 
 quantity of molten lead had been poured down the 
 unfortunate man's throat, and his head had been 
 cut off and tossed about the streets. A general 
 panic ensued ; several ships of war arrived at 
 Goletta, in answer to the appeals made to the 
 European powers, and Mr. Wood and Monsieur 
 Roches made such forcible representations to the 
 Bey as led to the formation of the constitution. 
 
 In 1857 the Emperor Napoleon III. conferred 
 the Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour on the 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 39 
 
 Bey as a recognition of these concessions, and the 
 English Government sent a present of cotton seed, 
 with instructions as to its culture. This was fol- 
 lowed by a visit from Prince Alfred, the Duke of 
 Edinburgh, whose arrival gave unbounded satis- 
 faction to Sidi Mohammed. This reign was also 
 remarkable for the restoration of the aqueduct 
 of Carthage, which conducts the famed waters of 
 Zaghouan to Tunis. 
 
 In 1859 the Bey died, and was succeeded by 
 his brother, Mohammed-es-Sadok, who confirmed 
 the new constitution, and took solemn oaths to 
 respect it in the presence of his ministers and 
 the foreign representatives. His first action was 
 to send his minister, General Khayr-ed-Dyn, to 
 Constantinople to solicit the usual firman or patent 
 of investiture from the Sultan. He was received 
 with signal distinction, being lodged in a royal 
 palace with a guard of honour, and carriages were 
 appointed for his service. Finally the general 
 returned to Tunis, bearer of an autograph letter 
 from the Sultan to his highness, and decorations 
 of rare value. Ali Bey, the secretary of the Sultan, 
 arrived shortly afterwards, and the investiture was 
 publicly performed. The Bey had announced his 
 
40 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 accession to Queen Victoria ; but though Lord 
 John Russell had written a most cordial answer, 
 his highness was disappointed at not receiving an 
 autograph letter from Her Majesty. 
 
 In i860, the Emperor Napoleon and the Em- 
 press Eugenie went to Algiers, and Mohammed-es- 
 Sadok arrived the same day to welcome them. A 
 grand fantasia then took place, under the direction 
 of General Yousouf. About 10,000 horsemen gal- 
 loped wildly before the imperial tent, discharging 
 their arms, and a charge of twelve squadrons of 
 Spahis traversed the plain like a whirlwind. Then 
 followed races with gazelles and ostriches. The 
 Algerian chiefs tendered their homage to the 
 Emperor, and offered a horse splendidly capari- 
 soned in gold for his acceptance. The Bey was 
 proud to present the Emperor with a manuscript, 
 entitled — " The Code of Laws of the Constitution 
 of the Regency of Tunis." Splendid presents 
 were exchanged, and the Bey returned to Tunis 
 exceedingly pleased with the results of his visit ; 
 and soon after he sent for the British ambassador 
 to his palace at the Bardo, and, after relating to 
 him what had taken place, remarked that it was 
 necessary to conciliate such a powerful neighbour 
 
A GLiMPiiE OF Arab Life. 41 
 
 as the Emperor of the French. He also sent a 
 copy of the Code to the Queen, saying, " that at 
 her wish his cousin Ahmed had aboHshed slavery, 
 and that at England's suggestion he now granted 
 liberty and freedom to his subjects." 
 
 The Council Chambers and Law Courts were 
 now formally opened, without any of the opposition 
 which had been anticipated from the Moslems to 
 this sudden transition from an old to a new 
 government. Mohammed then went in state to 
 the Bardo, and in the throne-room renewed the 
 oath of adherence to the new constitution before 
 the principal chiefs of the Regency and the repre- 
 sentatives of the foreign powers. In the evening 
 the famous Court and Staircase of Lions were 
 splendidly illuminated. 
 
 In 1862, the Prince of Wales and the Crown 
 Prince and Princess of Prussia visited Tunis, and 
 " assurances were given to the Bey that as long as 
 he carried out his present policy he might reckon 
 on the support of England." 
 
 In this year Mohammed-es-Sadok contracted 
 his first loan with Messrs. Oppenheim and Er- 
 langer, and from that time the financial embar- 
 rassments of the regency grew and multiplied. 
 
42 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 The expenses of the seraglio were enormous, and 
 the Bey was surrounded by favourites, who entered 
 his service without a sou, and in a short time made 
 scandalous fortunes. The first loan was followed 
 by others, the taxes were doubled, and the op- 
 pressed Arabs revolted on all sides. Many of the 
 towns in the regency were attacked and pillaged, 
 and the whole country was in a state of trouble 
 and revolt. The Kroumirs, a hardy tribe of moun- 
 taineers, had rebelled against the obnoxious taxes, 
 and Adil, the brother of the Bey, was sent against 
 them, who, after some time, succeeded in restoring 
 order. Several British, French, and Italian ships 
 had appeared at Goletta, in consequence of the 
 representations of the consuls that life and pro- 
 perty were not in safety at Tunis, and joint action 
 was determined upon. The Bey was advised to 
 repeal the obnoxious taxes ; and the dismissal of 
 his Prime Minister, Mustapha, who, it was asserted, 
 had amassed great riches by unfair means, was 
 insisted upon. The French Emperor pointed out 
 to the Bey that the Arabs did not approve of the 
 changes he had made, and preferred the summary 
 justice to which they had always been accustomed. 
 In fact, Tunis now presented the rare spectacle of 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 43 
 
 a government more liberal than the people, who 
 clung to their ancient prejudices and traditions, 
 while their sovereign desired to place his country 
 on a level with the most civilised nations of 
 Europe. 
 
 In the spring of 1865 Prince Arthur, the Duke 
 of Connaught, visited Tunis, and was most hos- 
 pitably entertained, and in the following July the 
 Bey received the insignia of the Order of the Bath 
 from the hands of Lord Yelverton. But all these 
 foreign decorations contributed nothing to the 
 prosperity of the country. The finances were in 
 a hopeless state of confusion ; the sources from 
 which the Bey derived his revenues had dwindled 
 into an insignificant sum, for owing to the scarcity 
 of rain for some three or four years the olives and 
 cereal productions had failed ; added to which, 
 famine, cholera, and typhus followed. In the year 
 1868 a third of the tribes in certain districts 
 perished from these causes. The Bey having been 
 informed of a conspiracy against his person, seized 
 upon two of the principal members of his council, 
 and ordered them to be strangled at the Bardo — 
 an incident rather at variance with his liberal and 
 enlightened reforms. 
 
44 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 The Bey and his government were now on the 
 verge of ruin and bankruptcy, and it was deter- 
 mined that a Financial Commission should be 
 organised between England, France, and Italy to 
 pay the interest of the loans due to the different 
 European merchants who had advanced money to 
 the Bey and also of the State bonds which remained 
 unpaid. The flight of the State Treasurer, carry- 
 ing with him immense sums, the consequences of 
 the famine and the expenses of the insurrection, 
 with the shameless plunder of his favourites, had 
 all contributed to bring Mohammed-es-Sadok to 
 this state of complete insolvency. 
 
 The Bey now sent General Khayr-ed-Dyn to 
 Stamboul, and the result of this visit was a firman 
 by which the Sultan decreed that the annual 
 tribute which had been paid since 1575 should be 
 abolished, that the Bey should not make war on 
 foreign powers without his consent, that he should 
 be ready to aid the Sultan in all emergencies, and 
 that the current coin should continue to be struck 
 in his name. 
 
 Amongst the useful institutions of this reign 
 should be named the foundation of the College 
 Sadiki by General Khayr-ed-Dyn, where 150 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 45 
 
 children were taught French gratuitously, and the 
 same system of education was pursued as that in 
 the French Lycte. A railway was laid down from 
 Tunis to Goletta by an English company, owing to 
 the activity of Mr. Wood. There were also projects 
 for lighting up the streets with gas, and permission 
 to open an English bank had been granted by the 
 Bey. 
 
 At this time General Khayr-ed-Dyn fell into dis- 
 favour, and he was informed that his services were 
 no longer needed. Mustapha Ben Ismail, whose 
 name is so well known in Europe, replaced him. 
 His origin was very obscure. As a child he had 
 picked up a living as best he could, then he was 
 apprenticed to a barber, and afterwards was servant 
 to an officer. He gradually rose to be Prime 
 Minister of Tunis, when he received high honours 
 and foreign decorations from several of the Euro- 
 pean powers. During this time M. Roustan 
 was French charge d'affaires at Tunis, and he 
 readily perceived that Italy was obtaining an undue 
 preponderance in Tunisian affairs. Mustapha had 
 been sent to congratulate King Humbert on his 
 accession to the throne, and a close Italian alliance 
 seemed probable. M. Roustan immediately claimed 
 
46 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 a mission to Paris to render the same courtesy to 
 Marshal MacMahon, the President of the Republic. 
 This was granted, and Mustapha was dispatched to 
 Paris, where conferences on important matters took 
 place, and the Grand Cross of the Legion of 
 Honour was conferred upon him by M. de Saint- 
 Hilaire. 
 
 The Berlin Congress took place in 1878, and 
 then it was that Count Bismarck is reported to 
 have said to M. Waddington, " Take Carthage ! " 
 He, however, declared that it was not his intention 
 to act upon this hint, though no other European 
 power would be allowed to occupy the place. 
 
 Sir Richard Wood now left Tunis, and Mr. 
 Thomas Reade, the son of Sir Thomas Reade, 
 was appointed Consul-general, and here I must 
 quote Mr. Broadley's words : " During the fifty 
 years that Sir Thomas Reade and Sir Richard 
 Wood represented Great Britain in Tunis the name 
 of England was honoured and esteemed from one 
 end of the country to the other. Mr. Reade only 
 came to see the end alike of Tunisian independence 
 and British prestige ; but, while keenly sharing the 
 sorrow of the Tunisians themselves, he has faith- 
 fully obeyed the orders of his superiors." Since 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 47 
 
 this was written, in 1882, Mr. Reade left Tunis in 
 March, 1885, and the sad news of his death arrived 
 here in April. 
 
 I must here mention two incidents which have 
 just been related to me by an old resident in Tunis, 
 and which took place some years ago. It seems it 
 was the custom of the Bey to have a great chain 
 placed across the entrance to the Bardo, that no 
 one might approach his august presence except on 
 foot. One day Sir Thomas Reade drove there to 
 see his Highness, and on arriving at the entrance 
 to the palace the carriage stopped. " Drive on,^' 
 said Sir Thomas to the coachman. " I can't, Sir 
 Thomas ; the great chain is up." " Drive over it, 
 then, or turn round and go home," accompanied by 
 sundry expletives. The man wheeled round his 
 horses, and started off at a rapid pace. The Bey 
 meanwhile had seen from the palace what was 
 going on, and recognised the British consul's 
 liveries. He at once despatched an aide-de-camp, 
 who galloped after the carriage, and begged Sir 
 Thomas to return, and that the obnoxious chain 
 should be removed. But the British representative 
 was inexorable, and said, **Tell the Bey to have 
 that chain down for every one, not only for me ! " 
 
48 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 He returned some days afterwards, and satisfied 
 himself that the chain really had been taken down. 
 Another trait of his determined will, where he 
 felt there was injustice shown, was this. A Greek 
 gunsmith had established himself in one of the 
 Souks, and pursued his trade. An Arab brought 
 him his gun to repair, and on being asked if it were 
 loaded, at once said, " No." The gunsmith pressed 
 the trigger, and, the gun being unfortunately 
 loaded, the poor Arab received the whole charge in 
 his head, which was literally blown off. At the 
 noise of the report a crowd of natives rushed in, 
 screaming and vociferating that the man had been 
 murdered by the gunsmith. In vain he related 
 what had occurred. The infuriated Mussulmans 
 would speedily have torn him in pieces had not the 
 police come to his rescue and conveyed him to 
 prison. The Greek community, in great alarm, 
 went to Sir Thomas Reade, and implored his aid. 
 He at once drove to the Bardo, and asked to see 
 the Bey, and told him the whole thing was an 
 accident. " Well," said the Bey, "what do you 
 want } " " I want the man," said Sir Thomas. 
 '* But I have not got him here ; he is in prison at 
 Tunis." " Send for him, then, for I do not budge 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 49 
 
 from here till I have him." The Bey actually did 
 send for him. Sir Thomas put him into his carriage, 
 and drove off to Marsa, where he was then staying, 
 and handed him over to his own people, saying, 
 " Here's the man ; ship him off at once," advice 
 which they quickly followed. 
 
 I shall pass very cursorily over the events and 
 political intrigues which followed each other in 
 quick succession at Tunis, and which have been 
 most ably described by the witty and incisive pen 
 of Mr. Broadley, the correspondent of the TimeSy 
 during the war in Tunis, under the title of " The 
 Last Punic War," and to whom I am indebted, as 
 well as to Dr. Louis Frank, M. de Souhesmes, 
 and other distinguished authors, for much of my 
 information. 
 
 The alleged cause of the invasion and subjection 
 of the country by the French in 1881 was the 
 continual depredations of the Kroumirs on the 
 Algerian frontier, the real fact being that the 
 Algerians trespassed equally on the Tunisian 
 frontier, and the limits were far from being clearly 
 defined, and no one had paid any attention to the 
 border disputes, which were continually taking 
 place, till it was convenient to do so. It was 
 
 D 
 
5© Chips from Tunis: 
 
 suggested to Mohammed-es-Sadok that he had bet- 
 ter send his brother, Ali Bey, the heir apparent, and 
 GeneraHssimo of all his forces, to reduce the Krou- 
 mirs to submission, which accordingly was done. 
 Still the invasion was persisted in. M. Roustan 
 endeavoured to coerce the Bey into the acceptance 
 of a French protectorate. At last he was obliged 
 to yield to strong pressure, and the famous treaty 
 of Kassar-Said was signed in the palace at the 
 Bardo, between the French Republic and the Bey 
 of Tunis, on May 12th, 188 1. One of the articles 
 of the convention was that a resident French pleni- 
 potentiary minister should remain at Tunis to aid 
 the Bey by his counsels. 
 
 All Europe had been ringing with the horrible 
 stories got up of the atrocities committed by the 
 unfortunate Kroumirs, who thus were made into a 
 concentrated political scapegoat. Large placards 
 were posted up in London and in Paris detailing 
 all their iniquities, the truth being that they were 
 a hardy race of mountaineers, inured to fatigue, 
 having always resisted the collectors of taxes sent 
 by the Bey, and often opposing a successful defence 
 behind the shelter of their inaccessible mountains. 
 They were, as we have seen, always ready to make 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life, 51 
 
 a raid on the Algerian frontier, which gave rise to 
 frequent complaints. In fact, their depredations 
 and quarrels much resembled those which existed 
 in olden time between the Highlands and Low- 
 lands of Scotland. If a ship happened to be 
 wrecked on their coast, they unscrupulously appro- 
 priated everything it contained, and plundered the 
 people on board. But, independently of their love 
 of pillage, the Kroumirs resembled most of the 
 other Mussulmans. They cultivated their soil with 
 success, were great cattle-breeders, lived in miserable 
 huts or tents, brought up their children as well as 
 they could, and worked as little as possible. They 
 follow the precepts of Mahomet, and are very 
 superstitious, believing in good and bad genii, but 
 no trace is to be found of those barbarous customs 
 imputed to them in 1881. 
 
 Their country is rich in magnificent forests, and 
 possesses iron-mines in abundance. One mountain- 
 peak, named Sidi Abdalla, is held in great venera- 
 tion by them. It is so called from the name of a 
 marabout who lived here and was known for his 
 good deeds. When they saw the Zouaves lances at 
 this mountain, and scaling it like cats in the chasse 
 aux Kroumirs, all confidence abandoned them. In 
 
 D 2 
 
52 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 their ignorant and almost touching credulity, they 
 believed themselves invulnerable under the power- 
 ful aegis of their beloved saint ; for an ancient 
 legend recorded that a Tunisian army invading 
 this country had been destroyed at the foot of the 
 mountain by a storm of bullets lances by the 
 spirit of Sidi Abdalla. The Zouaves, however, 
 took good care that there should be no renewal 
 of the miracle. 
 
 When the bubble burst, and the truth was 
 known in France, the whole expedition was turned 
 into ridicule there, as in other countries. The 
 Charivari^ Lanterne, and other French papers were 
 merciless in their caustic remarks. The truth 
 of the French proverb " Le ridicule tue," was 
 keenly felt. Many Parisians obstinately refused 
 to believe in the existence of the Kroumirs at all, 
 and did not do justice to the French troops, who 
 undoubtedly suffered much from the great heat, 
 fever and dysentery making great havoc amongst 
 them, and medicines and other necessaries being 
 everywhere wanting. Their patience and cheerful- 
 ness were exemplary, and their bravery in the dif- 
 ferent engagements which took place, as usual, 
 incontestable ; but the expedition had been under- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 53 
 
 taken lightly, and the preparations for it were 
 insufficient. 
 
 Before the war broke out the Bey had appealed 
 to England, and addressed a long letter to Lord 
 Granville of complaint against the French. He 
 also wrote in the same terms to the Sultan and to 
 the King of Italy ; but there was much delay 
 caused by the negotiations between the European 
 powers, and in the meantime the fate of Tunis was 
 sealed. 
 
 As I have already said, the treaty of Kassar- 
 Said, in which palace the Bey and his Prime Minis- 
 ter Mustapha resided, was signed. Mohammed- 
 es-Sadok was enfeebled by illness, broken-hearted 
 at the invasion of his country, and utterly powerless 
 to prevent it, however ; moreover, his treasury was 
 empty. Under these circumstances he was obliged 
 to accept the terms dictated to him. I cannot 
 resist reproducing the article in Vanity Fair, 
 written by Mr. Broadley at the time, which gives a 
 very graphic, though a burlesque, account of what 
 took place : — 
 
 '* Scene. — The Kassar-Said Palace at Tunis. 
 Time. — The 26th February. Dramatis personcB. — 
 The Bey of Tunis and his councillors. Both the 
 
54 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 Bey and his favourite Mustapha wear their Grand 
 Cordons of the Legion of Honour. An interpreter 
 announces that M. Roustan is in attendance with 
 General Musalli to take leave. Handkerchiefs 
 are distributed. An order to weep is given. Mo- 
 hammed-es-Sadok. — * We must be very careful. 
 This is the third time he has gone away ; but he 
 always comes back. Roustan is a cat ; Roustan 
 has nine lives.' (All begin to weep. Roustan 
 enters with his friend.) Bey. — * Good-bye, my 
 dearest friend.' (Here he pauses from agitation, 
 and both he and Mustapha repeatedly embrace the 
 Minister after the Oriental usage.) Bey continues 
 in a voice broken by sobs. — * Allah has sent me 
 many misfortunes ; but your going is undoubtedly 
 the greatest of them all. What shall I and poor 
 Mustapha do without you ? What will become of 
 my country in your absence } Alas ! alas ! Tunis 
 is undone ! The Almighty is indeed too cruel 
 when He deprives me of my friend and guide.' 
 (The Bey weeps on Roustan's neck ; Roustan and 
 Musalli weep in chorus. Roustan is conveyed from 
 the room deeply affected.) Roustan (aside to 
 Musalli on the staircase). — * Why, he has not even 
 given me a parting present ! At least I expected 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 55 
 
 a diamond snuff-box or another order. Can it be 
 that even with me it is a case of " le roi est mort, 
 vive le roi ?" (The Bey watches Roustan's carriage 
 disappear from the window. He turns to his 
 courtiers ; he laughs ; he cries ; at last he dances.) 
 
 " Bey. — ' Now I am Bey again ! Roustan is 
 gone at last, and I breathe once more. May Allah 
 convey his soul expeditiously to the bottomless 
 pit ! May the angels of death be his guards and 
 keepers ! May the curses of a ruined and deso- 
 lated country rest upon his head ! May the Pro- 
 phet cause the dark waves of the Atlantic ' — with 
 a lofty disregard of geography, as M. Roustan was 
 going to Marseilles — ' to overwhelm him,' " &c. &c. 
 
 Mohammed-es-Sadok died in October, 1882, 
 and Sidi Ali Bey, his brother, accompanied by 
 M. Paul Cambon, the French Resident Minister, 
 went to the Bardo next day, where he was invested 
 with the supreme power, and recognised by the 
 members of the Bey's family and the high Tunisian 
 functionaries. Monsieur Cambon, after a speech, 
 in which he assured the Bey that he could always 
 count upon the aid and support of France, pre- 
 sented him with the Grand Cross of the Legion of 
 Honour. 
 
56 • Chips from Tunis: 
 
 The funeral of Sidi Mohammed took place the 
 next day, at the cemetery of the Tourba, reserved 
 solely for the burial of the Beys. Taib Bey, the 
 brother of both Mohammed-es-Sadok and the 
 reigning sovereign, was the chief mourner. He 
 now became commander-in-chief of the army. 
 The cortege was splendid, consisting of all the con- 
 suls and representatives of the foreign powers in 
 full uniform, the religious corporations of the 
 town, the high officers of State, and the principal 
 inhabitants of Tunis, followed by an immense 
 crowd. The French and Tunisian troops lined the 
 road. It took two hours for the procession to 
 arrive at Tunis ; and on entering the town the 
 band of the Zouaves played several funeral airs, 
 until they arrived at the Kasba, or citadel, where 
 the procession stopped, and prayers were said over 
 the bier. 
 
 The access to the Tourba is exceedingly nar- 
 row, and the agglomeration of Mussulmans made 
 it difficult to enter until the soldiers had cleared 
 the way. The body was then taken out of the 
 bier, wrapped in a simple shroud, and committed 
 to the earth. After the grave had been filled, a 
 layer of bricks and cement was placed over it, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 57 
 
 according to universal custom. Prayers were 
 again offered up, and the ceremony was at an end. 
 It is worthy of remark that this is the first instance 
 of foreigners being allowed to follow the funeral 
 cortege of a Tunisian sovereign. 
 
 Ali Bey's conduct since his accession justifies 
 the good opinion formerly entertained of him. He 
 follows the advice of M. Cambon, and has already 
 made several wise reforms in the administration of 
 justice. The power of the consuls has been re- 
 stricted, and judicial authority substituted. A law 
 is being made for the regulation of deeds and 
 estates, after the principle of the " Torrens Law," 
 which has been applied with such success in Aus- 
 tralia. This was most necessary to protect the 
 interests of foreigners who buy property here, for 
 it often happens that persons buying land are per- 
 secuted afterwards with a series of interminable 
 law-suits, on account of claims being brought by 
 pretended proprietors ; and as the limits are not 
 clearly defined, it was dangerous with the existing 
 laws to buy estates. Several roads have been 
 made in the vicinity of Tunis, which lead to Marsa, 
 Manouba, Goletta, and Hamman-el-Lif. 
 
 A Syndicate has been lately formed at Tunis 
 
58 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 for commercial laws, and to protect mercantile inte- 
 rests the Tunisian debt has been guaranteed by the 
 French Government, and the financial commission 
 instituted by the European powers dissolved. The 
 expediency of a port at Tunis has been strongly 
 urged, and the works will shortly be commenced. 
 The adoption of the same tariff in Tunis as in 
 Algeria for native productions is also earnestly 
 desired. But the reforms take long to effect, and 
 it is feared for the present this will continue to be 
 the case. 
 
 The person who has done the most for the civi- 
 lisation of the regency is Monseigneur Lavigerie, 
 the Cardinal and Archbishop of Carthage. He first 
 founded the College of St. Louis for young men 
 near the chapel built in Louis Philippe's reign on 
 the ruins of Carthage. He has also built a cathedral 
 at Tunis, and a convent for young girls. Marsa, 
 which is the residence of the present Bey, is also 
 inhabited by the primate, where he has a palace 
 in a beautiful situation ; it is about eight miles from 
 Tunis. His arrival from Algeria and nomination 
 as cardinal was the signal of an enthusiastic ovation, 
 and his investiture took place in the midst of a 
 splendid assemblage at Carthage in the college 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 59 
 
 founded by him, the French Minister Resident, 
 M. Cambon, the French naval and military officers, 
 the foreign representatives, and high Tunisian dig- 
 nitaries being present. Monseigneur Lavigerie had 
 done all in his power to conciliate the conflicting 
 interests in the regency, and his efforts were 
 properly appreciated. 
 
 After the investiture by Count Cechini of the 
 Papal Guards, the cardinal, who is a magnificent- 
 looking man, addressed the assembly as follows — 
 " I am almost overwhelmed at receiving these 
 honours in this place. The ruins of Carthage which 
 surround us are at once emblems of human great- 
 ness, and the vanity of earthly magnificence. It 
 was from the spot on which we are now standing 
 came the conquerors of Africa — the great captains 
 who for a moment caused the fate of Rome to 
 tremble in the balance. What names are those 
 of Mago, Hanno, Hamilcar, Hannibal, and Has- 
 drubal, who upon this very hill saw his father- 
 land in flames and his children slaughtered in 
 the temple, the remains of which at this moment 
 surround us. What names are those of Regulus, 
 Scipio, Marius, Caesar, Justinian, and Belisarius, and 
 in more modern times those of Louis the Ninth and 
 
6o Chips from Tunis: 
 
 Charles the Fifth. Each of them left upon this spot 
 the memorials of his deeds and his glory. But what 
 a lesson as to the vanity of man presents itself! 
 Not a trace of these memorials remains, and one 
 must excavate even to know that it was here that 
 Carthage existed ! The name of Carthage is as 
 famous in the history of the Church as it is in that 
 of the world at large. The very earth we now tread 
 on has been trodden by the feet of such eloquent 
 divines as Tertullian, Augustine, and Fulgencius, by 
 such admirable saints as Eugenia, Monica, Felicita, 
 and Perpetua, and by such bishops as Cyprian, who 
 in his person represented all the glories of Christian 
 Carthage. Once more, after the lapse of centuries, 
 the cross crowns the summit of this famous hill, and 
 I see before me European colonists of all the great 
 nations of the South who have come to exercise 
 their art and industries in this country. To them 
 I have a mission, and it is to preach to every one 
 of them charity, union, and peace. I trust the day 
 is not far distant when all contention will cease, and 
 when every Christian inhabitant of this country, no 
 matter to what nation he may belong, will work 
 cheerfully and earnestly for the good and progress 
 of the country of his adoption." 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 6i 
 
 AH Bey is not without trouble in his own family. 
 His brother Taib, the heir-apparent and commander 
 in-chief of the army, is a man of weak character and 
 given to spending money. Indeed, his extravagance 
 is so great that not a fortnight ago his goods and 
 chattels were seized, and would have been sold by 
 auction had not the Bey come to the rescue. Taib, 
 having been dazzled by reports of the attractions 
 of Paris, which he had never visited, and tired of 
 the monotonous life he led in Tunis, under the sur- 
 veillance of the Bey, listened in a weak moment to 
 the interested advice of his friends, and determined 
 to depart secretly for the fascinating capital without 
 the ceremony of taking leave of his brother. The 
 Bey, however, having private information of his in- 
 tentions, caused his palace to be surrounded by a 
 cordon of soldiers, who opposed his departure, and 
 poor Taib, prisoner in his own house, had to make 
 his submission to his brother. Future history will 
 show whether Taib Bey's wishes will ever be ac- 
 complished, but as this is the last event of import- 
 ance in the annals of the regency, I shall here 
 close my very imperfect epitome of the history of 
 Tunis. 
 
62 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 Journey from Cannes to Tunis — Quarantine — First Impressions- 
 Visit to an Arabian Family — Fast of the Ramadan. 
 
 We left Cannes for Marseilles the loth of Septem- 
 ber, 1884, taking with us our two servants, 
 Barth^lemy and Therese, a young married couple, 
 who had conducted themselves so well during our 
 misfortunes, and who had begged to accompany 
 us, and also my little Maltese dog Perrita. The 
 next day we embarked on board the Charles 
 Quint at five in the afternoon, and admired 
 greatly the lovely view on leaving the harbour. 
 When the dinner-bell rang, we bravely took our 
 seats, but soon "a change came o'er the scene,'' 
 and one by one we disappeared, and I was 
 obliged to remain in my cabin till late the follow- 
 ing day. 
 
 On the 13 th we arrived at Philippeville, and 
 here we had to remain five days in quarantine, 
 outside the harbour, opposite the little town of 
 Stora. Fortunately there were agreeable people 
 on board, and amongst them a French family 
 consisting of the mother and three daughters, one 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 63 
 
 of whom was married to a French officer, and 
 with her little girl was going to rejoin her husband. 
 The child was terribly spoilt, and a perfect little 
 tyrant to her very charming mother, who indulged 
 her in every caprice. 
 
 We were glad to while away the time by 
 working and reading, games at cards and back- 
 gammon, and the young people danced on the 
 deck every evening, notwithstanding the heat, 
 which was intense. 
 
 There were fortunately no cases of cholera on 
 board, nor indeed of any illness, for which we had 
 great cause to be thankful, as in the next boat 
 which left Marseilles there were no less than 
 twenty-one cases of cholera, of which ten were fatal. 
 
 We were allowed to land at Philippeville on the 
 1 8th, to our great delight, though there is really 
 very little to be seen, it being a small town of 
 about 10,000 inhabitants ; but the fact of the 
 landing being forbidden made it of course much 
 to be desired, and we were tired of the steamer. 
 We took a short drive, but saw nothing very in- 
 teresting or worthy of record, except that we were 
 astonished at the high dense hedges of prickly 
 pear, forming impenetrable barriers. 
 
64 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 In the afternoon, we steamed off to Bona, where 
 we arrived late at night, and the next morning 
 landed and visited the market, which was well 
 provided with fish, fruit, and vegetables. Bona is 
 one of the prettiest towns in Algeria, and here I 
 saw the lovely red and pink hibiscus, flowering 
 freely, in the pretty public garden. We proceeded 
 the same day to La Calle, the last town on the 
 Algerian frontier, but did not land, and the next 
 day we arrived at La Goulette, the port of Tunis. 
 The passengers all assembled on deck to enjoy 
 the charming view of the town in the distance, and 
 the ancient site of Carthage was pointed out to 
 us, with the usual accompanying remark that here 
 it was that the famous Roman general, Marius, 
 wept at the sight of the venerable ruins of that 
 once powerful city, which, like himself, had suffered 
 so severely from the cruel vicissitudes of fortune. 
 Before entering the lake of Tunis, which joins 
 the sea by means of a small canal, we were struck 
 by the picturesque situation of the village of Sidi- 
 bon-Said on a rock above the Cape of Carthage, 
 which is only inhabited by natives, who are noted 
 for their religious enthusiasm, and is looked upon 
 as a place of great sanctity. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 65 
 
 And now we had really arrived at the end of 
 our voyage, and were about to enter the famous city 
 of Tunis, so renowned in ancient history, and of 
 which it has been said that once you have tasted 
 its water and breathed its balmy air, an irresistible 
 power for ever chains you to the spot. This 
 remains to be seen, and I shall faithfully recount 
 my impressions, when I have made acquaintance 
 with " Tunis the Glorious,'' the " Abode of Felicity," 
 the " White Bernous of the Prophet," as the ancients 
 delighted to name her. 
 
 The stern realities of life now claimed our 
 attention, and we set to work to collect our stray 
 articles of luggage ; and having taken leave of the 
 captain and officers of the Charles Quint, and 
 thanked them for their courtesy, we, with other 
 passengers, got into the ship's steam launch, and 
 were landed in about a quarter of an hour on a 
 rough platform. 
 
 Here began an animated contest for our 
 possessions by half-naked Arabs and negroes, 
 whose clothing consisted of a coarse sack with holes 
 for their heads, arms, and legs, making me think of 
 the famous Parisian tailor who passed this judgment 
 upon his country client, " Monsieur est vetu, mais il 
 
 E 
 
66 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 n^est pas habille." These porters screamed and 
 yelled at each other, and demanded exorbitant 
 prices for carrying our luggage to the train, for 
 there is a primitive line of railway, which was 
 formerly laid down by the English, and has since 
 been sold to the Italians. 
 
 We found we had missed the train, so we sat at 
 the little restaurant, and amused ourselves by looking 
 at a group of Jewesses, who had come to enjoy 
 some country air. The first impression caused by 
 their extraordinary costume can never be forgotten. 
 They wore a very high conical gilt head-dress ; 
 a wide silken vest of bright blue or rose colour, 
 trimmed with little black frills, reaching to the 
 waist ; tight-fitting trousers of white jaconet, and 
 embroidered slippers. The little children were 
 similarly attired, and certainly the style suited 
 them better than their mothers, as these ladies were 
 remarkable for their embonpoint. 
 
 At last the train was ready. It was full of 
 Arabs in their handsome national costume, and 
 several were accompanied by their wives closely 
 veiled. One of these gentlemen tried to make friends 
 with Perrita, who seemed quite frightened, and, in 
 return, ungratefully tried to bite him. In half an 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 67 
 
 hour we were in Tunis, and having deposited our 
 luggage in a carriage, we walked to the Grand 
 Hotel, where we met many of our travelling com- 
 panions. We were thankful to rest a while before 
 dinner, the weather being oppressively hot, though 
 it was the 21st of September. 
 
 In the evening we walked on the Marine, where 
 our hotel was situated. The avenue is very wide 
 and well kept, and has good houses on each side. 
 Here are the different Consulates, the post and 
 telegraph offices, also the palace of M. Cambon, the 
 resident French minister, and it is the finest part of 
 Tunis. We were agreeably surprised at meeting 
 an old school-friend of my husband, now the head 
 surgeon of the 4th Zouaves. Dr. Chauvain and 
 his wife and family are living here, and were ex- 
 ceedingly kind in initiating us into the ways of 
 Tunis. 
 
 The next day was Sunday, and I was directed 
 
 to the English church, which was not far off. It 
 
 stands in a pretty garden, and the English chaplain, 
 
 Mr. Reichardt, informed me that the ground was a 
 
 free gift of the Bey. For about fifty years an 
 
 English service had been held in the chaplain's 
 
 house; but Mr. Hope visited Tunis in 1878, and 
 E 2 
 
68 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 on his return to England purchased a pretty little 
 iron church, which he sent out as a gift from him- 
 self, together with a sum of money which had been 
 subscribed in England for the expenses of placing 
 it. The Christian Knowledge Society and the 
 then Bishop of Gibraltar also contributed to this 
 fund, and the whole property was vested in the 
 hands of three trustees, the bishop, the British 
 consul, and the chaplain. This latter gentleman is 
 sent out by the London Jews' Society, and under- 
 takes the English chaplaincy as well. I must also 
 mention that the east window, which is of painted 
 glass, was put up to the memory of Mr. Payne, an 
 American, and the author of " Home, Sweet 
 Home." There is an inscription on the window to 
 this effect, with the date of his death at Tunis. 
 About two years ago his body was disinterred in 
 the presence of Mr. Reade, H.B.M. Consul, the then 
 American Consul, and other distinguished persons ; 
 and, at the expense of an American gentleman, 
 was sent to Washington, where a handsome 
 monument was erected to Mr. Payne's memory. 
 
 And now I must describe my first walk in the 
 Souks, or Bazaars, accompanied by Barthelemy. 
 These Souks are very small and winding streets. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 69 
 
 with a narrow chariot-road in the middle, like those 
 at Pompeii, and small footways on each side, which 
 are lined by shops, or recesses, where the vendor, in 
 Arab attire, sits cross-legged on a shelf with a 
 carpet on it, surrounded by his wares, and looking 
 very much like a picture in its frame. 
 
 We first passed through the street Sidi Mor- 
 giani — not that the name was anywhere to be 
 seen, but it is well known to any one who has 
 visited Tunis — and we were soon in the midst of a 
 motley throng, consisting of Jews and Jewesses in 
 their unique costumes, Arabs in turbans and flowing 
 white bernouses, with a long inner garment, called a 
 " gaudoura," of some bright-coloured cloth, and red 
 or yellow slippers. Some were on foot, and some, 
 mounted on small donkeys, trotted briskly along, 
 and utterly regardless of obstacles such as a newly 
 landed and slightly bewildered Englishwoman who 
 stood stock-still gazing at the strange and novel 
 scene before her. There were a great many 
 negroes, in white suits and coloured scarfs and 
 turbans, making a fearful noise, some of them most 
 curiously tattooed ; then white figures glided past, 
 wrapped loosely in white bernouses, with faces 
 closely veiled, with the exception of their eyes, in 
 
70 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 black bands of crape, giving them a weird and 
 spectral appearance. These were Arab women, 
 who never show their faces in the streets. 
 
 There were officers of the 4th Zouaves, now 
 quartered here, and Chasseurs d'Afrique in their 
 brilliant uniforms, and people of all nations, circu- 
 lating with difficulty in the narrow street, speaking 
 many tongues, and making a perfect Babel. In 
 the midst of all, suddenly and noiselessly, appeared 
 a gigantic camel, towering above the crowd, and 
 calmly steering its way. This was enough for one 
 day, and I beat a retreat to our hotel, and after- 
 wards found no adequate words for expressing my 
 delight and astonishment to my husband. 
 
 We remained at the Grand Hotel three or four 
 days, and found the cuisine good ; but the prices 
 were somewhat high, and we changed into the 
 Hotel Gigino, more in the Arab style, with a 
 " patio," or inner hall, which was very cool and 
 pleasant, and is to be found in all Arab houses. 
 
 Another peculiarity is the total absence of bells, 
 and, after calling in vain for some time, a dim 
 memory of " Arabian Nights' Tales " came over 
 me, and I clapped my hands, upon which a stalwart 
 negro rushed up, followed by a dusky housemaid, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 71 
 
 to inquire what I wanted. Needless to say, I 
 adopted this system ever afterwards. 
 
 We had a long and weary search for apart- 
 ments, which are difficult to find in Tunis, and are 
 generally unfurnished, but we were assisted most 
 kindly by Mr. Reichardt and our French friends, 
 and at last decided upon taking a house in the Rue 
 Bab Zira, one of the main thoroughfares of Tunis. 
 There are good shops in this street, and a fine 
 market for fish, meat, game, fruit, and vegetables. 
 The house belongs to a French lady who married 
 an Arab general, and is a happy mixture of French 
 and Arab style.; - 
 
 On entering, a narrow passage to the left leads 
 to the kitchen and servants' room and a small 
 garden, which was full of weeds. On the right, a 
 marble staircase leads to a lofty square hall, paved 
 with marble, and this is the " patio " to which I 
 have already alluded. There are eight doors round 
 this hall, which serves as our dining-room, and the 
 walls are lined with earthenware tiles of different 
 colours and patterns. The eight doors open into 
 bedrooms, closets, and the drawing-room, which is 
 very lofty, with a handsome ceiling in Arab carving. 
 A verandah looks on to the garden, which is to the 
 
72 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 west, the drawing-room and two bedrooms being to 
 the east, and these are considered the best aspects 
 in this country. We chose this house, though too 
 large for ourselves, knowing that in all probability 
 our friends Captain and Mrs. Dick would come and 
 spend the winter with us, an arrangement most 
 profitable and agreeable to us in every way, and 
 which I am happy to say was carried out, as they 
 arrived on the 19th November. 
 
 We took possession of the house as soon as 
 possible, and roughed it as we could. On entering, 
 we had an encounter with a half-wild cat, which 
 flew at us all in turns, and poor Perrita was the 
 special object of her attacks. At last my husband 
 took his gun and killed the creature, or there 
 would have been no peace or safety for my little 
 dog, or for any of us. 
 
 None of the doors or windows shut properly, 
 but fortunately we met by chance a French 
 carpenter from dear Cannes, Andre by name, and 
 he came to help us, and soon made us more 
 comfortable : there was much to be done, and my 
 husband felt anxious, as the sanitary arrangements 
 were most defective, and the cholera at this time 
 seemed to be making rapid strides towards Tunis. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life, 73 
 
 Thus it was important to remedy the drainage as 
 soon as possible ; though, thank God, we were 
 spared the calamity of having this dreadful disease 
 here. So masons and carpenters were in requisi- 
 tion, and our landlady allowed us to make certain 
 alterations. 
 
 The servants were thoroughly disenchanted 
 with Tunis ; they had raised their expectations 
 very high, and thought not only to find gold in the 
 streets, but an entirely new mode of existence, and 
 an abundance of tropical fruits, shrubs, and flowers. 
 Alas! this idyll was not to be realised. There 
 were delicious grapes and pomegranates, but that 
 was all ; not a flower, except jessamine, which the 
 Arabs mount on little wires, and stick bunches of 
 it behind their ears, so that the flowers fall on their 
 cheeks. There were a few common ugly bouquets 
 in the market, which would not do at all after the 
 lovely Cannes flowers. 
 
 But what struck me most unpleasantly was the 
 total absence of trees in the vicinity of Tunis, and 
 the unfinished state of many of the houses in the 
 town, giving it a bare and ruinous appearance. 
 Viewed from our roof, where there is a terrace, 
 the city looks like one huge cemetery ; the houses 
 
74 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 are all white, with flat roofs, and the people dry 
 their linen and even sleep there during the great 
 heat of the summer. 
 
 At one time we thought of taking a real Arab 
 house, but gave up the idea on account of the 
 position in the heart of the Arab quarter. The 
 paving, too, was bad, and this quarter is not 
 lighted up at night, so that it would have been 
 dangerous ; besides which, there are no chimneys 
 in these houses, and the damp is very injurious to 
 those afflicted with rheumatic tendencies. 
 
 In this house I first saw the Arab curtain, made 
 of sail-cloth, with its curious designs cut out in 
 coloured cloth and sewn on. There were red and 
 black hands, which represent those of Fatima, the 
 mother of the Prophet, and are supposed to ward 
 off the power of the evil eye. These hands are 
 often to be seen on the doors of houses, and on 
 cart harness. Silver ornaments are also made and 
 worn as antidotes to this dreaded evil eye. 
 
 It is strange how the Arabs retain their origi- 
 nality in all parts of the world where they settle. 
 Customs mentioned in the "Arabian Nights" tales, 
 which are considered by many people as exag- 
 gerated and even fabulous, are, on the contrary. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 75 
 
 perfectly true, and faithfully represent the Arab 
 way of living to the present day. Their women 
 are never allowed to go out without their faces 
 being carefully covered, with the exception of the 
 eyes, and this applies to all ranks. The ladies 
 seldom walk out at all, except to visit the Souks, 
 and then they have an embroidered shawl, or large 
 handkerchief, over their heads, and hold it out 
 before them with their hands, in order to see their 
 way, and to be able to breathe. They are always 
 attended by a negress, who carries their purchases, 
 and who is arrayed in all the colours of the rainbow. 
 
 The Arab ladies are pleased to receive visits 
 from Europeans of their own sex, and are very 
 agreeable in their manners. I have been presented 
 to several, and I must here relate my impressions 
 of the first visit I paid, under the safe conduct of 
 Madame Tombarel, the wife of Captain Tombarel, 
 of the 4th Zouaves, who is an old friend of my 
 husband's. 
 
 We first entered a vaulted passage, at the end 
 of which was a door, at which we knocked, and 
 were admitted by a negress in the strangest attire, 
 for it consisted of a turban, a gay shawl draped 
 tightly round her person, a coloured jacket, and 
 
7J$ Chips from Tunis : 
 
 wooden clogs. We followed her into a handsome 
 marble quadrangle, with rooms all round, and one 
 storey above. The most extraordinary figure now 
 advanced to meet us, and my friend told me she 
 was the mistress of the house. She was a hand- 
 some woman, of about thirty, but painted according 
 to their ideas of beauty, the eyebrows being stained 
 with black, and forming two broad arches which 
 met each other. The eyelids were stained with 
 antimony, which gives a bright but hard expression 
 to the countenance. The hands were dyed with 
 the deep orange colour produced by henna, and 
 the lips and gums with betel. She was dressed in 
 white tight-fitting pantaloons, a wide, loose jacket 
 of blue and yellow silk coming below the waist, 
 called a " djebba," and what looked like a burnished 
 helmet (kufifia) on her head, with a broad black 
 ribbon over the upper part of the forehead, thus 
 eflfectually concealing the hair. 
 
 Words can give but a faint idea of this striking 
 ensemble ; and I must say I found it difficult to 
 keep my countenance. This lady is very rich, and 
 received us very kindly, offering us some delicious 
 coffee, made over a curious little stove in pottery. 
 The Arabs excel in their way of making cafd noir, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. *i*j 
 
 which is never strained, and is handed in small 
 double cups without saucers. The young daughter 
 spoke a little French, so she served as our inter- 
 preter ; and on rising to take leave she offered to 
 show us the house. The bedrooms were simply 
 furnished, and the beds were almost on the ground, 
 lined by a row of hard cushions against the wall, 
 which is often damp from the habit of using mortar 
 which has been mixed with sea-water. The cover- 
 lets and curtains were of rich silk, but the beds 
 themselves looked very hard and uncompromising. 
 The Arab ladies like to get French or Italian 
 furniture, although very commonplace ; and I ob- 
 served some common artificial flowers under tall 
 globes, which they seemed to value exceedingly. 
 The salon was a handsome, lofty room, with a 
 fountain in the centre, and the walls were covered 
 with the lovely Arab fretwork, looking like lace 
 with its delicate carving. 
 
 Our next visit was to a family which consisted 
 of a young lady living with her aunt and two 
 brothers, the parents being both dead, the father 
 having been a general in the Bey's army. Here 
 again we were ushered into a court with rooms all 
 round, or rather recesses, for there are no doors. 
 
78 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 The ladies were seated on cushions, cross-legged, 
 and were embroidering most beautifully in silver, 
 on blue and rose silk, which was stretched tightly- 
 over a frame. Their dress was in the same style 
 as I have just described, but simpler, and with 
 fewer colours. The ladies are generally of " a de- 
 plorable plumpness" (to borrow an expression from 
 a favourite book of mine), and the peculiar costume 
 shows off their rounded contours to perfection, par- 
 ticularly when they loll about on the cushions. 
 They welcomed us most pleasantly, for the Arabs 
 are never deficient in courtesy or hospitality ; and 
 I may say here that the acquaintance with this 
 family has been one of my chief pleasures at Tunis. 
 A vast amount of curiosity was bestowed upon our 
 dress, and I was requested to take off my brace- 
 lets, which they examined minutely, and asked the 
 price of them, and if they were " bono, bono," for 
 Arab ladies are very fond of jewellery. The young 
 girl seemed intelligent, and talked to us ; but, 
 alas ! not a word could we understand. 
 
 I was very anxious to learn to embroider in gold 
 and silver, and having explained this to her by her 
 young brother Abib, who speaks French, she kindly 
 offered to teach me, and the following day I took 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 79 
 
 my first lesson. I fear she thought me very stupid, 
 as the gold thread would twist in the most aggra- 
 vating manner. She finally lent me the frame, 
 which Therese carried off. 
 
 I discovered in due time that the aunf s name 
 was Lalla Lashusha, " Lalla " signifying " Madame." 
 This lady is subject to fits of depression, when she 
 cries, seemingly without any cause, and at other 
 times is in the highest spirits and is very amusing. 
 They shake hands with me, and then kiss the part 
 which has touched me ; this habit is general among 
 the Arabs, and is very courteous. 
 
 On New Year's Day I carried them little pre- 
 sents, which pleased them very much, and they 
 greatly appreciated some Christmas cards which 
 Mr. Dick and I had received. I went regularly 
 two or three times a week for my lesson, and at last 
 mastered the difficulty. On one occasion I saw on 
 the landing-place of the first storey a pretty young 
 creature dressed very like a columbine, who made 
 signs to Mrs. Dick and me to go upstairs. This 
 was Fatima, the wife of the eldest son ; she is very 
 lively and pleasant, and has three sweet little girls. 
 Before leaving, she took out some strong perfume 
 and rubbed it over our hair and faces ; the scent 
 
8o Chips from Tunis: 
 
 remained quite strong for weeks on my veil, which 
 I carried to the perfumery Souk, where it was pro- 
 nounced by a grave Moor to be Schnooda, a per- 
 fume to be found in all Arabian houses. Lalla 
 Fatima showed us her smart clothes for fete days, 
 as Lalla Raschid had also kindly done, and most 
 lovely they were, velvet jackets embroidered heavily 
 in gold, with trousers to match, and the usual 
 pointed cone-like cap with long streamers, also 
 worked in gold and silver. The Arab ladies de- 
 light in going to the baths, and this is their prin- 
 cipal recreation, as they meet their friends there, 
 but they are always accompanied by an old woman • 
 who acts as duenna. 
 
 In June the great fete of the year, Ramadan, is 
 kept most rigorously. All Moslems observe it, 
 except those who are ill and infirm, and old people, 
 delicate women and children, are also exempt from 
 its observance. When the new moon appears, the 
 fast begins, and must be kept from sunrise until 
 sunset. During the night the Islamites are per- 
 mitted to feast and amuse themselves as they please, 
 and they are not backward to avail themselves of 
 this permission. Many among them retire to rest 
 in the early morning, sleep all day and rise at four 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 8i 
 
 or five o'clock in the afternoon, thus turning day 
 into night, and reversing the order of things. The 
 marabout, or priest, calls the people to prayers from 
 the tops of the minarets about five minutes after 
 sunset. Every one then ejaculates the following 
 form of prayer, " O God, it is in obedience to Thy 
 will that I have kept this fast, and I break it, thank- 
 ing thee for all thy mercies vouchsafed to me, and 
 beseeching thee to pardon my past and future sins." 
 They then drink a glass of water, take their repast, 
 smoke, and disperse to the various places of amuse- 
 ment, such as cafes chantants and small theatres, 
 which are crowded. 
 
 The town is lighted up with coloured lamps and 
 lanterns, the people swarm in the streets, there are 
 hand-organs, Arab musicians with their monotonous 
 strains, serpent-charmers, and here and there a 
 group of Arabs, seated in a circle, listening to some 
 exciting tale, in which the traditional story-teller, 
 by his impassioned gestures and eloquent expres- 
 sions, rich in poetic and Eastern imagery, succeeds 
 so well in entrancing his auditors, who by turns 
 melt into tears and wring their hands, or indulge in 
 hearty merriment. 
 
 A few minutes before sunrise, men come round. 
 F 
 
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 beating on drums, to announce the hour of the last 
 meal, or rather refreshments, a cannon-shot is heard, 
 and all relapses into gloom. 
 
 The Arab music consists of a mandoline with 
 two strings, on which they play with a reed, others 
 blow into an instrument like a hautbois, and emit 
 plaintive sounds which are not without charm, and 
 some sing with an accompaniment of a small drum. 
 
 Any one who has had any intercourse with the 
 Mussulmans cannot fail to be struck by the way in 
 which the name of the Eternal is constantly intro- 
 duced into conversation ; and this is done, not as 
 an idle habit, but with a solemn and profound con- 
 viction that whether it be in the small or great 
 actions of life, nothing can prosper without their 
 having first invoked the aid of the Most High. 
 Thus, in speaking of the future, we find this verse 
 in the Koran : "Never say, I mean to do such and 
 such a thing to-morrow, without adding, *if it be 
 the will of God.'" (Tu cha Allah). In all official 
 documents the heading sentence is " Praise to 
 God," or, " In the name of the gracious and mer- 
 ciful God," and this constant reference to the sacred 
 name shows an entire submission to His will, as 
 well as firm trust in His goodness and mercy. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 83 
 
 It is well known how many points of resem- 
 blance exist between Islamism and Christianity 
 The Koran is recognised as the Word of God 
 revealed to His prophet Mohammed, and trans- 
 mitted by him to the Arabs. Perhaps some of my 
 readers may not be acquainted with the following 
 particulars of the Islam belief, and will be interested 
 by them. The Koran teaches the fall of man, and 
 the implacable enmity of Satan to the human race. 
 When a believer is visited by sorrow or misfortune, 
 he recites the following verse : " We are of God, 
 and we return to God. Praise be to Thee, O God ! 
 notwithstanding my trouble, I put my trust in 
 Thee, and am resigned to Thy will," When 
 strongly tempted to sin, he is enjoined to cry, 
 " May Satan depart from me ! " The Virgin Mary 
 is recognised as the mother of Jesus and far above 
 all other women, and our Saviour is called '* The 
 Eternal Word." His miraculous birth is recorded, 
 and those who do not believe this, and that He is 
 the worker of miracles, will have no part in Him. 
 
 In the Arab traditions it is stated that a young 
 
 child and his mother, who were inhabitants of 
 
 Jerusalem, had been forced to take refuge in Egypt 
 
 to escape the persecution of the Jews. The child 
 F 2 
 
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 was apprenticed to a dyer, and one day, his master 
 being absent, he took pieces of stuff which were all 
 to be dyed different colours, and threw them into a 
 cauldron of boiling black dye. The dyer, on his 
 leturn, was in despair at this apparently stupid 
 action ; but what was his surprise, on taking out 
 the pieces of stuff, to find that each had taken the 
 colour desired ! A great prophet was thus revealed 
 by this miracle, and his name was Aissa-ben- 
 Merim, or Jesus, son of Mary. 
 
 The two chief sects of the Mohammedans are 
 called Sunnites, or orthodox believers, and Chiites, 
 who believe in the Koran, but refuse authority to 
 the Caliphs, and do not recognise them as the 
 Prophet's successors, and put no faith in the tradi- 
 tions which contain the acts and sayings of Mo- 
 hammed. The Sunnites are principally to be 
 found in Asia, also in Algeria and Tunis, while the 
 doctrine of the Chiites is most prevalent in Persia. 
 Until the beginning of the present century there 
 were certain mosques at Tunis which had the privi- 
 lege of offering refuge to criminals, and here the 
 law had no power to arrest them, as in Paris and 
 other places in the Middle Ages. Even a part of 
 the public money appropriated to charitable pur- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 85 
 
 poses was devoted to providing food and clothing 
 for such fugitives. This custom was considered 
 sacred and inviolable by the people ; but Hahmouda 
 Pacha, struck by the abuses which it entailed, 
 found means of suppressing it by sending masons 
 to the mosque with orders to wall up the doors and 
 windows directly a criminal entered the building. 
 They only left a small aperture, and soon the 
 unfortunate man, pressed by hunger and thirst, 
 himself begged to be taken before the Bey. 
 
86 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Religious Sects and Observances — Pilgrimage to Mecca — Des- 
 potism of the Beys — Manner of Administering Justice — 
 Anecdotes. 
 
 The semi-religious confraternities in Tunis have 
 always exercised much influence over the people, 
 though professing not to interfere in secular affairs. 
 Among these, the sect of the Aissaouas is one of 
 the most powerful, and was founded by Sidi 
 Aissa, of Mequinez, in Morocco. He was not a 
 prince, like most of the founders of these orders, 
 but, on the contrary, a poor man struggling to 
 maintain a numerous family, and full of trust and 
 faith in God. He went every day to prayer in the 
 mosque, and returned in the evening to his miser- 
 able home. One day, when he was absent as usual, 
 a man knocked at the door of his house, and call- 
 ing the wife, gave her food for herself and her 
 three children, saying, " Sidi A'issa sends it to you." 
 Next day, and the following days, this mysterious 
 protector appeared, bringing regularly new pro- 
 visions, so that everything abounded ; and at last 
 such favours and gifts were showered on them, that 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 87 
 
 it came to the Sultan's ears, who ordered Sidi 
 A'issa to leave the town. He obeyed, and esta- 
 blished himself at a distance of some miles, in an 
 uninhabited part of the country, taking with him 
 his family and several disciples. He continued to 
 prosper, and at last Muley Mohammed forbade 
 him to remain there. Sidi Aissa then proposed to 
 buy up all the land in his dominion. The Sultan 
 accepted the offer, considering it that of a madman, 
 and thinking to rid himself of the marabout. They 
 agreed as to the price, and a day was fixed for the 
 execution of the treaty. 
 
 On the day appointed the Sultan left Mequinez, 
 accompanied by the chief personages of the Court, 
 that they might witness the discomfiture of the 
 marabout. When they arrived at the trysting 
 place, the Sultan seated himself at the foot of a 
 huge olive tree. Muley Mohammed said — " A'issa, 
 I have come to give up the town of Mequinez and 
 its environs to you. Here is the bill of sale ; now 
 give me the price agreed upon." "You shall re- 
 ceive it directly," said Aissa. He then struck the 
 olive tree, and a shower of gold pieces fell all 
 around, which, when counted, amounted to three 
 times the sum named. In the midst of a general 
 
SS Chips from Tunis: 
 
 stupor Sidi Aissa arose, and in a voice of thunder 
 said to the Sultan, " I am the master of this place, 
 of Mequinez, and its environs. In my turn, I 
 banish you from my dominions." He, however, 
 relented at the entreaty of those around him, and 
 restored the empire to the Sultan, on condition 
 that once a year, on the same day of the month, 
 all the inhabitants, with the exception of his dis- 
 ciples, should be obliged to remain in their houses. 
 
 Since this period, three hundred years ago, this 
 convention has been carried out, and proclamation 
 is made in the town, previous to the twelfth of 
 Mouloud, that all those not belonging to this con- 
 fraternity shall remain within doors for seven days. 
 It is true this edict does not affect any one, as all 
 the inhabitants of Mequinez, without exception, 
 belong to the sect of the Aissaouas. 
 
 The most important seat of their power is 
 naturally Mequinez, but the minor confraternities 
 receive their instructions from Kairwan. The 
 practices of this sect are so singular that I will give 
 an account of one of their fetes. 
 
 Once a year the Aissaouas visit the tombs of 
 their saints in the vicinity, preceded by men carry- 
 ing banners richly ornamented, and a herald 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 89 
 
 bearing one with crescents. They slowly advance 
 with measured steps, singing and reciting prayers 
 and beating drums. When the tombs have been 
 visited they repair to a building previously pre- 
 pared for them, where in the inner courts carpets 
 are spread, and all is brilliantly lighted up. A 
 cushion marks the place of the Mokaddem, or Presi- 
 dent, of the fete. Many women are to be seen in 
 the gallery of the first storey, closely veiled. The 
 procession enters, forming a circle round the court, 
 and the performers immediately begin to sing. 
 At first the songs are grave and slow ; then come 
 the praises of Sidi Aissa, the founder of the order. 
 The performers gradually become more excited, the 
 beating on the drums louder and quicker, a reli- 
 gious frenzy seizes them, and they break into wild 
 shouts. Some of the fully initiated imitate the 
 cries of wild animals, such as lions, bears, and 
 jackals ; and at last they walk on their knees and 
 hands, making the most extravagant gestures and 
 contortions. Pieces of glass are now freely dis- 
 tributed, which they grind between their teeth, and 
 nails, which they force into their gums. Some 
 swallow thistles and pieces of prickly pear ; others 
 place their tongues on a red-hot iron, or seize it in 
 
9© Chips from Tunis: 
 
 their hands. One, bare-footed, jumps on a sabre, 
 and at the sight of the blood flowing they become 
 still more maddened ; they call upon their father, 
 the Mokaddem, for food, and he distributes living 
 serpents, which they courageously put into their 
 mouths. At last a living sheep is dragged into the 
 midst of them, helpless, and bleating with terror ; 
 and these fanatics, transformed from men into 
 beasts, tear it limb from limb, each eagerly seizing 
 pieces of the quivering flesh and devouring it. The 
 orgies wax still more horrible and furious, till, utterly 
 exhausted by the violence of their emotions, they 
 fall to the ground, and sink into a lethargic slumber. 
 The Aissaouas are very numerous in Tunis, and 
 this fete takes place every year. The word Aissaoua 
 has become synonymous with juggler or wizard. 
 
 The Mohammedans have an iman or bishop, 
 who is the first dignitary in the mosques, and the 
 superior of the ulemas or priests. Then comes the 
 marabout, whose mission is to see that the precepts 
 of the Koran are duly observed. This title is never 
 given to a Mussulman unless he has distinguished 
 himself by his exemplary piety and pretended 
 miracles. The dervishes are wandering monks, 
 who live on the charity of the faithful ; and the 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 91 
 
 men who guard the mosques are called mollahs. 
 The emirs and sheriffs are high dignitaries, taken 
 from the nobility; they are looked upon as 
 descendants from the Prophet, and have much 
 influence with the people. The guardian of the 
 mosque ascends to the summit of the minaret five 
 times a day, and, having hoisted a flag, calls the 
 people to prayer, pronouncing these sentences : 
 "Allah is great, O come to prayer, O come to 
 adore ; there is no other God besides Allah, and 
 Mohammed is his prophet." The faithful then 
 turn in the direction of Mecca, prostrate themselves 
 on the ground without hesitation, and perform their 
 devotions, whether they are even in the streets or 
 the fields. Before entering a mosque they take 
 off their slippers, and make the ablutions so strictly 
 enjoined by the Prophet ; and indeed, as is well 
 known, a Mussulman, even when paying visits in 
 the house of a superior, invariably leaves his 
 slippers at the door. , 
 
 Before entering on the subject of the pilgrimages, 
 it is as well to state that the Mussulman year 
 consists of twelve lunar months, and only 354 days. 
 It begins again eleven days before our solar year, 
 and dates from the Hedjira. The hours are counted 
 
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 from sunset at six o'clock in the evening to the 
 same hour next day. The Moslems have singular 
 superstitions with regard to the months of the year. 
 For instance, the first month, Mohurrem, is con- 
 sidered holy, and any warlike expedition is 
 forbidden. In the second month, Safar, no Moham- 
 medan will travel even now, except from dire 
 necessity, as the saying is that no one who 
 travels in that month ever returns. The tenth 
 month, Choual, is especially devoted to visits and 
 pleasurable meetings, and the eleventh, called 
 Dhou-el-Kadar, is consecrated to the pilgrimage 
 to Mecca. The pilgrims generally arrange to join 
 the Rakeb or caravan of Mecca, which for centuries 
 has always left Fez in Morocco on the second of 
 Redjeb, the seventh month. 
 
 This caravan is commanded by a chief called 
 "Cheikh-er- Rakeb," and is composed of pilgrims on 
 foot, and men mounted on mules, horses, camels, 
 and dromedaries ; for it is not restricted to religious 
 purposes only, but has also its commercial side, 
 and such important business is often transacted, 
 that, on reaching its destination, the caravan 
 frequently numbers 8,000 persons. It is preceded 
 by a man bearing a white standard, the pilgrims 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 93 
 
 marching to the sound of music, and singing the cry 
 of Islam, " La Allah ilia Allah " (There is no other 
 God but Allah), or " El-Hamdoullah " (Glory to 
 God). Three times a day the members of the 
 caravan prostrate themselves with one accord to 
 worship the Almighty, and the marabout reads 
 prayers from the Koran. 
 
 The pilgrims carry couffins, or large flexible 
 baskets, made of palm leaves plaited together, which 
 contain their provisions of dates and roasted corn, 
 also a skin on their heads containing water. They 
 are mostly men accustomed to hard exercise, and 
 can walk long distances ; and, owing to their 
 marvellous instinct and powers of observation, 
 never lose their way, even when travelling alone, 
 which, however, is rarely done, for isolated travellers 
 would probably fall a prey to the numerous 
 brigands who infest these regions, and who some- 
 times even venture to attack the Rakeb, notwith- 
 standing its sacred character. A terrible conflict 
 then takes place, for it is well known that, as a 
 general rule, no prisoners are taken on either side, 
 and each individual who falls into the power of his 
 adversary is instantly put to death. There are, 
 however, some exceptions. Marabouts, Jews, and 
 
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 blacksmiths are allowed to escape ; the first, from 
 respect to their office, the second from contempt, 
 and the third also for some unexplained reason, 
 and it suffices for a man to make the movement of 
 beating on the anvil to be allowed to pass un- 
 molested. When the pilgrims arrive at Mecca, 
 they hasten to prostrate themselves before Ma- 
 homet's tomb, and to offer up thanks for their 
 preservation from the dangers of the route. 
 
 The wives of Moslems are sometimes allowed 
 by their husbands to make short pilgrimages to the 
 tombs of saints in the neighbourhood, but always 
 under strict surveillance, and generally with their 
 female friends. It is, however, generally believed 
 that women have no souls, and therefore have no 
 need of prayer. They are brought up in total 
 ignorance, not knowing how to read or write, and 
 spend their time mostly in embroidering with gold 
 and silver on costly stuffs, or in domestic cares. 
 Sometimes they are taken to spend a day in the 
 country, but in carriages, where they are closely 
 screened from view, and accompanied by several 
 servants, who look well to see that the garden 
 where they are to walk is not overlooked by any 
 one of the masculine gender. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 95 
 
 This monotonous existence is sometimes en- 
 livened by the visits of almehs, or dancing girls, 
 and occasionally Jewesses come with articles for 
 sale. The women never take their meals with 
 their husband. He generally eats alone, or in 
 company with one of his friends. 
 
 In former days, the Beys, as I have already 
 said, exercised despotic power, and were the 
 supreme judges of all cases whether civil or crimi- 
 nal, without any court of appeal. In Europe it 
 would be hardly understood how one man could 
 despatch so much necessary business with order 
 and precision. But in this country the administra- 
 tion of affairs was very simple, and abuses were 
 easily discovered, which would have passed un- 
 noticed in a more complicated machinery of affairs. 
 For example, if the Bey suspected that one of his 
 agents robbed the treasury or his subjects, punish- 
 ment was quickly inflicted in the most rigorous 
 manner ; and though the offender might be cun- 
 ning enough to avoid open detection, the Bey 
 never failed, by summary means, to make him re- 
 store what he imagined had been stolen, and this 
 without the aid of the law. 
 
 The following fact, which is related by an eye- 
 
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 witness, will show what injustice was frequently 
 committed. The Bey's minister had a steward 
 who was a Jew, in whom he had the utmost con- 
 fidence. He had given into his charge at differ- 
 ent times sums amounting to about ;^5o,ooo, 
 enjoining the greatest secrecy, and that no mention 
 should be made of it in any of his accounts. 
 
 The minister died without having disposed of 
 this sum, and the Jew could easily have appropri- 
 ated the money, as no one knew anything about 
 it : but perhaps fearing it might come to the ears 
 of the Bey, or wishing to give a proof of his 
 honesty, and so obtain some important post, he 
 decided on making a declaration of the truth to 
 his Highness. 
 
 The prince, far from being satisfied, felt that 
 probably the Jew had kept back a portion of the 
 treasure, and therefore did not cease to overwhelm 
 him with repeated acts of oppression, thus hoping 
 to force the poor Jew to restore the rest. His 
 declaration, however, had been exact, and he was 
 reduced to the greatest misery, being obliged to 
 beg in the streets of Tunis. 
 
 The Bey was the sovereign judge, not only 
 of important causes, but also of the smallest differ- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 97 
 
 ences which arose among his subjects. Every day, 
 at eight o'clock in the morning, he went to his 
 audience-hall, where he remained till twelve o'clock, 
 listening with admirable patience to the com- 
 plaints and quarrels of his subjects, and giving his 
 decision. He considered this one of the most 
 important duties he owed to the people under his 
 government, and seemed to take a pleasure in its 
 performance. He also probably found his interest 
 in it, as he never failed to inflict heavy fines on 
 those who fell under his displeasure. 
 
 Everything was reduced to a very simple form. 
 Each man .pleaded his own cause without help, or 
 any documents but those which attested the pay- 
 ment or the debt. The Bey, having heard the two 
 parties, put some questions, and when he con- 
 sidered himself fully instructed as to the merits of 
 the case, gave his irrevocable judgment. Some- 
 times, in a very difficult case, he took a day to 
 consider, and to ask the opinion of lawyers, but 
 generally his justice was summary, and a European 
 tribunal would find it difficult to get through as 
 many cases in a month as the Bey despatched in 
 the course of a morning. 
 
 The habit of judging in this way sharpened 
 
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 the intellect, and gave a keen insight into men's 
 minds, which, with experience, compensated for 
 the lack of instruction, as there was no previous 
 study of jurisprudence. 
 
 I will note a few incidents, which will show 
 the way in which justice was administered. A 
 Moor had lost a purse containing several gold 
 sequins. Desirous of recovering it, he instructed 
 the public crier to proclaim his loss in the town. 
 The purse had been found by a man who was well 
 renowned for his honesty, and directly he knew 
 who was the owner of it, he hastened to restore it. 
 But the Moor, seeing he had to do with a rich 
 man, thought it a favourable opportunity to gain 
 something at the expense of the man who had so 
 conscientiously restored the purse. He therefore 
 maintained that eighty sequins were missing, and 
 violently demanded their restitution. At last they 
 both agreed to go before the Bey, when each 
 related his story, and as apparently one was 
 as probable as the other, it was no easy task to 
 discover the culprit. The Bey asked to see the 
 purse, and having examined it carefully, took out 
 the few sequins it contained, and ordered another 
 hundred coins to be brought from his treasury. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 99 
 
 He then tried to put them into the purse which 
 could only contain about fifty ; then emptying it 
 again, he told its owner to try and put in the 
 hundred sequins which he pretended it had con- 
 tained. He not being able to succeed, the Bey called 
 the man who had found the purse, and gave it to 
 him, saying at the same time, " As this purse does 
 not answer to the description given by your ad- 
 versary, it belongs to you, and no one can dispute 
 your possession of it. As to you," he said, turn- 
 ig to the discomfited Moor, "you deserve three 
 or four hundred blows with a stick, but as you are 
 thoroughly exposed as a dishonest man, go, and take 
 care never to appear again before my tribunal." 
 
 Two Bedouins had found a cow which had 
 strayed away in the night ; no one claimed her, 
 but each of the two Bedouins wished to keep 
 her. A complaint was brought before the Bey, 
 who tried to make the two litigants decide the 
 matter amicably, but not being able to succeed, 
 ordered the cow to be brought before him, and 
 addressed them thus : " All property which has no 
 legal owner belongs to me ; therefore, according to 
 this law, the cow does not belong to either of you, 
 but to me. Let the owner of it come and ask for 
 G 2 
 
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 it ; he will be sure to receive a severe punishment 
 for his carelessness in keeping his cattle. As for 
 you, think yourselves happy to go out of my 
 presence without being bastinadoed, for I strongly 
 suspect you stole the cow yourselves." 
 
 It often happened that the bastinado was 
 applied, not only to the guilty party, but to his 
 accuser if he failed in substantiating his complaint ; 
 for the Moors have this proverb, " Beat the innocent 
 to make the guilty confess," and the following anec- 
 dote will serve to show that this principle is some- 
 times put into execution. 
 
 A jewel-merchant at Tunis had just received 
 from Constantinople ten beautiful rings mounted 
 with rubies, emeralds, topazes, and other precious 
 stones. He locked them up carefully in a 
 box, which he placed in one of his cupboards. 
 Next day, wishing to show these jewels to some of 
 his rich customers, he found that one ring was 
 missing, and that a topaz had disappeared. No 
 stranger had entered the room where the precious 
 box was placed, and it was evident that the theft 
 could only have been committed by a person living 
 in the house. The slaves, the servants, even the 
 members of the family, were closely questioned, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. ioi 
 
 and even searched, without the ring coming to 
 light. The jeweller suspected an old servant who 
 had been many years attached to his service, and 
 being persuaded of his guilt, notwithstanding his 
 reiterated assurances that he was innocent, ended 
 by dragging him before the Bey's tribunal and 
 accusing him of robbery. The unfortunate man 
 wept bitterly, denying the accusation most solemnly 
 on his oath. On the other side, the jeweller had 
 no proof to bring, but only his suspicions, and the 
 witness of his young daughter, aged twelve, who 
 declared that she certainly had seen her father 
 "count the ten rings the evening before and shut 
 them up in the box, and that the next day there 
 were but nine. 
 
 Between such conflicting statements the Bey 
 was much perplexed to find out the truth ; at last 
 he cried, " I order five hundred blows to be equally 
 distributed between the two parties, alternately, 
 fifty at a time. The executioner of this sentence 
 began by administering fifty blows to the unfor- 
 tunate servant, who persisted in proclaiming his 
 innocence, and adjuring Mahomet and all the 
 prophets to come to his aid. The next fifty blows 
 were about to be dealt to the accuser. Already he 
 
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 was seized by the slaves and thrown on his face ; 
 the stick was raised, when the young girl threw 
 herself at the Bey's feet, and, imploring forgiveness, 
 produced from her mouth the ring, which she had 
 held there concealed, and which she had been 
 tempted to steal the evening before from her 
 father. It was impossible to undo the punishment 
 suffered so unjustly by the poor servant ; but the 
 Bey gave him the ring as a compensation, and con- 
 demned the jeweller to receive the four hundred 
 and fifty blows, since by his inconsiderate ac- 
 cusation he had exposed his servant to capital 
 punishment. As the merchant was very rich, it is 
 needless to say that he paid a heavy fine to free 
 himself from this disgrace. 
 
 Murders were generally punished by death, 
 with these differences in the way of administra- 
 tion : a Turk was strangled in the fort of the 
 Citadel, a Moor was hanged in the very place 
 where he had committed the crime. Even women 
 condemned for murder shared this penalty. 
 
 They also in certain cases were condemned to 
 be drowned ; and a woman thus condemned was 
 first obliged to pass through the streets on a donkey, 
 with her face turned towards the tail. She was 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 103 
 
 then taken to the lake, put into a bag weighted 
 with great stones, and thrown into the water ; but as 
 the lake was very shallow there were men with long 
 sticks to keep the bag in place till the unfortunate 
 woman was dead. The jealousy of the Moors is 
 well known, also how strictly their wives are guarded, 
 but the following anecdote will serve to show the 
 truth of the old proverb, " Where there's a will 
 there's a way." 
 
 A Moor at Tunis had a pretty young wife, but 
 an equally lovely widow who lived close by had 
 fascinated him by her charms, and his visits to her 
 house were very frequent. She, jealous of his wife^ 
 and determining to monopolise his heart, watched 
 her rival very closely, and at last found out that a 
 young and handsome merchant went to see her 
 whenever her husband was absent. The delight of 
 the widow was unbounded. She quickly revealed 
 this intrigue to the husband, who, confident in the 
 virtue of his wife, refused at first to believe what he 
 considered a calumny, and only yielded to convic- 
 tion on strong proofs of his wife's guilt being laid 
 before him. One day, being apprised by the widow 
 that the merchant had gone to see his wife, he 
 hastened home to surprise them, but contrary to 
 
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 his expectation she was alone, and though he 
 searched well through the house no one was to be 
 found. Disappointed, he went to relate this to the 
 widow, who, after a moment's thought, said, " Did 
 you look in your wife's great chest where she keeps 
 her dresses and fine things ? " " No, certainly not." 
 " Then return at once, for there she has doubtless 
 hidden her lover." Away went the husband, rushed 
 up into his wife's room, and asked for the key of 
 the chest. She refused to give it, and he only ob- 
 tained it by using violence. The box was opened, 
 and there lay the merchant hidden under dresses 
 and shawls. The husband immediately shut down 
 the lid, and locked up the box, shut up his wife in 
 a closet near the room, and ran to make his com- 
 plaint to the Bey. But while the indignant husband 
 prepared to take his revenge, the faithless wife was 
 not idle. By means of a little window in the closet 
 she let herself down into the room, and with a 
 duplicate key opened the box and let out the 
 merchant, who went off as quickly as he could. 
 When the Moor left his wife to carry his complaint 
 to the chief of the police and to the Bey, he had not 
 failed to tell the widow what had happened, and she, 
 impatient to enjoy her triumph over her rival and 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 105 
 
 witness her humiliation, went to see her on pretence 
 of consoling her, and of learning the details of what 
 had taken place. To her surprise, she found her 
 rival quite calm ; she did not seem to understand 
 what her neighbour meant, and assured her nothing 
 extraordinary had passed. " Do you mean to tell 
 me," said the widow, " that your husband has not 
 found your lover in this house ? " " How could I 
 have hidden him when there is not a safe corner in 
 the house ? " " But — in this box ? " " Could a man 
 get in there ? " " Why not ? I could hide myself 
 there easily." " Impossible." " Well, see for your- 
 self" And the widow quickly jumped in, and lay 
 down in the box, but still more quickly was the lid 
 shut down and locked securely. 
 
 The Moor's wife then returned to her little prison, 
 by the same means which she had used to escape 
 from it, and the husband arriving soon afterwards 
 with the police officers suspected nothing, seeing 
 everything was as he left it. 
 
 The chest was carried off by porters ; and the 
 procession, dragging with them the accused wife, 
 accompanied the husband to the tribunal of the 
 Bey. The case was stated, and by his Highnesses 
 orders the chest was opened. But when the spec- 
 
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 tators saw a woman slip out, dishevelled and 
 ashamed, their surprise and hilarity knew no 
 bounds, and the widow fled away without any 
 explanation, pursued by hisses and shouts of 
 laughter. 
 
 The Bey was exceedingly amused at the whole 
 affair, but as he did not choose to have his court of 
 justice turned into ridicule, he took the opportunity 
 of enriching his treasure by inflicting a heavy fine 
 on the Moor for making a false accusation. He, 
 however, had seen the merchant in the box with 
 his own eyes, and the widow also was determined 
 to be revenged on the woman who had played her 
 such a trick, and at last succeeded in substantiating 
 her rival's infidelity. 
 
 The guilty couple again appeared before the 
 Bey to hear their sentence pronounced. Death 
 was the penalty of their crime : the man to be 
 strangled, the woman to be drowned ; but the Bey, 
 remembering how the first scene had amused him, 
 determined to be indulgent. The woman was 
 transported to the island of Kerkanah, and the 
 man received five hundred blows on the soles of 
 the feet, followed by six months' hard labour, and 
 the payment, as usual, of a heavy fine. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 107 
 
 This island of Kerkanah is situated just op- 
 posite Sfax, on the eastern coast ; it is the abode 
 principally of fishermen and convicts. To these 
 prisoners the Bey makes a daily allowance of 
 bread, and as fish is abundant on this coast, they 
 can easily obtain food. It often happens that the 
 wives of rich persons are sent here solely on their 
 husband^s accusation of their having committed 
 some great offence, without any hearing or judg- 
 ment. 
 
 The climate of Tunis is considered very 
 healthy, and certainly the air is very pure and 
 light, notwithstanding the emanations from the 
 lake, which are most unpleasant when the wind 
 blows from the east. This inconvenience will be 
 remedied when the project for making a port at 
 Tunis is carried into execution. But I should be 
 sorry to be an inhabitant of the town during this 
 time, as the lake has received the drains of the 
 town for centuries, and its disturbance must inevit- 
 ably produce the usual results. When the sirocco 
 blows, the temperature becomes very close, and 
 must be stifling in the summer. 
 
 It was much colder during the months of 
 December and January than we expected, and the 
 
id8 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 damp was most trying ; indeed, it was the cause 
 of my having a painful and wearisome attack 
 of rheumatic sciatica, which lasted three or four 
 months. These houses are made without chim- 
 neys, and the walls give out a great deal of damp 
 from the habit prevalent here of making the 
 mortar with sea water. The Arabs always use 
 cushions, which are placed against the wall to 
 avoid contact with it. They have little pottery 
 stoves, which are easily carried about, and are 
 heated with charcoal ; and the Arabs place a sort 
 of wooden coop over these for drying their clothes : 
 a very necessary precaution, for what is laid aside 
 at night feels very damp in the morning. At last 
 we felt the cold so much that we ladies lived in 
 shawls, and the gentlemen in great coats and red 
 fezzes, a most becoming headgear. 
 
 The first rain falls in October, and generally 
 ends in December ; but towards the end of January 
 we had some very stormy weather. The spring is 
 very pleasant, and is the best time for making 
 excursions to different places of interest in the 
 neighbourhood. The summer sets in about the 
 middle of May, and lasts for five months, which I 
 am assured seems an eternity. It is then we shall 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 109 
 
 feel that " burning African sun " of which our 
 friends write, but of which we have as yet had no 
 experience. Snow is almost unknown here, but 
 the mountains in the interior are often covered with 
 it, though it soon disappears. The temperature is 
 subject to sudden variations, which makes it trying 
 for invalids, and the nights are very cold. 
 
 The disease most prevalent here is ophthalmia, 
 which principally attacks the natives ; it is caused 
 by the ardent sun, by the particles of fine sand 
 which the wind raises, and also by the damp in 
 houses of the lower classes, as these are always 
 built on the ground without cellars. Diphtheria is 
 also common, principally among children, and often 
 fatal. There is also a species of eczema, which 
 is painful, and often attacks new-comers ; but on 
 applying certain remedies it quickly disappears. 
 
 We were well supplied during the winter with 
 game ; hares and partridges were plentiful, also 
 woodcocks and various small birds, which Bar- 
 thelemy cooked to perfection. He found some 
 difficulty in dealing with the Arabs on first coming 
 here, as they always ask three times as much as 
 they intend to take, but he is now quite equal to 
 coping with them, and caters famously for us. We 
 
no Chips from Tunis: 
 
 found the benefit of having brought him and his 
 wife with us, as the servants here are very inferior, 
 and require incessant surveillance, whereas this 
 couple can be thoroughly trusted ; and it was no 
 small comfort to me during my illness, and my 
 husband's frequent journeys to Susa, to feel that 
 our friends were not neglected. Captain and Mrs. 
 Dick took many country expeditions in the spring, 
 and often returned laden with lovely wild flowers, 
 such as cyclamen, sweet peas, mignonette, etc. 
 Tunis now deserved its name of Verdant and 
 Flowery, which we had considered so singularly in- 
 appropriate in the autumn. 
 
 During the early part of our residence here my 
 husband and I received a most friendly invitation 
 from Captain Tombarel to go to Mohammedia, where 
 a detachment of the 4th Zouaves was encamped, 
 and take dejeuner with him and his brother officers. 
 Mohammedia is now a poor little village, and only 
 the ruins of a once beautiful palace can now be 
 seen. It was built by Sidi Ahmed forty years ago, 
 and was his favourite resort. The interior was mag- 
 nificently decorated, but according to the Tunisian 
 custom, after the death of the Bey, it was abandoned, 
 and the once-called Versailles of Tunis is now but 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. hi 
 
 a most melancholy ruin, the resort of stray goats 
 and camels. We left Tunis at 9 o'clock, with Madme. 
 Tombarel and her friends, and drove to Moham- 
 media, where the captain's orderly met us, to show 
 us the way to the camp. The road was exceedingly 
 rough, and indeed, I may say, in some parts, there 
 was no road at all, and the coachman exercised his 
 own discretion in driving under the olive trees, so 
 that we could pick clusters of the fruit, which was 
 abundant. At last we arrived at the camp, where 
 Captain Tombarel received us, and presented us to 
 his brother officers. 
 
 We had a very pleasant merry dejeuner in one 
 of the tents, and then witnessed some interesting 
 military manoeuvres ; but the black clouds which 
 began to rise up warned us to prepare for the home- 
 ward journey, which we luckily accomplished with- 
 out rain. 
 
 Our next expedition was to the Bardo, in the 
 company of Dr. and Madame Chauvain. The Bardo 
 is not only a palace, it is more like a little fortified 
 town, surrounded by a wall with towers and bas- 
 tions. It contains a bazaar, kept by Moslems, Jews, 
 and Christians, a mint, and the State prisons, as 
 well as vast grounds situated beyond the fortified 
 
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 building. It is about three miles from Tunis; the 
 road is good, and was much frequented when it was 
 the residence of the late Bey, as, besides the usual 
 traffic of the road, the high functionaries of the 
 Court, and visitors of all classes, were in constant 
 communication with his Highness. Many of the 
 equipages were drawn by three mules, with harness 
 beautifully embroidered, others were simpler. Some- 
 times the red and gold carriage of the Bey was to 
 be seen with its painted panels, and its magnificent 
 embroidered silk fittings inside. Eight mules drew 
 this carriage, the coachman's livery being light blue 
 cloth ornamented with silver. All along the length 
 of the road, where there was the least shade, might 
 be seen groups of poor natives indolently reclining 
 on the ground, wrapped up in coarse coverings, 
 some asleep, and some basking in the heat of the 
 sun, but all more or less in picturesque attitudes. 
 The indescribable mixture of costumes of different 
 colours, the amalgamation of men and women, of rich 
 and poor, of luxury and misery, of dirt and cleanli- 
 ness, of horses, donkeys, mules, and camels, form a 
 picture which must be seen to be realised, and 
 which, when seen, cannot fail to fascinate every one. 
 But I am digressing, and must return to our 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 113 
 
 drive. We passed by a vast aqueduct, which had 
 been built by the Spaniards* and which is still per- 
 fect in many parts, and soon arrived at the Bardo 
 with its imposing looking fortifications on either 
 side. In front of the building is a platform, guarded 
 by a few soldiers. Facing the entrance door are 
 two elevations, one with a fountain" for the refresh- 
 ment of horses, and the other destined for the exe- 
 cution of those condemned to death by the sabres 
 of the Moors. After passing through a spacious 
 court remarkable for its splendid dome and arches 
 of Arab architecture, we ascended the celebrated 
 flight of marble steps called "The Staircase of 
 Lions ; " there are three on each side in most valu- 
 able white marble. It was very necessary to have 
 a guide before arriving here, as the courts and ves- 
 tibules are endless. We were much struck by the 
 varieties of coloured marble round the doors, and 
 the stripes of black and white marble round the 
 arches are very handsome ; the walls are covered 
 with earthenware tiles arranged in elaborate pat- 
 terns. We passed by the palace of the Chief Minister, 
 and through the court of the harem, where black 
 eunuchs were quietly smoking their cigars ; and this 
 brought us to the Staircase of the Lions, which led 
 
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 to the palace inhabited by his Highness. We passed 
 through a vast reception hall with a fountain in 
 alabaster; this hall formerly used to be crowded with 
 courtiers and officers, Tunisian subjects, strangers 
 in quest of novel impressions, and a prodigious 
 number of Arabs more or less clothed, sleeping 
 under the arches or lazily surveying what was pass- 
 ing around. We visited the Hall of Justice, with 
 its fine ceiling of gilt and red arabesques, where the 
 Bey used to dispense his summary judgments, and 
 then passed into the different apartments. There 
 is an admirable picture of Louis Philippe in Gobelin 
 tapestry, and there are also portraits of the sove- 
 reigns of Europe, of the Princes of Tunis, and the 
 portrait of the Bey. 
 
 On a later occasion we again visited the Bardo, 
 with an order to see the private apartments^ and 
 the room where Sidi Mohammed-es-Saddok, the 
 brother of the actual Bey, died. The gardens are 
 vast, but not well kept. We noticed . some very 
 fine orange trees, but not equal to those at 
 Manouba, the ancient palace of Hamouda Pacha, 
 now transformed into a barrack for the French 
 soldiers. There we saw groves of orange trees of 
 immense size, loaded with fruit and lovely flowers. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 115 
 
 Manouba took its name from Lalla (or Madame) 
 Manouba, a saint held in great veneration by the 
 Mussulmans. 
 
 There is something very sad to me in the way 
 that these beautiful palaces are allowed to fall into 
 ruin. No Bey ever occupies the palace of his 
 predecessor ; it would be considered fatal to his 
 prosperity, and that the '' Ain," or Evil Eye, would 
 haunt him ; and this principle is general among 
 their subjects as well. Thus, if a house has been 
 shaken by an earthquake, or partially destroyed by 
 fire or any other accident, they never repair it, but 
 prefer to build another house, and use the materials 
 of the old one. Their building is very slight, and 
 the houses seldom have more than one storey, so 
 that rebuilding is not such a serious matter as it 
 would be in Europe ; but this custom gives that 
 ruinous look to the town which struck me so 
 much on my arrival, and to which I have before 
 alluded. 
 
 My favourite resort is the Arab quarter of 
 Tunis, which is generally clean and well kept. I 
 am never tired of walking in the narrow, zigzag 
 streets, and looking at their small windows, so 
 
 jealously guarded from prying eyes by cages of 
 
 H 2 
 
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 lattice-work, and then at the large Moorish doors, 
 with their franaework of black and white marble, 
 and the small inner door with its primitive round 
 knocker, studded with nails arranged in crescents, 
 and its emblems to ward off the power of the Evil 
 Eye ; and now and then, in quite a common- 
 looking house, you suddenly come across a beau- 
 tiful column in marble, evidently brought there 
 from some ruined palace. Everything is strange 
 and interesting, and all the surroundings are so 
 thoroughly Oriental. There are the grave Moors, 
 tall and erect, with regular features and fair 
 complexions, in their picturesque, lovely-coloured 
 gandouras, and white bernouses gracefully draped 
 on their symmetrical figures, which are surmounted 
 by the orthodox turbans ; women all shrouded in 
 white, with black crape over their faces, gliding 
 past in the quiet streets ; then you turn round a 
 corner, and find yourself in the midst of a busy 
 crowd, pushing and jostling their way, holding up 
 some article for sale, and screaming out its merits ; 
 wonderful figures on donkeys, with their straw 
 hats gaily trimmed and as large as umbrellas ; 
 negresses in their red striped petticoats, and large 
 necklaces, bracelets, and anklets ; Jews in their blue 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 117 
 
 and grey cloth garments, and red fezzes with blue 
 tassels ; Jewesses in their very peculiar tight-fitting 
 dress, and headgear like helmets ; country people 
 strangely tattooed ; and a sprinkling of Europeans ; 
 all this is more amusing than I can describe. 
 
 We long to go into the mosques, which look so 
 beautiful ; but in Tunis the entrance is strictly 
 forbidden to strangers of either sex. When we 
 visit Kairwan we shall be allowed to see them, 
 for though for a thousand years no Christian ever 
 visited this, the Holy City of Africa, which was 
 " the hotbed of all the bigotry of Mohammedanism 
 in Africa," yet, since its desecration by the French 
 troops in 1881, any one may visit its mosques, of 
 which there are five hundred. 
 
 Our visits to the Souk for perfumery were 
 frequent, and I made friends with one of the 
 Moors, who sold attar of roses, Schnooda, and 
 other delightful perfumes. Whenever I passed he 
 called loudly, " Viens, madame, viens," as they 
 always speak in the second person ; and even if I 
 did not buy any thing, he always asked for my 
 handkerchief, and perfumed it with attar of roses. 
 
 These Moors all exercise some trade ; and 
 though exceedingly proud, think it no disgrace to 
 
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 retail perfumery, silks, and even groceries. This 
 Souk is covered above with large planks of wood, 
 which do good service in protecting from rain, or the 
 too ardent rays of the sun. Each vendor sits in his 
 own little niche ; but it is the fashion to meet two 
 or three together, and discuss the events and 
 politics of the day, and read the papers. 
 
 They look on the Bey as a traitor to the 
 Sultan, and anathematise the French invaders 
 under their . breath. The Moors have a quick 
 sense of humour, and are able at an emergency to 
 indulge in a keenly-pointed repartee. The report 
 of the proces Roustan-Rochefort, translated into 
 classical Arabic, has afforded them unceasing amuse- 
 ment, but their excessive mirth over the adven- 
 tures of the French minister and his friends led 
 them into indiscretion. Their proceedings reached 
 the ears of General Japy, who summoned one of 
 the most venerable members of the ancient con- 
 fraternity of Moorish scent-sellers to appear before 
 him. " You are always talking against the French," 
 said the General, " and you must be punished.'^ 
 The luckless Moslem in vain protested the con- 
 trary. The General informed him that he was 
 sentenced to lose his tongue. The instruments 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 119 
 
 essential to the operation were then produced on a 
 tray. Then, and then only, did the Moor forget 
 his dignity. Forgetting his ancestors of Granada 
 and Cordova, he embraced with fervid eagerness 
 the feet of his judge. I need hardly say he was 
 pardoned, and that General Japy was only in- 
 dulging his sense of humour, and at the same time 
 giving the offender a lesson in prudence. The 
 incident, however, will become a tradition of the 
 Souk-el-Attarin, and will not be forgotten when 
 the good time does arrive. 
 
 I have said nothing about my Arab friends for 
 a long time. Owing to my illness, I had been 
 unable to go and see them, and they could not of 
 course come and see me, as they never pay any 
 visits. But one day I went, and found Aunt 
 Lashusha, Halouma, and Fatima all busy working 
 at their frames, embroidering in silver ; there were 
 also two or three retainers, whose wages amount 
 to about five francs a month, which is the reason, 
 no doubt, of their scanty clothing, which consisted 
 of a striped petticoat, and camisole. 
 
 I seated myself on a cushion, and presently 
 in came a very old woman, who seemed very 
 angry at seeing me there, and pointing to me, 
 
120 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 began to vociferate in Arabic. Not to be outdone, 
 I answered with a volley of French, upon which 
 her horror knew no bounds, and she began to make 
 passes at me, and to murmur incantations. I 
 told her, in what Arabic I could muster, that I 
 was one of the good genii ; and Fatima, who is 
 always as mischievous as she is pretty, told her a 
 great deal about me which I could not understand, 
 but they all laughed till they cried. She at last 
 dared to approach me, and make me take off my 
 bonnet, to see if it grew there, I suppose, but I kept 
 a watchful eye over all her movements, as I knew 
 she probably would cut a piece out of my dress, 
 this being a sovereign remedy against the effects of 
 the Evil Eye, or " Ain,'^ and I chanced to know it. 
 I happened to call upon Lalla Fatima one day 
 rather late, and found her at dinner with an old 
 woman. On her inviting me to join them, I 
 accepted the invitation, and set myself down on a 
 small stool before a very low table. The appoint- 
 ments thereof were most primitive, knives and 
 forks being dispensed with, and each took what 
 she liked out of a large dish. Fatima handed me 
 a piece of a fish, and an olive, which I ate ; and 
 after she had given me a piece of highly-seasoned 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 121 
 
 meat, the repast was over, and she led me to a 
 small basin of scented water, and washed my 
 hands, drying them with one of the fashionable 
 etamine chair-backs, which, it seems, are to be 
 bought much cheaper in London than here. It 
 was a very funny experience, but not one I should 
 care to repeat. 
 
 My friends kindly sent me one of their favour- 
 ite dishes, kouskousou, for us to taste. It consisted 
 of chicken and mutton with quantities of semola, 
 and was very highly spiced. We did not care much 
 for it. 
 
 One day M. T L , the brother of my 
 
 friends, came to dine with us, and, seeing that he 
 seemed to appreciate our plum pudding, I sent 
 them one, which they declared they liked very 
 
 much. M. L dresses in European style, 
 
 which disappointed us, for, as you will have already 
 observed, we are all bitten with an Arab mania. 
 He kindly proposed taking us to see the Dar-el- 
 Bey, which was the town residence of the Beys of 
 Tunis ; so we all went, and were much gratified. 
 
 This palace was built by the Bey Hamouda, 
 and is the finest type to be seen of princely Moor- 
 ish style. The court is paved in white marble, and 
 
122 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 all round are black and white marble arcades, 
 supported by sixteen marble columns. The 
 ceilings of the porticoes are covered with coloured 
 flowers, mixed with gold. Below are arabesques 
 wonderfully traced, as delicate as lace embroidery, 
 and much resembling those of the Alhambra. The 
 reception rooms are spacious, and we were told 
 they were splendidly furnished some years ago, 
 but all that was beautiful has long ago disappeared, 
 and only very ordinary furniture remains. Some 
 of the ceilings are lovely, with the same delicate 
 arabesques, particularly that in one octagon room, 
 and the salon of the Bey is almost entirely in crys- 
 tal, so that he could see all that passed without 
 being seen himself 
 
 It had been the custom from time immemorial 
 for the Beys to spend the month of Ramadan in the 
 town residence, and when Mohammed-es-Saddok 
 had to surrender it as a dwelling for General Lam- 
 bert and his suite, the old man wept and refused to 
 be comforted. Here three of our own royal princes 
 had been received, and many other royalties ; but 
 that was a thing of the past. We went on the 
 terrace on the roof of the house, and enjoyed the 
 fine view of the town and environs. We saw Go- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 123 
 
 letta, the ruins of Carthage, and the chapel of St. 
 Louis, Rhades, a village prettily situated on an 
 eminence, and the hill called Sidi Bil Hassan. 
 
 A fortress crowns its summit, and beyond is a 
 sanctuary where frequent pilgrimages are made on 
 Fridays by ladies who are childless, as the popular 
 belief is that by sliding down a stony declivity on 
 the other side and invoking the aid of Allah, their 
 wishes will be realised. The other hill which domi- 
 nates Tunis is called the Belvedere ; it is to the 
 north of the city, and a camp has been made there 
 by the French, and strongly fortified. 
 
 When we first came here the grapes were abun- 
 dant, and most delicious. They were brought from 
 the country by little donkeys in large panniers, but 
 were often much crushed, and nothing could be 
 more disagreeable than to see them in the native 
 shops covered with flies ; thus we took care to secure 
 them early in the market. The pomegranates were 
 remarkably fine, and much sweeter than those at 
 Cannes ; but I was sadly disappointed at not find- 
 ing bananas, as I had been told they were plentiful, 
 and it is very true that in the public gardens there 
 are groves of banana trees with immense clusters of 
 fruit, but it is a mystery who eats them, as they are 
 
124 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 not for sale. Of course, if the inhabitants would 
 cultivate them, it would be easy enough to get 
 them, for the soil has lost none of its old reputation 
 for fertility. The vegetables are good, but dear ; it 
 IS a sight to see the enormous loads of long radishes 
 brought on the donkies' backs. The Arabs are 
 very fond of them, and eat quantities with their 
 highly-spiced food. The cauliflowers were splendid, 
 and great cartsful came in from the country. In 
 due season we had spinach, carrots, turnips, peas, 
 beans, artichokes, and wild asparagus, much larger 
 than those found on the lie St. Honorat, but not 
 so good. The oranges are the best I ever tasted, 
 so sweet and luscious, and with a peculiar flavour 
 which the natives call muscat ; and now, in the 
 month of May, we have Japanese medlars, straw- 
 berries, and apricots. 
 
 The dates, as is well known, quite failed last 
 season ; but in November, when Captain and Mrs. 
 Dick arrived, nothing could be more delicious than 
 those we had during their short apparition. Nevef- 
 had we eaten such dates ! So we resolved that our 
 friends at Cannes should also enjoy them. We 
 were informed that the camels were on their way 
 from the desert laden with this fruit, and the day 
 

 A Glimpse of Arab Life. 125 
 
 for their arrival was announced at Tunis. I accor- 
 dingly sent a shower of post-cards to Cannes, and 
 informed my friends that the dates would be en 
 depot at a small shop in the Rue d'Antibes belong- 
 ing to M. Courrin, who had obligingly placed it at 
 my disposal for their reception. 
 
 Accordingly, on the appointed day, a procession 
 of carriages arrived with empty baskets, and M. 
 Courrin was besieged by requests for dates, which, 
 alas ! had not arrived. The neighbours, astonished 
 at the sight of so many fine equipages day after 
 day before a small shop devoted to the sale of oil 
 and soap, and hitherto " unknown to fame," imagined 
 that M. Courrin's fortune was made, and their curi- 
 osity was keenly aroused. But the excitement soon 
 passed away for want of fuel to feed the flame, and 
 the disappointment about the dates was very great, 
 as many people had told me how much they wished 
 to have them. Meanwhile, our anxiety here, and 
 impatience at Tunis, knew no bounds, and can be 
 but faintly imagined. Captain Dick spent most of 
 his time in sallying out and wading about the town, 
 which was a lake of mud, from the heavy rain which 
 continued to fall with but little intermission ; and 
 as there are no outlets in the streets for the water. 
 
126 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 people were obliged to wear high boots and paddle 
 about as they could. As for the omnibuses, it was 
 a service of danger, for they fell from one great hole 
 in our street into another, and rocked violently to 
 and fro, with their precious burdens of turbaned Mos- 
 lems, who, however, remained impassible, and trusted 
 to fate, whilst the mud formed itself into waves, and 
 threatened to submerge the cumbersome vehicles. 
 
 What added to our annoyance was the constant 
 appearance of scouts with the cheering intelligence 
 of the advance of the camels, who could come on 
 but slowly from the swampy state of the country, 
 and from being so heavily weighted. As there was 
 a camel-market just opposite our house we thought 
 of organising a camel corps as a forlorn hope, and 
 going to the rescue of these long-suffering animals. 
 At last one day Captain Dick came in and said this 
 time they really were coming, and that we had 
 better have the dejeuner an hour earlier to be ready 
 to receive the dates. This we did (we would wil- 
 lingly have gone without any to be sure of the 
 dates). Captain Dick took a carriage and went forth 
 to meet them, and Mrs. Dick and I spread a large 
 sheet in a corner of the patio, put on our aprons, 
 and sat on the stool of expectation. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 127 
 
 But alas ! again were we doomed to be disap-. 
 pointed ; the melancholy fact that the date harvest 
 had completely failed was forced upon our unwil- 
 ling minds, and we at last ceased to call " Sister 
 Anne, Sister Anne." The few that arrived were 
 crushed, and unfit for exportation. Determined, 
 however, not to be crushed myself, I recalled the 
 brilliant feats of Madame Rodel, of Bordeaux, and 
 resolved to follow her example. Her history is not 
 generally known, but it is most interesting. 
 
 This poor lady, many years ago, had a fearful 
 attack of small-pox, and was at death's door, but 
 recovered, contrary to the expectation of every one, 
 though with the loss of her beauty. She was so 
 enme by her husband's unswerving devotion, not- 
 withstanding her disfigurement, that she resolved 
 on making his fortune. She accordingly, after 
 much perseverance, succeeded in producing the 
 famous conserves which have a world-wide reputa- 
 tion for their unsurpassed excellence, and which 
 caused wealth to flow into her husband's coffers. 
 My plan was to utilise the crushed dates, and I 
 directed Barthelemy to make them into marmalade, 
 which we all thought so delicious that I had a large 
 quantity made and put into tin pots, which were 
 
128 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 soldered up, packed into a wooden case, made by a 
 Cannes carpenter, and despatched to Goletta, to be 
 sent to the care of M. Courrin. 
 
 But " days and weeks passed away," and still no 
 tidings came of our precious merchandise. " Mis- 
 fortune had clearly marked me for her own," and 
 the case, from some unexplained cause, did not 
 arrive at Cannes for weeks after leaving Tunis. 
 When it was opened it was found that one or two 
 pots had burst, but it was hoped that this was only 
 an accident, and the pots were neatly arranged on 
 shelves for the customers, who again kindly flocked 
 to purchase them. 
 
 But whether it was owing to the change of cli- 
 mate, and tossing about so long, or that evil genii 
 were imprisoned in them, the inmates of the shop 
 were much frightened at seeing the pots suddenly 
 bound from their places and knock against the op- 
 posite wall, throwing a large parrot off his perch, 
 and scattering the sticky contents in every direc- 
 tion. Of course, this catastrophe was preceded by 
 a loud report, which made the neighbours run in to 
 see what was the matter, and suggestions of dyna- 
 mite were heard on every side. And thus ignobly 
 ended my first commercial venture. What vexed 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 129 
 
 me most was the trouble and disappointment I had 
 unwittingly caused to all our kind friends. 
 
 The best dates are found in the Djerid, to the 
 south of the Regency, better known as the Sahara. 
 There are several qualities of this fruit. The Digla 
 dates are much superior to the others, and they are 
 exported to Europe in January and February ; a 
 sort of paste is made of the inferior sorts, which is 
 sent to Malta for the lower classes, and also for 
 horses. The camels and mules eat it here, mixed 
 with barley or grass. 
 
 We have ample opportunity of studying the 
 habits of these animals, for, as I said before, the 
 camel-market is exactly opposite our windows, and 
 most amusing it is to us to watch these interest- 
 ing creatures. They always lie down to feed, and 
 in the winter their food principally consists of bran, 
 which is given to them in large sieves ; two or three 
 eat together, and allow only their own little donkey 
 to join them, for their driver is always mounted on 
 a little bourrico, as they call them. These little 
 donkeys are most spirited and useful ; they never 
 seem tired, and carry immense loads. The market 
 is now covered with fresh grass, which is brought 
 in from the country every morning, mixed with 
 
13© Chips from Tunis: 
 
 quantities of yellow daisies, which the camels 
 appreciate greatly. 
 
 The first time I ordered a load of coal, I was 
 much surprised to see it arrive on the back of a 
 camel. The creature let himself down on his front 
 legs, and lay before the door, looking like a great 
 brown heap, till he was relieved of his load, when 
 he rose up, seeming interminable as he did so, and 
 walked back alone into the market, These 
 animals are wonderfully useful. Besides their pre- 
 cious services as beasts of burden, and their powers 
 of passing days without food or water, their hair 
 is used for carpets, cords, certain materials for 
 dresses, etc. Now is the time for clipping them, 
 and afterwards they are rubbed over with pitch, to 
 avoid the irritation which would throw out an 
 eruption. Camels' milk is also much appreciated. 
 Even in death these animals are precious, for the 
 skin, flesh, and fat are all utilised. 
 
 There are certain tribes in the interior who 
 bestow great care on their dromedaries, which of 
 course are superior to the camels, and more 
 valuable. The price of a good camel is about £Z, 
 while a dromedary would fetch about £^o or ;^5o 
 sterling. When the young ones are born they are 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 131 
 
 immediately buried in the sand up to their necks, 
 that their delicate legs may not be deformed by 
 the weight of their bodies. In this position they 
 remain for a fortnight, and their only food is 
 butter ; afterwards their education begins. They 
 learn to stop, and to stoop when required, and to 
 obey orders at once. The mules are very fine 
 here, and they are often used in preference to 
 horses, as being so much stronger, and so sure- 
 footed. Their value is greater than that of 
 horses. 
 
 When we first thought of coming here, I must 
 say one of my objections was the quantity of 
 disagreeable insects I expected to find in such a 
 hot country. But this idea was quite erroneous, I 
 am happy to say. Though we arrived in Sep- 
 tember, when, at Cannes, we should have been 
 tormented with flies and mosquitoes, and Perrita 
 with fleas, here we had none, or very few. They 
 seem to confine themselves to the Arabs — and long 
 may they continue to do so ! 
 
 We were told that scorpions were very com- 
 monly seen, and in the old houses I hear this is the 
 case. In an old work on Tunis, I read that at night 
 men used to go round the town with lanterns and 
 I 2 
 
132 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 long-handled brooms to sweep them off the walls. 
 The serpents are mostly harmless, and in many 
 Moorish houses they keep one for good luck. So 
 far is this feeling carried that the serpent's dinner 
 is prepared, and the creature glides into the room 
 at meal-times, devours its portion, and retires 
 again into its hole. At certain periods of the year 
 the serpent charmers ply a thriving trade, for the 
 Arabs are never tired of admiring the tricks by 
 which these jugglers excite the serpents to bite 
 their noses or tongues ; and the spectators are 
 always taken in, though it is well known that the 
 teeth which contain the venom have been ex- 
 tracted, and that they are therefore harmless. 
 Captain Dick found one in the street one day. No 
 doubt it had escaped out of the bag in which the 
 charmers carry them. He killed it by a blow with 
 his stick. 
 
 And now the time when these dear friends 
 were to leave Tunis approached but too quickly, 
 and on the 26th of April they went by the steamer 
 to Palermo, and left a sad blank ; but the news of 
 their safe arrival has reached us, and we must look 
 forward to meeting again. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 133 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Precious Stones — Mineral Springs — Origin of Baths — Visit to 
 Carthage — Physicians — Polygamy — Perfumery — Native Races. 
 
 I HAVE before mentioned the great value set upon 
 jewels by the Arabs, and one of their authors, 
 Terfachey, whose manuscript is preserved in the 
 National Library, has written a work on the subject, 
 which is interesting. According to him rubies 
 strengthen the action of the heart, keep off thunder 
 and the plague, and appease thirst. The emerald 
 cures the bite of scorpions, or of any other 
 venomous reptiles, and blinds them if placed 
 before their eyes ; it drives away demons and evil 
 spirits, and is a specific against epilepsy and 
 diseases of the eyes. The diamond has also the 
 power of curing epilepsy and other diseases. The 
 turquoise strengthens the sight, and cures ophthal- 
 mia. The bloodstone must be presented to people 
 in a passion, when it exercises such a soothing 
 influence that their anger evaporates instantly. It 
 also stops hemorrhage, and cures the toothache, 
 preserves from bad luck, and is a pledge of 
 happiness and long life. The cat's eye nullifies the 
 
134 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 power of the Evil Eye, and in battle renders its 
 wearer invisible to his antagonist. The topaz is a 
 specific remedy against jaundice and bilious af- 
 fections ; and, finally, women who are nursing wear 
 a turquoise ring to ensure having abundance of 
 milk. 
 
 These precious stones are often engraved with 
 mystical characters, generally the work of a Mara- 
 bout, and are sold by him at a high price as 
 " telsem," or talismans, as are also pieces of 
 parchment, called amulets, on which are written 
 the ninety-nine names of the Almighty, each 
 signifying a particular virtue. The Mussulmans 
 often carry chaplets consisting of ninety-nine beads 
 with these names engraved, which they repeat 
 aloud when they are performing their devotions ; 
 they believe that the hundredth name has been 
 hidden, but he to whom it will be revealed will be 
 endowed with universal power, and with the gift of 
 performing miracles, and will be the sovereign 
 master of the universe, commanding even the 
 genii, the angels, and other celestial beings. 
 According to their creed this name has only 
 been revealed to Adam, to Solomon, and to Ma- 
 homet. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 135 
 
 The belief in the Evil Eye is universal among 
 this people, and even the Arab doctors share this 
 prejudice, and believe that ophthalmia is entirely 
 due to this influence, and that it suffices for one 
 man to look unkindly on another, to produce this ill- 
 ness. The only remedy employed by them against 
 it is a little piece of red cloth, suspended by a 
 thread before the pupil of the eye to attract the 
 bad influence from the patient, and so counteract 
 the evil. I may here observe that we learn both 
 from Pliny and Virgil that the ancient Greeks and 
 Romans believed in the influence of the Evil Eye, 
 and also that exaggerated praise brought mis- 
 fortune on its object 
 
 The " Ain " is also accused as being the cause 
 of all the evil which happens. If a European 
 caresses their children, or seems to take pleasure 
 in praising, or looking at them, the parents hasten 
 to take them away. If a fine horse is admired 
 before the owner, he considers it predestined to 
 misfortune in some shape, either by illness or 
 accident. I myself saw the aunt of my Arab 
 friends place before her a little servant girl, 
 suffering from ophthalmia, mutter some incantations, 
 and make cabalistic signs ; she finally put her 
 
136 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 finger down her own throat, and then placed it 
 on the child's eyes, and under her chin, firmly- 
 believing this to be an effectual remedy ; but I saw 
 poor little Assiza some days afterwards with her 
 eyes in a wretched condition, which made me 
 doubt the efficacy of Lalla Lashusha's remedies. 
 This same little creature made a snatch at Mrs. 
 Dick's handsome card-case, as we were leaving the 
 house, to our great astonishment, which showed 
 she required some moral training ; but this is utterly 
 wanting, of course. Our gravity, too, was sadly 
 tried that day, for Lalla Lashusha proceeded at a 
 certain hour to perform her devotions, standing up 
 and reciting verses from the Koran, and then 
 prostrating herself till her forehead touched the 
 ground, without losing her balance. The sight of a 
 very stout, middle-aged woman, in tight white 
 trousers, and a wide blue silk vest, and with a little 
 black helmet on her head, engaged in these gym- 
 nastics was not to be forgotten. Mrs. Dick and I 
 tried to do the like, but it was a signal failure.. 
 
 On one occasion I was calling with some ladies 
 at an Arab house, where we were very kindly 
 received, and coffee was handed round ; but we 
 observed the Arab ladies whispering together, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 137 
 
 and seemingly annoyed at something. On asking 
 a young daughter of the Arab lady, who spoke a 
 little French, what was the matter, she hesitated, 
 and coloured up, and after much persuasion con- 
 fessed that they were all very much shocked to see 
 that one of our party wore a cameo brooch 
 representing a nude figure of Venus, and added 
 that no Arab lady would think of doing such a 
 thing ! We were much surprised, and the lady 
 with the brooch was rather vexed, but I thought 
 the Arab lady was right. To make us forget the 
 little contretemps, they showed us the contents of 
 their wardrobe, and unfolded vests, and jackets, 
 and trousers, in velvet and satin, embroidered with 
 gold, each one more gorgeous than the other. 
 
 There are in Tunisia numerous mineral springs, 
 but the two principal ones are Hamman-el-Lif, 
 and Hamman Gourbos. We visited the former 
 one afternooi; by train, as a line of railway has 
 been made thus far, which will ultimately extend 
 to Susa, Sfax, and Gabes, on the eastern coast. 
 Hamman-el-Lif was celebrated in the time of the 
 Romans, who established thermes here, the ruins 
 of which still remain. The name is taken from an 
 Arab word signifying " baths on the promontory." 
 
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 They are prettily situated at the foot of a mountain 
 with two peaks like horns ; still further to the 
 south are mountains containing rich treasures of 
 lead, and forming the last spurs of the chain of the 
 Atlas mountains. We visited the establishment 
 of the baths, and nothing can be more wretched 
 than their arrangements. The large patio had 
 a storey above with a gallery, and here were several 
 Jewish families, who take rooms and use these 
 baths. The inhabitants of Tunis, and indeed of 
 all the coasts of Africa, from time immemorial, 
 have frequented them, and especially after the 
 month of Ramadan towards the end of June, when 
 they resort in great numbers to these waters, which 
 contain a large quantity of sulphur and carbonate 
 of lime, and are slightly impregnated with iron, 
 and of a temperature of 60" centigrade. 
 
 The other spring, Hamman Gourbos, near the 
 little town of Gourbos (the ancient Carpis), men- 
 tioned by Titus Livius under the head of Aquae 
 Calidae, contains aluminium, and if silver is dipped 
 into this water and rubbed it becomes beautifully 
 bright. It is considered very strengthening, and 
 the degree of heat is more intense than that of 
 Hamman-el-Lif. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 139 
 
 Dr. Frank speaks of his visit to this spring in 
 1862, which took place under difficulties, as a 
 Moorish saint was buried here. An oratory was 
 erected to his memory, close to the mineral 
 waters, and no infidel foot had been allowed 
 to tread the sacred soil. The Mussulmans mur- 
 mured loudly, and endeavoured to prevent Dr. 
 Frank's entrance, but the Jewish interpreter who 
 accompanied him loudly proclaimed that he was 
 the chief Hakim, or physician of the Bey, and was 
 sent by him to test the properties of the water. 
 He was then quickly surrounded by a crowd eager 
 to consult him, and every facility was given him 
 to make a careful examination of the water. 
 
 The use of warm baths is well known to be 
 general among all Oriental nations, and I must re- 
 produce an amusing legend on the origin of them, 
 thus related by an Arab : — " King Solomon, who was 
 renowned for his wisdom and foresight, had ordered 
 warm baths to be constructed for the health and 
 cleanliness of the human race throughout the ter- 
 restrial globe. He had placed genii, real genii, to 
 wait upon those who came to the baths. But, in 
 order that they should neither hear, repeat, nor see 
 what was said or done in these numerous establish- 
 
140 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 ments, he had ordained that the genii in question 
 should be bhnd, deaf, and dumb. Why did he take 
 this precaution ? Doubtless, because things occurred 
 in the baths of King Solomon which were to be 
 eternally covered with the veil of mystery. Evi- 
 dently, discretion was one of the virtues of this 
 sovereign. But at last Solomon, in a common, 
 vulgar way, died, like any other mortal, and when 
 it became necessary to explain to the genii that 
 their master was no more, it was impossible to 
 make them understand, consequently the triply 
 infirm genii continued to warm the baths as if 
 nothing had happened, and to this day they con- 
 tinue to do so with as much zeal as ever ! " Now, 
 do you understand the origin of thermal sources } 
 One must acknowledge that, at all events, if this 
 version be not strictly veracious, it is ben trovato. 
 
 The water which supplies Tunis is excellent, 
 and is conducted from Zaghouan by means of a 
 superb aqueduct, constructed by French engineers, 
 who utilised a part of the ancient aqueduct of 
 Carthage. The town of Zaghouan contains about 
 3,000 inhabitants, and is built on the side of a high 
 mountain, which supplies numerous and abundant 
 springs. The distance from Tunis is about twenty- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 141 
 
 five miles, the position beautiful, the town being 
 surrounded by gardens and magnificent forests, 
 with abundance of olive trees. 
 
 The principal gate, which is gigantic, is orna- 
 mented by a fine ram's head with a pair of huge 
 twisted horns,and below is the Latin word," Auxilio." 
 It was built by the Romans, who often placed this 
 inscription on gates intended to facilitate the bring- 
 ing in of supplies during a siege, or to procure easy 
 egress in case of necessity. The ram's head, which 
 was the emblem of Jupiter Ammon, is frequently 
 to be seen on medals, and probably was placed on 
 this gate to invoke the aid of this god for the safe 
 conduct of the pilgrims who passed through to visit 
 his temple. Zaghouan is considered the healthiest 
 place in the whole Regency. The air is pure and 
 light, and the temperature less variable than that of 
 Tunis, though colder in winter from the proximity 
 of the chain of mountains to the north east ; water, 
 too, flows in abundance on every side, so that the 
 gardens are productive, and trees give a delightful 
 shelter from the heat. 
 
 We had long wished exceedingly to visit the 
 ruins of Carthage, but my illness had prevented our 
 doing so. However, at last I was able to go with 
 
T42 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 my husband, and we took the two servants with us, 
 and Perrita. The day was lovely, and we thoroughly 
 enjoyed our drive of fourteen miles. We arrived 
 at the foot of the eminence on which the chapel and 
 college of St. Louis are built, and slowly ascending 
 the steep road, were delighted with the grand view 
 from the summit of the hill, which overlooked that 
 sea once covered with the ships of a powerful fleet. 
 Here, in former days, stood the fortress of Byrsa, 
 and the temple of ^sculapius. From a distance 
 the chapel looks well, but it disappointed us on 
 closer inspection. It contains a statue of St. Louis, 
 by Emil Scarre, and some arabesques on the upper 
 part of the wall ; the windows are of coloured glass, 
 with the monograms of Louis the Ninth and Louis 
 Philippe. The exterior is of Gothic architecture. 
 The cost of building was so great that the question 
 was asked whether the walls had been built of mor- 
 tar mixed with champagne instead of water. A 
 pretty garden surrounds the chapel. The chaplain 
 and concierge have made numerous researches in 
 the ruins below, and have discovered some antiqui- 
 ties, which are placed in a museum behind the chapel 
 forming part of the college. A beautiful mosaic slab 
 was lately discovered by the Pere Delattre, near the 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 143 
 
 railroad ; it is in the museum, together with many- 
 antiquities excavated by the learned antiquaries 
 who from time to time have made important dis- 
 coveries ; and no doubt many others will be made, 
 for it seems impossible that the ruins of Carthage 
 can yet have divulged all its secrets. 
 
 As all my readers know, Carthage was founded 
 by Dido, but perhaps some, like myself, may not 
 be aware that this- was the name by which she was 
 poetised by Virgil, and that her real name was 
 Elissa, the granddaughter of Eshbaal, king of the 
 Sidonians, who, as we are told in the Bible, was the 
 father of the famous Queen Jezebel, and conse- 
 quently Elissa was her niece. This seems hard of 
 belief, though wherefore I cannot tell, for it is prob- 
 able Jezebel had nieces like other people, and she 
 certainly was not a fabulous personage. The re- 
 mains of a temple dedicated to the worship of Baal 
 was found at Carthage, and the account of Hanno's 
 expedition to found colonies on the Lybian coast 
 is engraved there. This memorial was carried off 
 and preserved by a Sicilian traveller. 
 
 After the arrival of the Phoenician princess, 
 a close bond of union existed between the new 
 colony and the Tyrians, which continued for cen- 
 
1 44 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 turies. They aided each other in all emergencies, 
 and exchanged rich presents annually, and when 
 Tyre was invaded by Alexander the Great, the 
 women and children were sent to Carthage. A 
 gentleman living at Tunis informed me that he 
 had in his possession an image of the god Buddha, 
 which doubtless had been brought from India by 
 the Phoenicians. It was found among the ruins, 
 and is perfect, except the head, and this is to be 
 explained, as the Arabs invariably decapitated any 
 statues or gods which were unknown to them. No 
 doubt this was done at the time of the Arab 
 invasion of Carthage and Tunis, and will account 
 for the number of headless statues found. 
 
 It seemed wonderful to be standing on such 
 classical ground, so rich in interesting associations, 
 and to see the poor vestiges of this wealthy and 
 extensive city once so renowned as the successful 
 rival of Rome, and the cradle of the heroes who 
 have made her name illustrious. I should like to 
 have remained for hours, but time was fleeting 
 apace, and we descended the hill to visit the 
 cisterns, which are eighteen in number, and are 
 some of them in good preservation and half full 
 of water. Here we met Arabs who were bent on 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 145 
 
 selling us stones and medals, which we rejected, 
 as of doubtful origin. The joy of the servants was 
 great on finding three teeth in a rubbish hole, 
 which they declared must have belonged to the 
 ancient Romans, till Marius told them they were 
 evidently those of a donkey or mule. At last we 
 tore ourselves away, and drove home by Marsa, 
 which once formed part of Carthage. Here is the 
 country residence of the English Consul, also of the 
 French Minister, and the present Bey has a palace 
 here ; the gardens are exceedingly pretty, and 
 there are plenty of villas, which are taken by people 
 for the summer. 
 
 The Moors have great faith in doctors, and 
 take every opportunity of consulting them, which 
 often makes them the dupe of any charlatan they 
 happen to meet ; they have a proverb, " never 
 injure priests or doctors under any circumstances, 
 whatever may be their faith or nationality." The 
 following anecdote, showing their credulity, is re- 
 lated by a traveller. 
 
 "One day one of our Moorish friends complained 
 
 of a violent pain in his head, and brought forward 
 
 many learned reasons to prove that it was caused 
 
 from having eaten an old hen, on which a Jew had 
 
 J 
 
146 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 cast a spell. On going to consult a barber (who 
 is a very important person, and often acts as a 
 doctor), he, by still more scientific reasoning, 
 declared that cupping on the neck and extracting 
 a tooth were the best remedies to be employed. 
 The Moor seated himself in the large leathern arm- 
 chair, and said, with stoical composure, "set to 
 work at once and cure me. The barber, armed 
 with a pair of pincers with unequal prongs, soon 
 pulled out the tooth, which was perfectly sound, 
 but in doing this, broke two others. " Do you 
 feel relieved 1 " said this quack to his unfortunate 
 patient, preparing to cup him at the same time, 
 which operation was performed very superficially. 
 " Yes," gravely replied the Moor, " I am better, and 
 I have no longer pain in my head." 
 
 The barber is not the only disciple of ^Escula- 
 pius who practises in these countries ; there is the 
 Thebib, or infallible doctor, and the Mdaou'i, or 
 simple healer ; the Marabouts also pretend to cure 
 their clients, but by means only of conjuring 
 sentences, for the veneration which they inspire 
 enables them to dispense with other remedies, and 
 should the illness impertinently refuse to yield to 
 these adjurations, it is never the fault of the Mara- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 147 
 
 bout, but evidently he is not that special one 
 ordained by Allah to put the evil spirit to flight. 
 The Soeurs de Charity, who are as devoted at Tunis as 
 elsewhere, are called Marabouta by the Arabs. The 
 Thebib has very little medical instruction, indeed 
 it is considered a hereditary talent, and is sup- 
 posed to be transmitted from father to son ! The 
 Thebibs have a little general knowledge of physi- 
 ology, of the circulation of the blood, and of a few 
 simple remedies for prevalent diseases ; experience, 
 and various subterfuges which succeed in this 
 country of credulous people, supply the rest. 
 They sometimes prescribe impossible remedies 
 to their patients, such as to drink the milk of a 
 lioness, or to bathe in a certain river but with 
 special injunctions to follow it to its source. It 
 can easily, be imagined that before the lioness has 
 consented to be milked, the patient may die, and 
 yet no one can accuse the Thebib of having 
 employed a wrong remedy ! The Mdaoui are very 
 inoffensive, and generally have recourse to amulets 
 as a cure, and each, fortunately only undertakes 
 one sort of illness. One is a specialist for fever, 
 another for ophthalmia, and so on. Like the 
 Thebib, he deceives and imposes upon his patients, 
 J 2 
 
J 48 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 in order to obtain money or presents from them. 
 The following fact, related by M. Casimir Henricy, 
 will serve to illustrate this assertion. 
 > A French surgeon was called in to attend an 
 Arab, who had been shot in the leg ; the doctor 
 having asserted that the ball was still in the wound, 
 the Arab declared it was impossible, as six Mdaou'i 
 had already each extracted one. " Well," said the 
 Frenchman, " I am going to take out the seventh, 
 and this is the one which is causing you all this 
 pain." Accordingly, in a few instants, he presen- 
 ted the ball to the patient, who was delighted, but 
 he remained perfectly convinced that the six char- 
 latans who had practised upon him had really 
 previously extracted six large balls, and doubtless 
 these operations had already cost him six fine 
 sheep. I ought previously to have mentioned that 
 the word Marabout, means in Arab, "tied," or 
 " attached," and this he must be to the Koran, 
 and bound up in the observance of the precepts 
 enjoined in this holy book. Before a Mussulman 
 can receive the title of Marabout, he must have 
 acquired, by exemplary piety and miraculous 
 actions, a great name, and a reputation for 
 sanctity. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 149 
 
 Another instance of Arab credulity is the preva- 
 lent idea which exists about women who are enceinte. 
 It has always been believed (from the Bey to the 
 peasant) that the child, in many cases, has an ob- 
 jection to enter this wicked world at the time ap- 
 pointed, and therefore goes to sleep, and sometimes 
 remains in this deep slumber for many years. This 
 ridiculous prejudice is often cunningly fostered by 
 the Moorish women for reasons of their own, as if 
 they are childless their husbands often divorce them, 
 and this is doubtless the reason of the extreme sub- 
 mission in which the women of this country live. It 
 is true they can also ask for a divorce, but seldom 
 have recourse to this extreme measure, without very 
 powerful reasons, whereas the mere will of the hus- 
 band suffices to obtain it for him. A Polish doctor 
 who was attending me said that he had just been 
 summoned for a consultation on the state of one of 
 these ladies. The husband with tears in his eyes 
 besought him to relieve his wife, who was in great 
 suffering, and give her a wakening potion for the 
 child. I asked him what was his answer. " I told 
 him I would give her some medicine which would 
 be efficacious ; if I had told him he was in error, 
 he would not have listened to me, and would have 
 
150 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 spread about that I was an ignorant doctor, and 
 have spoiled my practice." 
 
 Polygamy is more prevalent in Tunis than in 
 Egypt, but it has its inconveniences as elsewhere. 
 If several wives inhabit the same house, quarrels 
 and jealousy are the inevitable results, and the hus- 
 band's life is rendered intolerable. Dr. Frank relates 
 that he was conversing with a rich Moor who had 
 two wives, and being childless, was thinking of 
 taking a third. " But how do you mean to maintain 
 peace and order in the house with the conflicting 
 interests of these three rivals?" said the doctor. 
 " Oh," replied the Moor, " there are two ways of 
 making them agree ; one is to put an end to their 
 quarrels with a stick in my hand, or else to lodge 
 them in separate houses ; "but the latter is a method 
 which could only be adopted by very rich people. 
 
 It is sad to see in what complete ignorance and 
 subjection these Arab women remain, owing to the 
 Mohammedan policy, which so wills it. Their one 
 idea is to eclipse their friends by their splendid toi- 
 lettes on the rare occasions when they are allowed 
 to meet. No man is ever allowed to enter a harem, 
 but ladies of high rank, or those having good intro- 
 ductions, can obtain the privilege of access to them. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 151 
 
 Such visitors find groups of indolent beauties reclin- 
 ing on cushions in magnificent salons, and smoking, 
 in long chibouques, the tobacco or opium which is 
 carefully prepared by a negress slave. 
 
 Monsieur Mignard, however, relates an instance 
 of an exception to the strict harem rules having 
 been made by the Sultan Abdul Azez in favour of 
 M. de Keratry, who was then at Constantinople on 
 a diplomatic mission. The Sultan, having taken 
 a great fancy to him, showed his preference, contrary 
 to all rule, by inviting him to spend a soiree in the 
 palace. Having presented him to several ladies in 
 the harem, the Sultan asked which he admired the 
 most. M. de Keratry pointed out a lovely Circas- 
 sian. The evening came to an end, the ladies retired, 
 and the Frenchman took leave of his Highness, who 
 invited him to dine with him the following day. 
 The invitation was joyfully 'accepted, and the dinner 
 was most agreeable and full of entrain, but at des- 
 sert, a slave brought the head of the lovely Circas- 
 sian on a gold waiter and presented it to M. Keratry, 
 the Sultan saying at the same time, " It is strictly 
 forbidden in our religion that a Mohammedan woman 
 should marry a Christian. I could not, therefore* 
 give you her whom you had chosen, but from friend- 
 
152 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 ship to you I ordered her to be beheaded, that she 
 might never belong to any one else." 
 
 Among the different branches of commerce at 
 Tunis is that of perfumery, and especially the attar 
 of rose so highly appreciated in Europe. It is 
 commonly supposed that the purest quality comes 
 from Tunis, but much of this precious essence is 
 sent here from Constantinople and other parts of 
 Turkey, and is prepared for exportation. The word 
 " attar " has often puzzled me, but it seems that its 
 literal meaning is " druggist," " rottF attary " mean- 
 ing " pound of the druggist," therefore, essence of 
 roses seems the more correct term in speaking of 
 this delicious scent. 
 
 It is always more or less falsified, for otherwise 
 few persons could buy it, as it costs from £\20 to 
 ^140 sterling for a pint, and it takes 4,000 lbs. of 
 rose leaves to make this quantity. After the 
 distillation quantities of good rose water are made 
 with the same leaves. In order to judge of its 
 purity, amateurs can employ the following test. 
 Place a drop of the essence on a piece of white 
 paper, and put it near the fire : if the liquid 
 evaporates quickly, leaving no mark on the paper, 
 the essence may be considered perfectly pure ; but 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 153 
 
 if a spot remains, it has been mixed with some 
 other essence, probably geranium, which is often 
 used with it. It is more expensive at Tunis than 
 at Constantinople. The red rose is most generally- 
 used, but there is a species of white rose, called 
 "nessery," which produces a still more precious 
 essence ; it is very rare, and costs double the price 
 of the former ; but it would be impossible for 
 lovers of perfumes to procure a more exquisite 
 scent than that of nessery, and some of the rich 
 Moors have it distilled in their houses for their 
 own use. 
 
 Large quantities of orange-flower water are 
 also made, which can be bought at a very reason- 
 able price, varying from year to year, according to 
 the orange-flower harvest. 
 
 The pure essence of jessamine is as expensive 
 as that of nessery, as it takes so many flowers to 
 furnish a very small quantity of essential oil. It is 
 a favourite flower with the Arabs, who mount the 
 blossoms on little reeds, and put them behind their 
 ears, so as to fall upon the cheek ; they also make 
 curious little bouquets of them mixed with pieces 
 of gold paper. 
 
 Our English community at Tunis has been 
 
154 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 much grieved at the death of a young Englishman 
 of the name of Holden, who, after taking his 
 degree with honours at Cambridge, came abroad 
 for a Httle relaxation. He went to Rome and 
 Palermo, and at one of these places caught low 
 fever, which developed itself at Tunis ; and when 
 his mother, on being summoned, arrived here, he 
 was unconscious, and, after lingering a few days, 
 expired on Whit-sunday morning. He had been 
 nursed with devoted care by some friends with 
 whom he was travelling, and nothing could exceed 
 the skill and attention of the doctor who attended 
 him ; but it was an awful blow for his poor mother, 
 who happens to be a great friend of some of my 
 relations, and indeed I had known her in former 
 years myself. The funeral took place the next 
 day in St. George's Cemetery, at which Mrs. 
 Holden was present, though worn with grief and 
 fatigue. Colonel Playfair, H.B.M. Consul General, 
 who has replaced Mr. Reade, also attended, as well 
 as others, all anxious to show their respect and 
 sympathy ; and the service was performed by the 
 Rev. Mr. Reichardt, the British Chaplain here. 
 
 The Protestant cemetery of St. George's is 
 situated near the Place Carthagine, and is the 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 155 
 
 earliest Christian relic in Tunis. It was granted, 
 as its name indicates, to England at the beginning 
 of the 17th century, but, unfortunately, the original 
 deed of gift has been lost. Formerly outside the 
 battlements, it is now in the heart of the city. In 
 removing some rubbish some years ago, a series of 
 narrow stone tombs, fashioned after the manner of 
 the Arabs, was discovered, with Latin inscriptions 
 of English names, carved in bold raised letters, and 
 as distinct now as on the day on which they were 
 placed there. 
 
 Tunis is inhabited by such a mixture of races 
 that a little account of them may be interesting. 
 The most ancient native race is that of the Ber- 
 bers, or, as they are called now, Kabyles ; these 
 were the first possessors of the country, and 
 are now to be found principally in the moun- 
 tainous districts. They live in houses roughly 
 built of stone, thatched over with stubble. Their 
 skin is dark, in spite of their blue eyes, but this is 
 from exposure to the sun, as they mostly follow 
 the trades of masons or agriculturists ; their 
 foreheads are wide, and always tattooed with a 
 little cross ; the origin of this custom is as follows : 
 '' After the invasion of the Vandals, the conquerors 
 
156 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 had exempted all Christians from paying taxes, 
 and to avoid all disputes the sign of a small cross 
 was adopted on the forehead. When the Kabyles 
 changed their religion to that of Islamism, they 
 still retained the cross just in the same way as 
 they had retained certain Pagan customs when 
 they were Christians. 
 
 " These interesting traces of Christianity among 
 the nations of the African shores impressed in 
 indelible characters, and transmitted (without 
 understanding the meaning of them) from one 
 generation to another, give a hope for the future 
 as well as a record of the past." 
 
 The character of the Kabyle is frank and 
 truthful, and his word is sacred ; but when of- 
 fended or unjustly treated, his vengeance is cruel 
 and summary. His costume is simple as his 
 tastes ; in fact the Kabyles are village people, used 
 to manual labour, being excellent gardeners, and 
 very industrious. Their women are hardy and 
 robust, going barefooted like their husbands, and 
 tattooed on their faces and arms, with large rings in 
 their ears, and on their arms and ankles ; they are 
 not veiled ; they work in the fields, and are bettei 
 treated by their husbands than the other Mus- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 157 
 
 sulman women, being allowed to share their 
 repasts. 
 
 The Arabs are easily distinguished by their slight 
 muscular figures and noble bearing. They have oval 
 faces, with fine features and dark eyes and hair. 
 They are intelligent and chivalric, always faithful 
 to their engagements, brave and dignified. The 
 Arab either loves or hates, is devoted to those he 
 loves, and equally implacable to those who injure 
 him. He respects courage in others, and even 
 haughtiness, for it is always said, " Give an Arab a 
 few blows with your stick and he will think much 
 of you, whereas if you are kind and gentle he will 
 despise you." A propos of which, a French officer 
 the other day, having heard this saying, proceeded 
 to put it to the test. An Arab had annoyed him, 
 but unfortunately in the act of administering a good 
 kick to him, the valiant son of Mars entangled his 
 spur in his cloak, and down he went on the pave- 
 ment, hurting his hand severely, while the Arab 
 was grinning in the distance. 
 
 These people are nomadic in their habits, and 
 remove their douar (collection of tents) from place 
 to place, but often return to their old haunts. The 
 women are pretty, but they marry at eleven or twelve 
 
158 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 years of age, and look old at twenty, for they lead 
 a very hard life ; there is no repose for them ; not 
 only have they the care of the household, and the 
 spinning of tissues for their husband's clothes, and 
 for the tents which they inhabit, but they have to 
 fetch the water, and collect the wood for the fire, 
 carry heavy burdens, and even work at the plough. 
 The husband, meantime, sips coffee and smokes ; 
 he occupies himself in breeding cattle and horses 
 and in scratching the soil, which is so fertile that 
 labour is unnecessary for satisfying their few wants. 
 When he has amassed a little money he hides it in 
 places only known to himself, and always pleads 
 poverty. He even makes his unfortunate wife carry 
 his gun on foot, with her child on her back (and 
 this I have seen myself), while he rides comfortably 
 on his horse. No wonder the poor women are worn 
 out and faded while they are quite young, but they 
 bear their yoke with patience, brought up as they 
 are in the belief that their mission is solely to 
 serve man. 
 
 When they are ill they are left without care or 
 attention, and when about to become mothers no 
 assistance is given to them. M. Henricy gives a 
 dreadful account of the way in which they are 
 

 A Glimpse of Arab Life, 
 
 159 
 
 treated at this time of trial. The poor patient clings 
 to a cord suspended from the axis of the tent, shout- 
 ing out the praises of Mahomet, and some who are 
 courageous ask for human help. In this case, a 
 strong man is introduced, who lifts her up as high 
 as he can, and then lets her fall heavily to the 
 ground. This treatment often kills mother and 
 child, upon which those present gravely say, " Allah 
 is great," and think no more about the matter ; and 
 the husband quickly replaces her. The Arabs be- 
 lieve that women have no souls ; the entrance to 
 the mosques is strictly forbidden to them, and they 
 only expect a share of the affection which their 
 husbands bestow upon their horses and camels. 
 
 The origin of the name of Moor is not clearly 
 defined ; some believe it comes from a Phoenician 
 word, " Mouerym," which was a name given to the 
 western nations ; others say it is from a Greek word 
 signifying dark or brown skinned, and that this was 
 the reason why the country they inhabited was 
 called Mauritania. Afterwards, the Saracens were 
 so named who left Africa to overrun Spain, Italy, 
 and France, and then returned to their country. In 
 modern times, the name of Moor has been given to 
 all the inhabitants settled on the African coast. 
 
i6o Chips from Tunis: 
 
 I have already spoken of the Spanish Moors, 
 who form the aristocracy of this race. Their dress 
 is very picturesque. They wear the red fez with a 
 long blue tassel, and a white or coloured muslin 
 turban rolled round the fez ; two waistcoats, the 
 upper one with handsome buttons ; a large scarf 
 rolled round the waist, and wide Turkish trousers ; 
 white stockings and coloured morocco slippers ; and 
 on their shoulders a long gandoura in light-coloured 
 cloth. They are indolent, living a quiet, easy life, 
 and it is difficult to believe that they descend from 
 such turbulent ancestors. They are courteous and 
 full of tact, but very dignified, and seldom laugh 
 aloud, though they have a keen sense of humour, 
 and can indulge in repartee. I will reproduce an 
 amusing anecdote to illustrate this. 
 
 " The present Bey of Tunis has turned one of 
 his picturesque old city palaces into a public school 
 for the Moorish youth. It was at the Sadikya 
 College I first perceived by experience the Moorish 
 capability of witty repartee. It was just after our 
 
 defeat by the Zulus, and General Sir A. C 
 
 was going over the institution. He was requested 
 to examine the boys of the first class. The first 
 question he asked was an unfortunate one — Could 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. i6i 
 
 the students point out the provinces lost by Turkey 
 during the late war? If a thunderbolt had fallen 
 into the midst of the room the sensation of horror 
 produced could not have been greater. 
 
 " The head boy with wonderful sang-froid pointed 
 out the States in question one after another, but he 
 added, ' Perhaps mon general will condescend to 
 show us the province in which the English have 
 
 been so often beaten, ces jours-ci' General C 
 
 took the boy's shrewd sarcasm in good part, and 
 carried away with him a high idea of the intel- 
 ligence of the rising generation of Tunisian Moors." 
 
 There is another race called Koulouglis, who are 
 the descendants of Turkish fathers and Moorish 
 mothers ; they are not numerous, and have nothing 
 interesting about them, being vain and insignificant 
 in character. 
 
1 62 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Habits and Customs of the Israelites — Pilgrimage to Jerusalem 
 — Negro Population — Ostrich Hunting. 
 
 And now we come to the Jews, or Israelites as they 
 like to be called, who form such an important 
 portion of the population not only of Tunis, but 
 also of all the principal towns in the Regency. 
 It is calculated there are at least 50,000 in Tunis ; 
 they are easily recognised by their dress, which 
 consists of a blue or grey cloth bernous, large wide 
 Turkish trousers, and white stockings, a red fez, 
 with a blue tassel, but no turban, two vests of some 
 bright colour, the upper one ornamented with 
 hanging buttons, and a large coloured scarf rollted 
 round the waist. They are generally fine-looking 
 men, very active, industrious, and persevering ; 
 they succeed in all they undertake, and engross 
 the principal commerce of the country, and being 
 generally rich, lend money at usurious interest. 
 
 The quarter inhabited by the poor is a labyrinth 
 of narrow winding little streets, with no symmetry, 
 as every one builds according to his own fancy, 
 and it is impossible to imagine the dirt and refuse 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 163 
 
 of every kind which encumber these alleys, and 
 make it a work of danger to pass through them ; 
 heaps of children are to be seen playing in these 
 wretched places, screaming and yelling ; a busy 
 crowd of men intent upon their own affairs, 
 pushing their way ; a horrid smell of oil, caused by 
 their habit of frying fish and meat in these streets, 
 donkeys laden with fruit and vegetables ; and 
 Jewish women hardly able to walk from their 
 immense size. In short, it is a part of Tunis which 
 is to be avoided, unless necessity compels people 
 to pass through it. Notwithstanding this un- 
 attractive description, a Swiss lady has resided 
 in one of the quieter streets for a quarter of a 
 century, and has devoted herself to the education 
 of young girls in the Jewish school, which is sup- 
 ported by the London Jews' Society. 
 
 We were invited most kindly by the Director 
 and English Chaplain, Mr. Reichardt, during the 
 winter, to go to see the prizes distributed to the 
 children, and hear them recite pieces from different 
 authors, principally Italian. We were much grati- 
 fied, and some of the girls acquitted themselves 
 wonderfully well. Many were in Tunisian cos- 
 tume and these gay colours, and the Christmas 
 K 2 
 
164 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 tree so tastefully decorated at one end of the room, 
 and well lighted up, made a very pretty ensemble. 
 Many of the well-known " Hymns Ancient and 
 Modern," were sung in Italian, and the fete con- 
 cluded with "God save the Queen" in English. 
 
 At the age of 12 or 13 these young Jewesses 
 are married, and in many instances they much 
 object to leaving their kind instructors, and prevail 
 upon their husbands to allow them to return and 
 continue their studies. The ceremonies of their 
 marriage last eight days, and some of the details 
 are so absurd and childish that one wonders how 
 resonable beings can follow them so minutely as 
 they do. A fortnight before the wedding the 
 future husband sends embroidered shoes, soap, 
 perfumery, &c., to his fiancee, and a week after 
 this she goes with her friends and an old woman 
 to the baths. Here she is obliged to resign her- 
 self entirely into their hands, and without speaking 
 a word, allows them to adorn her. 
 
 Her hair is first rubbed with a cosmetic, to 
 make it brilliant, her eyebrows and eyelids are 
 then painted, her nails are stained with henna, 
 and they make her swallow a sort of pate made 
 with honey and semolina, to fatten her, as it is 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 165 
 
 considered quite as great a disgrace among the 
 Jewesses to be thin as among the Moorish women, 
 and they feed on the most nourishing food to attain 
 the desired proportions, otherwise they are not con> 
 sidered strong or healthy. 
 
 On the Saturday previous to the wedding, 
 which we will suppose to be fixed for the Wednes- 
 day following, the future husband comes to the 
 house with his friends " to find the hen," as it is the 
 custom of the fiancee to have a fowl roasted, and to 
 hide it in a secret corner of the house. All these 
 young men then run round the rooms, and search 
 in every corner, making a prodigious noise, and 
 leaving no peace to the inhabitants of the house, 
 till they find it ; for he who succeeds in doing so 
 will certainly be married in the course of the year. 
 
 The Sunday and Monday are devoted to the 
 preparations for the wedding ; the invitations are 
 made, and toilettes arranged ; but during all this 
 time the young girl has to seem indifferent to 
 all that is passing around her ; she must be abso- 
 lutely an automaton, according to strict etiquette. 
 She must not even dress herself; indeed, this 
 would be difficult, as her hands are imprisoned in 
 bags, that the dye of the henna may not be rubbed off. 
 
i66 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 On Tuesday evening the bride is dressed in her 
 finest clothes, but is closely veiled ; she is placed 
 in an arm-chair, which is set upon a table against a 
 wall, and there remains for some hours without 
 speaking or moving. Her relations and friends 
 surround her, and the bridegroom is also admitted 
 with his family ; one of her oldest relations then 
 raises the veil, and extols her beauty, praising each 
 of her features separately, and then adds, " Well, 
 all this is nothing compared with her voice, her 
 wisdom, and her talents," which are likewise 
 enumerated. Then begins an harangue upon her 
 moral qualities and virtues, the women at each 
 pause calling, " You, you, you." When this elabor- 
 ate eulogium is finished, the young girl is taken 
 down from her elevated position, the veil falls, and 
 reveals her charms, and her bridgroom is allowed 
 to embrace her ; he also puts a piece of gold into her 
 hand, and this example is followed by the relations 
 of the two families, who approach, and place the 
 money on the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin of 
 the bride, who, according to the rules of the cere- 
 mony, still remains immovable. 
 
 Wednesday is the day of the religious ceremony. 
 The husband has his head shaved, and plunges 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 167 
 
 seven times into cold water, in obedience to the old 
 Jewish law. He then goes with his relations to the 
 bride's house, accompanied by two rabbis ; the 
 young couple are placed side by side, a covering is 
 held over them, and one of the rabbis, holding in 
 his hand a glass of wine, recites the following 
 formula : " Blessed be the name of God Almighty, 
 who has created the fruit of the vine ! Blessed be 
 His Sacred Name who created man from the 
 beginning, and who, seeing it was good that he 
 should have a companion, has allowed us to unite 
 this man to a woman of his own nation." After 
 this invocation the rabbi tastes the wine, and 
 presents the glass to the husband, who tastes it, 
 and passes it to his wife, and then to the relations ; 
 the friends press round, each trying to touch the 
 glass with their lips ; but many are disappointed, as 
 at a certain signal the glass is dashed against the 
 wall. At the same time these sacred words are 
 pronounced : " If I forget thee O Jerusalem ; let my 
 right hand forget her cunning." 
 
 The husband then passes a gold ring on his 
 wife's finger, saying, " Thou art my wife according 
 to the law of Moses and of Israel." This is a very 
 critical moment for the husband, as the putting on 
 
i68 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 the ring decides the marriage, and it sometimes 
 happens that there has been a prior attachment, 
 and that the girl has found means to inform her 
 lover of what is passing. If he, taking advantage 
 of the confusion caused by the breaking of the 
 glass, can make his way up to the girl, and put a 
 ring on her finger, his rival has nothing to do but 
 to hasten away and get over his disappointment as 
 best he can, for the Gordian knot is irrevocably tied 
 by the single fact of the ring being put on. When 
 an accident of this sort happens, the band begins to 
 play loudly, and a grand repast is served to all 
 present, except the husband, who goes alone to his 
 own house. 
 
 About 9 o'clock the most distinguished relations 
 on the husband's side come to conduct the young 
 wife to her future abode. They support her under 
 the arms, and lead her through a double row of 
 singers and friends, who walk backwards before the 
 bride, carrying flaming torches. She, to show the 
 sorrow she feels at leaving her family, makes a 
 show of resistance, advancing three steps and 
 receding two. The more slowly she advances the 
 more they sing her praises, extolling her wisdom 
 and modesty. At the moment when she is about 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 169 
 
 to enter the house, her husband tries to place his 
 foot on hers ; then for the first time she seems to 
 wake up from her inertness, and herself attempts to 
 step upon her husband's foot ; this is quite part of 
 the ceremony, for it is reckoned unlucky for a 
 Jewess, as well as for a Moorish woman, to touch 
 the threshold on the first occasion of entering 
 under the conjugal roof 
 
 A week after the marriage the newly-married 
 couple entertain their friends, and an uncooked fish 
 is placed upon the table, which has been previously 
 prepared by introducing a large nail or piece of 
 iron into its mouth. A good sharp knife is given 
 to the wife, and a blunt one to the husband, who is 
 to cut off the fish's head, whilst the wife cuts off its 
 tail. Naturally, she succeeds at once, and runs off 
 with her friends, while the husband hears them 
 laughing at him, and hacks away vainly at the 
 head of the fish with his blunt knife. 
 
 This is the account given by M, de Souhesmes 
 of a Jewish marriage, and I can vouch for its 
 correctness, as a short time ago I was invited to 
 witness this ceremony, but we were first taken to 
 the house of the bridegroom, and conducted through 
 the rooms. Over the door of the bed-room was a 
 
170 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 large crown with the Bey's arms, Fatima's hand, 
 and a large gilt horn. Inside the room, over the 
 divan, was placed a sheet of paper against the 
 white-washed wall, having a large fish, some house 
 keys, and Fatima's hand painted upon it. We 
 were told that when the newly-married pair enter 
 this room, the brother of the bride throws two eggs 
 against this paper — much in the same way as slippers 
 and rice are thrown after the happy couple in our 
 weddings — for luck. 
 
 The house keys are presented to the bride by 
 the husband's mother, who thus apparently resigns 
 all control over the household. 
 
 After we had waited for some time in this room, 
 a great many beautifully-dressed Jewesses arrived, 
 in the usual tight-fitting garments, which they 
 maintain is the ancient Biblical costume, and they 
 bring these verses in support of their assertion. 
 " The king's daughter is all glorious within, her 
 clothing is of wrought gold," and, " upon thy right 
 hand did stand the queen in a vesture of gold 
 wrought about with divers colours.'^ 
 
 Cakes and orgeat were now handed round, and 
 they seemed pleased and flattered at strangers 
 coming to witness the ceremony. At last the men 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 171 
 
 assembled in the court, and the bridegroom 
 appeared, preceded by some boys in a blue costume, 
 who were singing in chorus. The bridegroom, who 
 was a tall cadaverous-looking creature, was accom- 
 panied by a very old rabbi. The men's procession 
 was then formed, followed by that of the women. 
 We were placed in the middle, and away we went 
 all through the little dirty, narrow streets, the women 
 trilling as usual. 
 
 Then came the ceremony of the bride's being 
 hoisted in her arm-chair on the table, and the 
 details already described. Fortunately no rival 
 presented himself at the breaking of the glass, and 
 the cadaverous man was duly elected. 
 
 The rabbis exercise great influence, and are 
 exceedingly particular in enforcing the observance 
 of the Mosaic law. They observe rigorously the 
 Feast of Tabernacles, that of Pentecost or Harvest, 
 the Feast of Expiations, and the Passover. 
 
 The Israelites undertake a pilgrimage to Jeru- 
 salem, as the Moslems do to Mecca, and their 
 highest ambition is to visit the holy city. When 
 we first arrived at Tunis we noticed how the 
 donkeys and camels were loaded with myrtle and 
 other verdure, and on inquiring the reason, were 
 
172 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 told that the Israelites at this season made them- 
 selves tents with all these branches, and leaving 
 their houses, remained in them for some days, to 
 commemorate their journey through the desert. 
 They respect their Sabbath punctiliously, the shops 
 being all shut, and no business of any kind being 
 transacted. They never eat food which is not pre- 
 pared by an Israelite, and scrupulously wash their 
 meat in seven waters, and game also, thus depriving 
 it of all taste. On Saturdays, in the fine season, 
 they take their families to pic-nic in the country, 
 and very strange these groups look in their bright- 
 coloured garments, seated at their repast. 
 
 On almost all their houses a hand with five 
 fingers spread out, is painted ; for they are as 
 superstitious as the Moors, and believe in the " Evil 
 Eye." They quickly invoke the name of '' Joseph " if 
 seized with any superstitious fear, that his spirit 
 may chase away the evil demon. The hand is also 
 often painted on their horses' backs in red. They 
 have an extraordinary custom, when any one is 
 dying, of stopping up the wells and cisterns, and all 
 reservoirs of water, that the Angel of Death may 
 not steep his bloody sword in them and render them 
 hurtful. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 173 
 
 In Tunis the Jews are Talmudists, that is to say 
 they profess to believe the doctrines of the Talmud, 
 which is for them the continuation of the Bible, and 
 a civil and religious code. They maintain that 
 Moses, when he received the two tables of stone on 
 the Mount Sinai from the hand of the Almighty, 
 had also other precepts given to him which the 
 Elders of the Synagogue preserved till they were 
 made into a code. 
 
 The Jews are often to be seen carrying about 
 quantities of merchandise to attract the passers-by, 
 and frequently try to obtain access into private 
 houses ; their women visit the harems, and offer 
 their goods for sale. Many years ago this was a 
 dangerous trade, as it not unfrequently happened 
 that they were put to death for the sake of their 
 goods ; and at last the Bey made a law that no col- 
 porteur should go alone to these houses, but that 
 they should be accompanied by a friend, who was 
 to wait before the door whilst the merchant offered 
 his or her goods ; for such was the contempt in 
 which the Moors held the Jews that a Moorish 
 woman did not think it necessary to veil herself 
 before a Jew, and he was allowed to go into the 
 harems as well as the Jewesses. 
 
174 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 This simple but prudent measure of the Bey put 
 an end to the risks and dangers to which they had 
 been exposed, and with the advance of civilisation 
 their condition became ameliorated, but until 1818 
 there were certain misdemeanours for which they 
 were burnt alive. This punishment was abolished 
 on the energetic remonstrances of the consuls, and 
 also by working on the superstitious fears of the 
 Bey, for in this year there was an outbreak of the 
 plague, and it was represented to him that it was a 
 punishment from Allah in consequence of the 
 cruelty shown to the Jews. 
 
 In 1785 a ship coming from Constantinople had 
 touched at Susa, and had landed some people 
 attacked by the plague, and this frightful disease 
 quickly spread throughout the country. The Bey, 
 like a good Mussulman, at first despised the pre- 
 cautionary measures and sanitary arrangements 
 suggested to him by the Europeans, but when he saw 
 that persons of his own household were attacked, 
 he modified his doctrine of fatalism so far as to have 
 a barrier placed in his audience hall to prevent any 
 one from approaching, and he abolished the cere- 
 mony of kissing hands and only received papers 
 after they had been steeped in vinegar. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life, 175 
 
 Tunis has been visited by this terrible scourge 
 two or three times since 1785 ; the last time was 
 about forty years ago, and an interesting account 
 was given to me the other day by a lady of a 
 family well known in Tunis, who escaped con- 
 tagion by the minute and uniform precautions 
 which they adopted. 
 
 The French Consul and his family inhabited a 
 foudouk, or large house, with court and garden, 
 which communicated with the house inhabited by 
 the Spanish Consul outside the gate of Carthage, 
 generally known as the Maltese quarter. These 
 families, who lived on the most friendly footing, 
 agreed to isolate themselves entirely from the town, 
 and having assembled their households, explained 
 their intentions, and said that those servants who 
 were not inclined to submit to these conditions 
 must at once leave their house. Provisions were 
 collected for more than a year, and during this 
 time no one stirred from the grounds. Meat was 
 brought by the Arabs, well washed outside the 
 gates, and left there for the family, and bread was 
 made on the premises ; and this state of things con- 
 tinued till the disappearance of the epidemic. 
 
 The English Consul had adopted the same 
 
176 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 measures ; but one of his servants, a married 
 woman, desired her husband, who was in the town, 
 to bring her a basket of linen, and by means of 
 cords drew it up to her window, though she had 
 been strictly forbidden to receive anything. The 
 consequence was, she was attacked by the plague 
 and was at once turned out of the house, and I 
 could not ascertain her ultimate fate. 
 
 It was observed that the water-carriers and those 
 who carried skins of oil on their bare shoulders, 
 which of course were impregnated with it, were 
 hardly ever attacked by the contagion, but directly 
 they took a bath and changed their clothes they 
 contracted the illness as easily as the rest of the 
 inhabitants. It seems these observations had al- 
 ready been made in Egypt by the military surgeon, 
 Dr. Desgenettes, and also at Smyrna, and they seem 
 to support the efficacy of oil frictions, which have 
 been adopted in these countries with great success 
 by the directors of the hospitals. 
 
 I must now say a few words about the negroes, 
 who are very numerous at Tunis, and are to be seen 
 not only in the streets but in all the Mussulman 
 houses, where they act as servants. As every one 
 knows, one of the principal trades at Tunis formerly 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 177 
 
 was that of negroes, and there was a large market 
 dedicated to this purpose, where people went to 
 buy slaves, or to exchange those who did not please 
 them. A large caravan arrived every year from 
 the central parts of Africa, bringing twelve or fifteen 
 hundred, who were treated with such great cruelty 
 by the slave merchants during the journey across 
 the desert that they hailed their arrival at Tunis 
 with delight ; here they were reassured by their 
 country people as to their probable fate, for the 
 Moors treated them very kindly when they took 
 them into their service, and even considered it an 
 act of piety to give them their freedom after a cer- 
 tain period, if they had conducted themselves 
 well. 
 
 At the death of the master or mistress of a 
 household, several negro servants were generally 
 liberated ; and when a wife of the Bey died, it was 
 the custom for people of rank or importance to buy 
 negroes and at once grant them their liberty 
 There were sometimes as many as 200, and they 
 followed the funeral procession, carrying each a long 
 stick, with a card fixed on the top, bearing the certi- 
 ficate of their freedom. Whilst a negress is a slave 
 she may go about the town on errands with her 
 
178 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 face uncovered, but directly she is free, custom com- 
 pels her to veil herself like the Moorish women. 
 
 Dr. Frank gives an interesting account of the 
 causes which led to the state of slavery among this 
 people, and he obtained much of his information 
 from the negroes themselves. The wars which 
 take place in the Soudan or Black Land, between 
 the Kings or Sultans of the different tribes, are very 
 frequent, and the subjects of the vanquished tribe 
 become the slaves of the conqueror, who sometimes 
 keeps them for his own service, otherwise he sells 
 them or exchanges them for linen, arms, powder, 
 cattle, &c. When the negroes go to war they take 
 their families with them, and all travel on foot, 
 carrying a part of the baggage on their heads ; 
 some of the women grind the corn, others prepare 
 the food, and if the army they follow is conquered, 
 it is only a change of slavery for them. Another 
 cause of slavery is that the weaker negroes are 
 often overpowered by their stronger brethren, who 
 carry them off and sell them for anything they 
 happen to want. This is sometimes done even 
 between neighbours. 
 
 A negress related that one of her acquaintances, 
 knowing the corner of her poor cabin in which she 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 179 
 
 slept with her little girl of four years old, came 
 
 during the night, and gently putting aside the 
 
 reeds, carried off the poor little sleeping blacky 
 
 without the mother hearing any noise, and she was 
 
 far away next morning, having been sold to a 
 
 merchant for some provisions. It also often 
 
 happens in case of the death of a father leaving a 
 
 numerous family, and his widow not being able to 
 
 maintain them, that the Sultan takes the children 
 
 on pretence of making servants of them, and thus 
 
 giving them a means of gaining their livelihood ; 
 
 he gives some present to the mother, but really 
 
 makes slaves of these children, and has them sold 
 
 to merchants known under the name of Gellabys, 
 
 who conduct the caravans to Cairo, Algiers, and 
 
 Tunis. The Sultan then names a chief, who is 
 
 charged to maintain order, to sell the slaves and 
 
 other productions of the country for him, and with 
 
 the sum realised to purchase all that he requires. 
 
 Though the sale of negroes is now forbidden in 
 
 Tunis, the caravans still go to Tripoli, carrying 
 
 negroes with them, and the Tunisians, by means of 
 
 agents, still continue to buy them ; but as it has 
 
 already been remarked, the Moors treat their slaves 
 
 well, and they do not attempt to regain their 
 L 2 
 
i8o Chips from Tunis: 
 
 freedom ; but even adopt the religion of their 
 masters, and identify themselves with the family ; 
 
 and I have observed this in the family L 
 
 which I so often visit. 
 
 The ceremonies which take place at a negro 
 wedding among some of the tribes in the villages 
 of the interior, really are very interesting. The 
 whole population assembles on a ''place " or open 
 space, as near as possible to the bride's hut. The 
 women pile up bananas, chickens, maize, and cocoa- 
 nuts in one part of the place, which are the united 
 offerings of the friends, to be distributed later. Also, 
 carefully shaded from the sun, under the large 
 leaves of the banana tree, are enormous gourds, 
 filled with sparkling palm wine, which produces a 
 most intoxicating effect, and generally transforms 
 the fete towards its close into a wild scene of 
 saturnalian excesses. 
 
 Men now advance, and trace large circles, which 
 lessen as they approach the centre, until there is 
 only a diameter of five feet for the last circle ; in 
 this space other men heap up flowers and verdure ; 
 then, when these preparations are completed, on a 
 signal from the chief, the people approach the hut 
 of the young girl, and she, without showing herself, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. i8i 
 
 asks what they want. In answer they shout 
 " Waha, waha." It is the custom for every young 
 girl before her marriage to plant a cocoa-nut, and 
 it is firmly believed that her happiness depends on 
 the well-doing of the future tree. The girl comes 
 out of the hut on the pressing solicitations of her 
 friends, and is conducted with great shouting and 
 noise to the place where the cocoa-nut is to be 
 planted, and is told from henceforth it must be 
 her care ; she is then taken by her young friends 
 to the centre of the circles, and laid on the ground ; 
 they pile flowers and leaves upon her till she is 
 completely hidden, and they then retire and join 
 the rest of the crowd. 
 
 The bridegroom now makes his appearance, 
 and this is the signal for a tremendous commotion ; 
 they all scream and gesticulate, some women throw 
 stones at him, while others address flattering 
 remarks to him ; these last are those who have been 
 happy in their married life, while the stones are 
 thrown by those whose marriage has turned out 
 badly, as if, poor fellow, he was responsible for 
 their troubles or their happiness. 
 
 At last he is quite confused, and beside himself, 
 when a neutral party comes to the rescue, in the 
 
1 82 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 shape of the young girls who hope soon to marry, 
 they take him and place him on the first of the 
 circles traced on the ground ; there they hold a long 
 conversation, they point out the inner circle where 
 the bride lies half stifled, and suddenly they run 
 back into the crowd. The young man then, with 
 one bound on one foot, jumps into the first circle, 
 then he begins his task, hopping round all the 
 circles traced, at last gets to the centre where his 
 future wife lies, without having stopped once, or 
 touched the ground with the raised foot. But if he 
 has the misfortune to stumble, or should the cramp 
 seize him, then every one falls upon him, and over- 
 whelms him with blows, and he forfeits his bride. 
 Usually however he succeeds, though it is im- 
 possible to describe the anxiety depicted on every 
 face till he reaches the centre, and the loud and 
 joyful cry which bursts from every spectator, shows 
 the suspense which they have endured. 
 
 Now the poor bridegroom may pause a moment, 
 and is allowed to use both feet in the trial of 
 strength and muscle which awaits him. He remains 
 a moment contemplating the mass of verdure before 
 him, and then walks round, stoops down, and begins 
 by removing some of the branches, and at last 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 183 
 
 perceives something, and when he is persuaded 
 that his bride is there, with both hands he tears 
 away the leaves and flowers, seizes her violently, 
 and throwing her over his shoulder, rushes away. 
 Then begins a wild race, the whole village is in 
 pursuit of him ; in vain he tries to get into the huts 
 by the way, all are shut to him, he must reach his 
 own, and at last succeeds in doing so, when he 
 sinks down utterly exhausted, but he has made 
 good proof of strength and courage, and has gained 
 the prize. 
 
 Another important article of commerce between 
 Tunis and Central Africa is that of ostrich feathers. 
 The chase of these birds is made in the great desert 
 which stretches from Ghadamess to the valley of 
 Ouady Souf, comprising a distance of ten days' 
 journey. The absolute want of water prevents the 
 Arabs from frequenting it except for this lucrative 
 ostrich hunt, for these birds and the wild oxen are 
 the only animals which can live under the ardent 
 sun ; even tigers, lions, and hyenas, fly from this 
 deserted land, on which they can neither live or 
 breathe. 
 
 The way of hunting the ostrich is this. The 
 sportsmen mount their horses, taking care to pro- 
 
184 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 vide themselves with a small provision of water ; 
 they start about midday, when the ostriches gene- 
 rally assemble in bands of a hundred or more. 
 Directly they see the hunters, they take flight, and 
 are followed in hot pursuit. This sometimes lasts 
 for four hours without interruption, till the ostriches, 
 exhausted by fatigue, and paralysed by fright, begin 
 to relax their speed. The hunter, of course, has 
 been able to drink during his long ride, but the 
 ostrich, not having had the same refreshment, at 
 last falls to the ground utterly exhausted, or 
 foolishly hides its head in the sand ; the hunter 
 then gets off his horse, and cuts off the head of the 
 ostrich, which can make no resistance ; he gives the 
 animal to a man who follows him to carry his food 
 and provision of water, and departs in quest of 
 other prey whilst his companion places the body of 
 the ostrich on a camel which awaits them at a cer- 
 tain place previously chosen. It is very rare that a 
 hunter can take more than two ostriches on the 
 same day. But these birds, timid as they are, next 
 day seem to have forgotten all about the pursuit, 
 so that the hunter is sure to find them in bands 
 again at the places which they usually frequent. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 185 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Visit to Susa — Towns on the Coast — Arab Wedding — Visit to 
 Kairwan — Return to Tunis — Conclusion. 
 
 Tunisia is considered one of the finest countries 
 in the world for sport, as besides the small 
 game which I have already mentioned, lions, 
 panthers, wild boars, jackals, foxes, stags, antelopes, 
 and gazelles, are to be found. There are abundance 
 of flamingoes to be seen in winter on the borders 
 of the lake at Tunis, of immense size, with pretty 
 bright rose plumage. 
 
 The lake is also stocked with fish, but Europeans 
 are rather shy of eating them, on account of the 
 refuse of all kinds which is thrown into this reser- 
 voir : however the natives eat them apparently with 
 impunity. The fishing on the coast is exceedingly 
 good — red mullet, sardines, tunny fish, and all the 
 rock fish which are necessary to make a good 
 bouille baisse, so dear to the Provengal's heart ; and 
 my husband promises himself much pleasure 
 during the summer, by fishing on the south-east 
 coast of the Regency. 
 
 We much regretted not being able to visit El 
 
1 86 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 Djem, an Arab village of about 1, 200 inhabitants 
 which stands on the site of the ancient Thysdrus, 
 and is about 50 miles from Mehedia. It was in 
 this place that the chiefs of the southern tribes, in 
 1 88 1, decided on the general insurrection of the 
 nomadic Arabs in Tunisia. 
 
 The village itself is a wretched place, but it 
 contains a splendid Roman amphitheatre which 
 rivals that of Nismes in size, and is, after the 
 Coliseum at Rome, the most colossal to be found in 
 the world. This monument has unfortunately been 
 partly ruined, for about thirty years ago, during the 
 reign of the Bey Ahmed, some nomadic tribes who 
 had misconducted themselves, took refuge there, 
 and for several days resisted the Bey's troops, who 
 had come to besiege them. At last his Highness 
 gave orders to make a breach in the walls, and this 
 is the cause of the great opening on the western 
 side of the edifice, but the interior is in a tolerable 
 state of preservation. There are fine cisterns in 
 the vicinity ,yhich belonged to the town of Thysdrus, 
 and still furnish excellent water. In 1881 the 
 French soldiers made some excavations, and dis- 
 covered a large Roman house, and many beautiful 
 columns of colossal dimensions, a lovely mosaic 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 187 
 
 pavement, funeral lamps and urns, coins and medals, 
 &c. The coins were mostly struck with the heads 
 of Agrippa and Germanicus. 
 
 As I intend to conclude this little work with a 
 description of Kairwan, I will here mention the 
 other towns of interest in the Regency. 
 
 After Susa, Sfax is the most important of the 
 towns on the south-eastern coast — or the City of 
 Cucumbers, as it is called, from the quantities of 
 this vegetable growing there, as well as melons of 
 all qualities. It is built in the form of an amphi- 
 theatre, and surrounded by high walls ; and in the 
 country round are to be seen many villas, having 
 gardens well stocked with fruit-trees. It is an 
 important commercial town, and exports oil, wool, 
 sponges, dates, almonds, figs, and raisins, grain, 
 halfa, and woollen materials. The climate is good, 
 the sea breeze in summer moderating the heat 
 most agreeably, and the winters are milder than in 
 most of the other towns. 
 
 The town was bombarded by the French on 
 the 15th July, 1 88 1, and the troops landed next 
 day under cover of a heavy fire from the fleet. 
 The Arabs fought bravely ; but their arms of 
 defence were old, and of course they could not 
 
1 88 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 compete with their invaders. Still these last had 
 to fight two or three hours before gaining posses- 
 sion of the town ; and even then the hopeless 
 struggle was continued from house to house. A 
 detachment of men had arrived from Kairwan to 
 help the Sfaxians, and the cries of a " holy war" 
 resounded on each side ; but the town had to sur- 
 render, and was occupied by the French the same 
 day. Sfax is one of the few places in the Medi- 
 terranean where the tide ebbs and flows. 
 
 Gabes is a pretty little town further south, and 
 was occupied without resistance by the French 
 immediately after the bombardment of Sfax. It is 
 situated on a river, which fertilises the gardens 
 round, and they produce abundance of fruit and 
 vegetables. The palms and orange and lemon 
 trees are splendid, and make Gabes a delicious 
 oasis ; but pretty as it is, unfortunately the climate 
 is considered unhealthy. 
 
 There are several islands in the Gulf of Gabes, 
 of which the most important are the isles of Ker- 
 kena, which I have already mentioned as the 
 retreat to which the Moorish ladies are sent who 
 have the misfortune to displease their husbands ; 
 and the island of Djerba, also called the island of 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 189 
 
 Calypso, from a legend which is more poetical than 
 true. This island forms the frontier line which 
 separates the regencies of Tunis and Tripoli, and 
 in shape is almost a square of eighteen miles. We 
 had been very anxious to visit it, for it is one of 
 the most fertile parts of Tunisia, and its gardens 
 are said to be lovely. They produce olives, 
 almonds, figs, pomegranates, and apricots, inter- 
 spersed with gigantic palm-trees, and vines falling 
 in graceful festoons from tree to tree. 
 
 Djerba is the island of the lotus eaters. M. 
 Victor Guerin, who has visited and studied the 
 productions of these gardens, thinks that the lotus 
 was the fruit of a thorny shrub or plant called 
 " damouche ; " and, according to the Greeks, it was 
 so delicious that its effect on strangers was total 
 forgetfulness of their country. 
 
 In 1 561 the Turks had raised a hideous pyra- 
 mid of human skills in commemoration of their 
 victory over the Spaniards who were commanded 
 by Andre Doria. This frightful trophy was only 
 destroyed some years ago in consequence of the 
 representations of the French consul. There is 
 now a small garrison of 100 French soldiers on 
 the island. It was an important commercial centre 
 
190 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 at one time, as the caravans arrived, bringing 
 gold powder, ostrich feathers, elephants' teeth, and 
 other valuable articles ; but this commerce is now 
 absorbed by Tripoli, and the Djerbians are reduced 
 to the export of their own productions, which have 
 been already mentioned. 
 
 Sponges are also found in great quantities on 
 this coast, and are sent to a house of business in 
 Paris, which has the monopoly of this article. The 
 dates from the Djerid, or desert, were formerly 
 taken to Djerba and exported to Europe ; but 
 this commerce is now entirely in the hands of the 
 Sfaxians. The Djerba dates, though plentiful, 
 are of an inferior quality, and are only used 
 for the distillation of brandy, which the Arabs 
 appreciate greatly, notwithstanding the law of 
 Mahomet. 
 
 It had long been planned that we should make 
 an excursion to Susa, Monastir, Mehedia, and 
 Kairwan, and the end of February had been the 
 time fixed for it ; but my illness prevented our 
 going, and Captain and Mrs. Dick were also 
 obliged to relinquish this pleasure. But before 
 deciding on our place of residence it was desirable 
 that I should visit these places, as in Tunis there 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 191 
 
 is very little to be done in the way of business, and 
 M. Barbe had already hired a warehouse at 
 Mehedia for the purpose of clarifying oil by a pro- 
 cess unknown to the Arabs, which promised a certain 
 profit, and he had been fortunate in securing the 
 services of an agent who replaced him successfully 
 during his absences at Tunis in the winter. As 
 there will be much that is interesting to relate 
 during our journey, I will write my impressions in 
 the form of a diary. 
 
 Thursday, 28th May. — Barthelemy went off 
 early on an araba, or cart, with the luggage, to 
 Goletta, a distance of ten miles, and Marius and 
 I, with Therese and Perrita, took the train at 
 11.50. On arriving at Goletta we called on 
 Madame de Rosen, the lady who had so tenderly 
 nursed poor Mr. Holden, and we were glad to 
 find her a little recovered from her fatigue and 
 anxiety, though far from strong. No mother 
 could have done more than she had, and this 
 will be a lifelong satisfaction to her and to his 
 family. Madame de Rosen told us that Dr. 
 Duncan, on hearing of Mr. Holden^s dangerous ill- 
 necs, had come to Tunis from the North of Italy, 
 but, unfortunately, too late. We much regretted 
 
192 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 not seeing this gentleman, who knew us, and had 
 been in our house at Cannes. 
 
 We took a boat at three o'clock, and had a 
 delightful row to the Kleber, the Transatlantic 
 steamer which had come from Marseilles the day 
 before, and which makes the round of the coast, 
 stopping to land passengers and merchandise at 
 Susa, Monastir, Mehedia, Sfax, Gabes, Djerba, 
 Tripoli, and Malta, and then reurning to Tunis to 
 take the mails on to La Calle, Bone, Philippeville, 
 and Marseilles. The weather was so lovely, and 
 the sea so calm, that we had an excellent passage, 
 and I was able to enjoy sitting on the deck by 
 moonlight. 
 
 Friday, 29th. — Arrived at Susa by break of day. 
 This is the second town of importance in the 
 Regency ; it is situated in a vast bay, the houses 
 are built in terraces on the slope of a hill, and from 
 their dazzling whiteness look as if they had been 
 cut out of chalk. It is surrounded by high fortified 
 walls, and a few palm-trees are to be seen on the 
 summit of the hill near the Kasba, from whence 
 the sea view must be lovely. Susa was the ancient 
 Adrumetum of the Romans and once possessed 
 an excellent port, which is now buried in sand, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 193 
 
 and in bad weather the landing is difficult. It is 
 surrounded by olive forests, and is always spoken 
 of as ** a fountain of oil." The inhabitants number 
 about 10,000, of which there are 600 Europeans, 
 mostly Maltese or Sicilians, and 1,000 Israelites. 
 Marius landed with Barthelemy, who remained at 
 Susa to guard our possessions, as an empty house 
 has been lent to us, and we go there in a few days. 
 
 I am agreeably surprised to find the weather 
 much cooler than at Tunis, where the thermometer 
 was at 79^ Fahrenheit in our bedrooms. After 
 some delay, caused by the quantity of merchandise 
 embarked from Susa, we were once more on our 
 way at two o'clock, and soon reached the town of 
 Monastir, surrounded by palm trees. 
 
 The population consists of 8,000 inhabitants, 
 and an active oil commerce is carried on here. It 
 is the Ruspina of the ancients ; the situation is par- 
 ticularly pretty and picturesque, with its crenelated 
 battlements and white houses, and Kasba on the 
 summit of the hill ; the port is one of the best on 
 the coast. Several villages appear in the distance, 
 and in front of Monastir are three islands, one 
 called the Island of Pigeons, the second Tonnara, 
 from the quantities of tunny fish caught in the 
 
194 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 vicinity, and the third Quarantine Island. It seems 
 that there are about fifty grottoes, or small square 
 rooms made in the rock, with niches which served 
 formerly for lamps to light those who lived in these 
 caverns, and to hold the different utensils which 
 they required. A little to the south of Monastir 
 are the ruins of Thapsus, once so memorable as 
 the scene of Caesar's victory over the troops of the 
 republican Roman generals, and of Juba, king of 
 Mauritania. 
 
 We arrived at Mehedia about nine o'clock, and 
 had to descend into a little boat which danced about 
 in a very uncomfortable way as the sea ran rather 
 high, and Therese and I were glad to find ourselves 
 on shore. Marius' agent, M. Warocquier, had come 
 on board the Kleber to greet us, and conducted us 
 through a crowd of Arabs and negroes (who seemed 
 to know Marius very well) to the house lent us by 
 M. Costa, a friend at Tunis. 
 
 It all looked very strange, as we entered the 
 town through a large vaulted passage, which serves 
 as a cafe arabe, and after passing through some 
 narrow passages, arrived at the house, where we 
 were warmly received by Barca and his wife Aissa, 
 two negroes in M. Costa's service. . The house has 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 195 
 
 not been inhabited for five years, the paper is falHng 
 
 off the walls, and there is a great hole in the ceiling 
 
 showing the rafters, but there was nothing else to 
 
 be had, and these trifles did not prevent our sleeping 
 
 very soundly. 
 
 Saturday, 30th. — I was invited to see a negro 
 
 wedding ; that is to say, the preliminary ceremonies, 
 
 and Therese and I went, as no man was admitted. 
 
 We went into a little court full of women, of all 
 
 shades of colour, from jet black to a pale yellow, 
 
 they were covered with chains and bracelets, on 
 
 arms and ankles, and wore immense ear-rings. The 
 
 common dress here is a sort of dark cloth garment, 
 
 which is kept in place by two immense round silver 
 
 brooches on each shoulder, and a girdle round the 
 
 waist. The musicians began to play and to beat 
 
 the drums, and some made a sort of trilling noise. 
 
 The bride was quite black, with a white cotton cap 
 
 on her head ; her hands were enclosed in two red 
 
 and green silk bags, to prevent her rubbing off the 
 
 pattern which had been tattooed on them, like a 
 
 mitten, and the orange dye, called henna, with 
 
 which her nails had been painted. She was closely 
 
 covered up, but to-morrow she will be dressed in 
 
 her fine clothes, and conducted at midnight, by 
 M 2 
 
196 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 torch-light and with music, by all her friends to the 
 bridegroom's house. Some of the women were 
 beautifully dressed, and most of them had a large 
 round patch of rouge on their cheeks. Every one 
 had silver hands and fish suspended from their 
 chains, and a sort of diadem on their foreheads. 
 
 When we rose to go away, a negress seized me 
 by the hand, and insisted on my going with her to 
 a hut opposite, where there was a new mat for us 
 to sit on, and having left us with another negress 
 to mount guard, quickly reappeared with a dish of 
 kouskoussou, which they entreated us to eat. We 
 tasted it of course, and it really was not bad ; at 
 last, we were allowed to depart. I then went to 
 the port to see my husband's warehouse full of 
 large cans of oil, which had been clarified ; on the 
 chimney outside was a scorpion, and on that behind 
 the house a fish, and when I asked the reason of 
 these emblems being put there, I was told that the 
 fish was for luck, and if the ** Evil Eye " struck the 
 house, the scorpion was there to sting it. 
 
 Sunday, 31st. — There is a Roman Catholic 
 church here, but I have not visited it. 
 
 I omitted yesterday to say that great quantities 
 of sardines are caught on this coast, and it is during 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 197 
 
 this month and the next, that the Austrian boats 
 come here to load, having the monopoly of this 
 trade. All the available men and children work 
 at the salting of the fish, and the packing them 
 into barrels for exportation. 
 
 We had been invited to go to an Arab wedding 
 about ten miles off, at a place called Soursef, where 
 the Sheikh was holding festivities consequent on 
 the marriage of his son, and which lasted about a 
 week. Sidi Randan, an inhabitant of Mehedia, had 
 most obligingly offered us the use of his carriage, 
 and accordingly we started in it at five o'clock, with 
 three mules abreast. 
 
 The country is pretty, though flat, and rich with 
 agricultural produce ; we passed several large 
 gardens, full of fruit trees, and brilliant with the 
 scarlet blossom of the pomegranate trees, which are 
 in full flower just now. The coachman took the 
 road that seemed good to him, as there was none in 
 particular, and many were the bumps and jolts we 
 suffered. A young man who accompanied us 
 pointed out the whereabouts of several Phoenician 
 tombs which had been lately discovered ; indeed the 
 whole country is full of archaeological treasures yet 
 unexplored. 
 
198 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 After passing through a plantation of olive trees, 
 we arrived at Soursef, and were most kindly received 
 by the French consul, M. Cretin, who introduced 
 us to some of the Arab chiefs, and then took us to 
 the house, which had been assigned to his use by 
 the Sheikh. He presented me with a lovely bunch 
 of pomegranate blossom, and some grand-looking 
 Arabs gave me little bouquets of jessamine and 
 lemon flower, mounted on tiny reeds, and carna- 
 tions ; almost all had bunches of flowers hanging 
 from their turbans. I produced the few words of 
 Arabic I know, which seemed to amuse them 
 greatly. 
 
 After resting awhile we all went to see the 
 village, where there was a fine open place with a 
 cafe arabe, where we seated ourselves, and sipped 
 the perfumed beverage. 
 
 M. Cretin related some interesting incidents 
 which happened here during the French invasion 
 in 1 88 1. The inhabitants very naturally made 
 common cause with the nomadic Arabs who re- 
 sisted the French ; and a council of war, consisting 
 of Lieutenant Jaureguibery, who had the command 
 of the gunboat Aspic in the port, M. Cretin the 
 Vice-Consul, M. Epinat the captain of the port, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 199 
 
 and others, was held at Mehedia, and it was decided 
 that Lieutenant Jaureguibery should anchor at the 
 western end of the bay, and according to the 
 indications given, should direct his firing on Soursef, 
 about eight miles distance. Accordingly, early 
 next morning he opened fire, and the first obus fell 
 as if by miracle on the house of the native chief, 
 and burst in the middle of it, doing much damage ; 
 other bombs fell in the village to the unspeakable 
 consternation of the inhabitants, who could not 
 imagine from whence they came, till oney more 
 intelligent than the rest^ cried out that it was a 
 chastisement from Mahomet, who was hurling them 
 obuses from heaven, and that their destiny called 
 on them to submit, which they quickly did the 
 next day, with solemn protestations of fidelity for 
 the future. 
 
 One unfortunate labourer was working in the 
 fields, and an obus burst by his side, lacerating his 
 leg frightfully. He was transported to Mehedia, 
 and placed in a mosque which the Moslems devoted 
 to the wounded; his leg was amputated, and a 
 present of a wooden leg made to him, on which I 
 saw him cleverly hopping about ! 
 
 M. Cretin made here an important discovery of 
 
200 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 a Phoenician necropolis, where there were several 
 tombs piledone upon the other. M. Jaurdguibery is 
 the son of the admiral who commanded the French 
 fleet, and who had often received us most kindly 
 and hospitably on board the Richelieu^ and he and 
 his family had done us the honour of assisting 
 at a fete given for them in the Chalet des Pins 
 at Cannes. The admiral afterwards was made 
 Minister de la Marine, and was distinguished by 
 his uprightness and energetic conduct. 
 
 I must say a few words of Monsieur Epinat, 
 whom I have already mentioned as being Captain 
 of the Port at Mehedia. He and his wife have 
 lived there twenty-five years, and have rendered the 
 greatest service to the place, by devoting themselves 
 to the education of the young Europeans ^nd Jews 
 whom they found there, as well as to that of their 
 own children. The results of the good system they 
 pursued are to be seen in the general good-will and 
 friendliness which exists among the inhabitants, so 
 precious in times of difficulty which arise, and which 
 enables them to act harmoniously together. 
 
 To return to the Arab cafd. To my surprise the 
 proprietor spoke such good French, that I enquired 
 how he had acquired such a knowledge of the 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 201 
 
 language. He then told me he had been three 
 years in the fort of He Ste. Marguerite, near Cannes. 
 He had been taken prisoner at the time of the 
 events I have already described, with ten others 
 from Soursef, and seemed to have pleasant recol- 
 lections of his captivity, speaking with great 
 gratitude of the liberality of the English to him, 
 and in particular of the kindness of a " Milady " 
 who had given a fete for them on the island. It 
 was owing to the generosity of the visitors that he 
 had been enabled to establish this little cafe. 
 
 The Vice-Consul now sent a summons to the 
 foUy or buffoon of the village, to come and amuse 
 us. About 200 Arabs all sat round on mats, and 
 presently the fou came galloping on a little Arab 
 horse into the midst of the circle with a helmet on 
 his head, adorned with three feathers, and the usual 
 Arab drapery, and shouting and gesticulating. He 
 managed his horse very well, stopping it in a 
 moment, though at full gallop, and then began to 
 imitate the French Consul and some of the Arabs, 
 to their great delight, and they assured me he was 
 very witty. They did not cease to lament our not 
 having seen the Fantasia, which had taken place 
 only half an hour before our arrival. It seems 
 
202 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 there were about fifty horsemen, having a gun in 
 each hand loaded merely with powder, who, while 
 galloping past the balcony where the French 
 Consul was seated, discharged the guns simul- 
 taneously. 
 
 We then returned to the house for dinner, which 
 was strictly Arab, and had been sent by the Sheikh. 
 It consisted of soup, and oh ! what soup ! — a weak 
 decoction of mutton, flavoured with wool and lemon 
 juice ; impossible to eat it. Then came a boiled 
 hen, as tough as possible, a dish of mutton and 
 raisins and beans, then pimentoes and eggs floating 
 in oil, and pastry spread with honey ; the less said 
 about it the better. At ten o'clock a messenger 
 came to say the evening festivities were about to 
 commence ; so we again traversed the village, and 
 entered a house with an immense patio, which had 
 been roughly covered over with boards to keep 
 us from the dew, which is very heavy in these 
 countries. 
 
 All this time I had not seen a woman, though 
 I felt sure there were plenty behind the lattice 
 cages of their windows, scanning us eagerly. I 
 was told that the wedding was between two 
 cousins, that the money might not go out of the 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 203 
 
 family, and that certainly ;^25o would not pay all 
 the expenses. The singers and dancers were to 
 receive ^48, and their journey paid from Tunis. 
 The Sheikh entertained any strangers who liked to 
 come, besides his friends, and the last day he was 
 to give a feast to the whole village, numbering 
 3,000 inhabitants. It appears the women of the 
 place are remarkable for their beauty, and certainly 
 the men are very handsome. 
 
 To return to the patio, about 800 turbaned 
 Arabs were already seated on mats, and we could 
 see that the galleries, though dimly lighted, were 
 filled with veiled figures, who were allowed to see 
 and hear without being seen themselves. At the 
 upper end of the room was a dais, with cushioned 
 benches, reserved for the dancers and singers, and 
 we took our places near them, the venerable old 
 Sheikh accompanying us ; but we did not see the 
 bridegroom. The Arab band, consisting of clario- 
 nets and drums, kept up an incessant noise, and 
 presently a collection was made for the musicians, 
 a sort of herald screaming out the amount and 
 name of the giver, and the women answering by 
 their peculiar trilling sound of " you, you, you," 
 called Toulouil by the natives, which answers to 
 
i04 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 our " hip, hip, hurrah/^ This went on for an hour 
 or two. At last the Tunisian troupe arrived, con- 
 sisting of three men and two women ; one was 
 enormous, and covered with jewels ; there were 
 rings on every finger, and on one finger there were 
 three, all large diamonds, or probably imitation. 
 They seemed to please their Mussulman audience 
 greatly ; but I am afraid we did not appreciate 
 their music, which consisted of a violin, a guitar, 
 and two instruments called Tahart and Darbouka. 
 
 The singing was still more excruciating, and we 
 were glad when one of the men got up to dance, 
 which he did with a large pitcher of water on his 
 head, balancing it in the most wonderful way. Of 
 the women's dancing I shall only say I never wish 
 to see it again. At two o'clock in the morning 
 we took leave of the Sheikh, and drove back to 
 Mehedia with the three mules, and it was four 
 o'clock before we were in bed. 
 
 Monday, ist June. — M. Warocquier sent us a 
 bottle of palm wine, which is considered very 
 strengthening. I had never heard of such a thing, 
 but it seems that the crown of the tree is cut off, 
 leaving a little heart in the centre. A canal is 
 made all round, with an incision, into which a pipe 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 205 
 
 is introduced. As the sap rises in the tree, it 
 flows into this pipe, at the end of which a vessel 
 is fastened to receive the juice, and this is what 
 we drank ; it is only good when fresh, as it soon 
 begins to ferment ; but the taste is dehcious, and 
 it was not expensive, a quart being sold for two- 
 pence. The Arabs, who are forbidden to drink 
 wine, by the law of Mahomet, allow this palm 
 liquor to ferment, and it then produces an intoxi- 
 cating effect. 
 
 The wedding fete was to continue eight days ; 
 when the last evening comes, the bride, followed 
 by her intimate friends and relations, goes in pro- 
 cession to her husband's house, clothed in her 
 richest garments, and a flower painted on her 
 forehead, which takes the place of our traditional 
 orange flower ; her hands are also painted, and 
 the nails dyed with henna. Two old men of her 
 family support her, as she walks in the midst of 
 the torch-bearers, and the women trill, " You, you, 
 you." When they arrive at the house, the bride is 
 lifted over the threshold, for it is important that 
 her feet should not touch it, as this would in- 
 fallibly bring misfortune upon her; and this was 
 also the ancient Roman usage. 
 
2o6 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 All the women assemble in one room, and take 
 their repast together, while the men have theirs 
 apart. As for the bridegroom, he is shut up in 
 what the French call a cabinet de reflexion, and 
 eats alone ; and at midnight every one retires to 
 rest. It will be seen that there is a great affinity 
 between the Jewish and Arab marriages. 
 
 In the afternoon we went out fishing, but the 
 sea was rather '^in a bustle,'^ and Therese and I 
 were glad to land at the eastern extremity of the 
 peninsula, for so Mehedia may be called. This 
 was a Phoenician port, but it is now blocked up 
 with stones and sand ; some remains of marble 
 columns mark the entrance, and there are about 
 two hundred holes pierced in the rocks, which 
 were the Phoenician tombs. Mehedia has changed 
 masters very often. The ancient place where Han- 
 nibal's tower formerly stood is to be seen in the 
 vicinity. There is something peculiarly attractive 
 in the position of the village, and the inhabitants 
 are friendly and pleasant. We had a charming 
 walk back to the town, and on going home were 
 surprised to find a great turtle in the court, weighing 
 more than 20 lbs., which the soldiers of the little 
 garrison here had caught, and not knowing what to 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 207 
 
 do with it, threw it to Barca, the negro servant, who 
 keeps this house, and told him to take it away ! 
 
 Tuesday, 2nd June. — We have held long con- 
 sultations over the turtle ; Marius, who is such a 
 good cook, was quite at fault, having only a 
 pleasant recollection of the soup he had tasted 
 in London ; Therese could throw no light on the 
 subject ; and I, knowing so \vell its boundless 
 resources in the matter of fins, cutlets, and green 
 fat, felt quite vexed to be so ignorant. At last 
 we begged one of the large fins of Barca, and a 
 kilo of the flesh for soup, which he gave us ; but I 
 am sorry to say the turtle was a signal failure, and 
 I must take lessons in England as to its cooking. 
 
 In the afternoon I went with Madame Waroc- 
 quier to see Madame Randan, the wife of the Arab 
 gentleman who had lent us his carriage to go to 
 Soursef She is a very pretty young creature, and 
 has one little boy, but she is in great distress, 
 as her husband is about to take a second wife. 
 She said it was not his fault, but the girl in question 
 had been adopted by his parents, and consequently 
 they were obliged to give her a dowry, and by 
 making the son marry her, the money did not go 
 out of the family ! We went to see another family. 
 
2o8 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 where the mother-in-law had elephantiasis, and 
 her feet and legs were frightfully swollen. She 
 and her daughter-in-law showed us their costumes, 
 which were different from the Tunisian, and much 
 more respectable. Instead of the cuffia on the 
 head, they wear a broad velvet band across the 
 forehead, studded with jewels, and gold hanging 
 ornaments, and braids of hair on each side, which 
 was much more becoming ; and the dress of 
 brocaded silk, embroidered with gold, looked like 
 an immensely wide chemise, and came down to the 
 ankles, which are always ornamented with massive 
 gold chains. They gave us some Arab cake, made 
 with honey, and some apricots. 
 
 The living at Mehedia is ridiculously cheap ; 
 we had three fine rougets for threepence, a good 
 sized chicken for sixpence, and eggs were three- 
 pence a dozen, meat very cheap, and in the 
 season game is so plentiful that a partridge is 
 sold for threepence, or even less. But the diffi- 
 culties of living are also great ; as there is no 
 baker, every family has to make their own bread ; 
 before an ox is killed, every part is sold, so as to 
 be sure that there will be no loss. 
 
 Also a more serious difficulty arises in thinking 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 209 
 
 of Mehedia as a residence ; there is no medical 
 man, and the only resource is to send to Susa, 
 a distance of forty or fifty miles. It is true that 
 the inhabitants are trying to raise a subscription 
 of two or three hundred pounds annually to induce 
 a doctor to reside there ; but this is not easy to 
 effect, as the people are poor, and object to give 
 money for what, after all, they may not require. 
 We paid a visit to M. Cretin, the French Consul, 
 who showed us some curious antiquities found 
 at Mehedia, and two little lamps in red pottery, 
 with the monogram of our Saviour upon them. 
 
 Wednesday, 3rd June. — A carriage had been 
 sent for us from Soursef, and we left at Mehedia at 
 five a.m. It was a lovely morning, and the first 
 mile being by the seaside, we saw the pretty sight 
 of the arrival of the boats loaded with sardines. 
 Our way afterwards led us through forests of olive 
 trees, some of which, I was told, numbered some 
 centuries. Our first halt was at Mokennine, the 
 principal market of this region, where most business 
 is done in grain, oil, wool, and halfa, of which great 
 quantities are sent to England for making paper ; 
 and this is also a great silk emporium, all the villages 
 round bringing their tissues. We took coffee with 
 
2IO Chips from Tunis: 
 
 some Arabs, and it was most amusing to see them 
 crowding round us, and replacing each other, so that 
 all might take a good look, and examine our clothes. 
 
 We resumed our way, and fell in with a troop 
 of forty or fifty little donkeys, trotting briskly in 
 front of at least 150 camels, who were on their 
 way to Mokennine. It really was a grand sight 
 to see them stalking along so proudly, and at their 
 sides the little ones, which are so pretty when 
 young. Monsieur Warocquier gave us a description 
 of the extraordinary way in which they are treated 
 at the time of their birth. They are beaten hard, 
 and thrown about, rubbed violently, and, poor 
 animals, martyrised in every way ; and the more 
 they are beaten, the stronger they become. 
 
 It was eleven o'clock when we arrived near 
 -Monastir, and avoiding the town we passed through 
 a vast sandy plain — not a bird or a blade of grass 
 to be seen. It gave us an idea of the desert, such 
 perfect stillness, the burning sun overhead, and in 
 the distance the little town, with a wide crescent of 
 beautiful palm-trees on either side, forming the 
 oasis. Neither was the mirage wanting, for we were 
 admiring the beautiful water which seemed so blue, 
 when we found out it was a complete illusion. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 211 
 
 A few camels here and there were standing or 
 lying about in picturesque attitudes, forming the 
 orthodox feature in the scene ; indeed, we re- 
 marked that this miniature desert was a perfect 
 mise en scene, and looked as if it had been got up 
 on purpose for us ! We passed through a thicket 
 of palm trees, and singling out a group of eight, 
 ate our luncheon under their agreeable shade. 
 
 The rest of the route was not particularly- 
 interesting, but I must not forget to mention the 
 immense carob-trees which we passed, with their 
 beautiful shining leaves. I had often seen them in 
 the neighbourhood of Nice (the tree bears large 
 beans, which are given to horses), but I had never 
 seen any trees equal to these in size. The leaves 
 change colour in autumn, and become deep red ; 
 any one who has travelled on the Corniche road 
 must have remarked them. 
 
 We arrived at Susa about two o'clock, and 
 drove to the funny little Arab house belonging to 
 M. Warocquier, where Barthelemy awaited us. As 
 usual, nothing but a thick white wall was to be 
 seen from the exterior, but on entering, we found 
 ourselves in a little square court, with three long 
 narrow rooms round, and a wretched kitchen. We 
 
 N 2 
 
212 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 soon, however, set to work, and hung up some 
 curtains, and made the rooms look quite com- 
 fortable ; and as we had only one table, Barthelemy 
 nailed the cover of the bath on an upright wooden 
 case, which served as dinner-table, and Perrita 
 installed herself in the bottom of the case on some 
 straw. 
 
 We went out in the evening, and walked round 
 the town, which is entirely commercial ; the climate 
 is said to be very healthy, and particularly favour- 
 able to Europeans ; the principal articles of export 
 consist of oil, all sorts of grain, wool, and soap. I 
 observed several marble columns at the corners of 
 streets let into the wails, and I was told that there 
 are many in the interior of the houses, which the 
 Mussulmans utilise as benches, or to support the 
 staircases — vestiges of ancient splendour. The town 
 has been bombarded about a dozen times in the 
 last three centuries by the different nations who 
 have attacked it, and yet it has always managed to 
 rise up again and prosper. In i88i, it surrendered 
 at once to Colonel Moulin, and it is now well 
 fortified ; there is accommodation near the Kasbah 
 for ten thousand men. 
 
 Thursday, 4th June. — The weather is delight- 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 213 
 
 ful, the thermometer never rising above 75° Fah., 
 while before leaving Tunis it marked 79^ and 80^ ; 
 and there is a pleasant fresh breeze from the sea. 
 M. Warocquier made his appearance unexpectedly 
 from Mehedia, having ridden over during the night. 
 He related to me his adventures in 1881 at the 
 time when the Arabs, profiting by the undefended 
 state of the French railway, seized on the station 
 of Oued Zerga,^ which is about seventy miles on 
 the Western side of Tunis, and committed fearful 
 acts of vengeance, tearing up the railway, setting 
 the station on fire, burning the station-master 
 alive, and massacring the other employes. 
 
 M. Warocquier witnessed this terrible scene 
 from a bush, where he lay concealed with his Arab 
 servant. He had the charge of a large property 
 in the neighbourhood, belonging to a gentleman 
 who employed him as his agent, and was on his 
 way to Tunis to pay his employer a large sum 
 of 10,000 piastres, or ;^300, arising from some sales 
 which he had been instructed to make. This 
 money he had carefully concealed in his belt, 
 
 * Oued is the Arabic for river ; it was changed into Guad by the 
 Arab conqueror of Spain, which accounts for so many of the rivers 
 in this country beginning with this syllable. 
 
214 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 but it was well known that he had received it, and 
 the Arabs made an active search for him, after 
 committing the above-mentioned atrocities at Oued 
 Zerga. M. Warocquier gave a thrilling account 
 of the suspense he endured, every moment ex- 
 pecting to be discovered. He said to the Arab, 
 " There is no chance for me ; do you take this belt 
 with the money and carry it to the owner, for you 
 will be allowed to pass unmolested ; as for me, I 
 must take my chance." The Arab's answer was 
 this, " Comment done ! nous avons mange le pain et 
 le sel ensembles, et tu me proposes de t^abandonner ! 
 Jamais ! nous ne nous separerons pas, seulement, 
 dans le cas que nous serons d^couverts, voici com- 
 ment nous ferons. J^ai un fusil, tu as ton revolver, 
 nous reserverons chacun une balle, et puis nous 
 nous mettrons dos-a-dos, tu tireras dans mon oreille 
 gauche, et moi, je tirerai dans ton oreille droite, et 
 nous mourrons ensemble, plutot que de tomber 
 entre leurs mains." This was said with bated 
 breath ; they remained until midnight without 
 stirring ; by a miracle their hiding-place was not 
 discovered, and they succeeded in reaching Beja, 
 where they put themselves under the protection of 
 the French Consul. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 215 
 
 M. Warocquier, feeling that he owed his life to 
 the fidelity of the Arab, wished to give him a 
 substantial token of his gratitude, and presented 
 him with a rouleau of 1,000 piastres ; but the Arab 
 threw it down upon the table, saying, " Veux-tu 
 m'insulter? Penses-tu que j'ai agi ainsi envers toi 
 pour de I'argent?. Si cela avait ete mon idee, je 
 serais parti avec la sacoche ; non, je I'ai fait parce 
 que tu es mon ami." 
 
 The Arabs are generally faithful to their en- 
 gagements, and their word once given is sacred. 
 
 When my husband engaged his servant , he and 
 M. Warocquier took him to the mosque, and there 
 made him eat bread and salt, and then swear to be 
 faithful and secret about all that was done, which 
 was particularly necessary, as the method of clari- 
 fying oil was quite unknown at Mehedia, and 
 Marius was looked upon as a sorcerer by the 
 Arabs, because he had told them he had a par- 
 ticular sort of powder which he used ; the real fact 
 being that the process consists in heating the oil to 
 a certain degree, and letting it repose for a given 
 time, when it becomes bright. It seems that the 
 servant has faithfully kept his oath. 
 
 So strong is the feeling of respecting the life 
 
2i6 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 and property of a person whose salt has been 
 tasted, that I must relate the following anecdote of 
 an Arab thief, who, by means of adjoining terraces, 
 had succeeded in effecting an entrance into the 
 house of a rich merchant, who was absent at the 
 time. He found all sorts of booty ; and after 
 opening all the boxes and drawers and making 
 bundles of their contents, he descended into the 
 cellar ; here, it being dark, he stumbled against a 
 large packet, which he took for sugar, but on 
 tasting it, found it was salt ! This was enough : 
 with many imprecations on his bad luck, he 
 abandoned everything ; and the proprietor, 
 on his return, was much astonished to see his 
 property in such disorder, but nothing was 
 wanting. 
 
 Friday, 5th June. — Our life passes very quietly 
 here. We have been searching for apartments, 
 but it is very difficult to find any. However, in a 
 few days the Ramadan, or Lent of the Moslems, 
 begins ; it lasts a month, as I have previously said 
 in the first pages of this book, and a rigorous fast 
 is observed during the daytime. Any one wishing 
 to give up his house or apartments must do so in 
 the course of this month, or else he is bound to 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 217 
 
 remain for another year ; so perhaps we may soon 
 hear of something which will suit us. 
 
 I was much amused with one of the Moors in 
 the Perfumery Souk at Tunis the other day. He 
 was lamenting the approach of Ramadan, and 
 complaining of having to fast all day, when a 
 young lady who was with me, and spoke Arabic, 
 very slily said, " Oh, but, you know, you make up 
 for it at night," at which he laughed, and admitted 
 this was true. He intends to go to Mecca, but not 
 as his ancestors did, by joining the Rakeb or 
 caravan, and making his pilgrimage through the 
 desert, but by an English steamer which touches 
 at Goletta ; it takes the pilgrims on board and lands 
 them at Djedda for a very small sum. This mode 
 of transport has been adopted by many Tunisians, 
 as easier and more economical, if not so romantic. 
 
 Saturday, 6th June. — In the course of our 
 walk this afternoon we met Soeur Josephine, who 
 who has resided here for the last forty years, 
 devoting herself to the care of the sick and poor, 
 without distinction of religion. She is quite 
 idolised by the Arabs, who call her the Marabouta, 
 or Sainte Femme, as they know she will go at any 
 moment during the day or night to nurse them if 
 
2i8 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 ill. She is the superior of a religious house, and 
 when her services were requested in a village near 
 Susa for the wounded in 1881, she was entreated 
 by the Soeurs not to go, as they feared some harm 
 might happen to her ; but she said, " I am not 
 afraid ; no one will touch Soeur Josephine : my 
 Arabs would rather die than see their Marabou ta 
 ill-treated." 
 
 Susa is surrounded by large cemeteries, which 
 have no wall to protect them. The Arabs have 
 great veneration for the dead, and it is as great a 
 sacrilege to walk over the grave of a "true believer " 
 as to enter a mosque. They say the earth which 
 covers the dead should never be disturbed, and 
 every Mussulman has a right to his own tomb, 
 which is never used for the burial of any other 
 member of his family ; so, of course, the country 
 round these towns is a vast necropolis. A heap of 
 stones marks the place of a grave ; but, as the 
 graves all resemble each other, it must be difficult 
 for any one to identify the place where his friends 
 are buried, as there are no inscriptions. The 
 tombs of their saints are kept with more care, and 
 the monument is generally built near the house 
 where the saint died ; or, if he died suddenly out 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 219 
 
 of doors, it is then erected on the place where he 
 fell down. 
 
 This accounts for some of the graves which are 
 to be seen in the bazaars of Tunis. It is believed 
 that the ashes of certain Mussulmans have the 
 privilege of working miracles. These monuments 
 are called " marabouts," and are little round domes, 
 whitewashed all over. They give their names to 
 the nearest villages, which is the reason why so 
 many bear the names of individuals. 
 
 Sunday, 7th June. — We attended sendee at 
 the Roman Catholic Church, which is a good-sized 
 building, capable of holding from three to four 
 hundred persons. There are also several synagogues 
 for the Jews, who are very numerous here, and 
 absorb most of the commerce of the town. 
 
 At ten o'clock at night we started on our long- 
 projected expedition to Kairwan, in a close car- 
 riage, four horses abreast. The coachman had no 
 lanterns, though it was a dark night, and he seemed 
 utterly to scorn the idea of them. The great gate 
 of the town was already shut, and there was some 
 delay in getting it opened ; but at last we were 
 fairly on our way, and I must own that I felt a 
 little apprehension, and regretted we had not taken 
 
220 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 Barthelemy with us, when I saw we were in the 
 midst of a vast, desolate plain. However, I con- 
 soled myself by the sight of a revolver Marius had 
 brought with him, and still more by thinking that, 
 after all, it is the custom of the country to travel by 
 night, and we had never heard of any travellers 
 being attacked. 
 
 The road was dreadful, intersected by little 
 mounds of esparto grass and hollows, so that it was 
 a series of bumps and jolts, and I do not know how 
 the springs of the carriage resisted the constant strain. 
 
 At last we swerved in such a way that we 
 thought we must upset ; the coachman had gone to 
 sleep, and we had fallen into a hole. However, he 
 got down, and pulled us out somehow, and soon 
 afterwards the daylight began to appear, and it 
 was very beautiful to see the lovely sunrise. The 
 vegetation was very scant, only esparto grass to 
 be seen, or halfa, which forms an important article 
 of commerce between England and Tunisia for 
 making paper. 
 
 At about 5 a.m. we came in sight of the holy 
 Moslem city, and very picturesque it looked, with 
 its forest of minarets, its round cupolas, and the 
 high, white, crenelated walls of the ramparts, 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life, 221 
 
 intersected with towers and bastions. Our way 
 lay through two dried-up watercourses, which in 
 winter are full, and make the journey to Susa a 
 work of some danger and difficulty. 
 
 At last we arrived at Kairwan, and stopped at 
 the only hotel in the place — outside the walls. 
 It is a wretched, poor, dirty inn, and we were 
 horrified at the bedroom. A sleepy waiter came 
 to prepare it, and I ventured to make an enquiry 
 as to whether there were any obnoxious insects, 
 everything looked so suggestive of them. " Oh 
 non, Madame, pas beaucoup dans cette saison," 
 said he, in a cheerful and re-assuring tone ; and, 
 seeing my horror, he hastened to say he had not 
 seen one this year, which, I think, was a kindly- 
 meant fib. We were, however, too tired with the 
 severe carriage-exercise we had taken to be too 
 particular, and were thankful to rest a while. 
 
 At nine o'clock we went to call on the Chef de 
 rintendance, who was no other than the husband 
 of the young French lady with whom we had 
 travelled from Marseilles last September, as well 
 as with her mother and sisters, and the pretty, 
 wilful little girl. We were all pleased to meet 
 again, and had much to communicate of our different 
 
222 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 experiences ; and they seem, equally with our- 
 selves, to appreciate the charming Arabs. Two of 
 the ladies went with us to visit the town and Souks, 
 which are not to be compared with those of Tunis ; 
 and we arranged to meet at three o'clock to visit 
 the mosques, etc. 
 
 After our dejeuner, which was an agreeable 
 surprise in the way of food, our friends came for 
 us, and first we called on the commanding officer 
 of the district of Kairwan, who is lodged in the 
 Dar-el-Bey. We were shown into the patio, in the 
 centre of which was a lovely garden, quite an oasis, 
 with palms and lovely creeping plants and hanging 
 baskets. The Colonel received us most kindly, 
 and said he should have offered us beds there, had 
 he known of our arrival, as he was aware of the 
 slender resources of the hotel. After we had taken 
 some refreshment, and visited the apartments, we 
 took leave ; and, with a spahi sent by the Colonel 
 to accompany us, went to the Djama-Kebir, or 
 Great Mosque, which is situated in the northern 
 part of the town, and can only be approached 
 by little tortuous streets. 
 
 Before 1881 the entrance was formally for- 
 bidden to Christians, or " roumis," as they were 
 
A Glimpse O' Arab Life. 223 
 
 called, who would have been exposed to certain 
 death had they dared to pass over its threshold ; 
 now, which is very striking, we were allowed to 
 enter the mosques of Kairwan, the Holy City par 
 excellence ; while, in Tunis it was impossible to 
 obtain permission for travellers of either sex to 
 visit the mosques. Kairwan is the religious 
 capital of Tunisia, as Tunis is its political capital. 
 Founded by the Emir Okhbah in A.D. 675, this 
 Holy City of North Africa was never visited by 
 any Christian for at least a thousand years. 
 
 From time to time, at rare intervals, travellers, 
 with an order from the Bey, were allowed to enter, 
 though the local authorities had the power of 
 refusing were they so minded. But the travellers 
 were hurried through side streets, accompanied by 
 a strong escort, and were never allowed to enter 
 the mosques ; and finding it useless to remain, 
 took their departure as quickly as possible. 
 
 Mr. Broadley relates that " Sir Grenville Temple, 
 in 1 830, journeyed to the present hot-bed of all the 
 bigotry of Mohammedanism in Africa. He was, 
 nevertheless, able to tell very little about it, beyond 
 the names of its gates, for his promenade through 
 the town was managed with the greatest mystery, 
 
224 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 and after rejecting a proposal of the Caid to 
 take a walk in the dark, he was finally allowed 
 to parade through the streets, observing a most 
 dignified silence and a steady, solemn pace. 
 
 " The Marquis of Waterford, ten years later, 
 very nearly lost his life from a well-directed brick- 
 bat, during the riot that ensued. Any and all of 
 those Moslems inhabiting this venerated metropolis 
 where the Crescent reigns supreme would willingly 
 have exposed their lives to keep out Jew or 
 Christian. There the Muezzin, who calls the Faith- 
 ful to prayer from the summit of the minarets, has 
 never been offended by the sight of any other 
 religious symbol on a rival place of worship where 
 the name of Mahomet was not invoked ; there for 
 twelve centuries the Imam interpreter and apostle 
 of the Koran has never been in the presence of 
 a minister of the Gospel." The French troops 
 entered the city in 1881 without striking a blow. 
 A formidable explosion of religious fanaticism was 
 expected from the Mussulmans, but they had 
 learnt their lesson so well, and were so convinced 
 of the uselessness of resistance, that they allowed 
 our soldiers to desecrate the soil of the Holy City 
 without making any effort to prevent them. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life, 225 
 
 The Moslems, as every one knows, are fatalists, 
 and when they saw that their Bey had allied 
 himself with the French, whom Mahomet was 
 powerless to extirpate, they mournfully resigned 
 themselves to their fate ; but what must have been 
 their feelings, at seeing soldiers bivouacked in their 
 mosques, and even camels ! — and yet the walls did 
 not fall down and crush these profane roumis. 
 
 But I have made a long digression, and must 
 return to the door of the Great Mosque ; and here, 
 though my delight was great, and my highest expec- 
 tations were fully realised, I decline, with my feeble 
 pen, to attempt a description of the varied beauties 
 of the interior, and of the grand relics of the past, 
 persuaded as I am of the superior pleasure my 
 readers will feel on reading an extract from Mr. 
 Broadley's interesting work : — 
 
 " The south-east end of the Mosque measures 
 85 yards ; a single porch in its centre is appro- 
 priated exclusively for the entrance of the Bash- 
 Mufti. The sides of the building are 143 yards in 
 length, and each possesses four entrance-porches, 
 the finest of these facing the ramparts. Mr. Rae 
 thus describes it : * It has an outer horse-shoe 
 arch, and an inner one, which contains the door 
 
226 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 opening direct into the prayer-chamber. The 
 exterior is a finely-proportioned piece of Saracenic 
 work ; it has a row of arched panels along the 
 upper portion of its sides, and the dome and 
 interior of its sides are in plastic fretwork.' Mid- 
 way on the same side is the sacred well of 
 Kefayat (Plenty). It is fenced in by a low wall, 
 its aperture is lined with dififerent-coloured marbles, 
 and tradition asserts that it communicates directly 
 with the spring of Zem-zem at Mecca. It has 
 hardly ever failed to yield a plentiful supply of 
 water. The north-west end is somewhat narrower 
 than that facing the south-east. It measures only 
 75 yards across, and the Minar rises in its centre. 
 The four porches on both sides of the building 
 correspond, and they are divided by enormous 
 buttresses of solid masonry. The interior of the 
 mosque may be divided into the prayer-chamber 
 (40 yards in length by 85 in breadth), the vestibule 
 adjoining it, and a great cloistered court. The 
 roof of the prayer-chamber is loftier than that of 
 the vestibule, and that of the vestibule higher than 
 that of the court. 
 
 "The prayer-chamber is divided into a great 
 central nave, with eight aisles on each side of it. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 227 
 
 These are formed by parallel rows of ten columns 
 each, the two nearest to the eastern wall being 
 close together. The pillars of the lesser aisles are 
 of various-coloured marbles, and are about fifteen 
 feet in height. The capitals, in many cases, evi- 
 dently do not belong to the columns on which they 
 rest, but they are generally of white marble or 
 stone. From the capitals spring semi-circular 
 arches, supporting a flat ceiling of dark-coloured 
 wood. In the south-west walls of the prayer- 
 chamber thirteen columns are embedded in the 
 masonry, three close together on one side of the 
 porch and one on the other. The latter evidently 
 came from some Byzantine church, and its capital 
 consists of a grotesque arrangement of birds and 
 flowers. The columns of the centre nave are at 
 least twenty-two feet high. Their arches support a 
 wall covered with tracery, and a lofty circular roof 
 The nave terminates in a dome, lighted by small 
 painted-glass windows. Two groups, of four 
 columns each, mainly support the weight of the 
 cupola. The Mihrdb niche in the east stands 
 between two red porphyry pillars of great beauty, 
 and is lined with delicate mosaic in marble and 
 lapis-lazuli. On one side of it is a large square of 
 o 2 
 
228 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 white marble, covered with emblems in mosaic and 
 surmounted by a slab of verde antique ; on the 
 other stands the ancient " mimbar," or pulpit, of 
 dark, carved wood, from whence the Imam recites 
 verses from the Koran, some ten feet high, and 
 having twelve steps and a number of small recep- 
 tacles with bronze hinges below them. The pillars 
 of the nave are arranged in groups of two or three 
 together, and one of these clusters is worn away by 
 the Faithful squeezing themselves between them 
 to prove their ' purity of soul.' The total number 
 of columns in the prayer-chamber is 296. 
 
 " The pavement consists of small slabs of white 
 marble, hopelessly broken. The vestibule is ap- 
 proached by seventeen elaborately carved and 
 panelled wooden doors. When these are open, 
 the dim religious light which generally pervades 
 the seventeen aisles disappears. 
 
 "The great central door is surmounted by a 
 horse-shoe arch, the head of which is filled up by 
 fine arabesque fretwork. 
 
 "In the vestibule are thirty-four pillars, those 
 in the centre being much higher than the rest. 
 This part of the building opens on to the cloister 
 beyond, a vast quadrangle, paved with white 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 229 
 
 marble, and almost entirely surrounded by a 
 covered arcade, only broken by the Minar. This 
 arcade contains eighty-six columns on either side 
 and twenty-seven at the end. The total number of 
 the pillars in the interior of the Great Mosque is 
 therefore 439 — not far short of the 500 spoken of 
 by El Bekiri, a statement usually looked on as 
 fabulous. The counting of these columns is un- 
 doubtedly a puzzle, for some of the pillars are so 
 placed as to be almost invisible to the casual 
 spectator. In this court are several other Byzantine 
 columns. On four of the pillars Arabic inscriptions 
 are carved. One belongs to the fourth century of 
 the Hegira, and its design is extremely curious. 
 
 " Below the court are enormous cisterns, and in 
 the centre an ancient sun-dial. 
 
 "The Minar is a massive square building of 
 stone, consisting of three storeys, one smaller than 
 the other, and each having a battlement of round- 
 headed crenellations. In the interior is a white 
 marble staircase, composed of fragments of Roman 
 pavement and ornamentation. It has 129 steps, 
 and is about 100 feet high. The view from the 
 summit was one never to be forgotten. Imme- 
 diately below were the cupolas, terraces, tortuous 
 
2^o Chips from Tunis : 
 
 streets, and battlements of Kairvvan, farther on its 
 suburbs, with its border of koubas and tombs ; to 
 the west, the great camps of Generals Logerot and 
 Forgemol, with their almost countless tents and 
 vast convoys ; far away to the north, the mountains 
 over which the French troops had marched on 
 Kairwan ; to the south, the hills over which the 
 columns must now pass on their expedition towards 
 Gabes and Gassa." 
 
 Leaving the Great Mosque, a short walk brought 
 us to a remarkable building in the centre of the 
 town, the Mosque of the Three Doors ; the exterior 
 of this edifice is thus accurately described by Mr. 
 Rae. " It has a plain fa9ade with a triple gateway, 
 the arches of which are supported by marble 
 colurnns. Its chief feature is the rare old carved 
 stonework, which gives it the air of the front of a 
 fine old Crusaders' church. It runs above and 
 about the arches : extending across the front in 
 broad bands of successive texts and ornament, in 
 solid deep chiselling ; first a line of running foliage 
 two feet in depth ; then a band of Kufic or early 
 Arabic characters free and bold ; then a row of 
 alternate panels of carvings, each containing a 
 single rose or a half pattern, then texts and 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 231 
 
 carvings alternately ; and finally, the mouldings 
 and corbels of the cornice." The interior consists 
 of one poor room, some thirty feet broad, by twenty 
 feet deep. Its roof is supported by sixteen columns, 
 most of them having richly sculptured Corinthian 
 capitals. The Creed of Islam, in raised bricks, 
 runs around the stunted Minar ; and this feature is 
 general in nearly all the mosques in Kairvvan. 
 
 About a mile from the centre of the town stands 
 " the grandest and most important building in 
 Kairwan — the tomb, zaouia, and mosque of 'the 
 shrine of my Lord, the companion of the Prophet' 
 The entrance to the interior of the sanctuary is through 
 a doorway in the base of a Minar, which is built in 
 the angle of a spacious court. The exterior of the 
 Minar is almost entirely coated with blue and 
 green tiles ; and on either side of its upper por- 
 tion, there is a double, round-headed window, 
 divided by a marble pilaster in the centre. Its 
 roof is formed of bright green tiles, terminating in 
 a gilded crescent. The lower storey of the tower 
 forms the lobby or vestibule of the main building. 
 Its interior is lined with the brilliant Tunisian 
 faience of the seventeenth century, surmounted 
 by panels of arabesque fretwork. A second door 
 
232 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 opens from this apartment into an oblong cloister. 
 The arcade running round it, rests on white mar- 
 ble pillars and arches, and it covers a low marble 
 seat on either side. The walls are decorated in the 
 same fashion as the lobby. At the upper end are 
 two windows and a door of pure white marble, 
 highly decorated, and of Italian origin. This 
 leads into a second vestibule crowned with a fluted 
 cupola, each division of which is adorned with lace- 
 like fretwork. The sides are covered with faience, 
 and panels of finely-chiselled carving in cement, 
 A door at one side communicates with a mosque 
 and two other cloisters, surrounded by conventual 
 cells. In each of the four walls of the apartment, 
 is a small window, filled with old stained glass ; 
 and the circular band of arabesque design, from 
 which the melon-shaped dome springs, is pierced 
 with eight other apertures filled with coloured glass 
 which is nearly concealed by delicate tracery, 
 throwing a thousand variegated reflections on the 
 marble pavement beneath. Beyond this beautiful 
 room, is a broad court surrounded by an arcade of 
 white marble pillars, and arches, supporting a 
 wooden roof beautifully painted in squares. In a 
 corner of the court is a cell containing a tomb. 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 233 
 
 Here lies Abdullah Ben Sharef el Hindowi, an 
 Indian pilgrim who sought an asylum, and found a 
 grave in Kairvvan, a century ago. At the farther 
 end of the cloister is a doorway and two windows 
 from Rome or Florence. Their cornices are pro- 
 fusely adorned with fruit and flowers, and the jambs 
 of the door are picked out in red porphyry. A 
 massive grating of bronze fills each window. The 
 door itself is of carved dark wood. It led to the 
 tomb of * my Lord the Companion,' a more sacred 
 spot, if possible, even than the Mihrab of Okhbah 
 himself ; for here, for nearly twelve hundred years, 
 has slumbered a personal friend of the founder of 
 the faith of Islam, who lived, died, and was buried, 
 wearing always, as a symbol of devotion, a portion 
 of the Prophet's beard on his breast. 
 
 "I was the first European who ever entered this 
 Moslem sanctum sanctorum. The chamber is 
 about twenty-one feet square, and lofty. Its walls 
 are covered with a geometrical pattern worked out 
 in black and white marble. Four lengthy inscrip- 
 tions are embedded in them, and the room is dimly 
 lighted by four small windows of rose-coloured and 
 blue glass. From the cupola of fretwork hangs a 
 grand old chandelier of twisted Venetian glass. 
 
234 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 Below this is the tomb itself, surrounded by a high 
 grating of bronze, shut in by four marble columns 
 about seven feet high. From a rod, on a line with 
 the grating, hung festoons of ostrich eggs and 
 golden balls. The catafalque above the grave is 
 covered by two elaborately embroidered palls ; 
 the first, of black and white velvet, adorned with 
 Arabic inscriptions in silver, was the gift of the late 
 Ahmed Bey ; the second, of pink and blue brocade, 
 was a votive offering from Mohammed-es-Sadok. 
 Over these hung thirteen banners, rich in gold, 
 silver, and needlework — the tribute of the suc- 
 cessors of Hussan-ben-Ali to the sanctuary of 
 the Sidi Bou Awib. Our visit was certainly unex- 
 pected, for at least a dozen fine Arabic MSS. 
 rested on as many lecterns of mother-of-pearl 
 and tortoise-shell in front of the screen. The 
 guardian of the zaouia could hardly realise the 
 fact of Christians desecrating, by their presence, 
 such holy ground. Running his amber chaplet 
 through his hands with feverish haste, he suddenly 
 threw himself upon his face, and probably prayed 
 to be forgiven. Some Algerian soldiers who had 
 followed us prostrated themselves before the tomb, 
 and eagerly kissed the edge of the palls, through 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 235 
 
 the metal lattice work. Looking at the bright 
 white marble pillars of the cloister, my eye fell on 
 one remarkable capital ; at either corner a bird 
 supported a Greek cross in the centre. The 
 spoils of some fair Byzantine church had evidently 
 been brought to honour the resting-place of the 
 ' Friend of the Prophet.' " 
 
 These extracts are all the more interesting 
 from Mr. Broadley having been the first European 
 who entered these sanctuaries. The Moslems are 
 now used to the sight of strangers, though there is 
 still some difficulty in gaining admission, and the 
 guardians were evidently averse to our entrance ; 
 but the presence of the Colonel's spahi, of M. 
 Espanett, the commissariat officer and our friend, 
 acted powerfully upon them. However, they re- 
 monstrated when we approached too near the tomb 
 of "My Lord the Companion," and motioned us off 
 the beautiful Kairwan carpets which surrounded 
 it ; but M. Espanett, with an energetic " Qu'est-ce 
 que cela signifie ? " ordered them to be rolled up. 
 He told us afterwards that these carpets are made 
 by women, who of course are never to be seen, but 
 the French, in 1881, bought them at a very moderate 
 price ; the colours are lovely, and harmonise so well 
 
236 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 As we had resolved upon returning to Susa the 
 same evening, we were unable to visit many of the 
 mosques ; but those I have mentioned are the most 
 noteworthy among the seventy which adorn the city. 
 
 The zaouia, or college of Muhammed-ben- 
 Aissa, which is situated near the Bab-el-Djellabine, 
 or Tanner's Gate, deserves a visit. Here is the 
 seat of that species of North African freemasonry, 
 of whose revolting rites I have given a description 
 elsewhere. The principal hall is oblong, consisting 
 of a cupola with two aisles, supported by sixteen 
 fine Roman columns. The drums, tambourines, 
 and banners, which were suspended from the wall, 
 are employed during the ceremonies ; festoons of 
 ostrich eggs and golden balls ornamented the 
 dome. Hideous as these ceremonies are, the 
 Mussulmans continue to take the utmost pleasure 
 in them, and we were asked if we should not like to 
 witness a representation, which we declined. 
 
 In the vicinity of Kairwan are numerous 
 cemeteries ; and thousands of marble tombs, 
 covered with inscriptions in Arabic, are to be 
 seen. This abundance of graves, which make a vast 
 necropolis of the environs, is owing to the religious 
 fervour of the wealthy Moslems, who often in their 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 237 
 
 dying moments express a wish to be burled in 
 Kairwan, and as near as possible to the mosque 
 or zaouia of Sidi Sahib. 
 
 We walked some way out of the town to visit 
 a large Roman reservoir, 130 yards in diameter, 
 and cisterns, much in the same style as those at 
 Carthage, and were struck by the bare, desolate 
 aspect of the country on all sides ; but it seems 
 that formerly it was thickly wooded, and it was 
 only during a siege in the last century that the 
 olive trees which formed a thick forest round 
 Kairwan were cut down. 
 
 The Arab historian Novairi gives the follow- 
 ing account of the foundation of this city : — 
 " Okhbah, having resolved to found the city of 
 Kairwan, led his soldiers to the site which he had 
 chosen ; it was a thicket in which no road had 
 been traced, and when he desired the men to set to 
 work, they said, ' How can you ask us to build a 
 town on a place covered by a thick forest ? We 
 should surely fall a prey to the wild beasts of all 
 kinds and serpents, by whom we should be 
 attacked.' Okhbah then addressed a prayer to 
 Allah, his warriors answering amen to his invoca- 
 tions, and then cried w^ith a loud voice, ' Oh 
 
238 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 serpents and wild beasts, know that we are the 
 companions of the prophet of Allah. Quit the 
 place which we have chosen as our habitation ; 
 those of you who disobey will be put to death.* 
 
 " When he had finished these adjurations, the 
 Moslems saw, with surprise, the wild beasts and 
 venomous reptiles retreat far away, taking with 
 them their young ones. This miracle converted 
 many Berbers to Islamism, and was followed by 
 another, for the Arabs affirm that on the order of 
 Sidi Okhbah the stones on the hills of Souathir 
 detached themselves and presented themselves to 
 build the Great Mosque ! " 
 
 Our friends then took me to call on the ladies 
 in the harem of Sidi Mourabet, the Tunisian 
 Governor. The Mourabets are of ancient lineage 
 and descendants of Sidi Abid-el-Khiryani, who 
 lived many centuries ago, and belonged to the clan 
 of the Almoravides. His shrine still exists, and is 
 under the guardianship of the Mourabet family. 
 We were most kindly received by the ladies and 
 the son of the governor, whose wife was a Tunisian 
 lady, and very handsome. The palace is beautiful, 
 and the patio one of the finest I have yet seen. 
 
 We dined with the Espanetts, in the quaint old 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 239 
 
 house they inhabit, and passed a very pleasant 
 evening with them. They told us they led a very 
 agreeable life at Kairwan ; that they received every 
 Friday evening the officers and their wives, and 
 with music and acting managed to amuse them- 
 selves ; and that before the heat set in they had got 
 up several picnics, and went to them on donkeys. 
 I asked whether they had seen any scorpions, and 
 Mademoiselle Marie told me she had found one on 
 the wall of her bedroom, and her brother-in-law 
 had killed a serpent five feet long, which was in the 
 house ; perhaps, as I suggested, it was once one of 
 those petted and fed by some Moslem family. It 
 seems that the Arabs sweep the scorpions off the 
 outer walls of the houses by torchlight, as they for- 
 merly did at Tunis, for these vermin infest Kairwan. 
 M. Espanett said that the people in general were 
 gentle and pleasant, and one thing reconciled them 
 greatly to the French rule, namely, that formerly 
 they were subject to invasions from the Zlass chief- 
 tains, a turbulent nomadic tribe, who came periodi- 
 cally and levied taxes on the peaceable inhabitants ; 
 and also that after the harvests the Bey did not fail 
 to send his aides-de-camp and ministers to find out 
 the richest proprietors and levy heavy contributions. 
 
240 Chips from Tunis : 
 
 All this plundering has ceased, and they now only 
 have to pay certain taxes, and are set free from the 
 indirect contributions, which were far heavier. 
 
 I was sorry we had not seen the Mosque of Sidi 
 Abadah, which seems to be a most curious edifice, 
 and was built about forty years ago by a fanatic 
 Marabout, who had persuaded the Bey Ahmed of 
 his sanctity, and induced him to defray the ex- 
 penses of the mosque. M. Espanett told us that 
 close by it was a ditch with four immense anchors 
 in it, the origin of which is unknown, but the der- 
 vish heard of these anchors being at Porto Farina, 
 and begged the Bey to send them to him, though 
 he made no use of them. 
 
 Mr. Broadley mentions that it was firmly be- 
 lieved, on the word of Sidi Abadah, that they were 
 the identical ones which once attached the ark of 
 Noah to Mount Ararat, and that their transport 
 across the sandy plain between Susa and Kairwan 
 occupied some 500 Arabs during five months. 
 Also that, during the siege of Sebastopol in 1854 
 Abadah constructed two cannons with his own 
 hands, and wrote to the Bey saying that the Pro- 
 phet had appeared to him and had announced that 
 on their arrival before the beleaguered town, the 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 241 
 
 latter would at once surrender. They were expe- 
 ditiously forwarded to Tunis, and, at the Bey's 
 pressing request, the Sultan sent a ship to convey 
 them to Constantinople, and thence to the Turkish 
 camp before Sebastopol. By an extraordinary 
 coincidence, within a few hours of their being 
 landed the town capitulated, and the fame of the 
 last of the saints of Kairwan spread far and wide. 
 
 The ignorance and superstition of the Arabs 
 are really surprising. Soon after our arrival at 
 Tunis, during an eclipse of the moon, I recollect 
 hearing shots fired, and on enquiring the cause, 
 found that the Arabs were shooting at the moon to 
 prevent the devil from devouring it ! We were 
 much amused by an Arab, who spoke a few words 
 of French, at Kairwan. A negress passed by, so 
 he pointed to her and said, " Kif-kif cirage " (" like 
 blacking "). This word " kif-kif" is often used, and 
 is quickly caught up by Europeans. 
 
 We took leave of our friends at nine o'clock 
 and returned to our hotel, and soon started on our 
 homeward journey. It was raining, and the dark- 
 ness was appalling when I remembered the dangers 
 of the road. Again we entreated our coachman to 
 take lanterns, but in vain ; and we had to resign 
 
242 Chips from Tunis: 
 
 ourselves into his hands. I must say he acquitted 
 himself wonderfully well, though he had to dis- 
 mount several times to find the way, and we arrived 
 quite safely at Susa at six o'clock. We remarked 
 on our way a flock of sheep with immense tails, 
 and this breed is peculiar to the north of Africa, 
 the tails often weighing four or five pounds. There 
 were also a few partridges, which did not seem much 
 disturbed by our driving past. 
 
 The remaining few days at Susa were very 
 uneventful. It certainly is the most important 
 town on the south-eastern coast for exporting the 
 productions of the country. The forests of olive 
 trees are so dense that it is calculated there are 
 more than ten millions of trees in the environs 
 of the town itself, and now that European mills 
 have been established, the quality of the oil is 
 much better, and is sent in large quantities to 
 Italy, whence it is exported as Italian oil. The 
 duty on exports is so high that business is rendered 
 very difficult, for 13 francs are charged on every 
 100 kilos, of oil ; and on entering France there is 
 a further duty of 6 francs on the same ; while in 
 Algeria there is no duty whatever, and until France 
 annexes Tunis, and places the country on the same 
 
A Glimpse of Arab Life. 243 
 
 footing as Algeria, all competition is out of the 
 question, and few colonists will be found to settle 
 in Tunisia. 
 
 On Saturday, the 13th, we were aroused a^ two 
 o'clock in the morning by the booming of cannon, 
 and later, on inquiry, we found it was to announce 
 to the population that the fast of Ramadan had 
 begun. A telegram had been received from Tunis 
 to say that the new moon had just appeared. 
 From this moment until the setting of the sun no 
 one is supposed to eat or drink, and then another 
 cannon is fired, and they may break their fast. 
 This law is not so hard to the rich, who can turn 
 day into night if they please ; but the poor, who 
 are obliged to work all day, get terribly exhausted, 
 and many excuse themselves from its observance. 
 A gentleman at Susa, who was employing fifteen 
 or sixteen Arab workmen, told me he was sur- 
 prised to see one by one disappear, and at last he 
 discovered that each had food concealed in his 
 bernous, and they retired to eat in secret. 
 
 We left Susa on the evening of the 14th, and 
 
 arrived at Tunis early on the 15th, having much 
 
 enjoyed our little expedition. 
 
 And I must now take leave of my readers, for 
 p 2 
 
244 Chips from Tunis. 
 
 I go in a few days to England, where I trust this 
 very humble little work will be indulgently re- 
 ceived ; and, in conclusion, I must confess that I 
 quite recognise the truth of the assertion, that 
 having once drunk of the waters of Tunis, an 
 irresistible power attracts me to this interesting 
 country, and makes me hope to return, as it was 
 prophesied to me when I first arrived here ; and, 
 perhaps, some of my friends may be tempted to 
 follow our example when they realise that in thirty- 
 seven hours, from leaving the centre of civilisation 
 at Marseilles, they can be landed at Tunis, " le pays 
 oublie," as a French writer calls it, and see costumes 
 and witness scenes only to be found here, which 
 must interest even the most prosaic of individuals. 
 The air, too, is pure and light, and is considered 
 excellent for invalids with chest complaints. I can 
 only say in conclusion, that I shall be delighted to 
 supply any information which may be required by 
 those intending to spend a winter at Tunis, and 
 Madame Barbe Patteson, Tunis, North Africa, will 
 be a sufficient address. 
 
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