nion, a middle-aged Turk, and they both looked very dull and stupid, until, on his asking me if I thought his wife (whom he had never seen) handsome, and on hearing my agreeable answer, he stroked his beard with great satisfaction, and said Star bucno, Signora, star buono.' While we sat with him, his friend took his leave; and as the time for the introduction of the bride approached, we also returned to her apartment, and found her additional toilet quite completed. Indeed, with so many additional jewels had she been decorated, that she was quite unable to bear the weight of her salma without the support of two of her attendants, who walked on each side of her, and held her head. At the moment of her leaving the room, a veil of purple crape, splendidly embroidered in gold, small pearls, and precious stones, was thrown over her head. In this array she was conducted to the door of the bridegroom's chamber, amidst the universal cry from each individual present, of Lai, Lai, Lai, Lella, -a sound of great joy always raised at marriages by the assembled guests. The curtains were raised, but only a certain number of the company, probably the nearest relatives, entered, and conducted the veiled bride to a seat on the left of the bridegroom, who continued seated. Her veil was then removed by one of the ladies, and for the first time the old Turk beheld his wife, or rather her masked countenance. An old woman, who had taken an active part in the whole ceremony, took from the hands of a black woman a small silver ewer containing rose water, and approached the bride, whom she addressed. The bride then raised her two hands, and extending their hollowed palms, the officiating lady filled them with rose water out of the ewer. The bridegroom then, turning round, drank it out of the bride's hands. He then underwent a similar ceremony, the bride drinking out of his hands. During all this time, the shouts of Lai, lai, lai,' continued unceasingly both from those within, and those on the outside of the chamber. This ending the marriage ceremony, we and the rest of the company took our leave of this paired, not matched couple."

There was during the earliest part of Mr. Bs'. residence at Algiers, a war between that regency and Tunis. The former prevailed and made characteristic use of the several victories. The Journalist notes on one day that 40 mules laden with the heads of the rebels were brought into the city, and a short time afterwards 43 more. The following extract from Mrs. Broughton's reminiscences will afford some further light regarding the cruel and savage practices of the inhospitable inhabitants of the shores of Barbary.

"A Moor one morning brought us a small piece of bluish white paper, much creased and soiled. On this were traced a few scarcely legible lines, written, indeed, only with charcoal and water, but which were sufficient to corroborate the sad story told by the Arab who brought the missive. The facts that he related, and those my father afterwards ascertained, were as follow:-An English ship, laden with pigs of lead, and some barrels of gunpowder, was proceeding to some port in the

Mediterranean, (but I neither recollect hearing from whence she sailed' or whither bound), when she was, by stress of weather, driven on the coast of Barbary. and off Gigery she struck upon a rock. The inhospitable savages who inhabit that country were assembled on the shore, to await the final fate of the tempest-tossed ship; and when they beheld her at length wrecked upon a neighbouring rock, they proceeded to throw themselves into the sea; not, alas! with any feelings of pity and compassion for the unfortunate crew, whom they seized as captives; two of them at the same time taking hold of an unhappy Englishman, and dragging him overboard, thus swam with him ashore, and on reaching it, they ceased not to overwhelm the exhausted man with the most cruel treatment, until they had, by overpowering numbers, completely overcome all resistance on the part of the poor sufferers, who, however, witnessed a just retribution on many of their cruel tormentors.

"These wretches were so totally ignorant and barbarous, that a great multitude of them caused their own destruction, in their anxiety to appro

priate the ship's cargo. Our countrymen saw several of them take possession each of a pig of lead, and fastening it either on their shoulders, or round their waist, jump overboard, sinking, of course, with their booty, to rise no more. On seeing this repeatedly happen, two of these savages thought that they had discovered a better expedient, and therefore tied one of the pieces of lead between them, and leaped overboard with the same fatal result. On the following day an immense number of them were killed, by their having lighted a large fire all around a barrel of gunpowder they had got on shore, and which, when they discovered it to be injured by the sea, they thought they could thus dry, and were consequently all blown up at once. However, the poor sailors were diverted from watching the self-destruction of their captors by their own extreme sufferings from hunger and cold, for they had been completely stripped of all their clothes.

"In a few days a person, who seemed a man of consequence with the savages, (a Marabout,) came to look at the poor mariners, and by his advice the Gigerans, (to whom he represented that they could obtain ransom for their captives), sent a messenger to Algiers, (the same who brought the slip of dirty paper to my father), with a demand for a certain large sum of money as a ransom for these fifteen Englishmen. On this being told iny father, he was very indignant, and instantly sent his Dragoman to the Dey, to demand an order from his Highness for the imme. diate liberation of these his Britannic Majesty's subjects; and with difficulty could my dear father be made to comprehend the truth of the Dey's reply, which was, that he had not the least command or influence with the men of Gigery; that they had never been conquered by, nor been under the slightest subjection to, any Dey of Algiers; that they had ever continued a wild and completely savage people; and that had any Algerine subjects fallen into their hands, he, the Dey, would equally have been obliged to pay a ransom for their liberation; and his Highness advised my father immediately to comply with the demands of the barbarians, through the agency and mediation of the Marabout, as otherwise it was impossible to say to what extremities they might be capable of proceeding towards their unhappy prisoners, if they should be disappointed in

their expectations of booty. My father having been convinced that this was truly the case, immediately despatched proper persons with the amount of the ransom demanded, and after a certain number of days, they returned, accompanied by the thirteen poor fellows, (two having sunk under their misery), who had scarcely a rag upon them; but my mother already had clothing and beds prepared for their arrival. The greatest anxiety my parents experienced was, lest they might be injured by taking too great a quantity of food, after their long state of almost starvation; and they therefore had good soups prepared, and used great caution in having nourishment distributed to them, They remained in our house many weeks, until Mr. Nares' departure afforded them an opportunity for leaving Algiers. I believe they all afterwards entered his Majesty's Navy."

While regarding the conduct of the Blanckleys with the warmest admiration, and feeling proud that such a considerate, humane, and efficient functionary as the Consul had been selected by the British government to fill the arduous and perilous office he held, it is truly painful and repulsive to hear that he was not only most inadequately supported and rewarded; but that he was in fact a pecuniary loser in consequence of his generosity, and the exercise of uncommon talents. The Home Government, it is true, had its head full of other weighty and vital matters; but surely the neglect was gross and impolitic when no particular pains were taken to support Mr. Blanckley, to maintain a good understanding with the Dey, nor even to become acquainted with the temper, the weak and strong points of the Algerine rulers and authorities,-the established manners of the people, their pleasures and pride. Take an illustration :

We were awakened by hearing a royal salute fired, on the Niger Frigate anchoring in the bay. Captain Hillyer had been sent by Lord Collingwood with a watch for the Dey, and he accompanied Mr. Blanckley to the palace to present it. It is much to be lamented that so trumpery a present should have been sent, since it is to be feared, that far from its being of benefit in promoting feelings of good will towards our nation, it may very probably have a very opposite effect.

"On Mr. B.'s presenting it to the Dey, he drew it from the case, and twisting it between his thumb and figer, eyed it with the most contemptuous expression of countenance, and calling to his head cook, (who, it appears, is a person of consequence in his household,) gave it to him, saying that he made him a present of it, as it was more fit for him than Himself. Mr. B. and Capt. Hillyer were much mortified, and join in regretting that these matters were not better understood at home."

Again, afterwards, and in the case of another ruler :—

86

When Mr. B. &c. &c. went to the palace this morning, to present the present from our King, the Dey was in the worst possible humour, or account of not having received an answer to the letter which he wrote to the King, and scarcely would he credit Mr. B. when he assured him

that he had not received a single line from our Government. When a musical snuff-box, which cost 500/., was presented, he asked if the King took him for a child, to be pleased with ting, ting, ting. He ridiculed a beautiful cestus, or clasp of brilliants and emeralds; he also seemed to think very little of a bale of broad cloth, but more graciously received some instruments of death, viz., a splendidly ornamented brace of pistols, but peremptorily asked, Where is the gun that belongs to them?' No such thing had been sent.

"Had the same expense been bestowed upon a suitably arranged present, the interest of our country would have been advanced, instead of weakened, by the disappointment the barbarian now experiences.Had the opinion of any one versed in oriental customs been taken, a gun, no matter of what intrinsic value, (so that it was brilliantly ornamented, and to match the pistols,) would have been sent, instead of the beautiful ting, ting box, and the useless cestus. The result has been anything but to influence the Dey in British favour. He refused to give liberty to two Christian slaves, which favour Mr. B. begged Captain Warren to ask. I had sent poor Ignacio to carry the regalo, in the hopes that he would obtain his freedom; but the Dey did not even bestow an aspre upon him, although, on receiving the former present, he gave the bearers of it thirty-six dollars.

"Our chagrin is great, at the impolitic conduct of our Government, in sending such dissatisfactory, yet expensive presents here, actually casting pearls among swine; when an old brig or cutter would have been highly acceptable, many of which are falling to decay in our ports. My poor husband feels the mortification to which he is liable from this mismanagement, and is equally disappointed, especially after the hint he had ventured to give in a certain influential quarter. But patience as the Turks say."

Of the several Deys who reigned, according to the characteristic fashion of Algerine uncertainty and brevity, while Mr. B. was resident Consul, Achmet Pacha, though numerous were the violent deaths, barbarous cruelties, and despotic acts which marked his government, was by far the most respectable and humane. Some of his tastes and amusements, while perfectly barbaric, were comparatively harmless and amusing. He and his quadruped companions would have brought bumpers to Old Drury. For we read in the reminiscences of Mrs. Broughton as follows:

"When the Dey granted audiences, he invariably had several lion cubs either lying around him, or serving him as footstools. In Achmet Pacha's time, the one upon which he bestowed that distinguished honour, was kept about him to a later period than they usually basked in the Royal presence; indeed, he was nearly full grown, and my father more than once remonstrated with his Highness upon his still keeping him about his person. And this mesintelligence was mutual, for this overgrown tabruret had as decided an antipathy to my father as he had o him; no sooner did he catch a view of my father's scarlet uniform, than he would utter a loud roar, and with his tail between his legs, vanish

from the apartment; and as it once happened that the Dey's feet were resting upon his back when my father entered, his sudden withdrawal from beneath them, caused his Highness to faire la culbute, by throwing him back upon his seat or throne. Achmet, who, when pleased, was as courteous in his manners as if he had been the sovereign of a more polished court, instantly recovered himself, and laughing heartily, said to my father, 'You see even lions are afraid of the English uniform.'

In spite of his wit, comparative humanity, wisdom, and sound policy, sudden and terrible was his dethronement; for we also read, as entered in the Journal on the 7th of Nov. 1808, that

"Our Janissary, Sidi Hassan, returned from town in great consternation, and came into the drawing-room, saying that the Turks had risen, and were going to kill the Dey. Our Dragoman, Rais Ali, has taken sanctuary in our house. Further accounts, about eleven o'clock, were sent to us from town, saying, that the Pacha Achmet was shot on the terrace of a house belonging to a Jew, when endeavouring to escape; he had succeeded in running over the terraces of several houses from the palace of his wife, to which he had first escaped; and on being pursued thither, he got upon the terrace, and from thence over several others, until he was shot through the body and leg, by a very young Turk. He was then by the soldiers.dashed from the terrace into the street; and they cut off his head, and carried it to shew the new Dey, his successor, who is called Ali Pacha.

"In the evening we heard that everything was quiet, and the usual order restored in town."

The Dey fell not alone:

"Sidi Cadua, father-in-law to the late Dey, Achmet Pacha, and the proprietor of our Garden, has been stripped of all his immense property and possessions, with the single exception of this Garden, and had been thrown into prison; but on the day, of Bairam, (the Mahomedan feast answering to our Easter), he was restored to liberty. Our Janissary, Sidi Hassan, at my desire, called upon him yesterday, and found the venerable old man seated upon a sheep skin, which alone replaced all the beautiful carpets and splendid cushions with which he had previously been surrounded. He was very grateful for the coffee and other necessaries, which I had ventured to send him by Hassac. Such are the vicissitudes of life under this Government."

Some years later ;

"The son of the late Sidi Cadua called upon us. How changed is the scene with this young man !-he came alone. Whilst his brother-in-law, Achmet Pacha, lived, he never moved but with a numerous train of attendants. He distressed me much by the information, that his unfortunate sister, the Dey's widow, has just lost her only son in the small-pox, and that her eldest daughter, Leila Feesa, alone survives, as she had previously lost her youngest little girl. How have distresses of every kind accumulated upon this wretched woman since I visited her in all her