Algeria’s Unofficial King

Hokitika Guardian, 7 June 1921, Page 3

Algeria’s Unofficial King

BRITON WHOM ALL ARABS HONOUR,

(By. John PrioTeau). EL KANTARA, Algeria

Of course Imslii (Mr Prioleau’s car) and 1 went down to Biskra. It appears that you cannot, in decency, come to Algeria without going to Biskra. It is a sour, ungracious tiling to run down any place which pleases a great many people, but—well, really, I cannot for the life of me see why this wasps’ nest of touts and guides, with its indifferent hotels and its air of sham and “Brummagem ware” should have captivated anybody who had ever seen anything remotely approaching the ’real tiling. Tho celebrated street of the Ouled Nails is a (mercifully very small) slum of the lowest description, half Levantine, half European in appearance, wholly without character. The ravishing inhabitants may or may not originate from the Ouled Nail district (T believe some of them do), but their place of business might he found anywhere between Naples and Marseilles —only better done. I had the extreme good fortune to be shown Biskra by somebody who is a kind of unofficial King of Algeria. He won’t let me mention his name, but I do not think it will be long before this Englishman, whom every native on the way down from Tl Kantarn greeted by name, who knows tile family histories of everybody be meets, who, alone among Europeans, can go into any mountain village between here and Tunisia as ait honoured guest—it will not he. long before the world hears all about him. Two thinks t liked in Biskra, one I saw and one I am to have soon. The first was the market, which is genuine in that real Algerian stuff, from carrots to carpets, is sold in it. Outside in tho main street there is the usual deadly fndiaii shop, selling every kind of rubbish, including those terrible patchwork mats showing Egyptian hieroglyphics—remarkably suitable for Algeria. But in the market you can buy such things as genuine camel’s-hair burnouses, the finest kind of motor-coat lining in the world.

The other think I liked is a charm which is being specially prepared for mo by a very distingushed Marabout. It is to protect mo and Tmshi “against all perils and bandits of the road on our journey.” This is not a tourists’ stunt; Ijut 1 iiiii Hot allowed to say more. This morning I went to the ILxi Village here and, with extraordinary difficulty, bought an old silver charm-case to carry it in. The difficulty lay in persuading the silversmith to sell it to me. He is the worst salesmall iii the world. He squatted there in his tiny shop making a silver chain and, at intervals, pointing out that the charm case was broken, old, valueless, ugly, silly. Eventually it changed builds for 12fr,50 That is the difference between El Kant am and Biskra. With what screams and protestations, amid what a Bedlam of noise and lies should 1 have bought an imitation case for 50 or 100 francs!

1 am most grieved at leaving El Renta ra and I shall do my best to snatch a couple of nights here oil my way back from Tunis. It is a very charming place, and it is the real thing. Besides, 1 hate to leave Archibald. ] am certain that Achibald will catch cold and get indigestion as Hooli as jny back is turned. Archibald is a great anxiety. He is only 11 days old, aiid lie is a Barbarv sheep. The unofficial King of Algeria owns him. He was found and caught on the hillside the other day in a hunter’s clonk, and he has at present, two goats as foster-mothers, and puts in the rest of his time with a feeding-bottle. Before Archibald there was Gilbert, whom I never knew. Gilbert overd'd the feeding-bottle business, had a pain in fiis little inside, and passed away. So von can imagine wth what solicitude Archibald is measured hourly for rotundity. Yesterday was a day of gloom. Achibald shivered, complained of the cold and lacked dash. It was awful, and the strain brought us all very near the breaking point. To-day lie is excessively impertinent and tiresome and we are no longer anxious.

i He is an enchanting little beast, the ! exact colour of the desert, with enormous black eyes. He is far more kid than lamb,*’ and much nicer than either. And the terrible part of it all is that he and his kind are practically never reared by humans. Witness the end of 1 Gilbert,