Algeria.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4000, 24 October 1881, Page 2

Algeria.

Our Paris correspondent, in a previous letter, gives a few interesting items concerning this French colony :—

Algeria continues to monopolize much serious attention : the French know, very little that is exact touching their, vast African colony, and to tell the truth, the Government does not go out of its way to enlighten them. Matters are not at all satisfactory: there is much sickness among the troops and the superior officers, whother from natural incapacity," or as some say, to give a coup de jarnac to the Republic, are not up to the mark. The colony must be held militarily, and this means an important contingent of troops. Four regiments quartered in Paris have left for Algeria; the men seemed eager for the fray, but I do not think the people were in the Mood for throwing an old slipper after them. With Morocco and Tripolitania skirting the colony, there will be no falling off in supplies of disaffected Arabs. The special correspondents re* turning from Tunisia have taken Algeria on their way home; their descriptions of the condition and prospects of the. colony ' are very gloomy.; they demand everywhere the erection of forts,. and being stocked with cannon and mitrailleuse, the natives having a holy horror of. such peashooters. Indeed, some reformers insist in the extermination of the aboriginals— some 2| millions, the French population .•» not being over 200,000. If. "Sultan" Bon-Amena obtains further victories, the. situation of Algeria will become grave indeed. , * ...

One indignant Commissioner for a leading Paris paper writes dolefully that there are not two useful fortresses in the

whole of Algeria, and that an English fleet steaming from Gibraltar, could capture-" Algiers in four days. The colony is more favored by the authorities for the natives, who are enemies, than for the European emigrants, who are friends of the Mother Country. The natives refuse to conform to Western ideas, and would sever them, selves of the protection of France the, better' to uphold their customs. The natives render no military services, as the goums or squadrons of Arab Cavalry cannot be relied upon. Some chiefs who have rebelled no less than thirteen times, have as frequently demanded and obtained the aman or pardon. , , .. " M. De Lesseps remedy for this state of ' things is to conduct the Mediterranean into the Sahara, and foray the inland sea of Algeria: cost 90,000,000fr. France has too much African territory to guard, and it is very questionable if a grand continental can ever become a, grand colonial : power. It is now clear that Tunisia must be held as a conquered realm : tha insur- ■ rection at Bfax is the most natural of events. Only think of the simplicity of the French taking on board their ships of war, Tunisian troops to fight the insurgents—their comrades doubtless, and these troops cheering the firing of their - fellow countrymen. Monsieur, was not prepared either for that kind of liberty and fraternity. Sfax, " the city of cuounibers," on account of a famous variety of that vegetable raised, consists of 16,000 inhabitants; it is divided4nto two parts,' for the Mussulmans and Europeans respectively. The suburbs are groves of orange trees and palms, of every description of fruit and flower: the wells are as

numerous as,the houses. The oasbash or citadel is strongly built but poorly armed.-.