Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/602

Rh 564 ALGERIA ite. From its position, Algeria might be supposed to enjoy a warm climate; but the temperature varies considerably in different parts, according to the elevation and configuration of the country. In the northern districts the climate very much resembles that of the south of Spain, while in the Sahara the heat is often excessive. In the more elevated regions the winter is frequently very severe ; but along the coast the temperature is mild, very rarely sinking to the freezing-point even in winter, when heavy rains are of frequent occurrence. Dr Shaw knew the thermometer reach the freezing-point only twice during twelve years residence at Algiers. The coldest month is January, the hottest August. The rains prevail from December to February; the temperate season continues from March to June, and the hot season lasts from July to November. The mean annual temperature of the town of Algiers is about 6G - 5 Fahr.; being for the coldest month 48, and for the hottest 83. During summer there is a great difference between the day and night temperature, especially in the inland districts. The simoom or hot wind of the desert sweeps at intervals over the country, between May and September, impregnating the air with fine sand from the desert. In general, with the exception of places in the vicinity of the marshes, Algeria possesses a healthy climate. Ophthalmia, however, is very common, and elephantiasis is by no means an unusual disease, owing to the want of cleanliness among the country people. 1 jit- Besides the Europeans there are eight distinct races of inhabitants in Algeria (1.) The Kabyles or Berbers, the descendants of the aboriginal inhabitants of the country, constitute a large portion of the entire population. They occupy chiefly the more elevated and mountainous parts, but numbers of them also inhabit the plains and valleys. They are described as an active, industrious race, living in villages, and principally engaged in agriculture and the cultivation of fruit trees. They also make their own agricultural implements, guns, gunpowder, leather, carpets, &c. (2.) The Arabs are a very numerous class, and inhabit principally the southern parts of the country. Some of them are cultivators of the soil, and live in villages in the neigh bourhood of the towns; but the majority of them have no fixed habitation, dwelling in tents and moving about from place to place. These are the Bedouins or nomadic Arabs, and are the most unsettled and turbulent of the Algerine population. (3.) The Moors, a mixed race, inhabit the towns and villages chiefly on or near the sea-coast. (4.) The Jews are also to be found in the towns, and are engaged in mercantile pursuits. (5.) The Turks, though long the dominant -race, were never very numerous, and since the French conquest they have nearly disappeared. (6.) The Kolougis are the descendants of Turks by native women, and constitute a considerable proportion of the inhabitants of Algiers and other towns. (7.) The Negroes were originally brought from the interior and sold as slaves, but slavery now no longer exists. (8.) The Mozabites are an African race, to be found inhabiting the coast towns, and chiefly engaged in manual labour. They are described as an honest, industrious, and peaceable people. 1 A Parliamentary Report on the climate of Algeria published in 1867 is of great interest, particularly as investigating the causes of the The death-rate in Algerian hospitals for the first five years succeeding the conquest amounted to nearly 79 per 1000; and for the period from 1831 to 1846 it is given as high as 80 per 1000. In 1860 the death- rate per 1000 was only 17 8; in 1861, 11 3; in 1862, 12 21; in 1863, 12 29; and in 1864, 14 48. The causes of this remarkable difference are stated to be the former existence of certain unhealthy conditions in the country itself, and in the mode of life of both troops and colonists, which were accompanied by a high death-rate ; and the subsoquentrerr.oval to a certain extent of these conditions, together with the introduction of improved habits and modes of life, accompanied by improved health and lower death-rates. The European civil population of Algeria amounted to only 45,000 Fopula- persons in 1840, and in 1845 it had increased to 75,867. In Dec. tion. 1849 it had risen to 112,607, of whom 58,005 were French, 6943 Maltese, 33,659 Spaniards, 6986 Italians, 2515 Germans, 1253 Swiss, and 3246 of other nations. According to the census of 1861 the entire population of Algeria was 2,966,836, of whom 2,374,091 were nomadic native races, 112,229 French, and 80,517 other Europeans. In 1866 the entire population was 2,921,246, of whom 2,434,974 were of indigenous wandering tribes, 217,990 Europeans, and 251,050 natives settled in towns. Of the Europeans, 122,119 were French, 58,510 Spaniards, 16,655 Italians, 10,627 Maltese, and 5636 Germans. In the civil territory the entire population in 1870 is given as 478,342, of which 121,629 were French, 97,913 other Europeans, 33,117 Jews, and 225,693 Mahometans. When under the dominion of the Turks, this country Govern- was governed by a dey, and divided into four provinces rnent. Algiers and Titterie in the centre, Tlemcen in the west, and Constantine in the east. The last three were governed by beys under the dey. At present it is divided into three provinces Algiers in the centre, Oran in the west, and Constantine in the east. Till 1871 the country was entirely under military rule, but in that year various important reforms were introduced; and in place of the former military governor a civil governor-general was appointed to administer the affairs of the colony, and to direct the action of both civil and military authorities. He is invested with legislative powers in civil matters; but in all important cases he has to take the advice of a colonial council, the members of which are appointed by the French government. The power of the governor- general, however, extends only over the settled districts. In the thinly-populated parts, and the districts where the nomadic tribes are chiefly found, military rule still prevails. The three provinces are subdivided into twelve departments, at the head of each of which is a prefect, and under him are sub-prefects who rule over smaller divisions. By an Act of 14th July 18G5, the natives, both Mahometan and Jewish, were declared entitled to the rank and prerogatives of French citizens, on placing themselves completely and absolutely under the civil and political laws of France, and thus were made admissible to all the grades in the army and navy, and to many posts in the civil service of the state. In 1840 the revenue amounted to 5,610,706 frs. and the expendi- Revenue, ture to 7,206,372 frs. ; in 1850 these were respectively 19,632,271 frs. and 27,959,358 frs.; in 1860, 38,908,900 frs. and 39,471,372 frs.; and in 1870, 45,360,859 frs. and 51,762,316 frs. or 1,814,434 and 2,070,492. This expenditure does not include the cost of the maintenance of the army, the expenditure for public works, and other large sums disbursed by the home government. In the French financial estimates for 1873 the home expenditure for Algeria was set down at 24,496,109 frs. or 979,844, and the revenue derived from the colony at 19,008,584 frs. or 760,343. According to a statement made in the French legislative assembly in 1864, Algeria had cost the mother country three milliards of francs, or 120,000,000 in money and 150,000 lives. The French army in Algeria numbers about 60,000 men, and consists of two classes, namely, French troops, who remain there for a certain number of years, and then return to France ; and native troops, who never quit the country except for fighting purposes. Algeria in the time of the Romans was noted for its fertility, and Agricul- this is still the character of the cultivated parts of the country, ture. Many parts only want water to render them fertile, and the govern ment has lately sunk a number of Artesian wells with the most beneficial results. The principal grain crops are wheat and barley. In 1866 there were in the three provinces 4,163,367 acres of land under different kinds of grain, and the produce amounted to 2,802,208 quarters; 28,132 acres of vineyards, 14,266 acres under cotton, 5957 under flax, and 9793 under tobacco. In the province of Algiers the total area of land under cultivation with cereals in 1868 was, in the civil portion, 178,642 acres, of which 120,286 were cultivated by Europeans; and in the military portion, 808, 8SG acres. The total yield in the former case was 266,578, and in the latter 668,665 quarters. These figures do not include other agri cultural produce, such as beans, maize, kc, of which about 277,062 quarters were produced by 99,503 acres. The produce of tobacco throughout the country was estimated at 6,845,000 lb. Olives are grown largely and almost exclusively in the mountains of Kabylia.
 * great reduction in the mortality of the French troops serving there.