Chapter XXV: Appendix (3)

“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.”

Y.

_An Intercepted Letter about Frontier Raids._

In August 1865 the Bey of Tunis managed, by some means or other, to obtain possession of a letter addressed by his _then_ Consul at Bone to the French Chargé d’Affaires at Tunis on leave in Paris, through the medium of the French War Office. I am unable to ascertain how he contrived to intercept it, but it must be remembered that for two generations at least the Tunisian Government has been officially and unofficially represented in the French capital. The document in question shows sufficiently the utility of border raids in diplomacy, and runs as follows:—

“Monsieur le Consul Général,—

“Permit me to congratulate you on your nomination to the rank of Commander in the Legion of Honour. . . I regret I did not see you before your departure, as I had many things to communicate to you. . . I must admit that your mission is a most difficult one in presence of the eternal _non possumus_ of the Khaznadar. Nevertheless, your exquisite courtesy and the great benefits you have conferred on the Hassanite dynasty, by asserting the independence of Tunis as far as the Porte is concerned, should have compelled him (if he was really loyal to his sovereigns), to express his gratitude, and brought him into a proper line of thinking. Alas! the great achievement with which all European journals have rung, has been misrepresented to the Tunisian population by the Khaznadar; no paper in the country has ever mentioned it (!); and it is not difficult to detect the influence which has prompted this extraordinary behaviour.

“As a retired French officer I cannot but deplore the fatal conduct of the Khaznadar; I am persuaded that the Bey, who is a very worthy and honest Prince, would be displeased by it if he could only understand it, because his sheet anchor is clearly France and not England.

“The fall of the Khaznadar would save the Tunisian government; I am convinced that every one at the Tunisian Court desires it for the good of the country. But unfortunately an interested influence sustains this man: the influence in question is the more to be dreaded, because it commands pounds sterling, the chief moving force of the present century. France should arouse herself and cease to be the victim of her good faith. It must henceforth be with her a case of diamond cut diamond. The following project illustrates this maxim:—

“In the first place, be persuaded that this idea of mine is not suggested by personal interest (as appearances might wrongly indicate); it is prompted by a desire to see French influence consolidated at Tunis, and to thus have friends for neighbours instead of enemies.

“As you are aware, I am Consul of the Bey of Tunis at Bone, but I have not been accepted by the French government, because France has not yet officially recognised the independence of the Tunisian government. As, however, she has notified it to the Porte, she must, to be consistent, recognise the agents of the government. It is besides the interest of France, especially on the Algerian frontier, that these agents should be devoted to her, or in plain language that they should be Tunisians in name and Frenchmen in heart. With such materials as this, let us suppose that the frontier Arabs (who are generally very turbulent), declare in a moment of revolt that ‘they respect the Bey, but will no longer endure the Khaznadar,’ and that these simple words, _said or not said_, be embodied in the official reports of the Tunisian Consular agents, and that by some indiscretion the French government becomes aware of the circumstances. France will then certainly have a right to say, that to secure the tranquillity of Algeria, she urgently demands the dismissal of the Khaznadar, who is the sole cause of agitation in the Regency. It would be pointed out that these troubles are all the more dangerous for Algeria, because they occur near the frontier, and one might add that this cannot be denied, because the Tunisian Consular agents themselves had said so in their telegrams announcing their detailed reports on the events.

“Yes, sir, by this means France will be fully justified, and will be only acting in self-defence, in causing her columns to enter the country, from which they will retire on the dismissal of the Khaznadar.

“In my humble opinion, I believe that in accordance with existing relations between France and the other powers, the means which I propose to-day are the only ones applicable, and the results will be satisfactory without causing unnecessary fiction. If you think the project feasible, count upon me. I repeat, I am a Frenchman above all: on my breast shines the emblem of honour and devotion to France. I speak openly to you, because I have detected in you that intelligence which enabled you to distinguish an able man in the crowd. You fascinated me in our first interview, and I think we understood each other: do you need an assistant, a man of activity to accomplish your political projects? I am your man. The influence which I exercise on the frontier ensures a successful result.

“It may be that the Khaznadar, who has in his pay a trusty secret police, may have learned with suspicion of our good relations, and that I have consequently offended him, but this can be easily diverted when once I am officially recognised as Consul. The French Consulate will simulate a certain coolness towards me, and might even prefer some complaint as to my partiality for the Tunisians. Then the Khaznadar, whose confidence I shall take care to gain, will assuredly accord me that influence which is useful to all of us in the present state of things.

“If by chance you are called elsewhere by promotion, and in case your successor possesses your qualities, I beg you to recommend me to him, and to answer for me, as far as regards the plans which I have now unfolded.”

Z.

_The Tunisian Esparto Trade._

Throughout the work I have often incidentally alluded to the trade in _esparto_ fibre, which has of late years been almost exclusively carried on between Great Britain and Tunis. The wild mountainous districts in the south of the Regency produce vast quantities of this useful plant, only a small proportion of which has, however, as yet been brought to the European market. _Esparto_ grass enters more and more into the manufacture of paper, and in the near future there is every probability of its being extensively used in many other materials. Three weeks after the signing of the treaty of Kasr-es-Said, M. Roustan induced the Bey to grant to M. Réné Duplessis, a retired cavalry officer, exclusive rights over five of the richest of these esparto-producing mountain ranges for a term of ninety-nine years. This all-important concession under ordinary circumstances would have done incalculable injury to English trade. Fortunately enough for all parties the strong good sense and straightforward conduct of M. Duplessis has prevented a disagreeable international conflict. He has now ceded the larger share in his rights to a well-known English firm, and under the joint auspices of Messrs. Hough, Surtees, Lawes & Co. and M. Duplessis, an Anglo-French Company will shortly commence operations amongst the grass covered hills of Southern Tunis. _Esparto_ fibre is growing there in luxuriant abundance, and its quality, I am told, leaves little to be desired, but workmen and labourers are still wanting. The Arabs of Bühedma, Ben Aicha and Majura are away on the Tripolitan frontier with Ali Ben Hlifa. On leaving this Mr. Hough, with characteristic British energy, at once went to Tripoli and sought out the rebel chiefs. He offered them every inducement to return to their native mountains and pick esparto. “We are starving,” they answered; “we have no harvest, and many of us have died while waiting to march with our Caliph and Sultan’s troops against the French. How can we come back?” He proposed to exchange stores of corn and oil for gathered _halfa_. Here was at once a remedy for their troubles, and they gratefully agreed to his terms. If once Southern Tunis is thus re- peopled (and some of the tribes have already crossed the frontier), the success of the enterprise is assured. Unless the Sultan speedily does something more than promise, it seems probable that English merchants may give once more to Southern Tunis that pacification which French columns and French bayonets have wholly failed to achieve. French diplomatists are apparently contented with this solution.

THE END.

* * * * *
PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO.
EDINBURGH AND LONDON.

_CORRIGENDA, VOL. II._

* * * * *

Page 36, line 8, _for_ “Giará” _read_ “Jára.”

„ 45, line 16, _for_ “Giará” _read_ “Jára.”

„ 48, line 5, _et passim, for_ “Lavigerie” _read_ “Lavigérie.”

„ 328, line 6, _for_ “alcoholise” _read_ “alcoholisé.”

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Messrs. Perry, Bury, & Co. of Liverpool.]

[Footnote 2: Since made an officer of the Legion of Honour as a pendent to Mustapha’s Grand Cordon and Musalli’s Knight Commandership.]

[Footnote 3: Now a Major or Colonel in the Imperial Ottoman army.]

[Footnote 4: Now a fugitive at Malta.]

[Footnote 5: This person was the confidential servant of the Prime Minister Mustapha down to a few days after the 12th May. It was the dinner given to the Foreign Representatives at this man’s house which furnished Signor Pestalozza with the material for the only amusing article in the ill-fated _Mostakel_. Although he had worked very hard in the French interest he managed to offend M. Roustan, and was degraded, deprived of all his possessions, and detained in a dungeon at Gabes, till he was liberated by the French shells.]

[Footnote 6: Appendix O.]

[Footnote 7: The counting of these columns is undoubtedly a puzzle. M. Dulhoit, the intelligent director of the department of Historical Monuments in Algeria, has made an elaborate plan of the Mosque. He says the following is an entirely correct computation of the pillars:—

The court 497

Two minarets 16

Doors 30

Angles 4
---
547

It is to be noted that some of the pillars are so placed as to be almost invisible to the casual spectator.]

[Footnote 8: Knights of Malta, vol ii. p. 100.]

[Footnote 9: Bosio, iii. p. 349.]

[Footnote 10: M. Roustan’s confusion of mind and defects of memory contributed very greatly to his ultimate discomfiture. He denied that Musalli was appointed as Director of the Tunisian Foreign Office. I find, however, the following entry in the Official Calendar for 1882.

QUATRIÈME SECTION.

_Affaires Etrangères._

Le Commandeur, M. Théodore Roustan, Ministre résident de France, délégué du Gouvernement Tunisien pour les affaires Etrangères.

Le Général Elias Musalli, Directeur et 1ier Interprète de S. A. le Bey, G.O.If., Commandeur de la Legion d’Honneur.

He also professed to know nothing of Musalli’s advancement in the Legion of Honour, although he had twice recommended him for promotion, and only five months before obtained him the rank of commander.]

[Footnote 11: I cannot resist translating the preamble, which is a unique specimen of the most approved style of Oriental diplomatic writing.]

Transcriber's note:

Changes in the CORRIGENDA have been done.

pg 47, changed: "suscept-tibilities by hastening" to:
"susceptibilities"

pg 80, changed: "an Italian, burnt to beath" to: "death"

pg 163, changed: "expedition towards Gabes and Gassa" to: "Gafsa"

pg 184, changed: "midst of the maddened Aíssaouia" to: "Aïssaouia"

Ill. facing p. 262, changed: "IL NOUS FAUDRAIT, POUR BEIN _FARRE_"
to: "BIEN"

pg 299, changed: "Tho doctor’s only recourse" to: "The"

pg 314, changed: "Mr. Levy ha induced an English gentleman" to:
"had induced"

pg 340, changed: "the orginal deed of gift" to: "original"

pg 381, changed: "Le Hef, Tabarka, Ghardimaou" to: "Le Kef"

Text with overline is surrounded by "~".