years have greatly contributed to call the attention of the civilized world to its past and present history. There is a variety of opinions respecting the original inhabitants: some contending that they were the Sabeans who plundered the patriarch Job; others, Cananites who were driven out of their country by Joshua. Be this as it may, the Algerine kingdom formerly made a considerable part of the Mauritania Tingitania, which Julius Cæsar reduced to a Roman province. The Algerines shared in the fortunes of Rome; for, at the decline of its empire, they fell to the Vandals, who in turn were expelled by the Saracens about the middle of the seventh century. From that period they were subject to the Arabs, till the year 1051, when Abubeker ben Omar, by the agency of his marabouts or saints, assembled a large force of malcontents in Numidia and Lybia. His followers were called Morabites, and the kingdom which he founded is distinguished by that appellation. Religious frenzy seems to have imparted resolution and strength, the sinews of victory, to these combatants; whilst a variety of favourable circumstances, arising from the absence of the most powerful of the constituted authorities, enabled Abubeker to vanquish the several sheiks who opposed him, and at length reduce the whole of Tingitania under his sway.

His successor Yusef, or Joseph, founded Morocco as the capital of the Morabitish kingdom. An event which at first seemed to threaten his project with annih, 'ation, turned out to the increase of his power, and the consolidation of his empire. In order to strengthen his new dynasty, ho sent ambassadors to a powerful sect of the Mohammedans, called Zeneti, whom he wished to bring back to what he called the true faith, who not only murdered his emissaries, but with a large army invaded his kingdom. Fearful and terrible was the retribution he exacted from them. He ravaged their lands with fire and sword; and, assisted by the inhabitants of Fez, who refused the Zeneti the succour they had expected from them when they retreated upon their city, he almost annihilated the whole tribe, to the amount of nearly a million of souls, including women and children. Their desolated country was soon repeopled by colonies from Fez; and Joseph, forgetful of the efficient support he had received from the Fezzans, attacked and subdued both them and the remaining Arab sheiks, who, relying upon their supposed impregnable fortresses, had not yet submitted to his authority. The dynasty of the Morabites, founded by the influence of the marabouts, fell before the power of Mohavedin, a marabout, in the middle of the twelfth century, whose priestly tribe was expelled by Abdular, governor of Fez. Thus did the conquered become conquerors, only to fall before the renovated power of the descendants of those very princes whom Abubeker in the eleventh century had stripped of their power. Their descendants divided their new conquests into several kingdoms or provinces, dividing the present kingdom of Algiers into Tremecen, Tenez, Algiers Proper, and Bujeyah. The alliance of these four kingdoms was so well cemented, that mutual amity reigned amongst them for nearly three centures. It was interrupted by the aggression of the king of Tremecen, who was in consequence attacked and subjected by the potentate of Tenez, Abul Farez. He left his power divided amongst his sons, which occasioned discords, and afforded the Spaniards an opportunity of attacking them. Ferdinand of Spain having driven the Saracens from Europe, followed them into Africa, and, in 1504 and 1509, took possession of Oran, Bujeyah, Algiers, and other places. The successes of the count of Navarre struck such terror into the Alerines, that they sought the protection of Selim Eutemi, an Arabian prince. This alliance however, though actively exerted, did not save them from becoming tributary to their European invaders, who raised a strong fort on a small island opposite the city, in order to deter the maraudings of the corsairs. The death of Ferdinand, in 1516, seemed the signal of their

liberty; for they solicited, with larger offers, the succour of Ameh Barba rossa, whose valour and success had rendered him the most redoubtable captain of that period. Barbarossa readily answered their call, and marched with a powerful army to Algiers, having first reduced and then treacherously murdered Hassan, another celebrated corsair, whose follow. ers, consisting of Turks, he compelled to follow in his ranks. The whole populace of Algiers, with the prince Selim Eutemi at their head, received this accomplished butcher with every demonstration of gratitude and honour; which he repaid by causing the prince to be murdered, and himself to be saluted by his licentious followers with "Long live king Ameh Barbarossa, the invincible king of Algiers, the chosen of God to deliver the people from the oppression of the Christians." This part of the acclamation might have been acceptable enough to the Algerines in respect of the object for which they had sought his friendship; but the concluding words, "destruction to all who shall oppose, or refuse to own him as their lawful sovereign," struck such terror into them, that they acknowledged his pretensions and received him as their king. His treachery to Selim was followed by brutal insults to Zaphira, his widow, who having vainly attempted to stab the tyrant, poisoned herself.

The reign of Barbarossa, began in treachery and usurpation, was continued by havoc and bloodshed. The signal barbarity he exercised over some conspirators whom he had detected, effectually repressed all similar plots against him in those who disliked his authority, whilst his unbounded liberality to those who followed him obtained the favour of others who sought their own private advantage in preference to their country's liberty An attempt, fomented by Selim, son of the prince whom Barbarossa hid murdered, proved abortive, although backed by ten thousand Spaniards under the command of Don Diego de Vera. The king of Tunis also, at the head of ten thousand Moors, was defeated by the Algerine autocrat, with only one thousand Turkish musqueteers and five hundred Granada Moors, his capital taken and pillaged, himself deposed, and Barbarossa made sovereign in his stead. This victory, which he owed to the use of fire-arms, which had now began to lend their terrible assistance to the deadliness of war, was followed by an embassy from Tremecen, in which place also he was chosen king. His tyranny in Tremecen led to his destruction, for the expelled royal family having obtained the assistance of the Spaniards, and being joined by the refugee Algerines, under the guidance of prince Selim, pressed the monarch so closely, that in his attempt to escape he was overtaken, and after a resistance distinguished by tie most uncompromising valour of his followers, was slain by his pursuers, in the forty-fourth year of his age, A. D. 1520. The death of Barbarossa did not deliver the Algerines from the Turkish authority; for Hayradin, his brother, was appointed king. To strengthen his power he sought the protection of the Grand Seignior, from whom he received a confirmation of his office, and such reinforcements that he both compelled the acquiescence of the Moors and Arabs to his sway, and was enabled also greatly to an noy the Europeans by sea. He captured the Spanish fort of Calan, sad by employing thirty thousand Christian slaves on the work without intermission for three years, he built a strong mole, as a protection for his shipping. And not only did he provide this defence for himself, but, by repairing and strengthening the captured Spanish fort, he effectually kept out all foreign vessels. He strengthened, by the assistance of the Ottoman sultan, all the weak places of his kingdom, and was at length rewarded by him with the dignity of bashaw of the empire; whilst Algiers, now completely tributary to the Porte, received Hassan Aga, a Sardinian renegado, as the Turkish deputy.

From this period the history of Algiers for about a hundred years is oat bloody series of piracy abroad, and sanguinary commotions at home

Hasan gave the Spaniards no respite. He ravaged not only their coans. but even those of the Papal States, and other parts of Italy. A most for. midable armament was fitted out against him by the emperor Charles V at the instigation of Paul III., the pope of Rome. This expedition was. in some respects, like the armanda which threatened England with Spanish bigotry in the reign of Elizabeth, and was attended with similar success. Confident in his numbers and equipments, Charles pushed his projects with every probability of success, whilst Hassan, dispirited by the weakness of his fortifications and the paucity of his garrison, was on the point of surrender, when the predictions of a mad prophet, named Yusef, encouraged him to a more desperate resistance. The predictions of the approaching ruin of the Spaniards were soon verified. The war of elements—storms of wind, hail, rain—a general darkness—and violent earthquakes, combined to wreck the proud hopes of the Spanish monarch. His army, the finest, perhaps, Europe had seen for many an age, was scattered, destroyed, or taken captive; his navy in a few minutes was swallowed up, and the great deep closed over the relics, and arms, and human beings with which it was amply furnished; and he himself with dificulty escaped from the general destruction which pursued his ill-fated attempt. This extraordinary event took place on the 28th of October, 1541. The Spaniards never recovered from this loss, and their attempts to annoy the Algerines were henceforth inconsiderable. This may be considered as the most splendid victory which this freebooting state ever acquired.

In 1555, the Algerines under Pelha-Rais, the successor of Hassan, captured Bujeyah, which had been in possession of the Spaniards for fifty years. A period now occurs thickly clustered by names of those who were bashaws for brief periods, amongst which we find Hassan Corso, who was murdered to make room for Tekeli, who in turn was assassinated by Yusef Calabres, and he was bashaw for only six days. Then came Hassan, the son of Hayradin, who defeated another attempt of the Spaniards with the loss of twelve thousand men. This Hassan was deposed by the aga of the Janissaries; then reinstated; again deposed by Achmet: and a third time made bashaw, when he undertook the seige of Marsalquiver, near Oran, with a powerful army, but which he was compelled to raise on the approach of the celebrated Doria. He was again recalled from his government, and died at Constantinople, A. D. 1567. His successor, Mahomet, showed prudence, and by his wise regulations laid the foundation of Algerine independence. He was deposed by the notorious renegado Ochali, who reduced Tunis to the subjection of Algiers, only that in a few years it might be made a pachalic of the Porte, in 1586. In the preceding year, the enterprising spirit of these pirates carried them through the straits of Gibraltar as far as the Canary islands, which they plundered. In the beginning of the following century the Algerines effected one leading step toward independence, in obtaining from the Porte permission to appoint a dey of their own; but the sultan still retained a bashaw, whose office was confined to watching that the interests of his master did not suffer. Their power, augmented by an influx of the Moors who were expelled from Spain in 1609, was now formidable; and the states of Europe, with the exception of the Dutch, quailed before them. Alliances were formed against them; and to the honou of France be it said, that her new navy was the first which dared openly avenge the cause of insulted Europe and suffering humanity. In 1617 the arms of Gaul fell with violence on the insolence of the pirates.

In 1623 Algiers declared herself independent of the Porte, and for the next thirty years pillaged without distinction whatever vessels of the Europeans fell in their way; then another collision took place between them and the French navy; and soon after a large fleet under Hali Pinchinin, after carrying off immense booty from the Italian coast, was defeated by

the Venetians under Capello, with very considerable loss, which greatly crippled their power. This relapse was but for two years; when, as i were, renovated by the misfortune, they scoured the whole sea with a fleet of sixty-five sail, and compelled the Dutch, the French, and English to court their favour. Louis XIV. at last, in the year 1681, provoked by some outrages which the pirates had committed on his coasts, ordered a powerful fleet and armament to be fitted out, with which he destroyr several of their vessels in the isle of Scio. In the following year i Lombarded Algiers, and but for a sudden change of wind would have de stroyed it. The return of the year saw the French admiral Du Quesne again before Algiers, who desisted not from his attack till he had completely humbled the Algerine audacity, by reducing their city to a heap of ruins. They sued for peace, which was granted, and all Christian captives were set at liberty. Taught a lesson by this humiliation, the Algerines paid some respect to other nations, and the English in particular were admitted into a treaty with them; who further enforced respect from the pirates by the capture of Gibraltar and Port Mahon. The eigh teenth century presents little that is interesting in the history of this pi ratical state, except the union of the office of the Algerine dey and Turkish viceroy, in 1710; the capture of Oran in 1708; and its recapture in 1737.

On the 18th of August, 1816, Lord Exmouth, with a fleet of four ships of war, four frigates, and several vessels, bombs, &c., appeared before Algiers, to exact punishment for the barbarous massacre of a num ber of Europeans at Bona, on May 23, by two thousand of the Alge rine infantry and cavalry. On the 27th of August, his lordship com menced an attack, which was completely successful. The whole of the Algerine navy was destroyed, and half the town demolished. Like the defeat received from Du Quesne one hundred and twenty-three years be fore, this disposed them to accept the terms offered by the British admiral. Christian slavery was abolished, and full reparation made; and on the 1st of September was beheld the proud and gratifying sight of the fulfilment of the conditions. Algiers disgorged its Christian slaves, and a large payment of money for the use of the several states which had suffered by its depredations. This was one of the most honourable triumphs achieved by the British flag. Since that time the dey has been embroiled with the Austrian states; but its most signal chastisement was left for the French to inflict.

During a conversation that took place between the dey and the French consul at Algiers, the former had the ill-mannered temerity to offer the Frenchman an insult, and even struck him. Redress was, of course, de manded; but so far from complying with the demand, the dey displayed a hostile feeling, and demolished the French post at La Callé. This being tantamount to a declaration of war, France fitted out a powerful armament, including a land force of thirty-eight thousand men, with a formidable train of artillery, under the command of General Bourmont. O the 14th of June, 1830, the French troops effected a landing, and after a feeble resistance, Algiers capitulated on the 5th of July. The French found in the treasury of the dey, gold and silver to the amount of nearly fifty millions of francs, besides an abundant supply of stores of various kinds. The towns of Oran and Bona soon after submitted. But the French subsequently met with considerable resistance from the bey of Oran, who, however, after a series of contests and negotiations, submitted, in 1837; and agreed to abandon the maritime parts of the province, and recognize the supremacy of the French in Africa. The occupation of Algiers (or, as it is now generally termed, Algeria) has been a work of inore difficulty than its Gallic conquerors anticipated, and thousands of Europeans have annually perished by sickness and the sword since th

serritory has been wrested from the fierce Arabs in whose possession it had so long remained unmolested.

The government is at present administered by the commander-in-chief of the French forces in Algiers, who holds the rank of governor-general. It was previously vested in a dey, or pacha, who was at the head of the Turkish soldiery, and who exercised absolute power. The religion of the state is now Roman Catholic, and many mosques have been converted into Christian churches: but the great bulk of the people profess Mohammedanism; and although the French have established schools of instruction in all the principal towns, the Moors show no desire to read any other book than the Koran. The language is mostly Arabic, but mixed with Moorish and Phoenician words. What effect the introduction of Euro pean laws, arts, and sciences into this part of Africa may have, time alone can show; but if we consider how great were its population and influence in distant ages, and how formidable it has since proved under the domination of a brutal horde of pirates, we may fairly expect that the fruits of a superior civilization will, ere long, appear.

THE HISTORY

OF

AUSTRALIA AND POLYNESIA.

AUSTRALIA

Until the last century it was believed that a great continent existed in the Southern Ocean, to which the name of Terra Australis was given; it being inferred that the different points of land discovered to the south of the islands of Java and Celebes, and of the Cape of Good Hope, afford · ed ample proof of such a theory. The discoveries of modern geographers, however, go to invalidate the hypothesis that there is any continent south

of America.

Under the name of Australia (or Australasia) and Polynesia, is comprehended a maritime division of the globe, in contradistinction to the older terrene divisions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, being altogether a classification of islands, including no one continent under a general name, like the other divisions of the world, in which various kingdoms are circumscribed by one shore; and so far it is an anomaly in geographical classification. We shall first speak of the more important division, now known as Australia.

This includes the semi-continental mass of land hitherto known as New Holland, and the islands of New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Queen Charlotte's Islands, Solomon's Archipelago, New Britain, New Ireland, New Hanover, Admiralty Isles, and Papua or New Guinea. In no part of the globe can greater extremes of barrenness and fertility occur, than in the various islands comprehended in Australia. On the