penalty. Decisions of Moorish bound to make good the sum on law, both in civil and religious proof of the value of the articles cases, are founded on the Koran. If litigants are dissatisfied with the interpretation of a cadi or bashaw, they can appeal to the emperor or head of the government, who has power to revise the sentence; but bribery is sure to attain a verdict, from which there is no appeal save in a counter bribe. The office of public executioner does not always pertain to the same person; the prince often confers this honor on his chiefs. The Moors say it is honorable "to use the arm of the faithful to destroy the unjust; thus the greatest men of the state are often employed in striking off the heads of malefactors. It is, in fact, deemed no bad qualification to power to be a good headsman; and not many years ago a dey of Algiers succeeded to the throne, merely on account of his dexterity in taking off heads. stolen. The pacha has his remedy against the inhabitants of the district, upon whom he immediately levies a fine of three times the amount he is bound to pay; this plan sets the whole population at work to discover the robber, in which case he can seldom escape. The Kobeyles, a hardy race of mountaineers in the Kingdom of Algiers, are proverbially known as great thieves. A friend of mine, during his residence at Oran, employed several of these men as servants; to avoid their depredations he would not allow them to sleep in his house. During a tempestuous night, however, the Kobeyles opened a mine from the street beneath the foundation, a thing by no means difficult, and carried off a casket of jewels. Mustapha Bey, who was then governor of Oran, having no clue to the robbers, levied a fine of three times the value of the property stolen, on the inhabitants, and likewise flogged the alcaid of the night-guard naked through the streets, bound on a mule. These severities led to the discovery of a string of pearls in the possession of a Moorish woman: she was brought into the bey's presence, and being reluctant to confess the manner in which she had obtained them, the pacha pricked her with his khanjear till she owned she had purchased them for a trifle from the Kobeyle servants. The jewels were recovered and the fine taken off, but the Kobeyles had fled to their mountains, where no power the bey possessed could take them. The chopping off the hands is a common punishment in cases of robbery; the truncated parts are dipped in pitch to stop the bleeding, and the executioner, with the utmost sang froid, thrusts the severed hands into the culprit's bernoos,* bidding him get out of the way to make room for another. Punishments of this kind may be considered strong proofs of barbarism; but this reproach will likewise apply to Europe, where there is by far too great a display of public executions, a practice at variance with our progress of enlightenment and the ends of justice. The relation of the sufferings of a criminal or the exposure of a corpse, without feasting the eyes of the multitude on the convulsions which attend an exit" from life, would probably answer all the purposes of legislature, and be just as effectual a check on crime. If a traveller is robbed in Barbary, the pacha or governor of the country in which he travels, is The laws of the Koran require eye for eye, tooth for tooth," &c., which in case of any wilful infliction of injury cannot be considered unjust; but a great difficulty exists in Barbary regarding the distinction between accident and design, the latter interpretation being generally placed on every act wherein a The white mantle worn by the Moors. foreigner may have the misfortune to offend or harm a native-as one or two examples will sufficiently prove. It is better, therefore, to submit to almost any imposition than go to law with a Moor, who is sure to be protected, to the certain sacrifice of the stranger. D An English merchant, Mr. whilst on a shooting excursion in Barbary, fired at a Moor, and lodged a quantity of small shot in one of his legs. A Moorish surgeon performed the operation of extracting the shot with a bluntpointed knife; this process inflamed and irritated the wounds. During the time of the Moor's illness, he was maintained at the expense of Mr. D———————; this so well suited his taste, that whenever he approached a state of convalescence, means were employed to retard the cure, which at last rendered amputation_necessary. At this crisis, Mr. Dwas arrested and thrown into prison, to wait the issue of the disaster, with the melancholy prospect of losing one of his own legs, or perhaps his life, in case the Moor should die. The wounded man, however, recovered at the expense of being crippled, and having pleaded his inability to gain a livelihood, Mr. Dwas obliged to submit to the exorbitant demand of three thousand dollars, to effect his liberation from prison. There is no doubt that part of this money found its way into the pocket of the bashaw. Such is the satisfaction of being compensated for any accident like that just cited, that a Moor will rather place himself in the way, than avoid being injured by a person who can afford to pay for it. My own escape from an extortion of pretty nearly the same nature, will show that those cases are not of unfrequent occurrence in Barbary. During my residence at Tangiers, I was accompanied in one of my accustomed rides by a person whom I shall designate as Geoffroy Gambado, jun. The treat of riding on manag horseback being a novelty to this gentleman, his courage rose above the level of his abilities for ing the barb which he, in his vanity, chose for the display of his equestrianship. On arriving at a sand plain, my friend's joy burst forth in sundry useless checks and spurrings of his steed, impatient of which the horse dashed forward, heedless of the cries and struggles of his awkward rider to bring him to a halt ! A party of Moorish women on their route to their gardens were in the advance, on coming up with whom the horse stopped, and (least mishap of all!) laid his unskilful rider in the dust! Unfortunately the forehead of a Moorish girl of the party was grazed by coming in contact with the horse. Having convinced myself of the extent of the accident, which proved to be nothing more than a slight scratch, I recommended Mr. Gambado to open his pursestrings, as the best remedy for healing the wound. This advice was, however, despised. A telegraph could not have communicated the news of the disaster to Tangiers quicker than it reached the bashaw's ears by means of the Arab lazzaroni, who, like their brethren of Italy, are so distinguishedly employed under every bush and hedge about the country; nor did the story lose any part of its attraction by passing through their hands, for they magnified it into a report of both murder and violation! The first intimation I received, on my return, of the coming storm was, the seizure of the guard who accompanied me; this fellow, contrary to my usual custom, I had picked up in the town, without thinking of the necessity of employing an officer of the line, whose inalienable perquisites are the fees for attending strangers. The guard was lugged off to the alcassaba of the bashaw, where he was disburthened of the reward of his day's labor, and received in exchange a hundred stripes on the feet, to ren def him less nimble-footed on future occasions. The poor devil came limping towards me after this unkind treatment to beg a few pesettas by way of consolation, a compliance with which changed his pathetic strain to notes of gladness. I had scarce learnt his disgrace, when I received an invitation, borne by a dozen of the bashaw's body-guard, to attend at the alcassaba myself. I found his excellency the bashaw, seated on the ground at his castle gate, busied in giving the pass-word to the night patrole, who with their cudgels and other arms were proceeding to their respective posts for the night. He was not long in acquainting me with the nature of what he had to impart, nothing less than the said charge of murder! Thinking his excellency labored under some delusion, I begged to inform him through an honest dragoman-the same person who cuts such a conspicuous figure in Capt. Beauclerk's "Tour to Morocco," as the "Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox of the sultan "—that the accident was fortunately but a trifling one; also, that I was not the precise person who had occasioned it. It was, however, gently hinted to me, "that this made no difference, and that if anything happened to the girl, I might prepare for the worst." As an especial favor, after many threats of imprisonment, I was allowed to remain in confinement in my own house, under surveillance, till the result of the girl's accident was as certained. I subsequently discovered that my cunning friend, Gambado, leagued with the dragoman, had contrived to shift the weight of the offence upon my shoulders, by causing the bashaw to understand that I was the person who had rode over the girl, an imposture I did not discover at the moment. The farce, however, was near being turned into tragedy; the parents of the girl, in order to extort a sufficient sum of money, had employed means to aggravate the wound in the girl's head, which they had caused to be shaved. Medicines were administered to her which produced violent fever, and if a prompt settlement had not taken place they would have killed her, in order to derive a pecuniary benefit from her death. As any rescue from the hands of the Moors, through official interference (though I must here acknowledge the kindness of the European consuls at Tangiers in offering me their assistance), might have been both a slow and doubtful process, I preferred the shorter route of disengaging myself from the grasp of power by sending for the worthy conspirators, and paying the amount of their demand. Their meeting was sufficiently ludicrous; they wept, debated, and fought with my arbitrators, and at last come blows. I was then assured everything was in a fair way of settlement, and that they would certainly not hold out much longer. Battle was, in fact, the signal of accommodation, the talbs or scribes were sent for, and upon payment of certainly a less penalty than I expected, they drew up my release. A few days subsequent to this arrangement, the young lady was restored to perfect health, and was able to walk to her garden as well as ever. to Occurrences like the foregoing are always looked upon by the authorities in the light of business, and that course which may bring a share of the damages to their own pockets, is the one they are sure to pursue. Public officers having no stated salaries, think it no harm to make the worst of every chance which comes in their way, nor is the emperor himself backward in showing a bad example. Sidi Hamet Benja, a Moorish merchant, who died a few years back at Gibraltar, was known to the whole mercantile world by the extent of his connections and his great rich as. This man the Emperor of Morocco tried to destroy, for which Benja owed him an eternal hatred; notwithstanding which, his oppressor became his sole and universal legatee. Benja from insignificant beginnings had acquired great wealth, the fame of which soon reached the sultan's ears, who by insinuations and flattering messages, induced him to repair to the royal presence. The unsuspecting merchant proceeded to Barbary; no sooner had he landed there than he was informed by a friend, of his having placed his foot in the net; that the sultan had given orders to prevent his return, and to send him in chains to Morocco, in case he did not proceed voluntarily on his journey. This intelligence would have damped the spirit of any one but a man of Benja's presence of mind, who too late saw the folly of his credulity, but determined, if possible, to retrieve his error. Profiting from the information given him, he resolved to go boldly forward, feigning an entire ignorance of the sultan's intentions. Having caused the sum of 50,000 dollars to be forwarded to him from Gibraltar, the money was laden on mules, and placed under the care of his escort. Benja shortly after knelt in the royal presence. Previously to inquiring the nature of the sultan's command, he stated his intention to withdraw his riches from Europe, and to take up his residence near Seedna, his lord and master, whom he intended to constitute his sole heir; in token of this intention, he pointed out the gold which already awaited the sultan's acceptance, at the palace gates. The money was unladen in the court-yard of the palace. The greedy sultan listened to the tale with the utmost credulity-the chains which awaited the merchant were withheld. The sultan, thinking himself sure of getting the whole property into his hands, urged Benja's speedy departure to put his purpose into execution, promising him all sorts of honors and influence on his return. Benja was not tardy in obeying the sultan's commands; he took his leave, but no sooner was he out of the kingdom, than he acquainted the sultan of his knowledge of the infamous intention to imprison him till he should have purchased his freedom, and congratulated himself on having escaped the fangs of such a monster at so small a sacrifice. Benja little intended at this time to have made the sultan his heir, yet such was the case; for having an aversion to making a will, he died intestate, and thus, by a law of Barbary, the sultan claimed his property-which the authorities of Gibraltar found themselves compelled to pay into his hands. No Moor can reside out of his sovereign's dominions without special leave: this was one of the flimsy pretexts on which the sultan intended to imprison Benja. Where there are wives or children, they are generally held responsible for the husband or father's conduct, and are punished in case of his disobedience to the law. It is surprising that despotic_governments should find any advocate; yet such is the case. A late tourist has even held the government of Morocco up to admiration, by citing cases wherein the sultan's arbitrary measures have produced benefits, which even-handed justice never could have obtained; but it would be far better that a few guilty individuals should escape, than that one innocent man should suffer. Some instances may be pointed out, wherein despotic proceedings have been attended with good effects but this cannot justify their general adoption. A party to which I belonged, in the eagerness of the chase, pursued their game across a douar where sporting is prohibited; this precaution being neglected, some of the sportsmen were surrounded by the Arabs, who, under pretence of admiring the fine detonating locks of English guns, relieved one of my friends from the trouble of carrying his gun any further. Vexation for its loss caused a complaint to the caid of our guard; the caid applied to the chief of the douar. The Arabs denied all knowledge of the theft, which so enraged the chief, that he threatened to flog the whole douar, in case the property was not immediately produced. Two or three of the villagers had actually undergone a flagellation, in pursuance of the chief's resolve, when a woman, whose husband was next in turn for the bastinado, brought forward the much wished for gun, displaying the triumph of conjugal affection over mercenary feeling. Many European ladies would not have been in such haste to spare their husbands a flogging! Another case occurs to my memory in which the wielding of arbitrary power may be seen to all its disadvantage. A late governor of Tangiers being called by some business of importance to the interior, pitched on one of the principal merchants or shopkeepers of the place to govern during his absence. This was a favor from which the merchant would have willingly shrunk, but refusal was impossible. On the bashaw's departure, he handed a list to his deputy of the sums he was expected to raise during his absence. Notwithstanding every possible economy and diligence, the period of the bashaw's return drew near, the day of resignation was at hand, and there yet remained a deficit of fifty dollars in the stipulated levies. This, to a Moor, who foresaw he would have to pay the defi ciency out of his own pocket, was no trifling matter, and caused serious reflection. In the midst of his distress, two, men were brought in wounded, who had quarreled and fought in the streets. This grave offence required the infliction of a heavy penalty, which, as it promised to relieve the deputy governor from his embarrassment, caused him no small joy in discovering a means of shifting the payment of the muchwanted sum on the first aggressor. But in this case the man happened not to possess a single blanquillo. Not all the stripes in the world, nor any means could be devised to make either of the parties produce the lowest copper coin of the country, which sum it turned out had been the cause of their dispute. The witnesses of the affray were next inquired for, and on its being discovered that a wealthy man had accidentally witnessed the quarrel, the deputy sent for him, flew into a great rage, and threatened to put him into confinement for remaining a quiet spectator, in a case of murder. Inability to separate the combatants was pleaded, as well as the danger of their turning their knives on himself, had he attempted to interfere. Remonstrance was useless, the crime was unpardonable : "My friend," whispered the deputy governor, you had better pay the money without hesitation, for the bashaw may return to-morrow, and if he finds I have neglected my duty, he may be inclined to make a governor of you-which you may find a greater punishment than that which I now inflict on you." MAT KAVANAGH, THE IRISH HEDGE SCHOOLMASTER. THE village of Findramore, it appears, was without a schoolmaster; one of these worthies having been hanged for only being concerned in burning the house of an agent; and his successor, a lame young man, named Garraghty, the son of a widow, having, it was maliciously reported, died of poverty. Garraghty had been attentive to his little pupils, and his instructions were sufficient to give them a relish for education; a circumstance which did not escape the observation of their parents, who duly appreciated it. His death, however, deprived them of this advantage; and, as schoolmasters, under the |