ALGIERS, the capital of the kingdom of Algiers, probably the ancient lcosium, is built on the declivity of a hill in the form of an amphitheatre, presenting, when viewed from the sea, a beautiful and, magnificent spec tacle. It is not more than half a league in circum ference, yet it contains 120,000 inhabitants, of whom 15,000, or 16,000 are Turks ; 30,000 Cologlis; 60,000 Moors, or Berbers ; and the remainder Jews, Christians, or renegadoes. There is only one street of any consi derable breadth, which runs through the city from east to west, and contains the shops of the principal mer chants, and the market for corn, and other commodities. The other streets are so narrow, that two persons can scarcely walk abreast, and the middle part being lower than the sides, is always exceedingly dirty. The roofs of the houses are quite flat, and communicate with each other in such a manner, that a person may walk upon them from one end of a street to the other. These roofs are all whitened, and rising in regular gradation upon the declivity of the hill, appcar from sea like the top-sail of a ship. The lower part of the walls is of hewn stone, the upper part of brick ; on the land side they are 30 feet high, and 40 towards the sea ; around them is a fosse or ditch, 20 feet broad, and 7 deep. To supply the want of fresh water in the city, every house is pi ovided with a tank or cistern. Tho water is conveyed from a spring on a hill by pipes, which terminate in above a hundred to each of w Bich is fastened a bowl for the use of passengers. Ships take in their water .Lt th• onlinoll re !tic!' is at the end of the . This low n has e gates, which are open from nn; ist till :std seven ports or castles without he the kagest and strongest of which is on the mole wit how the gate: ,III nl these ports are well sup plied tt Ith great ;..;uns. The 14n1 of the houses is square,
tt ith a square (milt in the middle, and galleries all nttutelk 'Fhey are in gent ral of considerable height, and hat e sere WindOWS, either for the sake ul coolness, or front the bad taste of the inhabitants. Al giers can boast of few magnificent or beautiful edifi( es. Thu most considerable are the palace of the dey, and some large mosques, which are bt no means remarkable as spec Miens ol elegance or taste. At Algiers, as in the cities oh Turkey, there are bagnios, or public baths, M Which urcesS Mat bo procured at a very moderate price. Separate laths are appropriated to the •ORM), which men dare not approach. At meals, the Algerines it cross-legged round a table about four inches high, and use neither knit es not forks. Before they be gin to eat, it cry one says, Be irrate .411a1:, in the name of God. When they hat e done, a slave pours water on their hands as they sit, and then they wash their mouths. 'Though this city has for several ages braved the greatest powers in Europe, it is said to be incapahle of standing a regular siege. It has a commo dious harbour; the male ol which extends paces in length, From the continent to a small island, on which thei e is a castle and a pow erful battery. E. Long. 2° 12'. N. Lat. 49'.
Shaw 's "Th.vc/s, Bruce's Travels, Relation en Chi istians, &'c. Robertson's th,slory Qf Charles Pitt's the Reli,pw: and .3.1anncrs of the illahometans, Jlode•n Um Hist. vol. Svo. Chantrcaux's Science tie I' Hisloire,U'e. tout. 2. (4)