ALGIERS, one of the most considerable kingdoms in that part of the northern coast of Africa, which is now called Barbary, comprehends part of ancient Mauritania, particularly what was called Mauritania Cxsariensis, and ancient Numidia. It derives its present name from its metropolis, which the Turks call Algezair, Al-jezair, or Al-jezirah, the Island ; because there was an island be fore the city, which has since been joined to it by a mole. According to Dr Shaw, to whom we are indebted for the only minute and accurate account of this kingdom, it is bounded on the west by Twunt and the mountains of Trara ; on the east, by the river Zaine, the ancient Tusca, which separates it from Tunis; on the north, by the Mediterranean sea ; and on the south, by the Sahara, or Numidian desert. The dominions, which the Alge rines possess beyond the Tell, or the advanced part of mount Atlas, are so precarious and ill defined, that the northern skirt of the Sahara seems to be the proper boundary of the kingdom in that direction. Geogra phers have varied considerably concerning its extent ; but Dr Shaw, after a careful computation, found its true length to be about 460 miles, from Twunt, below the mountains of Trara., in 0° 16' W. Long. to Ta-barka, upon the river Zaine, in 9° 16' E. Long. its breadth is very irregular ; in some places not exceeding 40 miles, and in other parts upwards of 100.
Some modern geographers have divided this kingdom into many provinces, according to the petty royalties into which it was cantoned before and after the Turkish conquests. It now contains only three ; the province of TLENISAN, by some called Tremecen and Mascara, to the west ; TITTERIE, or Titeri, to the south ; and CON STANT1NA to the east. Each of these provinces is go verned by a bey, or viceroy, who is entirely dependent on the dey of Algiers. Of these governments, the eastern or Levantine, which is also called Beylick, is by far the richest and most considerable. It contains the towns of Bona, Constantina, Gigeri, Bujcya, Stessa, Tebef, Za moura, Biscara, and Necanz, in all of which garrisons have been established by the Turks. This province, which is nearly equal to the other two in extent, includes the ancient kingdoms of Cuco and Labez ; though these kingdoms, inaccessible to the Algetines, are still go verned by their own cheyks, elected by each of their adowars, or hordes. Besides these places, we may men
tion a factory established at Callo by the French, under the direction of the company of the French Bastion. (See CONSTANTINA). The western government, ex tending from the frontier village Twunt, and the moun tains of Trara on the west, to the river, Ma-Saffran on the east, is about two hundred miles in length. It is al most equally distributed into mountains and valleys, and were it better supplied with lbuntains and streams, would be more delightful, as it is in general more fer tile, than the eastern part of this kingdom. This pro vince contains the towns of Warran, or Oran, a fortifi ed city, about a mile in circumference, which the Spa niards have decorated with several beautiful churches, and other edifices, in the Roman style of architecture ; Musty-gannitn, built in the form of a theatre, open to wards the sea, but enclosed in every other direction with impending hills ; Tniss, Tennis, or Tenez, formerly the capital of one of the petty kingdoms, into which this counts y was divided, though it now contains only a few miserable hovels ; Sher-shell. formerly the capital like wise of one of the petty royalties, now in great reputa tion for its steel, pottery, and iron ware ; situated on the ruins of an ancient city scarcely inferior to Carthage in extent, whose fine pillars, capitals, capacious cisterns, mosaic pavements, which still remain, and the fragments of a stupendous aqueduct, excite very high ideas of its ancient magnificence ; Mars-al-Quibber, one of the finest harbours in Africa ; Tlemsan, or Tremccen, for merly the capital of the kingdom of that name, in which are still to be seen some fragments of Roman architec ture. Titterie, the southern province, is much inferior to the western in extent, not exceeding 60 miles either in length or breadth. Though this province is inter sected by considerable ridges of mountains, it contains a great proportion of rich champaign country. In this pro vince is situated Algiers, the capital of the whole king dom, a distinct description of which will be given at the end of this article. Bleeda and Medea are its only in land towns, each of them about a mile in circuit, but surrounded only with walls of mud, perforated in many places by the hornet.