In the same month another serious disaster befel the French. General Bourjolly had entered the territory of the Flittas, on the 16th of September, with a column 1800 strong, to punish the Chourfas, a section of the tribe, who had plundered a caravan of Arabs of the Desert, on their way back to their country, with the grain they had purchased in the Tell. He little expected to find the entire tribe in open revolt. On the 21st he was vigorously attacked; and, after a very warm engagement, he succeeded in reaching the camp at Ben-Atia. Hostile groups showed themselves during the whole day in the environs. The General had given a rendezvous at Ben-Atia, on the 22nd, to the Chief of Battalion Manselon, commander of the fort of the Khamis of the Beni Ourags, on the Rion, where that officer was stationed with his battalion. Fearing that the enemy might attack that small column with a superior force, he marched on the 22nd to meet it, with two battalions and his cavalry, leaving two other battalions for the defence of the camp. The junction took place without any difficulty; and General Bourjolly returned in the evening to the camp of Ben-Atia, after several encounters with the revolters in the narrow passages through the mountains.

The co

lumn of Mostaganem had taken a supply of provisions and ammunition for an excursion of only a few days, in a country where some disturbances had occurred, but which he did not expect to find entirely under arms, and roused to fanaticism by the presence of a Scheriff. To advance still further with the sick and wounded, would

have been imprudent. General Bourjolly resolved consequently to retire on Sidi-ben-Abel, and there prepare to resume the offensive. On the 23rd he encamped at Touiza, in the country of the Beni Dorgouias; having been constantly harassed by the enemy in his retrograde movement. The rear-guard, consisting of 200 men of the 9th Chasseurs of Orleans, was repeatedly engaged; and in order to support it, General Bourjolly detached two squadrons of the African Chasseurs, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Berthier. Upon his arrival that officer charged immediately in the centre of the Arabs, and threw them into disorder; but during the engagement the Colonel was shot through the heart. For an instant he remained in the power of the enemy; but the Chasseurs, irritated at the death of their leader, made a fresh and desperate charge, and succeeded in rescuing the body of their chief. On the 25th the column encamped at Relizan, on the Mina, and the sick and wounded were removed to Sidi-ben-Abel. These were not the only reverses experienced by the French during the year in this interminable contest; but the narrative of obscure. skirmishes and partial defeats possesses little interest. When the news, however, of these various disasters reached France, it excited the most lively sensation. The King was visibly affected, and all classes seemed animated with one common resolution to spare no exertion by which the war in Algeria might be brought to a successful close. The following letter from Marshal Bugeaud, who hurried from France to resume the chief command of the

army, shows what irritation was felt on receipt of the intelligence. The letter was published without the consent or knowledge of the Marshal, and he was obliged afterwards to qualify and explain away some of the indiscreet expressions which it contained. It was addressed to the Prefét of the Dordoyne:

"Exceideuil, October 6th. "Mon cher Prefét,-M. Rivét, Chef d'Escadron, brings me the most lamentable intelligence from Algiers. The army and people of Algeria are crying out for my return. I had too much reason to complain of the abandonment of the Government, in the presence of my enemies of the press, not to be perfectly decided never to return to Algeria but with the commission which I demanded. Those events are, however, too serious to permit my delaying my return to the post of danger. I am, therefore, determined to start the day after to-morrow. I beg you to send me to-morrow four post-horses to carry me to Perigueux. I will devote half an hour to acquaint you with the news. One word, however, at present.

"Abd el-Kader has entered the west of the province of Oran. The garrison of Djemma has been entirely destroyed. We have lost there a LieutenantColonel, a chef d'escadron, a chef de bataillon, the whole of the officers of the column, and nearly 400 soldiers. General Cavaignac, informed of the approach of Abdel-Kader, and of the revolt of the tribes upon the left bank of the Tafna, instantly repaired to that quarter, and fought two warm engagements, of the results of VOL. LXXXVII.

which we are yet in ignorance. It is certain, however, that he has entered Tlemcen.

"This great success of Abd-elKader must have thrown the province into a great state of commotion. On our side some glaring faults have been committed. Symptoms of revolt manifested themselves upon several other points, and General Bourjolly had enough to do to put down the insurrection upon the Mina. It must have gained ground.

"It is much to be feared that war must be commenced again. Alas! these events but too much justify my opposition to a system which, without necessity, increased the civil administration while it diminished the army, in order thereby to cover the expenses of that increase.

The whole of the humiliations suffered by the French arms were not at that time known in France, and the following event added afterwards greatly to the affliction of the public mind so sensitive upon the subject of military glory. It was thus narrated in the Semaphore de Marseilles:

"The garrison of a small camp had begged of General Cavaignac some reinforcement, which their numerical weakness, in a country in open revolt and traversed by Abd-el-Kader's horses, rendered extremely urgent. In order not to reduce his squadrons, General Cavaignac chose out of the hospital 200 men who were deemed [S]

sufficiently recovered to return to active service. Care was had to take the ablest of these men-in fact, only such as were perfectly convalescent. A detachment of Zouaves was added to them. This small column set out, but was soon surrounded by hosts of Arabs. It was impossible for them to defend themselves. The 200 men accordingly were forced-a thing which had never hitherto occurred in Africa-to lay down their arms, and yield themselves up prisoners to Abdel-Kader."

On the 13th of October the Marshal embarked for Algeria, and large reinforcements of troops followed. Emboldened and encouraged by the partial successes of their countrymen, several of the tribes in the neighbourhood of the Oran territory, which had submitted to the Government of France, and upon whose neutrality, if not support, the French thought they might confidently rely, now took up arms in open revolt. General Lamoricière advanced against them, and some spirited engagements took place. He attacked the Khabyles on the 12th of October, and although Abd-el-Kader witnessed the action at the head of a large body of cavalry, he did not, for some unexplained reason, take any part in the combat; and next day, seeing that the French were victorious, he retired. On the 18th of October Marshal Bugeaud left Algiers for Miliana, at the head of 4000 men, intending to pursue the Scheriff Bon Maga, who was second only to his leader Abd-el-Kader, in the boldness and success of his exploits, and who was then at some distance in the interior amongst the

mountains of Ouenseris, in the east of the Province of Oran. Abd-el-Kader, in the meanwhile, was kept in check by General Lamoricière, in the west. No decisive event, however, had occurred at the end of the year, and although constant rumours were propagated of the death or capture of the two redoubted chiefs, Bon Maga, and Abd-elKader, they all proved to be false, and the war was carried on by them to the close of the year with unabated vigour.

Early in November the state of health of Marshal Soult compelled him to resign the office of Minister of War; but he still continued to be the President of the Council, and therefore the nominal head of the Government. The following changes took place at the same time:-LieutenantGeneral Moline de St. Yon was made Minister of War, and raised to the Peerage; Baron Martineau des Chenez, Under-Secretary of State of the War Department; General Baron Gazan was appointed Director of the personnel and military operations of the Ministry of War, in place of General Moline de St. Yon; and Major-General Count De la Rue, Director of the affairs of Algeria, in place of M. Vauchelle, who resigned that office.

On the 27th of December, the French Chambers were opened by the King, in person, who delivered the following Royal Speech:

"Gentlemen, Peers and Depu

ties,

"In reassembling you around me, I am happy to believe that we can congratulate ourselves on the general state of the country. I feel confident that the good understanding existing between the

powers of the State, and the maintenance of our policy of order and conservation, will secure more and more the regular development of our institutions and the progress of national prosperity.

My Government has applied itself to prosecute the execution of the great works which you voted. The measures necessary for their completion shall be proposed to you. We shall thus, in

a few years, have endowed France on one side with powerful guarantees of security, on the other with means to display her fruitful activity, and to extend prosperity through all parts of our territory, and amongst all classes of the population; and at the same time that these important results have been attained, the situation of our finances has become every day more satisfactory.

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The financial and other bills, whose object is to introduce important ameliorations into their mode of administration, shall be immediately laid before you.

"I continue to receive from all Foreign Powers pacific and amicable assurances. I trust that the policy which maintained a general peace amidst so many storms will one day confer honour on the memory of my reign.

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The friendship which unites me with the Queen of Great Britain, and of which she again so affectionately gave me a proof, and the mutual confidence existing between the two Governments, have happily secured the good and intimate relations between the two States. The convention concluded between us to put an end to the odious traffic in slaves, is at pre

sent being carried into execution. Thus, by the cordial co-operation of the maritime forces of the two States, the slave trade shall be efficaciously repressed, and at the same time our commerce shall be replaced under the exclusive protection of our flag.

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I have reason to expect that the combined action of France and England will produce on the banks of the Plata the re-establishment of commercial relations regular and pacific, the sole object of our efforts.

"Some circumstances, which I deploré, but which have added new lustre to the heroism of our troops, have disturbed onr African possessions. I have adopted prompt measures to secure to the domination of France that force and ascendancy which belong to it. With the aid of time our energetic perseverance will consolidate the security and prosperity of Algeria.

Gentlemen, you have given me your loyal concurrence in the great and difficult task that the national voice has called me to fulfil. Providence has blessed our efforts. Providence has likewise granted me great and precious consolations in my family. Wherever my sons have appeared, I may confidently assert that they have worthily upheld the name of France. My grandsons increase in number. My dearest wish and most fervent hope is, that by our devotion to France, by our zeal to serve her faithfully, her affection may be assured to us, and the union of my family and my country for ever strengthened."