obliged Hassan Ben Ali to leave his capital and flee to Keyrouan. On the conclusion of the civil war, which produced a famine, the fugitive prince quitted Keyrouan and repaired to Sousse.

A French captain, of la Ciotat, named Bareilbier, who had long been attached to Hassan, gave proofs of his zeal by going continually to procure him corn and provisions: the prince gave him bonds for the amount, which he was to pay in case fortune should replace him on the throne, Affairs, however, grew worse and worse, and being deprived of every resource, he resolved to send his children to Algiers (which seems to be the refuge of all the fugitive princes of Tunis), with a view to join them there; but when he was preparing to accomplish this design, Younnes Bey, the eldest son of Ali Pacha, overtook him, and with his own hand struck off his head. Ali, having thus got rid of his most dangerous enemy, looked forward to the peaceable enjoyment of his power; but his tranquillity was interrupted by the disharmony of his children. Mahmed Bey, who was his favourite, formed the plan of excluding his elder brother Younnes Bey from the throne, to which he was the next heir. He accordingly endeavoured to ruin him in the good opinion of his father, and succeeded in the attempt. Ali Pacha, deceived by his specious stories, gave directions for the apprehension of his eldest son; but Younnes being apprised of the circumstance, revolted, and made himself master of the castle of Gaspe and the city of Tunis: but being again driven out by Ali Pacha, he was obliged to seek refuge at Algiers. Mahmed Bey, being delivered from so dangerous a competitor, resolved to rid himself also of his younger brother, and caused him to be poisoned. He then procured himself to be acknowledged presumptive heir to the throne, and had the prospect of one day enjoying the dignity which his crimes had prepared for him, when the face of affairs was all at once totally changed. The city of Algiers experienced one of those revolutions so frequent in military governments;

a new Dey was appointed, and the choice of the soldiery fell upon Ali Tchaouy, a Turk. He had before been ambassador at Tunis, and had there received an affront from that same Younnes Bey, who was afterwards obliged to implore his protection. Regardless of his solicitations, he espoused, out of revenge, the cause of the children of Hassan Ben Ali, and supplied them with troops, commanded by the Bey of Constantine, for the purpose of recovering the throne.

Success crowned their enterprize; they sacked the city of Tunis and took prisoner Ali Pacha, who was immediately strangled. Mahmed Bey, the eldest son of Hassan, was seated on the throne. This good prince reigned but two years and a half, and left two sons, Mahmoud and Ismael Bey, who were yet infants.

His brother Ali Bey succeeded him upon promising, it is said, to restore the throne to Mahmed's children, when the eldest should arrive at years of discretion. The desire to transmit it to his own family prevented him from fulfilling this engagement. He sought by degrees to remove his nephews from the government and to raise his son to it. He shewed the young Hamoud to the people, gave him the command of his army, and solicited for him the title of pacha. By these means he secured the suffrages of the people in favour of his son; and by kind treatment acquired such an ascendancy over the minds of his nephews, that, when he died (May 26, 1782), they voluntarily relinquished their claims, and were the first to recognize their cousin Hamoud Pacha as sole Bey of Tunis.

Since that period the state has not been disturbed by any revolution, and those who have it in their power to excite one, seem too much attached to the Bey to have the least inclination to do so.

The remembrance of past calamities and the spectacles of the troubles of Algiers, have taught the Tuniseens to be too much upon their guard against the restless and uneasy disposition of the Turks, to admit them into the government. The Beys have therefore

endeavoured to abolish by degrees the authority which they had usurped: they have made a point of keeping them out of all the important places of administration reserved for natives and Georgians, and to suffer them to fill such only as have but a shadow of authority attached to them. Thus, though the reigning family may be looked upon as Turkish, since Hassan Ben Ali was descended from a Greek renegado, the government itself must be considered as Moorish.

II. With what nations of Europe has Tunis entered into treaties? At what period were they concluded, and on what terms? Are they still in force?

XVII. What nations have consuls at Tunis? Are there any nations who permit their consuls to engage in trade?

XVIII. How many foreign houses are established at Tunis for the purpose of trade, and to what nations do they belong? Are they all in the capital?

N.B. These questions, as well as some of the succeeding, are brought together on account of their connection with each other.

The European nations to which Tunis has granted treaties are, France, England, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. Venice also may be included in the number, notwithstanding the present war in which she is engaged with this regency, and the Emperor, whose flag has been struck only on account of his rupture with the Porte. The Ragusans, as tributaries of the Grand Signor, have also their treaty, but without flag and without commerce, and merely as a protection for their ships.

The treaties between France and Tunis are the most ancient; they date from 1685, though there were some antecedent to that period which no longer exist, and which are not referred to in this treaty. That with England was concluded five or six months afterwards; and that with Holland a few years later. The treaties with the other nations above-mentioned, are not of an earlier period than forty or fifty years back.

From the

subjoined outline of the treaties with France, a judg ment may be formed respecting those with the other nations, since they were all framed as nearly as possible after that model. By an article of these treaties, and with reference to the practice adopted by the Porte in regard to ambassadors, the French consul at Tunis takes precedence of the other consuls. His majesty confers on him the title of consul-general and chargé des affaires, because, on the one hand, he is empowered to administer justice to the houses established at the port, and the ships that touch there, and, on the other, to treat concerning the interests of the two powers. All the consuls have a right to engage in trade except the French consul, to whom it is forbidden upon pain of removal from his post. This judicious prohibition was designed to prevent him from being, as he otherwise might, the judge and a party in the same cause, and likewise too powerful a competitor for the merchants, since the consideration attached to his office would easily have procured him a preference in all affairs of business.

The other nations, having no mercantile houses established in Tunis, for the contrary reason allow their consuls to engage in trade.

There are (in 1797) eight commercial houses established at Tunis, all of which are French, and fixed in the capital.

III. What is the amount of the population of this empire? Are the Moors or the Arabs the most numerous? Are they taxed by tribes or individually? Is there any proportion in the imposts? Are there any Arabs fixed in the city?

The population was calculated at four or five millions of souls before it was thinned by the plague, which may be computed to have swept off one-eighth. The number of the Arabs exceeds that of the Moors.

Some taxes are paid by tribes and others by individuals. There is no absolute rule for establishing any proportion in the taxes; and upon the whole nothing

is now left arbitrary. There are Arabs fixed in the city, but they are not the most numerous class of its inhabitants.

IV. Are there in the heart of the kingdom, or on the frontiers, many tribes who refuse to pay the imposts? Are the Moors or Arabs the most untractable? Which of these two are the most opulent? Do the wandering tribes ever farm lands of the inhabitants of the towns, for the purpose of cultivating them or depasturing their flocks and herds? What do these flocks and herds consist of?

There are tribes on the frontiers which at times refuse to pay the imposts, but the troops sent to levy them soon compel payment. It is in general the Arabs that are most untractable. There is every reason to presume that the Moors are the richest, because they not only hold offices, but embark at the same time in agriculture, commerce, and manufactures. As the Arabs confine themselves to agriculture, the wandering tribes frequently farm lands of the inhabitants of the towns, either for the purposes of tillage or as pasturage for their flocks and herds, consisting of horned cattle, sheep, and camels, which serve them for beasts of burden, whose hair they spin, whose milk affords them nourishment, and whose flesh they often

eat.

Fine horses are become very scarce; the Arabs have grown tired of breeding them, because the government or its emissaries took from them every tolerable horse just at what price they pleased.

V. Are there many proprietors of lands? Are these proprietors all resident in the towns, or are their houses detached and in villages? Are not the latter exposed to depredations from the roving hordes?

Though the Bey possesses a great extent of land, and though there is much the revenues of which belong to Mecca, the proprietors are nevertheless numerous. They reside in the towns, in villages, and even in detached habitations, and in all these situations they