The French Government is still forwarding immense numbers of men
to Tunis and Algiers. On Monday, 2,600—not 26,000, as reported—set sail from Toulon for Tunis, and during the week 10,000 were despatched from Marseilles. The Generals in the two provinces—for Tunis is a French province, whatever its designation may be—are in command of at least 80,000 men, and the campaign is to be opened by October 15th or 20th, if the commissariat arrangements can be completed by that time. They are exceedingly imperfect, and the troops suffer, especially from dysentery. The Arabs in Tunis have de- feated the native Tunisian Army, probably through treachery, and have opened communications with Bon Amema in Algiers, who, on his part, has succeeded in reconciling the three great tribes which furnished Abd-el-Kader with his armies. They were reluctant to obey Bou Amema, who is by family a nobody ; but a French officer, Colonel Negrier, swept all difficulties away. In a fit of fanatic scorn of fanaticism which is thoroughly French, he ordered the tomb of a cele- brated Marabout, so sacred as to be an object of pilgrimage, to- be razed to the ground. The order was obeyed, and the colonists sent addresses of honour to Colonel Negrier ; but the tribes declared the act unpardonable, and waived all objections to fol- lowing Bou Amema's standard. The outrage will cost 10,000, lives. It is strange that the French, who so often imitate the Romans, cannot even understand the R31111331 policy towards conquered creeds, which the English, who neither imitate nor comprehend antiquity, always follow. G-allio would have spilled at the Arabs, and made a smooth road to their Mar- about's tomb ; and so would an English Commissioner, first putting up a toll-gate.
