Beschreibung:

Punishment for a procurer [FRENCH ALGERIA]: An interesting autograph letter, in the hand of a secretary, dictated by and issued in the name of Sid Caddour ben Mohamed, Sheikh Imam Cadi Maleki of Algiers, and bearing his red stamped seal at the head, two pages, oblong 4to, Algiers, 14th of the month of Rabia El Tani (6th July 1838), to the Attorney General of the King of France, in Arabic. The Sheikh Imam's Arabic text comprises six lines to the upper half of the first page and is followed by a contemporary French translation, signed and certified at Algiers, 7th July 1838, and states, in part, 'A monsieur le Procureur general du Roi. Apres les saluts qui vous sont dus, que Dieu augmente votre bien-etre et vos bienfaits!!! Qu'il Lui plaise de ce que nous vous faisons savoir soit pour le bien. Un juif amene avec lui des femmes musulmanes a Bab-El-Oued, dans en cafe, ou il en fait faire la rencontre avec des juifs, ainsi que des femmes juives avec des musulmans. Voici la profession qu'il exerce. La chef de la nation israelite envoya son chaoun afin de conduire cet individu et le punir. Il frappa, et blessa gravement le chaoun. De ce fait il fut aussitot denonce a la police, et le commissaire expedia ses agents qui le conduisirent a lui. Etant a la police, il dit qu'il etait musulman, et a le dire il fut par les memes conduit devant nous. Apres avoir consulte la loi en ce qui renie la religion recevra pour le moins cent coups de baton, et ce fait, nous l'avons fait mettre en prison pour de la etre banni de la ville par rapport au scandale qu'il a constamment donne, et au voeu de la loi que nous vous faisons connaitre' (Translation: 'To the King's Attorney General. After the greetings due to you, may God increase your well-being and your benefits!!! May it please Him that what we let you know is for the good. A Jew brings Muslim women with him to Bab-El-Oued, in a café, where he makes them meet Jews, as well as Jewish women with Muslims. This is his profession. The leader of the Israelite nation sent their chaoun to find this individual and punish him. He struck and seriously injured the chaoun. As a result, he was immediately reported to the police, and the commissioner dispatched his agents who took him to him. Whilst with the police, he said he was a Muslim, and having said so he was led in front of us by the same people. After consulting the law, for denying religion he will receive at least a hundred strokes, and for this fact, we have put him in prison to be banished from the city in relation to the scandal which he has constantly given, and to the will of the law which we make known to you'). A letter of fascinating content on several levels, offering an insight into life in Algiers shortly after the French colonisation of the North African country. A couple of very light, minor stains, only very slightly affecting a few words of text, otherwise