Punch (7.1844)

109

A FRENCH £' MODEL FARM" IN AFRICA.

T

HE French, having possessed themselves of Algiers, have in the
most praiseworthy manner set about cultivating the soil. This is
nothing but right—the proper payment of a debt due to dear, ill-used
mother earth. Having committed a hundred razzias (a new word
in the rich vocabulary of military glory,) upon the Moors, having
burnt their crops, destroyed their villages, and carried away every-
thing that could be made into rations, they have now turned farmers
themselves, in the sincerity of their compunction determining to eat
of the fruits of their own labour—the fruits of pillage having become
scarce and so uncertain. To follow out this noble intention, num-
bers of model farm-houses have been constructed in France, and
shipped for Algeria. "We give a correct sketch of one ot these
abodes of rustic peace and happiness, and are furthermore enabled
to lay before the reader the translation of a letter, sent by a cul-
tivator of the soil to his kindred in France. It is valuable, as
showing that whatever the difficulties of the farming interest may
be in England, they are, nevertheless, not to be compared to the
agricultural struggle in Africa.

My dear Parents, August 23, 1844, Mon Hepos, Al.iers.

Indeed, it is amazing to see how glory blesses us in this country. We
feed the Gallic cock upon small shot ; and, strange to say, the hens lay
nothing but bullets. Indeed, such is the vigilance of the Arabs, that *e
are compelled to stand to our guns at milking time, and feed the pigs with
fixed bayonets. We are, however, exercising the milkmaids in platoon
firing, and trust they are quite able to take the field with the cows, now
that the guns, which they are to carry, have been provided us.

We yesterday held a court-martial on the sentinel who mounted guard
at the ducks' house; a party of the enemy having sealed the wall at night,
and carried off our only brood of ducklings. The drake and duck were
found with their throats cut. Were there ever such barbarous villains
as these Arabs ? The sentinel was shot this morning at six, with all the
honours. Although the villains stole our ducks, they fortunately missed the
onions ; I say fortunately, for they might have found, at least, a rope apiece.

We are, however, preparing for a grand operation We have deposited
an immense quantity of gunpowder under the dunghill. We purpose to
appear off our guard—shall suffer the enemy to scale our stockade,
plant their banners on our dunghill, and then—as they think, in the
moment of victory—blow them to atoms ! Thus may true glory be
obtained, like mushrooms, even from a dunghill !

You will, from the above, judge of the charming excitement of our

Your kind letter, strange to say, found me alive. You ask me country life ; of the delightful employment of cultivating beet-root and

to send you an account of our Model Farm. I inclose a picture of it, by
which you will see the happy security we dwell in. The farm is sur-
rounded by a stockade, and we mount not less than fifty forty-two
pounders ; these are constantly double loaded with grape of the very-
best viutage. Thus, our guns bear upon our fields, if nothing else does.
Indeed, everything about us may be said to be shooting, except the crops

laurels in the same field. You will

But 1 am called away. Our shepherd has just returned without

his nose and ears. Our two sheep are carried off! We hasten to make
a sortie to avenge the honour of outraged France ! Vive la yl:»re—viva
lu France, jusqu'a la mart! Alexts BoNHOMHB, Pig-Adjutant.

Still I do not despair. Two months ago we ploughed two hundred Arabs i P.S. The villains are conquered—but we have lost our Gnose-master
into a field of four acres, and find they are coining up very nicely in j General ^ Monsieur Jacotot), who, you may inform his relatives, will be
turnips. For agricultural glory, there is nothing like bone-dust. | irrevocably