an officer in the royal navy, when he had only been a cook on board a man-of-war. was In 1844 a man assuming the noble prefix of De la―, appointed by Government medical inspector of the newly-settled villages in the neighborhood of Algiers, and was warmly received by the highest authorities. Everything went well with him for several years, until he became eaten up with the desire of being one of the Légion d'Honneur. He systematically set to work to make himself out a martyr to duty. He complained bitterly of being disliked by the settlers, who asked him for expensive medicines, which he was obliged to refuse to save expense to the Government; he also said it was very dangerous to fulfil the office of inspector among the outlaws and depraved people who formed the most part of the new settlers; having prepared the way by such-like complaints, one evening he abruptly entered the house of Mr. near the ancient palace of the Hydra, and there appeared to faint away; after assistance had been rendered him, and he appeared to recover, he related that he had just been the victim of a most cruel and outrageous assassination, and baring his left arm and leg showed them both stained with blood. Three days after he came to my home, and requested an examination and a written account of his wounds, to lay with his own complaint before the procureur. He affirmed that he was quietly riding home from his round of visits, when a man who was waiting behind a bush fired at him, but without any effect, and immediately afterwards another man, springing at him, seized him and struck him with a poignard, and inflicted the wounds which he showed me. I examined them; they were superficial, quite clean at the edges, indicating that they had been made very cautiously by an experienced hand, a hand certainly in no haste, and rather by a bistory than any other weapon. I said, "Your aggressor certainly had no very strong intention to hurt you; and having struck you twice, it is strange that he has made exactly the same wound; it is extraordinary that a man on foot who attacks a man on horseback should inflict two such wounds as these you have received on the leg and on the arm. If the procureur demands my examination, I shall give it him, but I warn you beforehand, that I must say your wounds appear to me to have been made by a friendly hand." The inquiries of the police proved that no gunshot had been heard near the spot indicated by the doctor; and the settlers accused him of having made the wounds himself, which I myself believe to have been the case. Some years after, it was found out that he was no physician at all. Instead of being prosecuted by the authorities, he was only compelled to resign his post, and his numerous protectors found him another. We must remark, that the French Government is not very fortunate in choosing its protégés. It often happens when it has conferred a decoration on a merchant, that he becomes bankrupt; and many of its most petted employés magistrates, notaries, directors of prisons, hospitals, and monts de piété, against the Arabs, or dangers run by European colonists coming to Algeria. There is something in the air of Africa which excites the nervous system and predisposes to deeds of violence. Perhaps, too, the intermingling of so many different races is the cause of frequent quarrels and assassinations. Each of these nations has its particular manner of killing, and an experienced physician can tell by inspecting the wound by what hands it was probably inflicted, without asking any questions whatever. The Italians habitually use the stiletto, or a poignard with a straight sharp blade; the Spaniards the common knife, rarely ever fire-arms; the Arabs use guns, knives, but chiefly a large stick, which they handle with amazing dexterity. The number of suicides in Algiers has been prodigious, sometimes two or three in one day. I have remarked that when the wind blows from the south, which wind is here called the sirocco, the increase in the number of crimes is very remarkable; not only are men inclined to commit suicide, but all animals are also more irritable and more inclined to acts of violence. The most usual motive for suicide is disappointment in love; and it is a curious fact, that women rarely commit the crime from this motive; in twenty-five years of experience we have only known of two cases. One of the most curious characteristics of the European population is the great delight which the people seem to take in inventing and spreading abroad false news. If a vessel is delayed, and does not arrive at the time expected, it will certainly be said that the vessel has been lost, and all its passengers have perished. It is very common to hear that the commander-in-chief has been assassinated, and that the Arab tribes have risen, or that there is a revolution in France and a new government proclaimed, or that a European village has been attacked and destroyed by the Arabs, or that the cholera has killed half the troops stationed at such or such a place. The tendency to lieing and exaggeration is one of the attributes of the people of the South, and from the peculiar circumstances of the climate and life in Algiers, this disposition has increased; the people see with their minds rather than with their eyes, and by thinking aloud give vent in words to every caprice of the imagination, fon sometimes upon an almost invisible atom of reality. A great of the population of a new country is always made up of are not wanted in the old countries, and this has been the case with Algeria. An immense number of peopl titles and qualifications have made their appears and generally have been very successful, and pointed by Government to posts of responsib who had escaped from the French galleys Spanish and Italian prisons. We re be a professor from a university, another, who proclaimed hims student for some months; a having served as a co T 1 an officer in the royal navy, where us In 1844 a man assuming to that he had just beer tur Three s an examination and w the preure warn you to have be The i heard ne him of have h was n rities you were, I believe, edea?" "Yes," answered for he was a noble-hearted replied M. Pierrey; "that her, and most probably a murVarney; he was born in the notary's clerk, and was proved Lontbresson; he escaped from the , and came to Algiers, under the d." All this turned out to be quite difficult question to answer, how had Mame and identity of the true Marquis, belonged to a distingui most diligent search e were left to conje urney became acqu dered him, hid hi possession of all d identified him and in other public positions, have been condemned as swindlers, forgers, and for other crimes. We remember that we had at Algiers for ten years an Inspector of Police who always wore at his button-hole a very large ribbon, twice as large as is usually worn by the members of the Légion d'Honneur. He was held in great esteem by the authorities; but at length it was found out that he had no right to the red ribbon. He was tried, and with many other false bearers of the decoration, was condemned to two years' imprisonment. But the most remarkable instance of the assumption of a false title which we have come across in all our experience is the story of the false Marquis of St. Amand. In 1840, the Marquis of St. Amand was introduced to our mess-room, and well received by our society, many of whom were very distinguished and learned men, and others occupied very high positions in the army and in the civil administrations. He was about thirty years old. His frank and open manners, his gentlemanly appearance, his intelligence, and his witty conversation, soon gained our confidence and friendship. He had just been appointed clerk to the Treasury at Algiers. When asked why he came to the colony, he answered, that two years before he was a resident at near Auxerre; that a gentleman named the Baron V. had asked his sister in marriage, and being refused, he out of revenge bribed her waiting-maid, and by this means one night entered the room where the young lady was sleeping. The fright which this cowardly outrage caused her brought on a disease of the brain, of which she soon after died. The Marquis of St. Amand challenged the Baron, and in a duel received a sabre cut which disabled him; he then resolved to take his revenge or die. He assured us that every day he had practised pistol-shooting until he became very skilful; he then again challenged the Baron, and had the satisfaction of killing the murderer of his sister. To avoid prosecution, he said, he had taken refuge in Algiers; he added, “I have given my name to the Minister of Justice, but it is agreed that I shall not be prosecuted if I consent to remain in Algeria for several years." And as about this time we saw in the public journals an account of the duel between the Marquis of St. A. and the Baron V., we made no doubt that this interesting young man was he of whom the newspapers had spoken, and what he himself pretended to be. He was very open about his affairs, and often showed his friends letters which he had received from the family of St. A. With one of his aunts, whom he loved very much, he kept up a continual interchange of letters; he had also several correspondents among députés, and persons high in office about the court. In 1842, by his influence, combined with his good conduct, his intelligence, and his assiduity in his work, he was appointed to be Treasurer at Medea; here, as at Algiers, he made the acquaintance of all the officers of the Government and army, and won all hearts by his pleasant manners and his willingness to serve his friends. When the Duc d'Aumale was governor of the province of Medea, St. Amand enjoyed his friendship, and no dinner or ball at the prince's residence took place without his being invited. When distinguished persons, generals, artists, or learned men arrived at Medea, St. Amand received them in his house. Very often the Duc d'Aumale sent guests with letters of recommendation to him. He was beloved by the whole population among whom he lived for his kindness and his charity, and those who only saw him once, thought it a happiness to shake hands with him, so delightful and fascinating were his manners. Among the several hundreds who were well acquainted with him, and the several thousands who knew him, none ever reproached him for anything. We confess that we, like the rest, regarded him as a model of probity and good conduct in every relation of life. The Duc d'Aumale had so great a friendship for him, that he proposed a marriage to him with the daughter of a noble family. When his highness returned in 1847, as GovernorGeneral of Algeria, St. Amand often went to visit him, and to dine with him. About four weeks after the revolution of February, 1848, we learnt that St. Amand had just died. His successor to the Treasury, Mr. Haupier, requested an examination to be made, and a new inventory to be given him. When this was done, it was found that six thousand five hundred pounds had been robbed from the Treasury. M. Pierrey, a magistrate of the superior Court of Algiers, was instantly despatched to make inquiries into the extraordinary events which it was said had taken place at Medea. Various rumors reached Algiers of the death and robberies of St. Amand; but we in Algiers, who had known him so well, would not believe any stories to his discredit. 66 In April, 1848, the judicial proceedings being finished, I met M. Pierrey, who said to me, 'Well, Doctor -, you were, I believe, one of the friends of the late Treasurer of Medea?" " Yes," answered I, “and his death is a great loss to me, for he was a noble-hearted man." "Do not regret him, doctor," replied M. Pierrey; "that man was a forger, a convict, a robber, and most probably a murderer; his true name was Jeremy Varney; he was born in the neighborhood of Lyons; he was a notary's clerk, and was proved guilty of forgery at the court at Montbresson; he escaped from the prison in which he was confined, and came to Algiers, under the title of the Marquis of St. Amand." All this turned out to be quite true; but now, here was the difficult question to answer, how had he succeeded in taking the name and identity of the true Marquis, who was well known, and belonged to a distinguished family? The police, after the most diligent search, could arrive at no certain conclusions; so we were left to conjecture. It seems most probable that Jeremy Varney became acquainted with the Marquis of St. Amand, then murdered him, hid his body where it had never been found, had taken possession of all his family papers, and with marvellous ability had identified himself so entirely with the life of |