A CARGO OF NIGHTCAPS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 28, 11 July 1891, Page 143

A CARGO OF NIGHTCAPS.

BY

WOLF VON SCHIERBRAND.

T was in the year 1865. Napoleon 111. ’■j. 5 was at the zenith of his glory and power, and the name of warlike France carried terror beforeit. Even the rulersof , xp the so called • robber states’ in Northern x Africa quaked in their morocco-leather boots before it. At that time it was P: 1 that a ca P tain of a Marseilles merchant ™ vessel, a man named Duvergnier, had l ,at l suffer from the exactions of the chief ' ' of P°l’ ce tn the good city of Tunis, because I the captain had disappointed him in his extWoi ’ pectations of backsheesh. Captain Duverg'ly nier, however, being a Marseillais, was no fool, and went before the Bey himself, complaining loudly and unsparing of the treatment he had had to undergo, and threatening the vengeance of the whole French army if justice were not done him. The Bey, being a man open to argument and conviction, saw the point, and pronounced in the complainants’ favour. Whereupon the captain, nothing loath, spoke up as follows : •Seems to me, Highness, that I ought to be paid an indemnity for the loss of time incurred by waiting for the wise and liberal judgment thou hast just now rendered.’ •True.’ ‘All the more,’ continued the captain, emboldened by the approbation of the Bey, ‘as I was expected at Gibraltar at the beginning of winter, and as we are now nearing spring, and by the time I’d arrive at my port of destination the moment favourable for the sale of my cargo will be long

past and gone.’ ‘ And of what is thy cargo composed ’’ • Of nightcaps, Highness '.’ * Of what, giaour ’’ ‘ Of nightcaps.’ ‘ And what dost mean by that 1’

The captain at once drew from his pocket a sample of the goods mentioned, and handed it to the Bey. ‘ And how can this thing be used ’’

‘To put on the head and wear by night or by day, just as the owner chooses,’ and suiting the action to the word. Captain Duvergnier pulled the cap over his ears. *lt looks villainous,’ said the Bey, laconically. ‘ But it’s very comfortable,’ put in the captain. * And thou sayest that the delay incident to the slowness of this proceeding, which has just ended in rendering thee full justice, has occasioned thee a loss of money ?’ ‘ Yes, Highness ; at least ten thousand francs’ worth.’

The Bey clapped his hands. ‘ Wait I’ he said to the captain. His first scribe entered, bowing his head to the ground and prostrating himself before the mighty presence. ‘ Sit down there and wiite,’ saiil his master. The scribe obeyed. The Bey dictated several lines, of which the captain, however, understood never a word, see-

ing that it was Arabic. Then the scribe having finished and the Bey having affixed his sea), he told his servant: ‘ Go and have this amrah at once proclaimed in the city !’ The servant crossed hie hands over his breast, bowed a? low as before, and left the apartment. * Beg pardon, Highness, but ’ * What yet?’ inquired the Bey. ‘ Without desiring to appear indiscreet, could I ask thy H ighness the meaning of this order just issued ?’ * Certainly. It is an order directing all the Jews of Tunis, on pain of instant death, to wear, within twenty-four hours, a nightcap on all public occasions.’ ‘ Ah, what a scheme ! I understand, Highness!’ ejaculated the delighted Marseilles captain. ‘ Then if thou dost, return to thy vessel, and make as much profit out of thy merchandise as thou canst. Thou wilt not lack for customers.’

The captain, in the excess of his joy, went down on all fours, upset the Bey's little tebibouk tabouret, kissed the great man’s babooshes, and then hurriedly retired to his vessel.

Meanwhile the following amrah was being published through every street of Tunis by the criers : ‘ Praise be to Allah, the Only One, to whom everything and everybody returns ! ‘ Thus sayeth the Slave of Allah, the Glorious, of whom he implores forgiveness and absolution ; ‘ He, the Moosheer Sidi Hussein Pasha, Bey of Tunis : ‘lt is forbidden every Jew-, Israelite and Nazarine, to walk the streets of Tunis without having his unbelieving and accursed head covered with a nightcap of cotton cloth ; ‘ And this on pain of having instantly his head cut off; ‘Giving these miscreants only twenty four hours of delay, within which to obtain the aforesaid headgear. ‘That each of the unbelieving dogs render due obedience to this order.

‘ Written on the 20th dav of the month of Muharram, in the year 1243 after the hidjrah.’ The effect of this publication in the streets of Tunis, with its large Hebrew population, may be better imagined than described. The twenty-five thousand Jews who are residents of Tunis, looked at each other with frightened faces, and demanded to know why this eighth plague had been permitted by the Lord to afflict the chosen people. The most learned rabbis were interrogated ; but as science

generally ignores practical questions, their deepest studies and most profound cogitations had never taught them what a • nightcap of cotton cloth ' was. Every Jew stood agha«t, and their fear and consternation were great. At last, though, a Gourni (as the Jews of Leghorn are called in Tunis) remembered having one day seen a vessel enter the port of Leghorn, the crew of which had been adorned with the like headgear.

It was something to know what the object in question was like. But where were they to get those caps ? The Jews wrung their hands, and lifted up their voices in despair ; the Jewesses tore out their hair by the handfuls : their children strewed ashes on their heads, and ate mud in despair. An<l all of them lifted up their hands to Heaven, and shouted :

‘God of Israel, thou who didst cause manna to fall from the skies, tell us, we implore thee, where to find these accursed nightcaps !’ At the montent when desolation reigned supreme, and the cries of the multitude were the most heartrendering, a rumour began to spread among the motley crowd. A vessel loaded with nightcaps was in the harbour —thus ran the rumour. Inquiries were instantly made. It was a three-masted vessel from Marseilles, it was said. But did the owner have so many thousands of nightcaps on board ? Were they enough to go around ? A rush was made for the boats. Everybody wanted to be the first one on board of the vessel, and there was a fearful crush and crowding. The whole harbour was covered with a flotilla of row and sail boats, and they all steered for the Marseilles vessel. That vessel was lying at anchor some distance from shore, and to get to it it was necessary to first cross the shallow lake of Tunis. At La Goulette some six boats were upset, but the shallow water prevented the drowning of any one. Finally, the vessel was reached. Captain Duvergnier was on the quarter deck awaiting the attack. With the aid of his telescope he had seen the

whole series of preliminaries. He was well posted. In less than ten minutes more there were three hundred boats surrounding the vessel. The shouting, screeching, and screaming was as if pandemonium had been let loose. Ten thousand voices rang out in despair : ‘Give us nightcaps, nightcaps, or we die '.’ The captain motioned with his hand. He was understood to desire silence, and everybody was as silent as the tomb.

‘ You want nightcaps’’ he asked. ‘ Yes, yes !’ came the reply from a thousand throats. ‘ Very well,’said the captain. ‘But you know, gentlemen, that nightcaps are very much in demand just now. I have received news from Europe to the effect that nightcaps are worth a great deal more in the market at this present moment, particularly in Tunis, than they were twentyfour hours ago. There lias been a successful bull movement.’

‘ Alas, alas !’ shouted the voices from below, ‘ we know that to be onlj’ too true. Let us have the nightcaps, kind stranger, and you will earn our lasting gratitude.’ ‘Gratitude be blowed ,’ replied bluntly the captain. ‘ What I want is your money. But listen! lam an honest man !’

The Jews trembled. That was the introduction they always chose when they prepared themselves to drive a hard bargain with a victim. ‘ I shall not take undue advantage of your needs.’

The Jews paled more and more. ‘The nightcaps,’ continued the captain, ‘cost me two francs apiece.’ ‘ Well, that’s not as much as we thought,’ murmured the frightened Jews below. ‘ 1 shall be satisfied with a profit of eighteen francs for each.' said the captain. ‘ Hosanna !’ screamed the Jews joyfully. ‘ Who wants nightcaps at twenty francs apiece?’ demanded the captain. Every hand went up, as at school when the teacher has asked an easy question. ‘ Order now !’ said the captain. ‘ Enter on starboard, and leave the vessel by larboard, one by one. Whoever disobeys don't get any nightcap !’ The greatest order prevailed, and business was humming for about six hours. Everybody paid his twenty francs and

got his nightcap. Some took several nightcaps for friends left at home sick or dying, or for future need. The captain took in a little matter of five hundred thousand francs in gold, of which four bundled and fifty thousand was clear profit. The following day the captain came onee more into the piesence of the Bey. ‘ Ah, it is thou, giaour ?’ The captain fell down before the Bey ami worshipped him. ‘ Well ?’ asked the Bey. ‘ I came to thank thee, Highness !' said the captain. ‘ Art thou satisfied ?’ ‘ More than satisfied.’ ‘ But this is not all,' said the Bey. ‘ Not all ?' stammered the captain, fearing an ambush. ‘ No : wait '.’ And the Bey once more summoned his scribe. Five minutes later the following amrah had been dictated : ‘ Praise be to Allah, the Only One, to whom everything and every body returns ! ‘ Thus sayeth the Slave of Allah, the Glorious, of whom he implores forgiveness and absolution ; ‘ He, the Moosheer Sidi Hussein Pasha, Bey of Tunis : ‘ It is herewith forbidden every Jew to appear in the streets of Tunis with a nightcap covering his unbelieving ami accursed head, on pain of having his aforesaid head instantly cut off. ‘Only twenty-four hours are given the owners of said nightcaps to dispose of them to the best advantage. ‘ Let this amrah be strictly obeyed. ‘ Written on the 21st day of the month of Moharram, in the year 1243 after the hidjrah.’ ‘ Dost understand ?’ asked the Bey. ‘ O Highness, thou art the greatest Bey that ever lived !’ exclaimed the captain in his enthusiasm. And the next day he bought his cargo of nightcaps

back again for ten thousand francs, took it to Gibraltar and sold it for one hundred and fifty thousand. He took the proceeds to Marseilles, where he bought himself a pretty house and garden by the harbour, invested the rest of bis funds in national treasury obligations, and is still living in peace and contentment in bis native city. As he takes the first mouthful of bouille a - baisse, the great Marseilles dish, at every dinner, he lifts his glass of Medoc and drinks it to the health of ‘ His Highness, the Bey of Tunis, and his nightcaps.’