He was engaged — first alone, and later with the firm Bakri Brothers — in the grain trade, of which the Dey Ḥasan, with whom Busnash was on friendly terms, granted him a monopoly. lieutenant was he who received the consuls and settled differences between Algeria and foreign countries. His power did not, however, last.
The firm of Bakri & Busnash soon attained a wide reputation, and Busnash became (according to some) the most influential man in Algeria. In 1800 he was appointed by the dey Mustapha—whom he had helped to attain to power—chief of the Algerian Jews, a post to which was attached the office of broker to the dey, and the consul-generalship of Ragusa. In this position Busnash displayed so much ability that he won the entire confidence of the dey, who practically left the government in his hands.
