Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-12-31

women had their bodies or skirts equal
W, II lined, or would have before they 60
across, for there seemed to lie no modes,
about the process as we saw it, that woul
prevent them from bearing their portion 0
the concealed burden, even if it had to t.
put on in the open boat.
| On Tuesday, the 9th, our surgeon, DR.
Peck, and myself anxious to put foot upo,
African soil, and to see the customs ant
homes of one of its once powerful, but nov
degenerate tribes, took passage in one 0
the small steamers that ply between thi
place and Tanglers, port Of Morocco
situated about 35 miles west of Gibraltar
The day was fair, but stron. Levanter, o.
east wind was sucking down through tht
Straits, which at their narrowest part, arr
eight miles wide, and are not, therefore, a:
generally supposed, commanded by The
guns Of Gibraltar We kept close along
the Spanish coast, marking the old watcf
towers on many of the hills, and noting the
barren aspect Of the soil, the herbage here
as elsewhere throughout the whole country
being scorched and sun-dried. Passing
near Tafifa lighthouse and town, we found
the latter possessing for.i6calions of con,
siderable apparent strength. Here VT
headed southwest across the Straits, and as
the wind increased in violence, aud the
powerful current was running against it,
the waves thereby created tossed our little
vessel about like cockle-shell, and dashed
their spray over her in clouds. The ladies,
of whom there were several on board, and
severalof the Moors, were soon lying around
thn dahl ott.rnAn, \,
spray and water finally drove the ladies to
tae upper deck, where Ihad at first esconced
myself, aud from whence had been watch
ing the great waves into which our little
vessel was plunglng, and upon which she
| was rolling. 1t is remarkable fact that
the current sets always from the Atlantic
into the Mediterranean result of the
great evaporation that goes on from the
Mediterranean, consequent upon the dry
winds that sweep over It from the south and
east. This current is SO strong Us to cre-
ate, when the wind is against it, achopping,
buhblino sea, whose waves run sometimes
to considerable height, AMI at all angles,
and are very unpleasant for small vessels.
was sailor enough to stand all this, how
ever, but was not sorry to see the vessel
emerge from it about 3 o'clock in the after
noon into the quieter waters Of Tangiers
Bay, and to see the square minarets CT the
mosques and the white walls of the town
surmounting hill upon the west side of
the Bay.
SLIPS or wharfs seem to be little known
or used in Europe, and most Of the loading
and unloading OF ships is done by lighter
~ ~
innocent of any modern conveniences, and
our steamer was forced to anchor some dis
tance out in the Bay. Before the anchor
was cast however, scores of small boats
were about US, managed by naked, swarthy
Arabs, rowing quarreling, bowling and ges-
ticulating, striving to see who should come
aboard first and secure the most patronage,
and jabbering all the while in Arabic,
Spanish, and sometimes in broken English.
After assisting the ladies, we were all finally
embarked for the land. 1t would be an
unheard of progress toward utilitarianism
to have short wharf, stationary or floating,
two Or three yards in length, which was all
that was needed to enable passengers to
land easily from these boats. But that
would take away the means Of livelihood of
two or three score of swarthy, bare legged
Arabs, and was not to be thought of.
So the boat anchored two or three yards
from the beach, and rush was made Tor
yourself and baggage, both OF which were
carried off on the shoulders of separate
dirty c.lllways. The ladies aud some of
the men were accommodated with chair,
but l took il piggy back. just for the nov
..itv nf tho tb;n.r Thar 1,rt,, {, 10
We're thrust out for two fees, while "A score
Of hlihy-loolln. wretches were fighting 10
see who should carry tie baggage up 10
the end of the beach, where the custom.
house officers sat, and then there was AN
other struggle to see who should earn the
fourth fee 10y carrying it to the hotel. For
tunately they were satisfied with the small
est Of coins, and one could fee the whole
duslly rabble at small comparative expense.
AT the upper end of the landing. on some
boxes, upon which they We're squatled
cross-lagged, we're two or three 6ne.iaced,
iul-bearde, splendidy y-iormed, dark skin
ned Moors, officers of the customs, who
paid but little attention to the clamor
around them, but gravely waited until the
valises and trunks were opened, when with
glance and nod they made their exam
ination and expressed their satisfaction
that there was nothing contraband contain
ed therein. Finally, following another
stalwart Moor, who called himself Moham-
med, and seemed to pride himself with be-
ing IAN Americus," as he expressed il, be-
cause he was under the protection of The
American Consul on account OF services
rapIaraI Gpns,,lc har
with our English felow-passengers, to the
Victoria Hotel-kept in excellent style by
Il negro named Martin, former steward OF
the Duke of Edinburgh, who set Martin up
in business at Taneiers, and recommended
him to the patronage of the English peo-
pie of Gibraltar, who often visit Tangiers.
He is a fne-ooking, gentlemanly fellow,
intelligent, and speaks English with bet
ter and clearer accent than most OF the
English. We found his house clean and
most comfortably furnished, and his cui
sine very good. His house keepers and
cbamber-maids were all white, and spoke
English, while his table-wai,ers were young,
a,,ive-looking Arabs, dressed in their own
costume.
We made call upon our Consul, a Mr..
Matthews, of California, who has but re-
Gently arrived. He is an intelligent gen-
,eman, speaks Arabic and several other
languages, and is creeitable representa-
tive OF our country. Consuls III Morocco,
have judicial and military power, and 60
accou. panied by January, or native SOL
der, who clears the way for them and ful-
fills, their sometimes arbitrary behests.
They have full control over all that relates
to the citizens Of their countries, and can
imprlson and punish, so that they are treat
ed with exceeding Difference. But life
among such people, with all the powers
and privileges that can be granted, would
,em to be misery ITSELF Every element OF
progress is repressed by the exac,ions OF
their religion, which esteems every innova-
ton upon their ancient customs and habits
as violative of tLeir creed. And so their
life is Just what it was centuries ago, except
that they are poorer and less warlike. One
can realize from the fine physiques which
he occasionally meets, that this race was
! once equal to the task OF overrunning and
conqucring, and holding for several centu
ries, a large part Of Europe. and Of raising
architectural monuments whose wealth ot
decoration and solidty of structure are
still regarded as marvellous. But this very
remembrance heightens the sadness or
deepens the contempt with which their
present ignorance, their poverty and their
filth must be viewed. To see nation ap.
narantly so physically cnnahle Of active Of