Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-05-30
AMONG THE MOORS.
A Visit 20 the Tangfer-The Town
and People.

and People.
Correspondence London Standard.l
The Epoca, Of Madrid, had given out
that Sir John Drummond Hay, our re-
preventative in Morocco, had left his
usual residence at Tangier on visit to
the Sultan at the capital, with the ex-
press object of filing his mind with evil
thoughts OF Spain. The best way TO
contradict lie is to track out the truth
and tell it. There was no boat to Nal
aga for few days; Tangier was but
thirty two miles of over the Straits; the
Spahi was getting up steam in the bay; |
determined to take run across. Never
had l greater reason to congratulate my
self on a trip. Sir John Hay had left
for Morocco, but his visit had no rela-
ton to Spain whatever. We were a
party of fve--a gallant captain, of no
matter what regiment, and his wife, a
portly, good.natured couple; bright
eyed, bright-brained widow; waggsh
Irishman and myself. While steamiDg
through the broad belt Of water, with its
poetic coast lines, that pours between
the Continents, we encountered bottle
nosed whale putting and spewing along.
| Hardly had we recovered from the new
r. .~ss Of this sensation when we passed
Cans Malabatta and cut our way into
the Bay 0f TanGier. The "Sultana of
Moorish Cities" Tangier is sometimes
called, and truly .he does wear regal,
Sultana like air as seen rom the distance,
cushioned in state on the hillside, her
white fat roofs rising one above another
like marble steps of stately staircase,
thetall towers of the mosques piercing the
air, and the multitudinous, many-colored
flags of all nations huttering above the
consulates. But in this, as in many
other cases, it is distance lends enchant-
ment to the view. A fotilla of tubs puts
out to meet us; we descend into one
manned by brawny negro and Moor,
and put of for shore-thst is, for as near
the shore as our lading will allow. The
instant the boat grounds, while we are
yet some fifteen yards from the beach, q
lot of wild fellows, in skull cap and shirt
tied at the waist and short cotton draw
ers, plunge into the water and advance
to meet US. On they come till they are
waist deep, and before | well know what
he is about the foremost seizes me by
the legs, swings me athwart his shoulder,
and wades to the land. This is the un-
dignifed mode in which aFrank makes
his appearance among the Moslems OF
Barbary. was the first to land, and of
course the first thought in my head was
to turn round to laugh at my companions.
The waggish Irishman took the. affair
philoSophically, as if he were in the
habit ofriding men. Ny friend the cap
tain. who turns the scale at seventeen
stone two. was astride lean jew, who
bent under his weight. l should dearly
like to have photograph of that gallant
officer pick.a-back to add to my album.
AT one moment / had hopes that he
would have got drenching, bat be held
on like grim death, and made sure that
the porter's nose would probe the sand II
he stumbled. But the jew got to the
goal without making a mistake. The
ladies we're brought ashore on q chair
carried between a pair Of men.
THE TOWN OF TAYGIER.
Tangier is a walled and fortified town. |
lido not think Yauban had any hand in |
the Notifications, and / do think the |
walls would 90 down before q respect
able horn-blast quicker than those OF
Jericho. 1t swarms with motley popu- |
latiOn much addicted to difference IN
shades of complexion. The Tangerines
exhaust the primitive colors and most OF
the others in their features. There are |
lime-white Tangerines, copper and ca
nary-countenanced Tangerines, Tan |
gerines Of the tint Of the bottom Of old |
pots, Tangerines of every tint-no, on |
second thought, there are no well-defned |
blue or green Tangerines; at least none
that have seen. The town of TaRgier |
is old as the hills and courageously un-
civilized. There is no gasometer, no |
railway station, no thester, no cab
stands, no daily paper, no drainage
board TO brag OF. 1t is unconsciously
backward; near as il is to Europe, a ride
shot off the track Of ships plying from
the west TO the ports OF the Mediter-
ranean, it preserves its Eastern aroma
with fine Moslem conservatism. Its
ramparts Of crumbling masonry are or
with ancient cannon, useless
for offence, useless for defence, unless
except for blowing up the artillerymen
when q salute is cred, and even that,
should imaginine, has to be ordered
week in advance. There is no locono-
ton. save in boxes and on the back Of
ousdrupeds, and quadrupeds Of the in
fsrior order-dogs, cats, and mongoOse-
are usually buried on the streets. But
Il tic irregular town would shock N.
Hausuann, is sltuatioE would satisfy
he nos, exciting engineer. II is bud.
djed Ia = sheltered nest on the fringe Of
a land Of milk and honey; i has the ad-
vsntsre Of e sprssi of level beach, and
reioices in the balmiest Of climes
The streets Of Iangier are 90 narrow