The Democratic advocate., 1881-05-14
Ghln9s abroad.
Life in Tangiers.

amuse himself, or rather herself, by Saz-
ing at windows and appraising wares.
The shops are mean to degree. Those
in the only square, around which are the
various legations, are wretched. Here is
the well-defned shore upon which the sea
of barbarism breaks-a line of civilization
merely. The rest is all barbarie-a dead
sea of unknown extent.
But if the aspect of the city be dull dur
ing the day, what shall we say of it at night?
Fully illuminated by a refulgent moon,
which lights up the white walls with al
most dazzling splendor, Tangiers is city
of the dead. The cloaked spectres have
disappeared into the whitened sepulchres
the houses. A bundle of rags will stir
at your feet it is an Arab. You tread
upon the skeleton of cat, and reeoil.
Y our footsteps echo in the deserted lanes,
and probably the beating of your own heart
will be all the sound that you will hear.
All is mute and lifeless around you.
Apropos of the bundle Of rags, moth
ing viii surprise the visitor to Morocco
more than the extraordinary manner 10
which the native will curl himself up in
corner, or lie down against wall. In a
spot where we should fancy boy or q
bundle would End insufficient and uacom-
Portable space, an Arab will sit or crouch
in perfect happiness. "He spreads him
self on a wall like bass.relief, and fiat
tens himself upon the ground like a sheet
spread out to dry" And in all these at
titudes he appears alternately headless,
legless, or trunkless, a ball, or cube, or a
nOndescript. His adaptability is wonder
ful.
The dress Of the people is very pietur-
esque. That of the men is ordinarily q
white mantle, but on gala days is more
elaborate. The women cover their faces
with the end Of their long mantles, under
which is a wide -sleeyed garment bound
around the wais, with cord, Nothing
but the eyes, fingers, and bare feet thrust
into slippers is visible. They are sad,
weary race, prized till twenty, then they
get old and withered, aud are treated like
beasts Of burden until they die.
In the whole town there is not cart
nor carriage No itinerants so round
with wares, no street occupation absOrbs
the pedestrians, no movement to speak Of,
no bells, 40 cries, no invitations to pur-
chase. RepOse has settled upon all; even
the active minded visitor will succumb at
last, and sit for hours doing nothing, moi
knowing what to do. Aud in this som
noleut city you can wander abOu, at viii
and viii lose yourself, no doubt, in the
hopeless maze Of little houses and lanes
aud alleys. Every lane is like every 9th
er lane, al! the alleys and tiny squares are
fac-similcs Of other alleys aud squares
and one might very easily disappear never
to return. 10 this labyrinth you may, as
4 Christian, wander unharmed aud almost
unnotieed No pickpocket of civilization
will molest you, aud foreign ladies might
carry their purses in their outside pocket:
without fear of loss.
Outside the town, you may find many
curious features For instance, all around
the city walls is "girdle of gardens, rich
in sort of vegetation, but too neglected
Aloes, Indian figs, oaks, oleanders, and
numerous shrubs grow thiekly, and inter
twine their branches with the ivy, vine
aud cane. Rank and luxuriant grass
quantities Of flowers, in places growing
two feet high, small white house, wheel
a well by means Of which irrigation is ear
ried on at times through trenches, but mol
a living being is to be seen. All is rank
and luxuriant in vegetation, but all is deat
and lonely so far as the people are con
eerned Here the cultivation ends. Be
yond this zone Of verdure there are q,
trees, nor hedges, nor boundaries to b.
seen. Rolling hills, undulating plains, ans
verdant valleys stretch away, but scare
any tilling of the ground is attempted
Ploughing is carried on in the most prlm
itive manner a small so-ealled plough
guided by one hand, while the other WELD
the whip, carries us at once back hun
dreds of years, when our Lords rebuke-
"No man having put hand to the plough
and looking back is fit for the kingdom G
Got" must have been literally applicabl
to the implement mentioned. The mod
of using this plough is curious. Any an
imal is pressed into the service goat, Q
mule, or both together; even donke
and woman are sometimes yoked, an
pull together very well in Morocco. Ag
riculture is of an extremely primitive OF
der, for were the land in any degree cuI
tivated-as we understand the process
the ground would yield an hundredfol
increase to the possessor.
How RAIsINs ARE MADE IN CALIFoB
NIA.--In Mr.. Blowers vineyard, Iol