Smyrna times., 1882-02-22
Moorish Miseries.
AN INTERESTING STORY OF LIFE AMONG
THE LOWLY IN MOROCCO

Inc condition Dt farmers i'll this country |
Is deplorablc, and there is little hope for
Improvement at present. This is a sad |
piece of news to communicate, but it is !
nevertheless true. There are to-day thou
sands of farmers in Morocco who have as
much land as they could walk around in /
five hours, yet they can scarcely procure /
enough money 20 purchase sufficient
clothing TO keep themselves comfortable |
in the mild winters of this climate. In
1878 these farms we've all well stocked |
with camels, horses, mules, cattle. sheep.
goats and d0nkeys, but the famine that
swept the country i'll that year carried the
animals OFF in hundreds, and when it had
passed over it was found that but few of
the farmers had pair Of oxen to use in
plOwing their fields. The governors and
their subordinates then fell upon the uE-
fortunate tillers of the soil like Il flock of
hungry wolves. These rapacious func-
tionarics, ia order TO eXtort from them
that which they are daily in need of to
keep the body and soul together. caused
them to suffer almost every imaginable
torture. SO completely were the farmers
stripped of their possessions that at the
beginning of this year they had not even
seeds to sow. When the rains set in they
flocked to this town and offered to the
Christian population and the protected
subjects who had money half the pro
ducts Of their farms if they would let
them have cattle to plough the ground
and seeds to plant, the latter to be re-
turned at harvest time to the giver, and
all the expense Of raising the crop to be
borne by the farncr. These offers found
ready takers. and very soon over 500 yoke
OF cattle We're set at work in the fields by
the free men of this town. The following
is a case in which friend of mine was in
terested. and | may say all the others
were "tarrcd with the same brush. He
tells this story:
ROOTS AND GRUBS FOR FOOD.
purchased four yoke Of cattle and put
them into the hands Of Moor named
Abdallah, who has a family of about
fifteen persons, quite enough to carry on
bis farming without any outside assistance.
He owns land enough to employ forty
yoke of cattle but in these hard time. he
IS considered big farmer to be able to
work four pair. lie received The cattle
with satisfaction, and his face was lighted
up with smiles as he set 10 work with
will. Several bushels of wheat and barley
were soon under ground Then he came
to me and said he must have something
to eat, as he could not live without eating.
What do you mean" | asked. "Do
you expect rae to support your enormous
family? What would you have dona if no
one had given you cattle 10 work with 2"
He replied that he and his family would
spend their time in digging up roots and
grubS to eat, but while they were ut work
tilling the ground must support them
until harvest time. But" said |, "If
the harvest is a failure, as it often is in
this country, how am to be remunerated
for the seeds have given you and the
support of your family from December
until the end of May" OH said he,
| ''you need not fear God will send you a
! good harvest because the Christians are
good people | then asked him what he
wanted and he replied: Nothing but
barley" l loaded a camel with twelve
bushels Of barley, gave it to him and he
went away giving thanks to Mohammed
the Great because he had touched the
heart of the intidel and caused him to
give to the true believer.
BOILED BARLEY TEE ONLY FOOD.
1t is astonishing to sec these people
! work from sun to sun, seven days in the
week, and cat nothing but boiled barley
without seasoning of any description.
They prepare it by first running it through
2 small rough handmill made by the
natives. The barley is cracked lust
enough to loosen the hull, which is then
blown out by the wind, and the barley is
ready for the pot. During the seed time
the Moors must be constantly watched to
insure the planting of the seed in the
ground instead of In their stomachs; and
| frequently jump on my horse and ride
out to the fields to see how they get along.
/ always find them hard at work urging
the cattle on. They only stop once dur
ing the day, at about L o'clock in the
forenoon, to eat their boiled barley. They
take but two meals of this stuff ip twenty
four hours, the SECOND meal being partaken
of at 10 O'Clock at night. Instead of using
spoons to cat the barley with they make
use of the left hand only. The barley
after being boiled is placed in large,
rough wooden bowl made in the rudest
fashion, and this is placed on the ground.
The members Of the family then form a
circle around it and help themselves. 1t
is considered impolite for Moor who is u
true believer in the prophet to eat with
his right hand only the infidel Christian
dog does that 1t is amusing to watch
these people at their meals and note the
peculiar jerk of the arm by which they
convey the food from hand TO mouth.
They first take into their hand enough of
the ''pot luck" to make ball about the
size of hens egg. This they toss and
roll in peculiar way until it is formed
into round ball, when they thrown their
mouths wide open, and, with slight but
rapid twitch of the elbow, the hall is fired
straight into their mouths. ! never saw
them miss their mark, Notwithstanding
thA xnpetchpd manner In which thev are