Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-10-07
4 MEAL IN MOROCCO.
Table Etiquette 1T an Imperial
Dinner Party.
A Correspondent Who Does Not Hanker
After Second Neal

Witchcraft prevails in Morocco and
. sewing-machine man dare not ap-
pear IN the empire. writes corresp0n-
dent of the Baltimore Sam As
horseshoe Is an agent Of good omen in
England, so wooden Or painted hand
il put on or over every door in Moroc-
co to keep away evil You will see
Moor Of aristOcratic mien sedateTy and
stately arise from cross-Iegged pose,
look up at this hand, and then return
to his tea and toast This tea and
toast. or Moorish "kettledrumv is in
teresting. The four o'clock salon is
Carpeted richly. The doors are done
in arabesque designs. The tray is Of
polished inlaid metal The teapot is
Of superb proportions and capacity.
The tea is Of that pungent green color,
and Of full flavor before being boiled.
It lis boiled with a compound like mo-
lasses, and is served up like decoction
Of honey favored with tea. This Is
pioneer cup. A second cup (and. by
the way, the china cups are all glass
saucers, to speak Hibernially) is made
Of tea and a peculiar herb which
gives the taste Of d boiled min. julep.
Then you smoke tiny cigar made of
tobacco that resembles the perique
of Louisiana, only not so pure. Then
comes another cup Of tea, and compos-
ed this time of the green, pure herb
itself, with mixture of Tonquin
beans and lemon verbena, or little
prepared snuff. More smoke follows,
then another cup Of tea; and this time
you have nux vomica, ambergris and
wormwood mixed in the cup that
cheers not but is likely to inebriate. In
Difference to our princely hosts. we
had to do all these teasings things.
More smoke. Yet it is mere puffs, as
the Moor is not given strongly to the
solace Of man. A Moorish dinner ex-
GELS the tea. If you can imagine all
the cosmetics. poEnades, jujube pastes.
hair oil, lamar indsen and cocoanut
fibre patties being rolled into one, you
can fancy the first dinner dish of a
Moorish prince. am grateful that /
survive to record this feature of an i'm
perial Morocco menu. May I never
live to witness or taste another. What
followed the first dish my mind wayers
to remember. An easy chair in the
open air is the last recOllect. re-
cali the opening scene as the tall prince
lifted bis hands heayenward. and turn
ed his large black eyes down and said:
'sIn the name Of God and his prophet,
that being the entire grace. He dare
not add, :.make us grateful, ETC." af-
ter the repast. as that would be sheer
satire, at least from my point Of view
and feeling A six~foot-high stranger
sitting cross-legged on bilious-color-
ed carpet to such adinner is terrible
sight. and beggars description. Then
behold him trying to feed himself, la
mode. by grabbing the aforesaid po-
matum out Of heolg dish in the center
Of the carpet, and making force balls
OF the imperial hash, and then deity
pitching them down his throat as in
valid experts swallow pills without
water. admired the dexteritv Of the
prince, but spoiled my SIS vest.
hailed the relays Oh napkins and wash
bowls. washed 10y face and hands
seven times during the dinner. and,
though the room was reeking with the
Odors Of incense. IA this day carry the
fumes Of that rspast with my best
clothes The pale green and blue
complexion presented before half the
banquet was over would have delight
ed Mr.. James whistler for ! sweet
little study Of aDssptusne or symphony
done ii olpmarearine And all this
time the ladies ofs the princes harem
were invisibly looking on At my
spasms
Let sunshine j. al rooms; It IS bet
er than medieine