Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-03-14
A QUEER AFRICAN CITY.
DIFFICULTY OF ENTERING TANGlERS
AND WHAT ONE MAY SEE.


What is there to see in Tangier, and
why do American tourists, after "the
run through Spain, think it quite essen
tial to visit the Barbary coast? l can an
swer for one party. A sagacious friend
who recently went from the Straits of
Gibraltar to the Bosphorus said to us be-
fore we left home: you will see moth
ing more purely oriental than Tanger in
all your proposed journey" Certainly
we have found the place SO completely
foreign to all our ideas that only the old
fashioned word "outlandish" seems ade-
quate TO describe it
Here is the most western of all the sea-
ports of northern Africa lying within
sight of the coast of Spain and the Rock
of Gibraltar, Il place of 10000 inhabit-
ants, upon whose ways of life and thought
European Christian civilization has
scarcely made an impression Yet more
than 200 years ago this city for a short
period belonged to the English crown.
1t is now the residence of those foreign
ministers who are accredited to the sui
tan of Morocco 1t is in almost daily
communication with France, Spain and
Gibraltar, both England and Spain main
tanning postofiices, with separate bureaus,
stamps and mail bags There are news
papers published here in English and
Spanish. The Hotel Continental is SO
good that there is current mot to the
effect that the best hotel in Europe may
be found in Africa
HARD TO LAND
The English come for sport" the par
ticular attraction being the chase of wild
boar, for the which a manual of "hog
sticking" has been eaborately set forth.
Yet, Notwithstanding all this the Moors
and the Jews go on in their old fashioned
ways as if they were living in the Fif-
teenth century Indeed it is easy to be-
lieve that we see in Tangier much of the
same sort of life which prevailed in
southern Spain 400 years ago-before the
conquest of Granada-with one impor-
tant qualification: Tangier has nothing
which suggests the learning. the science,
the arts, or even the sacredness of the
great cities of Andalusia when Moorish
sway was dominant The Arabic or Mo
hammedan dominion, without the Arabic
enlightenment, loses all the charm which
is suggested by what is even now to be
seen in Cordova, Granada and Seville.
The transit to Tangier is easily made
in eight hours from Cadiz, in four hours
from Gibraltar, in twelve hours from
Malaga, and the traveller may have his
choice among many competing steamers
of different sizes and different disadvan-
tages
The transit over, landing must be
made The beach slopes so gradually
that large vessels cannot come near the
shore, and people, cattle, baggage and
goods mast all he transferred to lighters
and rowboats and thus brought to land.
In rough weather the steamer will some
times lie for hours without being able to
disembarE its cargo, and one company of
travellers whom we met returned to Spain
without putting foot upon the shore of
Africa.
When 1t Is rough, but not so rough,
passengers are carried ashore in the arms
of stalwart Moors, or perhaps ride pa
BOO'S la9iiJii - VI NulltlbNlD lutot Ute
scendants of the pirates who used 10 in
fest the Morocco coasts are capital
boatmen, with strong arms and legs. so
that they may he safely trusted
New perpIexities arise when the shores
are reached In all Tangiers ] do not
think there is a wheeled vehicle-not a
gig. dray or even wheelbarrow So
gang of porters seizes a travellers
trunks, handbags, shawl straps and um-
brellas, and transports them up the mar
row and sinuous lanes which lead to the
hotel.
As looked from the rowboat to the
top of the landing stairs noticed in the
crowd, which was dressed in all the col
ors of the rainbow and in all the varie-
ties of eastern fabrics, tall, dark faced
Moor, with a capacious turban, broad,
blue flowing robe and II stout staff, end
ing in a pastoral crook. Il am McLam-
med, he called out, pointing to his heart
either to confirm his identity OF his We
racity, cannot say which. THE man
| am looking for, was my answer. From
that hour until our departure Moham-
med took charge of us. We did not en-
gage him, but he engaged US His tread
was as dignified and steady as that of
Salvini when he personates Othello His
shoulders were broad enough for Sam
son. His voice was deep, rich and mu-
sical, like that of Carl Formes. When
be was mounted on his favorite mule,
leading our cavalcade through the mar
ket place, or halting before the snake
charmer, or climbing "the mountain"
where foreigners have their houses, he
was quite magnificent.
SIGHTS IN THE CITY.
The architecture of Tangier is much
more impressive when seen in mass than
when seen in detail. Looking toward the
city from the steamer in the early dawn
the view was beautiful Terrace above
terrace rise white, fiat rooted houses,
over which tower the minarets of two or
three mosques The city is divided into
two parts through which runs the prin-
cipal street, leading from the "water
gate" to the market gate" Upon the
western or highest acclivity is the karbat
or citadel-a combination of residence,
fortress, court Of justice and prison-a
forlorn and unattractive Alhambra. The