The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-16
PICTURESQUE TANalER.
Sights and Scones to 10 witnessed In n
Othor City.

Othor City.
Natives in many varieties OF costume
wero wading backward and forward be-
tween the shore and the boats that had
brought tho cargo from the vessels,
carrying bales and boxes, other piled
on their backs or poised on their heads,
to the Custom House.
Some wore loose cotton shirts and
wido trousers reaching only to the knee,
with white turbans or the Turkish foz
on thoir heads. Others woro wrapped
in ''jellabiyas," (tho native Moorish
cloak,) with its long peaked hood eithor
drawn carelessly up or hanging down
their backs, and all were bareleggcd.
The Widest confusion appeared to pre-
vail-from distant point of view overy
one seemed struggling to possess him
self of what another had got hold of,
and how any regularity could have
cnsued rs to payments twas impossible
to imagine; yet porterage on the shore
is a lucrative business tho mon some
times earning seven shillings or eight
shillings day. When could summon
resolution to leave tho window | rang
for early breakfast after which we sal
lied forth to inspect the town.
The sky was cloudless, but the wind
was bitterly cold, and when VIC turned
into the streets, which were in shade,
wo could have believed ourselves to DO
in England on a November morning.
Winter clothing would have been thor
oughly acceptable, and wo thought with
regret Of the thick coats and cloaks we
had left behind, under the mistaken i'm
preston that Tangier was all warmth
and glow Picking our way through
the steep, narrow streets, however, left
us but little leisure to effect even on
the cold. TO keep ones feet and at the
same time to steer clear of the mixed
multitude of men and animals that
thronged the way, hustling and jostling
each other, and coming with an mad
vertent bump now and then against
ones self, occupied ones whole attcn-
ton. Wrctched-looking mules and dom
keys overladen with wood, stones, char
coal, grain, fruits, vegetables and every
sort Of marketable produce mot and
passed one continually, while the con-
slant cries of "Bahlak''-"Take CARE
from both behind and in front wero per-
picking in the extreme.
All up the main street. on either sido
the way. handsome Moors, many of
them perfect Othellos, either already at
work, or exhibiting their wares, sat
cross-legged in their littlo box-like
shops, whose snug pont roofs sheltered
them from the outside glare the many
colored fabrics that were exposed for
sale either piled in heaps right and left
or hanging in the doorway.
In,thor ,rorl- IF all l-;o1c ,bon,doJ.
shocmnkers were busy with brilliantly
dyed skins making gorgeous slippers
bright yellow, arsenic green, and GRIM
son being the favorite colors, and leather
cushions, too, OF all hucs, were being
elaborately embroidered with bright
silks and gold and silver thread. In
other shops Jewish tailors wero braid
ing robes Of cloth and velvet, and
through the doors and windows of yari-
GUS bazars the most casual glances re-
vealed Moorish ornaments of quaint and
curious design. In the midst of all
these eastern surroundings ono sud-
denly experienced the plcasurable SON.
sation OF lone step nearer home" by
coming unexpectedly upon the English
post-ofiice, and a few doors more brought
us to chemist, whose well-stocked
shop treasured one as to timely aid in
case of need.
Provision shops and general stores
presided over by Moors and Jews wero
interspcrsed among tho native habor-
dashers and at tho further end of tho
street, near fine old Moorish gateway,
were numbers Of little rickcty tables
so frail-looking that it was a marvel
they were not continually overturned.
on which all manner OF withholding
sweetmcats, that mono surely but a
"hcathcn" could appreciate, were spread
out for Sala='rnmnln Rnr