The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-02-23
VAEEMAN'S WANDERlNGS
a WEEK IN MoRocco-li.

Subjects for Pen and PENCIL
fcopyrieht. ise, by Edgar L. wakeman.l
T.,eup Morocco. Jan. l5.-The present
LII ~ fbe tribes" In Morocco, though
.h.l.ss overosfimatcd in Importance,
~ , four OF adventure TO the interior
white man from Tangier an impos-
.~formance Il also brings sharply
mind many recent prophecies, from
.he.t European diplomatic sources, OF
49,. o,~lv dis.ntegration Of this the last
-.h.-te snltanate OF ancient Mauritania.
A tlcast four great European powers are
.,,.rned in the acquisition ofall northern
,f-..a For years Italy has had her itch.
IT,, o,cers in the affairs OF Tripoli. whose
,-,ie with the African equatorial king.
a.ns II, enormous.
France. from her new and matchless en-
r.-e az Algeria, is pushing her railways
a,r,s. Che eastern boundaries OF Morocco,
aud lnt o few weeks since took forcible
...es,ion q the rich oasis Of Tuat. This
p..nt. about zoo miles a trile southwest Of
Ai-ers and q tride southeast of Tangier, is
io tle central-northern portion of the
S.hsrl 10 is by all odds the most splendid
pe-iDle strategic possession in northern
Africa. Here the great caravan routes
converge from all parts Of the Sahara and
even from central Africa and the countries
bordering on the Gulf Of Guinea. France
ba. thus tapped, diverted and must eyentu'
ally largely control the richest trade OF a
major portion Of the entire African con
tneut
an English fleet is now at Cadiz. Two
ofhar great warships are In this very har'
t.- Another English man-of-war is by
I'LL. time at Cape JUDY. At the latter
n..... about 800 miles down the western
s,.st ol Morocco, just opposite the Canary
Islands, immense English trading interests
have been established with the Azuad
,.lr.rv and the western Soudan; and all
offsase have been diverted from their old
channels through the Morocco sultanatt
4, its commercial capitals, the cities Oi
Morocco. Fee and Tangier. Powerful Brit
ish interests NO Tangier are seeking and
would bo benefited by Morocco's disrup
ton.
Ncertimepoor old Spain, the hereditary
foe "a the Moor, is gloating over the prob
able near downfall of his Shereeflan high.
p..s. Muley Hassan, and will find her OVID
fun reward in simple revenge; though
when tLe occasion Of dismemberment
ONES. % few additional crumbs will doubt
k.s fall t0 her picking. In her last en-.
counter with the Moors she retired vic
to-.0lsand not wholly empty handed, and
esl holds. as earnest of her prOwess in
f>q. all the cities of the northern Morocco
ca.,t. save Tetuan and Tangier.
The present so called revolt is locally
attributed TO the exactions of the bashaw
ofIangior. These are no worse nor better
tlan they have always been. BY some il
Is vaguely limited that it is but the begin
ming of "a dangerous revolution against
Nulev Hassan by his recently depOsed
kalifa or supreme judge, and the sultan's
brother. Muley Ismain, who was banished
from Fee with the kalifa in November last.
knowing merchants and small diplomats
whisper of French intrigue and renegade
Berber and K~habyleer. chief emissaries.
I'm any event the four powers named are
eagerly alert for the possibilities in all new
moves i'm northern Africa; and Morocco,
the last remaining empire of barbarism Of
ancient Mauritania, is doomed. The gilt
Ter and clink of a hundred thousand
cl1sscD0t rifles girdle it on the east and
south. Open mOulled cann0n complete
the circle on the north and west. Strange.
ly enough. civilization often confronts bar
barism in this way. There is not at this
moment "a break in its circling impact.
The inevitable and resistless pressure may
come before these words can find THEN
place in print. IL may not come before
The century is done, but it is 10 less inev-
itah.e.
Until then. from any standpoint, this
weird old city must remain a place of the
rra.- interest. No one can tell its age.
The seses, pillages and pestilences it has
WI,l,t1od are heartrending. 1t is the most
Moorish of all Moorish cities. Decaying,
%rl.l0us. hOary, it has still chung, though
but twenty miles from Christian Europe,
t1it, primitive customs closer than Tunis,
Alexandria OF Cairo. Costume, custom,
faces utensils and food Of Scriptural times
are here precisely as they were known in
oriental cities 1000 years ago.
Taking your stand midway between the
hlrb0r side and the Soc-de-Barra, study
with me these strange and varied tides OF
human travel %crowding in either direction.
This group comprises a half dozen Mo
p0ites. They are Syrians by descent, and
le believed 10 be identical in race with the
S,aptural Moabites. They are the f~iercest
money makers of Morocco, and are butch
ers. grOcers. bakers-anything for riches.
Their greed is prompted by a curious am
b.ton. That is TO gain independence and
RETURN 10 their homes at Hammada Chebka,
little oasis surrounded b.. lofty rocks in
The most arid and burning portion of cen
tnl Sahara. To some time return rich TO
Hammada Chebka the Mozabite will work
and starve half a lifetime. You cannot
mistake him in Tangier. He is darker
than the Arab; not so black as the negro;
bis skin has the appearance of continuous
olng, he wears a white turban, but is
chiefly distinguished in dress because of
Invariably wearing a sort of sleeveless
saic. called the gandoura, which falls
s.nigh 70 the knees.
The stripes and zigzags in this garment
Gre something marvellous. His wife wear
tle aliar or veil, like the Arab woman,
but her haik SHAWL or wrap, which covers
ler head. falling nearly to her feet, is OF
blue and white checked stuff, similar 10
tlat.worn by negresses in Tangier. These
Nola5ites have with them a beyy of Kha-
byies. who are in from the farther Atlas
range Of mountains, despite the tribal tu-
mutt with animals for the shambles.
Behind them are a score of negresses.
iley are on their way 10 their masters
BONES from the market of SOc-de-Barra.
iol may lind any day hundreds more like
Iea as helpers at the market. One IS
Saatng some wild song of the jungles
~ SIC Is now and then ENCOURAGED by