Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-30

Recently diminutlve landing stage has
! been built, but the treatment is quite as
ferocious. Ordinarily the strangers be-
longings are seized and pitched into half
dozen different small boats and himself
made the unwilling subject of fierce scram-
bic, after which the victor pulls and hauls
his victim into still another boat, aud rushes
him to the land where q separate bribe
must be paid for the recovery of each ar
ticle, and final heavy tribute is exacted for
ones own liberation. Precisely the same
form OF treatment is repeated on your way
to hotel with your own effects; but once
within the great gates leading into the city
from the harbor side, and you are safer from
annoyance and exaction than in any other
Moorish or Christian city in the world.
Good fortune had more than once at
tended me through the alert and cunning
service of Dobrado, and it stood me now
in good stead, getting me on African soil
unrelieved of as much as copper flu; al
though his rugged diplomacy at first SUBJ
jected me to some disquiet. Standing in
front of me, as each furious onslaught by
porter was made, and without apparent
effort of his giant strength, first with his
open right hand and then with his left, he
sent African, Moor, Berber and what not,
alike sprawling to the steamers deck.
Each jumped nimbly to his feet and skunk
humbly away.
Meeting of Two Affectionate Kinsmen.
Suddenly fellow, swarthy as Moor,
with hair and matted beard black, curling
and glossy as Astrakhan wool, sprang from
the crowd full upon Dobrado. Visions of
tragedies, dungeons in the Kasba, consular
courts of inquiry and international compli-
cations flashed before me. The two clinched;
parted; clinched again; and, after various
alarming contortions, fell in what still
seems to be a terrific embrace together upon
their knees. Then such kissing and en-
bracing began as I had never before seen be-
tween man and man, man and woman, or
stranger still, between woman and woman.
Soon they arose utterly breathless but
radiant Dobrado half dragged the hulking
fellow to me, and after the latter had en-
braced my still trembling knees, Dobrado
said apologetically but laconically:
II feared 1 would not meet him, Senor.
He is my kinsman, from Mondonedo, be-
side the Ria de Foz. You know the Gale
gans go wherever there is money for toll.
He is half-time portero and half-time does
some service for merchant here who has
traffic with Valladolid. And then hesi-
family: perhaps Senior could find him use
full in Tangier?"
''Senor' could and did "Senor," the
writer, shuns great hotels in his wanderings;
loves to know the lowly, and from their
standpoint of thinking, feeling and condi-
tion, to thus look through the back windows
of foreign life and ways.
No Street Geography at All.
No one can wholly tell another what
Tangier is like within its ancient city
walls. 1t has no street geography. Though
it contains scarcely more than 20, 900 souls,
ItS ,oaht 10, 1o,t
there is but one street or way in which the
stranger is safe from absolute wreck of con-
sciousness Of location. This extends up
ward from the harbor side to the Soc-de-
Barra, the great outside market place of
Tanglers, just where you leave the city on
The way to Fez, Morocco's capital. Once
dozen yards away from this narrow thor
oughfare of bazaars, and the prompting to
prayer to Allah or Allah's subjects for sue
cor is quickly realized experience
But for Dobrado and his kinsman, I
should have turned back, passed the night
outside the great city gate upon the shore
beneath the stars and some handy tarpaulin,
and incontinently fled the place upon the
L kept close to my Gsllegan guides. The
evening had fallen before we had entered
the city. The single thoroughfare was a
babel OF donkeys, camels, goats, water car
riers, bare-legged African soldiers and mer-
chants closing their tiny shops The din of
k!-Balak!-Balakp' the equivalent
for our "Look out!' shrieked BY thousands
Of voices in the choky, chasm-like street,
was deafening. Scores of times on our half
mile way we were ground against buildings,
wedged between camels or flung into pitch
black archways.
After an hours struggle, we turned from
hi fhor oh for
upward among maze of streets, SO narrow |
hat opposing walls could be touched by |
hands. The silence here was |
Is startling as had been the din. Now and |
hen perhaps ghostly figure fitted mp.
Here and there was heard the whipping
ound of water from overflowing fountains.
Occasionally muffied form asleep beneath
IN archway was stumbled upon. Not
light was seen in the whole distance. But
or the stars overhead, it was like cropping
orchless through the catacombs.
Night in the Land OF the Moors.
At last Dobrado's kinsman halted. With
he hilt of his heavy knife, almost as pom
lerous as Cuban machete, he knocked
oudly upon barred and bolted door. A
lack face peered savagely from a tinv
wicket. There was parley which sounded
ike mixture of the Romany tongue and
ppdillSH IHt WlCheC ClOSeQ ana
Don an old man clad in flowing robes, at
ended by the African, returned. We were
Omitted to what seemed the dungeon ante
hamber to larger dungeon. Directly
)obrado's kinsman showed the way up
ONE slippery stone steps Following a
ong gallery we soon emerged into the open
ir. Thence we were conducted along what
ppeared to be a crumbling parapet, and L
Tas finally led into room perfectly bare
f furniture. The place seemed to be de-
ached structure set upon housetop, abut-
ing against the walls Of still loftier abode.
'ome fine rugs were brought for a pallet.
,he African almost as soon appeared with a
ut brass lamp, a cup of tea in which mint
caves were floating and small roll of
Thite bread. He deposited these in the
niddle of the floor and disappeared. Do
rado, who was to pass the night with his
insman, showered the blessings of God
pom me and left. I relished my food, put
ut my antique lamp. wrapped myself in
~ splendid rugs, and passed my first night
n the land of the Moors in sweet and
reamless sleep. EDGAIsL. WAKEMAN.