Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-07
A WEEK IN MOROCCO.
A Barbara Sultanate Doomed
to Pass Away.
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS.
Customs, Costumes, Food and Utensils of
Bible Days Universal in Tangier.
Subjects for Pen and Pencil
Old World Scenes.
[cOpyrisht, lsaa. by Edgar L. wakeman.1

lcopyright 1892 by Edgar L. Wakeman.l
TANGIER, Morocco. Jan. 15.-The present
t'revot of the tribes" in Morocco, though
doubtless overestimatcd in importance,
renders tour of adventure to the interior
by any white man from Tangier an I'M
possible performances. It also brings
sharply to mind many recent prophecies,
from highest European diplomatic sources,
of the early disintegration of this the last
barbaric sultanate of ancient Mauritania.
AT least four great European powers are
concerned in the acquisition of all Northern
Africa. For years Italy has had her itching
fingers in the affairs of Tripoi, whose trade
with the African equatorial kingdoms IS
enormous.
France from her new and matchless
empire of Algeria, is pushing her railways
across the eastern boundaries of Morocco
and but few weeks since took forclble
possession of the rich GASES of Tuat. This
point. about 700 miles trifle southwest
of Algiers and trifie southeast of Tan
gier, is in the central northern portion OF
the Sahara It is by all odds the most
splendid possible stragetic possession in
Northern Africa. Here the great caravan
routes converge from all parts of the Sa-
hara, and even from Central Africa and the
countries bordering on the Gulf of Guinea.
France has thus tapped, diverted and must
eventually largely control the richest trade
of major portion of the entire African
continent.
An English feet is now at Cadiz Two
of her great war-ships are in this very har-
Dor. Another English mau-of-war IS by
this time at Cape JUDY. At the latter place,
about 800 miles doSyn the western coast of
Morocco, Just opposite the Canary islands,
immense English trading interests have
been established with the Azuad country
and the Western Soudan; and all of these
have been diverted from their old channels
through the Morocco sultanate to its COM
mercial capitals, the cities of Morocco, Fee
and Tangier. Powerful British interests
at Tangier are seeking and would be
benefited by Morocco's disruption;
while the British government has had
more than one cause of regret, since the
wonderful achievement of France in
Algeria. and the recent marvellous develop
ment of African countries and trade, that
it ever relinquished its former possession
of Tangier, in 1854; previous to which,
through Portuguese cession, it had been
held and looted by various English military
commandauts for period of twenty-five
years.
Meantime poor old Spain, the hereditary
foe of the Moor, is gloating over the prob
able near downfall of his Shereefan High
ness Muley Hassan, and will find her own
full reward in simple revenge; though
when the occasion of ACKNOWLEDGMENT comes
q few additional crumbs will doubtless fall
to her picking. In her last encounter with
the Moors she retired victorious and not
wholly empty-handed, and still holds, as
earnest of her prowess in 1859, all the cities
of the Northern Morocco coast, save Tetuan
and Tangier. These are Melilla, Penon,
Al-Khuzemas and Ceuta, the latter fortified
city being one of Spain's most important
convict stations.
The present so-called revolt is locally at
tributed to the exactions of the bashaw of
nyn 1aNx rrNFsca hiatt n,.
than they have always been. By some
it is vaguely limited that it is but the
beginning of a dangerous revolution
against Muley 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 in
trisue and renegade Berber and Khabyle,
chief emissaries, who, with valuable gifts
and more glittering promises OF preferment
and profit from Algiers, are commissioned
to stir up such disafection and turbulence
as snail give excuse to a more formidable
coup d'etat than that of Tuat, which shall
remove the Algerian boundary some hun
dreds of miles westward within the sultan's
present domain.
In any event the four pc wers named are
eagerly alert for the posi- bilities in all new
moves in Northern Africa; and Morocco,
the last remaining empire of barbarism of
ancient Mauritania, is doomed The glitter
and clink of an hundred thousand chasse-
pot rifles girdle it on the east and south. |
Open-mouth cannon complete the circle |
on the north and west Strangely |
enough civilization often confronts bar |
barism in this way. There is not at |
this moment a break in its circllng |
The inevitable and resistless press
ure NAV come before these words can find |
their place in print. It may not come be- |
fore the century is done. But it is no less |
inevitable. Then Morocco will be trans /
formed, like Algiers, into a paradise of /
health and plenty, aud beyond it, even to |
the wild Soudan, the GASES of the waterless |
wastes of Sahara shall bloom and blossom |
in all the glorious luXuriance Of q glowing |
Cuban vale.
Until then, from any standpoint this
weird old city must remain place of the |
rarest interest. No one can tell its age. The |
sieges, pillages and pestilences it has with
stood are heartrending. 1t is the most Moor
Ish of all Moorish cities. Decasing, ruin
BUS, hoary, it has still chung. though but |
twenty miles from Christian Europe. to its
primitive customs closer than Tunis, Alex
andria or Cairo. Costume, custom. faces.
utensils and food of Scriptural times are
here precisely as they were known in ORR
entail cities two thousand years ago.
Taking your stand midway between the
ldFDQfSllC anu lAC oOE-QE-bdrra. STUDY 1
with me these strange and varied tides of |
human travel crowdirg in either direction.
There is suppressed excitement in the faces
If all. owing to the constant exaggerated
-umors of the possible action of the noun
ain tribes, and what may be done by the
sultan. if ne can take moment from the |
charms of his thousand wives. to oppose
heir threatened sedition. Aside from this, |
al things IN Tangier go on as they have |
each day for many an hundred years.
This group comprises half dozen Mo
,nbites. They are Syrians by descent. and
IRE believed to be identical IN race with the |
Scriptural Moabites They are the fercest
money makers OF Morocco. and are butch
.rs. grocers, bakers, anything for riches.
Their greed is prompted by a curious au-
1ition. That is to gain independence and
,eturn to their homes at Hamrlada Chebla,
. little oasis surrounded by lofty |
.ocks in the most arid and burn
NO portion of Central Sahara. To |
,onetime return rich 10 Hammada
Jhsbka. the Moza5ite viii work and starve
,alf a lifetime. You cannot mistake him
\ Tangicr he is darker than the Arab;
lot SO black as the negro: his skin has the
appearance of continuous oiIing: he wears
white turban, but is chiefly distinguished
II dress because Of invariably wearing a
ort Of sleeveless tunic, called the