The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-07
RETREAT OF THE MOOR.
PICTURES OF THE cIrY OF fASeiER
tariffs BIrthplaee-A Polite Method OF Ex-
tortine Riches Erom the Wealthy.
Religious Prcjndices. SC.

according
ones opportunity for observation and his
national pride and prejudice. That the
vast Islam sultanry will shortly be tho sub
ject of serious international dispute seems
no longer aQuestion OF doubt. The recent
unsuccessful mission OF Sir Euan Smith
will probably give England O chance 10
hurry hostilities under her usual cuiso Of
benehting civilized mankind, but In reality
70 add leagues to her foreign possessions
with the hope OF increasing homo trade.
While Sir Euan's caravan was laboriously
marching across the burning sands that lie
between fez and Taugler couriers had al
ready informed the anxious French and
spanish Ambassadors OF the fruitlessness of
the English mission and Egypt tempoTaTi-
ly ceased TO be the diplomatic nightmare
SPAN IS anxious 20 follow up the adyan-
taCes OF previous wars which gave her
foothold ON tbs Northwestern patch of
the African continent and France, with
Der valuable Algerian possessions on the
Eastern boundary. is DESTROYS 90 step across
the lne and relieve the Sultan OF his srdu-
Gus governmental duties.
ADMIRATION. NOT WAR.
VIII there DO war; Perhaps not be-
cause none of the countries Is IN a position
70 SIS 90 arms at present but the chances
are that an international conference Will be
held sud the Powers Interested will solemn
lv proceed 10 divide the country and thus
Compe. the Moor 70 make his last stand in
the melancholy retreat that has been going
On since Boabdl surrendered the keys OF
the Alhambre.
As remarked before, ones opportunities
have much 70 d. with his impressions Ny
frst near view Of Morocco was from the
back of a gigantic Moor. The little French
steamer Noise had cast anchor IN the bay Of
Tanger. They say the bay is the best hsr-
Dor on the MorOccon coast If IL is tho
Sultan should pass a River and HarbOr bill.
40 once. especially IN view of the absence OF
any parslmOnIous objections from a free
press. There is but one wharf IN Iangier
10 extends into the sea about twenty feet
just lar enough TO get water TO float large
vessel
livery vessel comes to in the ofhng. and
before the anchor chains are taut small
fotila of surf boats filled with bowling
Arabs surround her aud struggle for the
business of conveying passengers and cargo
ashore
What, A trip ashore in rough weather?
The captain advised us against going, but
we went. and by the time the helmsman
picked me up in his brawny arms and car
red me through TO the surf / had become
wet 70 the skin.
PEOPLE OF ANOTHER WORLD.
To was a strange crowd that awaited us on
the shore There were swarthy Arabs IN
flowing robes and we'll twisted turbans col
lectng tariff for the government. SOudanese
negroes, mulattOes, European tourists and
the oppressed Jews. who are compelled 10
h0yel ia prescribed sections OF the CITY. All
OF the trunks were opened by these col
lectors Of government tithes and the way
they threw our clothing about reminded me
80 forcibly of New York that 1 got home
sick.
BY the way. the tariff is an Institution
founded by these barbarous people, least
wise 10 takes IL name from Iarife. a town IN
Spain. on the Straits of Gibraltar, where
a Moorish chief established himself and de-
handed a tax upon everything brought into
the city You can see IL as you 60 up the
straits, and q more melancholy monument
10 political theory cannot be imagined.
Although it Is but seventy miles from Gil
braltar 70 Tangier it is like being swallowed
up by an earthquake. Every sign of modern
civilization vanishes when the little steamer
that brings you sinks behind the horizon.
As Tangier stood one thousand years ago,
so II stauds TODAY. The great reformation
swept over Europe, but IL made no impress
sion on the city. The printing press was
invented but Morocco never had one; the
steam engine revOlItlonlzed mechanics, Dut
the people of Iangler are ignorant OF 1t;
postal facilities they have none, no water
supply. no system of drainage-in TACT.
nothing that makes life possible for human
beings who insist upon living IN great num-
bers in one place.
THE SULTAN SUPREME.
The Sultan has absolute authority He
imposes taxes and collects them. even If II
ia necessary 10 exterminate a whole family
in order 10 obtain buried treasure. he can
command at any time the riches, personal
services Of the lives of bis subjects. There
is no legislative body OF any kind. Pro-
test means death, and lives are cheap IN
Morocco.
AS there is no government. as we under
stand the word. there IS no census, and the
estimate OF Ave millions ls about as near
the correct number of population OF the
country as can be made. The main ele-
ments are the BerbeTs. or mountain tribes
Arabs. or dwellers in the rural districts
Mo9rs. the inhabitants of the cities Jews
an1 a spruking of negroes, many OF whom
are in slavery. There are about seventy
FIVE thousand Jews. who control the COM
merce OF the country. Despised, mOboed
and maltreated as they are, the Sultan
knows their value as promoters OF uaae
and so anxious is he to keep them WITHIN DIS
territory that no Jewish woman Is permitted
10 emigrate. Their position IN the com
munity Of Tangier 10 so powerful that the
Christian resident has three days of rest
every week instead of one. Friday 10 the
Mohammedan Sabbath; Saturday is recog-
MED bv the Jews and Sunday belongs TO
the Christians.
THE STREET OF TANeIE2.
A stroll through the narrow streets is Ike
a dream. They are very uneven and very
dirty. on either side stands low two-stoTy
houses. built of white stucco. ana almost
every one a shop of some kind. And WHAT
shOps They are not over ten feet VIDE ana
ten feet high. An immense shutter is hlngea
three feet from the ground; during uau-
ing hours il serves as counter and at night
as the upper portion of the 'front.' wall. Inc
sbops of Pompeii were built exactly IKE
these. and / imagine that CIVILIZATION IN
Pompeu, when IL was destroyed, was IuF-
fher advanced than il il to-day IN Ianglers.
Gloom covers everything Ike a pail
Silent shadows glide hither and thllner.
The faces OF the women, obscured, as Is thef
religious custom the faces OF the men
either savagely malicious or pltaoiy sorrow
ful There is a story often repeated that
when A Moor signs IN his sleep ms compah-
ions whisper:
II he be, what dream from the gl0ri-
Gus portals of the AlhamOra, WIN as Ems
ten,no towers and its laughing fountains.
IN he wretched saualOr Of city IN Mo-
rocco is an awful fall for race that
preserved the arts and sciences Whhe J
Europe was in the theories OF the DarOa-
rous middle ages. They are beings wlhout /
hOpe-a race whose history has Deeh VIII
ten down 70 the last chapter.
DIRT AND misery.