Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-11-05
RIFFIANS.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT or THE TRIBES
NOW FIGHTING SPAIN.
Perpe'nsIIy Endsavorins to Dust the span
iards-Exceilent Gardeners, Pedes-
trians, and Msrksnen.

The Spanish occupation OF Melilla, Las
AIhucemas. Ell Penon de Gomera and
Centa. in Morocco. dates back to the SIX
tenth century. since when fighting pe-
tween the Spaniards and the natives mas
been OF frequent occurrence. Whenever
the Spaniards felt the need OF exercise
says n wel-lnformed writer in the Lon
don Daily Graphic. they sailed out from
their forts and picked a quarrel with the
Moors. Sometimes, as on the present &C.
casion, they furnished the Moors Win
pretext TO begin the fighting by building
a fort on n Mohammedan cemetery at
other times by endeavoring TO AWAKEN the
minds of the "lnhdels" TO the truths OF
Christianity by carrying OF their sneep
aud cattle and an occasional girl OF two'
and burning their crops.
On their side the inhabitants OF the KIN
the mountainous district In when Mehlla
is situated, and which separates Morocco
from Algeria. were not Idle. Being dis
giisted with the presence OF the Spaniards
i'm Melilla they have been perpetually en-
deavoring to Gust them. Whenever the
sporadic prophet arose In the Rim, as ne
rises internationally in all the Mohamme-
dan world 50 surely would the tribesmen
collect. load their long crooked stock guns
made in setuan. perform their fantasia,
Jumping about like demoniacs, and nrlng
now into the air, now into the ground
at their feet, march TO attack the
"infidels' In Melllla, burning TO convey
to. them the truths OF Mohammedanlsm
by means OF the aforesaid long guns ana
certain carved daggers called "gumlas
which they carry round their necks sus-
pended by a scarlet or orange worsted-
cord.
Each side held the other as "infdels"
and in time OF war no man gave or re-
celved quarter, or troubled himself with
such questions of detail as flags Of truce,
performance OF promises. attention TO
| tr,aties, or any of the superfiuous min
| utiAe OF modern warfare.
A. PARADISE FOR SMUGGLERS.
Meanwhile, Melilla was a paradise for
| smugglers. as Notwithstanding his hatred
| OF the Christian, the Moor wanted the
| calIcoes and cottons of Manchester. and
| the Spanish. French, and English SNUG
| gler was always ready to let him have
| them at fifty per cent over cost price. In
| the little filthy town grown up around the
| fort the soldiers guarded the convlcts
| Spain kept there, and lounged away their
| TIME III I0c Sludilu bltlc Hy-biOMh
| shops.
The convicts In late years were chiefly
| socialists or anarchists, or else they were
unhappy men" dnfelices) who had as
| they phrase II, been unfortunate with
the knife" They were kept employed In
| working at intermlnable sea walls, which
| usually tumbled down on completion, or
| constructing fortifications.
THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS.
| Perhaps the happiest portion of the COM
| munity used 10 be the Franciscan friars,
| who. since the Middle Ages. have haunted
| the coasts Of Barbary labOring with a
| faith which has met with no adequate
| reward, for no reliable instance OF a con
version to reward their iabors seems to
| have encouraged them, but their kindly
zeal and pious inconsequence have en-
| deared them TO the toughest Of the
| Christian convicts, and caused even the
| Moors TO say I'm their Moresco-Spanisf
| jaron, "Papaz Christiano bueno besaf
| Since the occupation of Melilla the Span
BIRDS do not seem to have altered theil
| position relative to the Moors.
As at the conquest, they are confined q
their fortified tons; the gates OF the towI
| are shut at gunfire, and save for the pres
ence of few half-breed children, II thel
| evacuated Melilla tomorrow, after the
church had been purged of images anC
] turned into a mosque no trace OF thei
| occupation would remain. Such has beer
| thesresult OF four centuries OF Christian
| occupation in Mohammedan territory
To-day one half-hour's gallop from tn
gates takes you into a population as will
as that which followed Tarik and Muz.
more than a thousand years ago to tn
conquest OF the Spanish peninsula.
THE HOME OF THE RIFFTANS. ,
One half-hours gallop takes you int
one OF the most unknown countries of tn
world--a land In which the inhabtant
from their hill tops can see the commerce
OF the world passing at their feet throug
the Straits OF Gibraltar, and listen I
those paens OF civilization. the foghorr
and the whistle Of the ocean tramp
ploughing their land, the while, with thei
guns slung at their backs and the re
cloth gun-case wound turban-wse roun
their heads, shaver but for one lon
| warlock.
The Riff is not desert, as some hav
asserted. but on the contrary is cultivate
In many places like n market garder
The population Is thick, and certainl
little towns can often be deserted fror
the frontier. nesting on the sides OF tn
| hills. A few Spanish deserters and cor
victs have come through the country
| and explorers. at great risk. have passe
through portions Of 1t. Save for thl:
though separated by about fifteen mile
OF water from Europe, II L. little known
Hundreds OF RIMS attend the markets |
Lebuan and Tangier; hundreds OF ther
are spread over the Empire Of Morocco,
All have the same characteristics OF In
dustry, economy. and love OF smokln
hasheesh. AS gardeners they are excellen
| HI .as1rr
men the best OF the Shereefian Empire
Christian are not wanted there, not $
much because OF the fanaticism Of tn
natives. but because they fear that II III
Christians once settle there they will los
their country as the Algerlans lost theirs
NOT OF ARAB STOCK.
Betwixt them and the Arabs of IN
plains much enmity exists, and though
is supposed that there are some fe'
Arab tribes established In the Riff. sti
the bulk of the population Is withor
doubt Berber and not Arab From the
mountains came most Of the hordes whic
first invaded Spain and which subsequent
" fought so much with Arab rulers {
p that country. From their stock came n
family of the Benz Hud, the kings OF III
Moorish kingdom Of ZaragoZa, and II
believed that the strange isolated rae
or the MaraRatoS, OF AstorBd, tne quOt
dam carriers Of Spain, are of the SAN
blood and origin. So at least the preva
ence OF Berber names in the old docl
, ments of Astorga and Leon. az when II
, priest Mohammed laurel and the deaco
Yahia Abulfreli sign their names as wi
: nesses, seems 10 testify
In type, in habits. in walk, the Bertel
much more resemble Europeans tina
Arabs, being burly OF frame. often rudd
In complexion. totally wanting i'm tn
grace OF manner and air OF dlstinctic
OF which the Arabs have 50 large
share. The French in Algeria have four
, their Kabyles who are Berbers-the VOL
Kabyle (cabila) In Arabic meaning
tribe-much. easier to deal with tnan Il
Arabs OF the plain. SO would pr0bab
any European nation which look posse
sion Of the Riff. The resistance at fir
would be keen, keener perhaps tha
among the Arabs, but once conquered Il
: Riffians who are very Industrious. wou
soon fall into the ways of she'- -
querors. as the Kabyles OF Alg ria ha
done.
THE OLD WAR-CRY AGAIN.
. Now 1t appears that ONE ssSre d
- a