Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-12-08
RIFFIANS.
SPANS HARDY AND WARLIKE
FOES IN MOROCCO.
None of the Race Considered Man
Until He Has Shed Human
Blood - Death Has No
TerrOrs for Them.
./(TTHE RiAians, writes Mr.. J.

absolutely unknown Oubslue VI tnei
own country, but akin to those spoken
east and west Of them by men Of their
own stock, are hardy, daring and
wideawake. They are sons Of the
mountains; and the plainsmen who
venture within their borders must bide
the consequences.
Accustomed to powder and sword
from their childhood, death has no
terror for them and blood no horror.
SO warlike are they that no member OF
their tribes is considered a man who
has not she'd human blood. The great
asst taunt that can be hurled at one Of
their race is to swear that his father
died in bed or from a wound in the
back.
"Some years ago, while resident in
Tangier, I determined to study the
Riaian language, in or on which no
books we're then published, though
since that time the British and For
eign Bible Society has issued two
Riffian editions Of the gospel. SO l
engaged couple of servants, man
and boy, from the Riff Mountains
and forthwith forbade the use Of
Arabic in the household.
"The boy was descended from Mo
hamet in some way, and his father, as a
saint in consequence, kept a shrine
close by Alhucemas, another Of the
Spanish possessions on that coast.
After a while he returned to his home
and I lost sight of him. Some three
years later he hailed me joyfully on
the Tangier market place, and calling
me aside sought my help in the pur-
chase Of half dozen guns.
"On my inquiring the purpose ne
told me in confidence that they were
for him and his two brothers TO shoot
his uncles with, for they had slain his
father His father had come to Tan
gier to claim damages from Spain for
the bombardment of his mosque on the
occasion of a previous attempt to raise
such disturbance as now. Needless
to sav, the father obtained no redress,
but on returning home found that his
brothers had divided his property. On
his proposing to return to Tangier to
complain against them he was prompt
ly shot and buried.
"My quondam employe, who had
left my service at the age Of thirteen
Or thereabouts- no one in Barbary
reckons birthdays further informed
me that although he had married since
| saw him last, he could hardly be con
,idered to have arrived at mans es-
tate. not vet having she'd human blood ;
but here was his opportunity. Later
he earnestly begged a walking stick OF
mine. with a crooked handle, which he
thought just the thing on which to
rest his gun in ambush
I'm spite Of all my dissuasion-con-
terbalanced even by the praises and
announcement of Moor who had
lived in England, TO whom | turnedin
vain for assistance-the boy went back
TO his work. I doubt not he Is now "A
man
"These Berbers are not to be con-
founded with the Arabs who have i'm
migrated from the East and dwell on
some Of the plains, speaking Arabic
the language of their creed and court
the medium of communication also be-
tween the Berbers who understand 1t
and the outer world. The mixed races
of the towns. .whichinclude also African
blooda a result of the still surviving
slave trade. are STYLED for convenience
Moors. a term which is geographical,
not racial. The Berbers are far SUI
perior TO the Arabs in physique and
energy, and have never yet been sub
dued by any in Morocco. They are
white race, but they vary greatly IN
height in various localities, though
uniformly 1.-THE and Of wonderful en-
durance. The acrobats in Buffalo Bills
show belong to one of the southern
Morocco Berber tribes.
"Those of them who inhabit the Riff
Mountains, between the Strait OF
Gibraltar and Algeria, are but one
group of tribes among many such
groups, all of which retain an indie
pendent and unique form of popular
government by councils of forty.
Their one weak point is their lack OF
cohesion and their constant inter
tribal feuds, the outcome of vendettas
chiefly. Were they to combine they
S6uld declare their independence of
the Sultan of Morocco and snap their
fingers at Spain at the same time. Not
that il would ultimately go hard with
them, but to subdue them would cost
the victor more losses than the van
quished.
Most are we'll armed and with
modern repeating rifles, masters OF
ten to eighteen shots, in the local
parlanoe, which they can use with
effect. All feel at home with the
slightly csryed dirk and the handy