The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-10-11

About the Character OF tho A-hVi"y
Spain Will Have to Deal With.
The cable reports bring the news that
Melilla surrounded by twelve thousand
fanatical AIoors determined to have re-
venge upon the spaniards for destroy
ing the mosque in bombarding neigh
boring village. 1t was also reported
that the mountain roads are filed with
armed natives Fastening to the support
OF their co-religlonists. in what they be.
lieye to be holy war. The mue2zins
in the mosques are calling the faithful
to rise up in arms and follow the green
flag OF the Prophet. The call is being
responded to by the people everywhere
in the north, and the daring tribesmen
OF the Atlas mountains, mounted on
their fleet steeds, are pressing on to
assist their co-reIigionists, now gather
ing around Melila. II is estimated
that twenty.seven thousand men, in
Guiding five thousand Arab turscmeh,
are either camped around the Spanish
settlement or are OH theil way there.
KAsYLAs or THE ATLAS.
Among the tribes now preparing to
Join in the holy war are the kabylas oil
the Atlas mountains, who it will be re.
membered, arose III revolt against the
snltan in January, 1892, with the inten-
ton of taking possession Of Tangler,
when the British minister warned the
governor that il he could not guarantee
the safety OF the city against the rebel
tribes sailors from the British war ships
would be landed. This threat was
taken by the alarmists to mean az.
gresSions on the part OF the British and
the Paris Steele demanded that the
government despatch the entire French
Mediterranean squadron to Iangler TO
prevent the British from carrying out
any designs OF an aggressive character
that they have formed. However, after
many very severe fights the sultan's
troops succeeded in subduing the rebels
and peace was restored and the haby-
las returned to their mountains. They
are marvellous riders and fearless fight
ers. Pierre Lote, the French novelist,
in his book on Morocco, saw them in
their most picturesque forms and
mood.
"There are iacessant iantasias along
our route" he writes. First all the
horsemen rush forward, two or three
hundred at once, and a strange spec
tacle they present as seen from the rear,
their hoods running up to an acute
point and their white forms beneath
their streaming boutnouses, From
where we are we cannot see their horses,
which are lost to sight among the tall
grass and flowers, SO that it is difficult
TO account for these long yelled gentry,
flying with the speed OF q dream. Sud
denly they turn back, all together; then
the bronzed faces Of the men and the
wild heads of the horses and the gaudy
colors OF robes and saddles all become
visible. At hoarse command given
BY their chief they return and rush at
the top OF their Internal gallop. They
pass on with noise like thunder,
always with the same hoarse cries,
with the same sound OF the daffodil
broken and crushed as ii under the
breath OF white squat"
THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS,
Atlas, the great mountain system OF
Northwestern Africa, stretching from
Cape Nun, in Morocco, to Cape Bon, in
Tunis, distance OF l,4OO miles, harbors
a number OF the wild tribes now sweep
ing down upon the Spaniards on the
northern coast Some limit the Atlas
proper to Morocco, refusing to include
the Algerian heights in the system.
The heights approach the sea and form
the promontories jutttng out into the
Atlantic. From Morocco the Atlas
gradually decrease in height toward
the east The race known as the true
Hamites are to be found in this region.
Till the eleventh century the Berbers
seem to have formed the larger part OF
the population, inhabiting the southern
coast OF the Mediterranean from Egypt
to the Atlantic ocean, but in the great
Arab immigration which then took
place they were driven to the Atlas
Mountains and to the desert re.
gions, where they now live. In
Tripoii the allegiance they pay to
the Turks is little more than nominal.
In Algeria, where they usually are
termed Kabytes tK'62G meaning
"union") they long remained uncon-
uuered by the French, and in Morocco,
where they are known as kabylea and
Shelluh, they are only in form subject
to the Sultan. The Berbers. occupying
the desert, who are called Tuary or
Tawarck by the Arabs, have become
much mixed with the negro race. The
number OF the Berbers is estimated ut
between three or tour millions. In dis
position they are cruel, suspicious aud
implacable. They are usually at war
either with their neighbors or among
themselves, and are possessed OF wild
spirit OF independence which makes it
impossible for them to unite Tor any
common purpose except on such an &C.
casion as the present. They formerly
protested the Christian religi n, but
are now bigoted adherents Of Islamism.
THE EABYLEs OF THE NORTH.
The Kabyles include number OF
tribes in the Algerian and Moroccan re-
gion Of Northern Africa. They are of
special interest to the politician from
the popularity Of their institutions and
and from the part they play in the de-
velopment OF the French Algerian
colony, and also to the ethnoiogist as
the best known branch OF the great
Berber race. In 1864 it was estimated
that they numbered 100000 1t is
admitted on all hands that the Berbers
form the main aboriginal element in
tho population OF Northern Africf and