Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-01-17
A MIGHTY MOOR.
Appearance and Characteristics of
the Sultan of Morocco.
The Everyday Lilo of Mnley Hassan
Who Is at Present Engaged in
War fare with Spanish
Colonists.

Although Muley Hassan, the sui
tan or chief of Morocco wiclds but a
nominal authority over the Rilf tribes
men now at war with the spanish
colonial settlement at Melil.a, On TIE
northern Mediterranean coast OF Al
RIGA, he is nevertheless the sovereign
of that region, and he Will be held by
Spain responsible for the consequences
of the present warfare.
Muley llassan is fifty-five years old.
His demeanor is grave and majestic as
becomes man knowing the impor-
lance of his double character, as en-
peror and pontiif, and a successor to
the prophet, of whom he is descend
ant. His dark eyes are large and ex-
pressive. His Moorish phya!ognomy,
adorned with flowing black beard, IN
which are seen some white hairs, re-
veals that in his veins runs the blood
of the negro race united to that of the
Arabs. He shows at the sane time in
his physical traits the evidence OF an
extraordinary firmness, mixed with a
certain shadow of melancholy and las
situde.
He receives foreign ministers and
shows himself in public with fastidious
solemnity, says the New York Irib-
une. One of the emperor's serv-
ants holds over his head large para
sol to screen him from the rays q the
sun. Others are busy tanning him, in
order to chase away the flies SO album
dant in that hot climate, and all look
at their lord as if he were 4 god rather
than their sovereign. Edmunde Ami
els, who saw Muley Hassan during q
reception of the Italian embassy, de-
scribes him as follows:
"A vestment as white as the snow
covers him from head to foot; the tur-
ban is covered by high hood; the
feet are bare and inclosed in yellow
slippers. His horse is of high stature
and very white, with green reins and
gold stirrups. All this Wilderness and
the wide, floating vestments gave him
a sacerdotal appearance, a royal grace
fulness and amiable majesty, in accord
with the very gentle expression of his
physiognomy."
On account of the intolerance pre-
vailing in the Moorish empire, the
function of religious chief is the
most important of those which belong
to the sultan. If he did not show nb-
solute respect for the Mussulinan or
thodoxy ofthe doctrines Of Mohammed,
a revolution would soon turn him from
the throne or gravely compromise his
sovereignty. Muley lIassan observes,
therefore, vigorously all religious prac-
tees of the Moslem liturgy. Like all
members of his court, he gets up at
three o'clock @. IN, in winter as well as
in summer, to make the first prayers.
After that his chaplain reads him some
pages in the books of Bolxhari, the
famous Mussuiman theologian, who
is, in the opinion of all Moors, the best
religious authority after Mohammed.
The sultan and his ministers give
audiences between five and six o'clock
a. M, and it is at such a matinal hour
that he receives Europeans. The mid
die of the day is given forest and sleep,
business being resumed only at four or
Eve o'clock p. M, to stop at the hour
of the evening prayer.
When the sultan gets up in the morn
ing and when he has slept during the
''siesta" in the middle of the day his
women help him to dress. Their num-
Der is very considerable. Some people
affirm that there are two thousand Of
them in each of the three capitals OF
the empire, which are Fee, Mequinez
and Morocso. But among all these wives
the one who is really the favorite and
the first in the heart of the emperor is
a Circassian of marvellous and fascinat-
ing beauty, who is thirty years old and
who has succeeded in dominating
Muley Hassan, thanks to her talents,
smartness and high culture. She has
European education, speaks French
and Spanish, and aspires to make her
son Abdelazis the successor of the pres
ent emperor.