The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-08-01

Morocco even to-day. The slave
trader in some way or other manages
to get out of the clutches of the law,
which is extremely severe on this
point. 1t is safe to assert that the
officials share in nine cases out of ten
with the slave traders, who at times
make no pretense of secrecy, but sell
their human goods openlyto the high
est bidder. All efforts on the part Of
the European powers to stop this hor-
ribie slave hunting have been a total
failure so far as Morocco is concerned.
The slave traders find the thickly set
tied region between the Niger and the
Congo very profitable field for their
operations. One frequently, on the
great caravan route between Timbuc-
too and Fee sees large droves Of
wretched slaves. The necks of these
poor creatures are always fastened to
heavy beam and their hands chained
to long pole, while the brutal drivers
urge them on with blows and curses,
often putting a bullet through them
if they become too exhausted to walk.
The efforts of the French in Algeria
have been directed to the mitigation
if not suppression of this slave traffic,
and hostile encounters between the
French native soldiery and the slave
drivers have been more frequent OF
late than for several years. There is
always strong demand and ready
market for slaves in Morocco, and as
long as they pay such good prices for
them as they do at present, there does
not seem to be any immediate relief in
view.
To stranger there is always great
deal of interest to be seen in the old
town. The streets are all very narrow
and invariably very crooked. Some
of them are scarcely wide enough to
let loaded camel pass, and as beast
laboring under the burden of heavy
load of hay OF other merchandise ap-
proaches narrow turn all the passers-
by must squeeze themselves into the
angles of the wall to escape being
trampled under foot.
A wedding procession is always a
treat for traveller if he chances to
get view of one. If of an Arab the
bride will be in 3 sort of cage or
square box on the back of camel,
while her trousseau, borne along after
her by slaves, either hired Of Dor.
rowed for the occasion, will be dis
played as publicly as possible for the
admiration of the townspeople. One
very curious thing that no traveller
will fall to notice is the large number
of Arabs who at night go to sleep IN
every nook and corner in the streets.
Here they are found, wrapped up in
all possible and impossible attitudes,
sleeping as soundly as if in the most
luxurious beds. The Arab seems to
have knack of adjusting himself to
the requirements of his resting place,
no matter how inconvenient or un
comfortable it may be. He will sleep
under all conditions, let them be what
they may.
The Moroccoans have great pro
pensity for religious festivals OF all
kinds, and on account OF their wild
and weird nature they are always OF a
great attraction to stranger. At the
height of political excitement these re-
hgious obseryances are more frequent
than usual. Great bands Of bowling
and ferocious Aissowas roam about
both in the cities and in the interior.
Their ceremonies present all aspect OF
ignorant religious fury and savage
barbarity; they run about shrieking
and bowling, cutting themselves, often
quite badly, in their religious frenzy.
They ask as a rule for live sheep from
the populace, and if they get any they
Immediately tear the poor animals to
pieces with their teeth and hands,
drinking the blood and devourine the
raw flesh like ravenous beasts. Woe
betide the stranger who, even in Tan
gier, under the protection OF guns OF
the foreign fleets should in any way
make sighting remark on the ap-