The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-27
SYNAGOGUE IN FEE.
THE MYSTERIES OF THE SUFFER-
RANEAN HEBREW CHURCH.

Crypt of Grand Architeeture-The
Largest Cave in the World That
was Built by Mantle DisbeIiever
is Not Admitted.
From the Pittsburg Dispatches.
Fee, Morocco, Nov. a.-The Hebrew
place Of worship is situated in the center
of the Kelloch; that is. the walled-in part
of Fee, where Hebrew 'inidels," as the
1Iussulmans call them, are allowed to live
in comparative peace.
Having arrived at the outer gate of
the synagogue, the guide hitched our
donkeys to some iron bars and drew me
after him into the dark entrance. Twen-
~ or thirty PAGES we CROPPED about. Then
20 knock out toes against line of raised
fiagstone. Look out-the stairsr' shouted
my dragoman.
l thank God far having once more pre-
served my life. One step further and 1
would have dashed my brains out upon
the basalt rocks. Leaning upon the
guides arm 1 began slowly to descend
the 1l2 steps, each more than foot in
hight Then we wandered for over
twenty minutes through endless CORR
doris. reeking with the foul odor of sep
ulchres and enlivened by rats and wing
ed mice. Three or four times we en-
vountered the flame of a medieval oil
lamp, serving, it seemed TO me, the pur
port Of mile stones rather than light
/ was too frightened to talk or even
think, but / fully expected that our jour-
ney would end at the mouth of Tarta-
rus. Suddenly a broad volume of light
and the murmur of numerous voices burst
upon our observation.
Another hundred PAGES and we stood
before a second gate of hammered iron
that seemed as fine and artistic as the
most costly curtain of real lace. The
reddish glow of candle light shone
through the meshes of this most wonder
full metal embroidery and the chorus of
1000 voices was heard to pronounce sacred
music in the tongue of David and Solo
After a great deal of parliamenteer-
ing we were admitted, but ordered to
remain at the threshold in accordance
with the law that no disbeliever shall
enter upon holy ground" The syna-
gogue, which has been visited only by
terranean cave in the world, built by man,
crypt of imposing architecture that may
easily accommodate 5000 on its benches.
The walls are marble clad and the giant
pillars, bearing the ceiling and part of
the town above, are cut out of dark grant
with capitals of lilly work" and adorned
with lotus flowers as were the pillars of
bronze Solomon erected in front of the
temple, Innumerable candles and oil
lamps in lanterns, candelabra and queer
shaped vessels threw out a flood of soft
work no palace and no museum in the
world can boast of-all glittering in the
richest gold of different shades of color,
chased and chiseled and wrought with
flowers and leaves, set with colored stones
and ornamented with enamel.
Two immense candelabra stood at the
threshold of the holy ground" They
were like two mighty trees, each having
seven branches bearing a vessel in which
some strange substance burned wit a
red and blush flame. The candelabra
have the appearance of gold and the Fee
Hebrews believe that they are relics from
the temple of Jerusalem, brought hither
by angels when that mighty monument
of classic architecture was destroyed by
fire and sword.
The house of worship was well filed,
Tor II was Friday evening. The men sat
TO the right, the women to the left of
the Ark of the Covenant. The first wore
caftans of gold brocade and silk, light
blue, yellow and pink in color, and en-
broidered; the women were gorgeous in
These women of Fee still preserve the
national dress of the times Of Solomon;
white under garments of silver gauze,
with long trailing sleeves and short sleeve.
less vests, skirts. and silks or velvets en-
broidered all over with gold and silver
and pearls. Colored scarfs serve as Cir
dies and on their heads they wore small
caps of gold filigree encrusted with pre-
ciOuS stones. The hair was entwined
with rows of pearls and hung down the
back long and dark, tingling with coins
and tiny chains fastened to the cap. The
In their ears the women wore large gold
hooks, and on their arms mighty brace
lets set with pearls. The older woman
were Respondent with shields of gold
about the breasts
All the women wore sandals of yellow
leather, which material almost vanished
under the load of gold and pearl en-
broidery.
The young women of Fee are wonder
fully beautiful. All have black hair, olive
skin, red lips and rosy cheeks. The form
of the face is oval and the eyes are ex-
ceedingly large and lustrous.
The ceremonials of worship were sin
gularly impressive, like an echo of times
and customs long gone by. In the hymns
as well as the prayers, the Hebrew of the
Old Testament was used. 1t is very melo-
dious, but the music was melancholy to
degree.
When, at the conclusion of an hour, the
ceremonialS came to an end, the whole
audience rose with much noise. The young
women threw their white gauze wells over
their backs and proceeded to receive the
compliments of their gallants, which lat
ter carried lanterns to guide them through
the labyrinth of subterranean passages.