The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-12-22
PIRACY REVIVED.
EiF NATIVES OF MOROCCO
AGAIN PLYING THEIR TRADE.
They Rob Frcnchmen and Fight the
spanish-rhey Live In Inacces-
sibie Mountains - Defiant
Foes OF Civilization.
vide Eif natives of Northern
Morocco are at Their ola !

Morocco are at their old
tricks again. These pirates
q look upon the whole world as
an intruder, if it ventures to knock at
thelr door, mud they usually manage
- keep all outsiders out OF their
mountains. Just now they are holder
than ever, the cable dispatches say, in
their depredatious upon Y. s'c,s that
Lappcn to skirt their coasts.
The other day they boarded the
French ship Corinte off Alhucemas
Island, ahont halt way between Glib.
ra'tar and the west border of Algeria.
tled up the crew, and took what they
wanted OF tue cargo. Then they had
fight with the Spanish steamer
Sevilla, which had come to tho rescue
OF the Corinte. They killed four of
the Seyilla's crew and one OF tho Cubpn
e:ilcs who was being carried to an
African prison, and then hurried back
10 their mountains with their booty
and the Captain of the Corinte, whom
they doubtless hold for ransom.
Premier CanovRs has sent protest
TO the Sultan OF Morocco against the
renewed dcpredations OF the Eifiians.
and says he hopes France will iorn
Spain In giving such drnhbing TO
those mountaineers that they will
have no taste for piracy for II long
time to come.
This is easy enough said, but il is
another matter to give their quietus
to these freebooters. the most daring
md defiant in the world to-day. They
have never cared Tor Europe, nnl
much less for the Sultan. who pre-
sumes to call them his subjects. The
last time the Sultan of Morocco had
the temerity to send them n Governor.
they cut of the gentlemnp's head and
sent word to their sovereign that they
would pay taxes to his collectors IN
whizzing bullets.
These gentry are the only specimens
left OF the old pirates of the Barbary
coast who made such an evil name for
North Africa, and once involved Uncle
Sam in bit OF war in the Mediter.
ranean. 1t was they who gave Spain
such hard fight in the mountain,
around Melilla three years ago, and
when, after months OF hostilities they
grew tired Of being targets for tie
cannon OF MARTINEZ Campos, thov re-
tired into their mountains acaln. and
that was the last OF the campaign. Their
loving Sultan had to promise Spain
that lie would pay good round sun
for the damage they had done, and he
still owes most of the money. 1t il
most heartless for them TO get him
into hot water again before he las set
led up for their past iniquities.
Why are these mouutGineers, livinr
almost within stones throw Of
Europe, still The most inaccessible and
hostile of NIL the people of Africa &?
Nobody knows, unless it he that their
Wild mountains have moulded thcir
character ard that, breathing lis Tree
ar, they cRnnot bear the ihou.ht Of
snhJecIlon TO any man or power. 1t
Is not their religion that makes them
20 lntolerant. They are Mohamme.
dams, but the vorst in tue worl
They murder Mussulman with rs lit
tie conjunction as an infdel. Thew
get drunk on liquor OF their own
breRing, smoke IN Ramadap, and do
many other things that the Koran
strictly forbids. They are such n lad
and dangerous lot that their NOM
Trims, close 10 Europe as they ure.
are still the least known part OF Africa.
a CIV daring explorers, however, have
ventured among them IN disguise and
have told us little about them.
Mos5 newspapers call them The
KIN natives, but this spelling OF
their name is not sanctioned bv the
best usage. They live in the Riff
Mountains, and 6eo2raphers, there.
fore, call them the Rif natives. The
word means "the coast, B." and so these
are the mountnns and the natives OF
the coast.
Ju their small boats tho Eif natives
make Journeys far along the coast
and even TO Algerian ports. They
have no fear before their eyes of the
Moorish Customs officers, and smup.
gle INTO their mountains guns and n
lot OF other material that is either in.
terdicted entirely or is supposed TO he
admitted into Morocco only uoou pav.
ment OF heavy duties.
They build wntermIlls TO Grind
their grain, and are skilful black.
smiths and nrmorers. They are not
Arabs, as many seem to think. nor are
they moors; but they are of Berber
or aboriginal stock. divided into n
number OF tribes who do rot always
live IN harmony, bat have their civil.
wars, now aud tueu, that are never re-.
ported i'm the newspapers. But when
their country is menaced by the Snl.
tan's troops they always flock to the
common standard and drive back the
enemy every time.
There are at least three Good reo
sons why the Ri natives, living almost
within sight OF civilized Nntiong. arc
still the defiant and uncomfortable
ioesot civilization. Fret, TIE Gov.
eminent OF Morocco il utterly unable
70 break their power. Tho Snlfans
have tried, again and again, 10 crush
them, and have always failed. Sec
ond, Europe has never yet made no it's
mind that it would really he worth The
large expenditure it would cost To re-
duce these wild hghlaniers TO n sista
OF snbiection. Third, the LEADING Eu
ropean Powers, except Russia, arc so
very much afraid one OF them may c,t
tho upper hand in Morocco that thew
would mot be likely TO consent To n
campaign by one Nation which misht
lead It's soldiers into the interior