The morning times., 1896-05-17
copyright 1895


EH HE crueIest monarch in the world
81 Is again aking himself felt. King
Riff, king OF the Riffs, ruler Of the
ErTlr country hdstaEeu advantage
OF the troubles of his neighbors,
England and Spain, and is again ruling the
hIgn seas of the Mediterranean after his
old policy.
The Riffs began their depredatious a
thousand years ago. They had 10 name
Riviera, Italy, the name Riviera was
short ened to Riff. This was in the Morocco
dialect, and it has clung to them
The Kingdom OF the Riffs is that part
of the Mediterranean opposite tine Rock
or Gibraltar. 1t extends back into the
Atlas mountains and completely fills the
low-lying hills aud up-jotting peaks OF
the coast. The name Errif mountains was
long siuce bestowed upon these hills,
wherein no white man dares TO go.
UNKNOWN KINGDOM
The policy Of the Riffs is that OF SELF
maintenance and the accumulation OF riches.
They have settlements, which they may
call towns or villages, aud here they live
generation after generation with their
wives and families. Their homes are mix
lures of barbaric splendor and squaIOT.
They have what they can capture onthehigh
seas, but they lack the simplest elements
OF civilized life.
The principal posses OF the Riffs is
their boat, which is the means by which
they carry on their calling year after year.
Without his boat the Riff pirate would
cease to exist. He uses feluCca.
A feIucca is Il small boat holding not
more than ten men. II has no sails, and
is taken along swiftly by oars. Upon the
waters of the Mediterranean you see these
felucca lying peacefully about, with large
hpf nd no gTgC lrGaCi
in fishing. This craft is also used by the
honest shore folk, and there is nothing in
the outside appearance TO indicate whether
the occupants bc these or the dangerous
Riff pirates.
Only q short time aGo the Dutch brigan-
tine Anna set sail from port on the Adriatic
Sea with Il cargo Of oil bound for port on
the coast of Brittany. She was manned by
crew OF SIX. The Anna sailed safely along
until she reached Ceuta, which Is the point
directly opposite Gibraltar. There a calm
fell over her and she lay seven miles from
shore. All round her were these fclucCa
fishing.
one of the crew of the Anna noticed
felucca pulling towards her. In the boat
were ten dark, ugly Moors, armed with
knives. clubs and rifles. Their faces lad
savage look. and their heads were the
bullet shape OF the Moor-Riffs.
The leader called to the Anna to lower
sail. The Anna'S crew refused. A shrlll
whistle brought up another felucCa and
another, and soon the Riffs stood aboard
the Dutch boat, with the captain lying on
the deck fatally wounded and the crew
Cowed.
When the Riffs left the Anna the oil was
gone; SO was the bedding, the side lights.
cooking utensils, ships implements and
everything that could I've carried away ex-
cept the sails. for which the Riffs had no
use The crew they stripped and left them
tied to the deck, When wind filled their
sails and drifted them over TO the Medi-
terranean shore it was a sorry cargo that
the Anna landed
The European powers have taken turns
stamping out the Riff pirates. Spain, after
the MeliIa war. started to eXterminate the
Riffians, and would probably nave done so