Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-08-06
BAD KING RIFF.
EARTHS CRUELEST MONARCH
REIGNS IN NORTH AFRICA
His Pirates Live by Plundering Help
less Vessels Near Their Shores
He Lives In Cave In Bar
barrie Splendor.
TYHE cruolest monarch in the
"VfHV 10 U5utH Ii"NIHB HIIf
self felt. King Riff, King of

70 tue hluS, ruler OI bue ETH
country, has taken advantage of the
troubles of his neighbors, England
and Spain, and is again ruling the
high seas of the Mediterranean after
his old policy.
The Riffs began their depredations
q thousand years ago. Then they had
no name, but as their course lay then
along the Riviera, Italy, the name
Riviera was shortened to Riff. This
was in the Morocco dialect, and it
clung to them.
The kingdom of the Riffs Is that
part of the Mediterranean opposite
the Rock of Gibraltar. 1t extends
back into the Atlas Mountains, and
completely fills the low-lying hills and
up-iotting peaks of the coast. The
name Errlf Mountains was long since
bestowed upon these hills, wherein no
white man dares to go.
The Riffs have settlements which
they call towns or villages, and here
they live generation after generation
with their wives and families. Their
homes are mixtures of barbaric
splendor and squalor. They have
what thoy capture on the high seas,
but they lack the simplest elements of
civilized life.
The principal possessions of the
Riffs is small boat, called felucca,
holding not more than ten men. 1t
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 nets
between them and the sailors engaged
in fishing. This craft ls also used by
the honest shore folk, and there is
nothing in tho outside appearance to
indicate whether tho occupants be
these or the dangerous Riff pirates.
Only q short time ago the Dutch
brigantine Anna set sail from port
on the Adriatic Sea with''a cargo of oil
bound for port on the coast of Brit
tany. She was manned by crew of
six. The Anna sailed safely along
until she reached Ceuta, which is the
point directly opposite Gibraltar.
There calm fell over her, and she
lay seven miles from shore. All around
were these felucca fishing.
One of the crew of the Anna noticed
felucca pulling toward her. In the
boat were ten dark, ugly Moors. armed
with knives, clubs and rifles. Their
faces had savage look, and their
heads were tho bullet shape OF the
Moor Riffs.
The leader called to the Anna to
lower sail. The Annals crow refused.
A shrill 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; 80 was the bedding, the
side-lights, cooking utensils, ships I'm
plements and everything that could be
carried away, except 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 dr1fted them over to the European
shore it was sorry cargo that the
Anna landed.
The European Powers have taken
turns stamping out the Riff pirates.
Spain, after the Melila war, started to
exterminate the Riffians, and would
probably have done so had not the
British interferred. John Bull became
jealous of the riches of the Morocco
coast, and warned Spain to keep her
hands off. A few months later the
British ship, the Virgen de los Angeles,
was attacked and completely looted of
all possessions. The crews escaped
by offering everything, even to the
shoes on their feet.
By the time England had sent her
warships to the Mediterranean the
Riffs had apparently withdrawn, and
only a few peaceful fishermen were to
be found.
The Riff settlements are presided
over by king, who takes his name
from his band. So much was found
out by Duyeyrier, an adventurous
Frenchman, who, in disguise, travelled
through Errif Mountains. He found
there forts with armaments of G000
guns. He found cannon, rifles,
Duy OuCJ5 uuu CFSu uy uuLulbC' hc
found swords, knives, clubs and the
savage weapons of barbarians, and he
found, too, an interesting collection
of skulls and oross-bones, which the
Riff pirates of old days uaed to carry
at the peaks of their vessels.
The religion of the Riff pirates, for
, they are race of long established an
cestry, is mixture of Mohammedan-
ism and Christianity. They are Moors,
and they are the Barbary Rangers who
were famed as long ago as stories were
written. "Water devils" they were
called by the peaceful dwellers of
Southern Europe and the citizens of
Morocco. But there they have lived for
hundreds of years, never adding to
their number from outside their own
CLANS, and never intermarrying with
other races, until now they haye the
most powerful savage kingdom on the
globe. Their worship is partly q fire
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