The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-07-29
: Hin Adventure in Morocco.


or ALL the Barbary states, Morocco
and to-day retains all the usages and
customs of the time of Mahomet. Trip
oil, Tunis and Algeria, under French in
fuence, have become greatly modern
lied; railroads and the conveniences of
civilization have been introduced, until
the town of Algiers has been called
"Little Paris" but Morocco, under the
despotic rule of the sultan, still holds
to it's barbaric customs.
Not wheeled vehicle is allowed with
In the dominions of the "Father of the
Faithful" and all merchandise must be
transported upon the backs of camels,
mules or men. The country is rough
and unbroken; bride paths lead from
one settlement to another, and the ma
tives have such q fanatical prejudice
against foreigners and innovations that
progress under the circumstances is an
impossibility. The Moors are intense
fatalists, holding that what is good
enough for their fathers must suffice
for themselves.
Indicative of the aversion of the Ara BIS
to any improvement presented by for
eigners is the following incident: The
promoters of British cable company,
upon the failure of repeated attempts
to gain consent to establish terminal
for their line in Tangier, bethought
them of novel idea. One of their re-
pair steamers being provided with nu-
merous electrical appliances, such as
motors, fans and miniature railroads,
anchored in the bay opposite the city.
The sultan was given a banquet on
board, and, the contrivances pleasing
him, the whole lot was presented to
him, delighting him so much that he
straightway gave the company the de-
sired permission. The cable was laid
and all the trouble believed to be at
an end, but the orthodox Moor, not
having been subsidized, as had been his
royal master, conceived that both his
feelings and his religion had been out
ragged by the christian dogs" Ac-
cordingly one dark night he went down
to the beach and cut the cable with an
ak. The line was repaired, but when
ever any Arab had grievance against
the hated foreigner he Immediately ap-
piled his efforts to destroy the cable.
It was repaired three times, when the
company resolved upon this expedient:
One dark night the cable was taken up
and carried underground to the office
and dummy cable was laid in plain
sight for few hundred feet. The de-
vice was successful, and, although Mr..
Moor often took occasion to chop the
dummy to pieces, for long time the
whereabouts of the true cable was un-
known.
The international lighthouse on Cape
epartel, at the entrance to Gibraltar
straits, is one of the points of interest
in this neighborhood. It is supported
by the maritime nations of the world,
marking point very dangerous to
navigators, and is situated opposite the
old Spanish town of Tarifa, whence we
derive our word tariff, this town being
the first place where such duty was
levied.
One morning, accompanied by two
English acquaintance and an inter-
prefer and guide, Spanish Jew, the
writer set forth to visit this celebra-
ted light.
After two hours of rough riding, we
drew up at the lighthouse terrace,
where the keeper, pleasant old Ger
man, furnished refreshment for man
and beast. We then spent an hour or
two inspecting the lighthouse and look
ing through the big telescope by which
all vessels are sighted. ~
One of my English friends had heard
of some wonderful caves situated upon
the Atlantic side, and, much against
the advice of our host and the guide,
we resolved to visit them and return to
Tangiers by roundabout way. It was
urged that this way being much longer,
We should not reach home until after
dark, and as the only inhabitants of the
country were the nomadic tribes of
rough, lawless, shepherds, the venture
would be extremely hazardous. It is
dangerous for foreigner to go mile
outside the city limits after nightfall
without a soldier, and many travellers
Z by so doing have been robbed, some
times losing their lives. T..
But the Englishman was determined;
for, having kodak, he purposed get
ting some views of these nearly un-
known caves. After some hard riding
over rough mountain paths, the loose
stones flying from under our mules
feet, and in some places SO steep that
we were obliged to dismount and lead
our animals, we came upon two shep-
herds who were smoking by spring.
Learning from them that the caves
were several miles beyond and as it was
getting late In the day, we thought it
prudent 70 take the path for home.
We had not gone moro than two
mills when We arrived before ! small