The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-25

fore us. We purpose at this time to call atten-
ton to subjects overlooked. or but cursorily
treated in other recent works dealing with
Africa. rs. for example. the state OF things in
Morocco. In Abyssinia and In the few surviving
native States.
In the NTH chapter OF this volume It Ia
pointed out that the region in the northwest
angle of Africa. which is known to us rs
Morocco. has an estimated area OF $4,000
square miles and a population computed at
about 6.OOO,0OO. The country includes a Tell,
or strip of fertile territory west OF the Atlas
Mountains: a district Of steppes. or table land.
afording pasture. and n vague section Of tho
Sahara Desert. Much even Of the Atlas range
and almost the whole OF the interior are as yet
unknown to Europeans. The inhabitants
comprise. first. the aboriginal Berbers. or
kabyles. leading q semi-independent life In
the hills: secondly. Arabs. descended from
the seventh century conquerors: thirdly.
many thousands OF Jews. descendants Of
early co,onists driven from Spain and Por-
tugal: fourthly. Moors,' OF mixed Arab and
European. chiefly Spanish. stocks; nftbly. large
numbers of negroes brought into slavery from
the Soudan. and. lastly. a few thousand Euro
peans. mainly Spaniards. in the coast towns.
Successfully. in historical times. under the
sway of the Romans. tho Vandals. the Eastern
or Byzantine Emperors. the caliphs OF Bagdad.
and several Independent Moslem rulers. and
subject in medieval and early modern times
to ceaseless foreign and civil wars and revolu-
lions. Morocco came at last. as a united empire
or sultanate. under the rule Of Mulcy (which
means my lord') Ismail. who held power from
1892 to 1I27. The Morocco pirates were long
we'll known. along with the other Barbary cor
sairs. the Salee rovers being especially notori-
Gus In later days. Europeans at various times
have held places on the coast. Ceuta was sub
ject successfully to the fGenoese and the
Portuguese. and since 1880 has been In the
possession of the Spaniards and was several
times besieged yainlv by the Moors. Melilla.
Alhucemas and Pehon de Velez are three other
Spanish p]residi0s or fortified posts. 1t will be
remembered that Tangier. taken by the Portu-
guese in l471, came to Charles II. OF england
as part OF the dowry Of his queen. Catherine Of
BraGanZa. but was given up in 1888 on account
Of the unhealthy climate and tho expense
which the maintenance of tho post involved.
The warfare Of the country with France is a
part of the history Of the French conquest Of
Algeria; the decisive battle Of Isly, which
proved fatal to the hopes of Abd-el-K ader. was
fought on Morocco territory.
In 1859 Spain declared war against the Sui
tan. Muley M~ohammed. owing to a dispute
concerning territory outside Ceuta claimed by
the Spanish Government as PREPARATION for at
lacks made on their settlements by mountain
tribes. The work undertaken by the Spanish
troops was some what arduous, for they had to
encounter stalwart, active Moors OF extreme
fanaticism. armed with lonR-barrelled flint
muskets, capable OF killing at 400 yards range;
the Moors were also very strong in cavalry. AT
the outset OF the campaign. whilc.the Spaniards
were. as yet. unprepared to take tho field,
Ceuta was beleaguered by a host of Moors. The
prison fortress. which was to be tho Spanish
base OF operations. was barely defended by
a hastily made line Of redoubts thrown up
across the isthmus. connecting the mar
row. rocky peninsula with the mainland.
At the close OF the year. however,
$4,000 men were disembarked from Spain
under the command OF the well known soldier
politician. Marshal O'Donnell. who combined
In himself the Offices Of Prime Minister and
Minister of War. Gen. Prim. who was to play n
noteworthy role in later Spanish history. was
In charge OF the reserve. In the campaign. /,
which began in the early part OF 1850, the
Spaniards, under O'Donnell and Prim, won
two brilliant victories against superior forces.
and three days after the second succesa oecu- |
pied tho city of Tetuan. which lies aboutthirty-
Ave miles from Ceuta, due south along the
coast. A third battle had to be fought toward !
the close Of March. but in this also the Span- ,
So NhNOi !" trluIipndnt. InlS last
victory brought negotiations which ended in !
peace. tho defeated combatant paying an in
demnity equal to $20.OOO.00O, and cedine ter
ritory on the coast.
There was q time when Morocco WAS ths
most prosperous and highly civilized OF all the
Mohammedan States in the west. The library
OF Fee was once famous throughout Islam.
The present condition Of the country Is de plor-
able. There 10 next to no provision for educa-
ton there are not even any roads. and, conse-
Quently. there ara no wheeled carriages. The
tillhGe conducted by the Berbers and Arabs is
OF the most primitive character. What manu-
features survive are of a paltry kind. The Sui
tan. absolute 80 far as his arm can reach. Ia
practically defed by many OF his people. Sla-
very Is rampant. negroes being sold openly in
the streets OF the coast towns and in
the markets OF the interior. Above the
rulers will there is no law. Every Office
ID sold to men who repay themselves
by extortion. and judicial decisions ara Iryn-
rlaoly pronounced in favor Of the highest bid
der. The most ~lanatical form Of Islam is tbs
popular religion: We add that the country ia
unsafe for European travellers. The only sign
OF modern civilization is a force Of 10000 in
fantry drilled and armed IN the European
fashion. with some batteries Of field guns, under
French officers. This army is quartered at
that one OF the three capitals. Morocco. Fee
and Mequinez. at which the Sultan may happen
DO staying The country which lies stagnat-