The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-03-16
A CURIOUS COUNTRY.
AN AMERICAN TRAVELLERS EXPERT
ENcE IN MOROCCO.

AN AMERICAN TRAVELLERS EXPERT
ENcE IN MOROCCO.
In Tangier the Mules Have the Right
of Way In the streets-A Fearful
Punishment For Thieves-A For
midable Navy of One Ship.
Ambrose Fl. Mullens, lawyer of Balti-
more, made a trip to Morocco a few
years ago. He went with Scotch
friend, who was a great linguist. Leav-
ing Gibraltar, they reached Point Tarifa,
and thence Tangier. Mr.. Mullens thus
describes his trip:
So shallow is the harbor itself that
even from our little so foot side wheeler
we had to be landed in rowboats. In
this harbor lies the fleet of the empire,
consisting of exactly one war steamer of
about 5000 tons burden, flying the blood
red ensign of Morocco. Twenty years
ago some Scotch engineers brought her to
anchor in that harbor, and a month later,
not receiving their wages, decampcd in q
body, leaving the steamer behind them.
None of the natives knew anything about
machinery, and in consequence from that
day to this her engines have never moved.
Like the capital of our most eastern
possession, Tangier is walled city.
The streets are of the most narrow de-
scription, averaging hardly more than
four feet in width. No wheel ever turns
in them, and everything is carried either
on the backs of mules or on those of the
people themselves. So cramped are these
streets that if a mule is coming from the
opposite direction to that which you are
pursuing the only thing for you to do is
to retrace your steps until you come to
a cross street and then to wait around
the corner until his muleship passes by.
The market place lies just outside the
walls on the southwest side, and here all
the people, saints, dervishes and others,
daily gather. AS you come ashore your
boat passes through q regular gate, like
one of those of the Alhambra, in Spain,
which is the harbor gate of the city.
The day entered found the stout AL
gerian harbor master sitting ON n hench,
smoking a cigarette. In reply to a re-
specially worded inquiry in my very
best French he said: you're an Ameri-
can, aren't you? Then, for heavens
sake, talk Englishw And before could
recover from my astonishment he went
on: "Don't bother about that luggage
now. Have that porter take it to the
Oriental hotel and sit down here and
smoke cigarette and have a talk with
me-
He turned out to be pasha who had
been educated at Elton and Oxford, and
he had lived some time in Washington.
He called on me afterward and was a
very charming man.
When l was In Morocco, the emperor
hor al
the great man of the place was the sher-
i'll of WaZan. He was an immensely rich
man and had built as fad the Hotel
Oriental, to which my friend, the pasta,
had directed me. 1t was situated down
on the wall next to the saluting battery
and was run by chap named Ansaldo
whose mother was English and father
Italian. The hotel was absolutely fire.
proof, had billiard rooms and all sorts Of
modern conveniences, and q poker game
was run there every night.
The table d'hote dinner at the Oriental
was a feature. All other meals were
movable feasts. But at o'clock sharp
you must be on hand for dinner, or you
didn't get any. The seat of honor, next
to Ansaldo, went to the oldest guest, and
when he or she departed the next In Or
der moved into the vacant place.
The richest man in the place was
Greek named Perdicaris. He had made
his money In maritime trade. He was IN
American citizen by adoption and n grad
uate Of Harvard college in the sixties.
His wife came from Wilmington, Del.
Perdicaris' home in Morocco was enor-
mous-almost as big us the Waldorf-As-
toria hotel 1t looms up in my memory.
1t had fully a dozen drawing rooms and
must have covered two or three acres of
ground. The gardens were fully half
mile square.
Every one in Morocco seems to speak
English, many of the Moors having been
educated in England and other European
countries.
The prison of the town is n curiosity.
1t is kind of tower situated near the
citadel, the esplanade of which is higher
than the roof of the prison. In this is
hole through which food can be tossed by
the friends or relatives of the prisoners.
These are all thrown in together, and as
there il no public provision for feeding
them you can imagine the scramble and
fights that ensue for the food thrown in.
Thieving is looked upon with extreme
disfavOr in Morocco, n second offense be-
ing punished by inflicting blindness. This
Is done by soaring the eyeDall with the
edge of n redhot sword. The thief is
then turned loose to starve or live, as
fate shall decree. If the former, it is re-
gardcd as for the best, on the theory that
1t is better to be dead than to be a thief.
About the only good pig sticking to be
found anywhere outside of India is in
Morocco, but the manner of pursuing the
sport differs in the two countries. In
India n long lance, which is held in the
middle, is used, while in Morocco they
use a short lance, not more than seven
feet long. which is held by the end. A
leaden weight is placed on this end as a
balance. 1t is an exceedingly dangerous
form Of sport, for if you should happen to
miss boar he would upset your horse
as like as not, and once upon the ground
you would run an even chance of being
disemboweled by his tusks.-New York
Tribune.