The Republican journal., 1901-12-19

pretext or another. If no more con-
venient means to the desired end sug-
geStS itself, the man is ordered to do
something, like conveying treasures
to obey which order means death, and
to disregard it is to lose his head.
AS to evening amusements in Moroc-
co.. can tell you of them only by
hearsay as in these parts women must
stay in doors after nightfall. The gen.
tlemen of our party have made the
limited rounds, (all in one short even
ing,) and below is the result of their OBJ
servations: Conveyed by guide, car
rying lantern, they set out at eight
O'Clock. There is no twilight in these
regions and by that time the narrow
streets were pitch dark, not ray of
light anywhere from the windowless
houses. First they went to the princi-
pal cafe-a dingy old place, in which
are several rooms, and music by the
band is the order of every evening.
The rooms were tolerably filled with
Mohammedans, (all sitting ON the car
pet, having left their shoes to one side,
drinking black coffee, or tea with pep
permint in it, smoking keef and play
ing chess, but grave as automatons
and saying seldom word to one an
other. To the left was the music room,
where chairs were placed for the for
eign visitors. The band included
rebic, which is the Arabic ancestor of
the violin, and two broad instruments,
half guitar half mandolin, while an
other man ratified castinets and a third
clapped his hands in time to the dis
cord. All sang as they played, at first
an apparently interminable repeating
of the same phrase, very loud and mo-
notonous, then sud denly bursting into
Understandable fire and animation. The
listeners were enraptured, and the
guide said the musicians were singing
about the good old times in Spain,
which Moors and Arabs dream of by
night and day, always with the hope
that Allah may return them to their
heritage.
Another cafe-concert was held in the
court yard of caravanserai over
which a temporary roof of bamboo had
been thrown. Divans were placed
around the outside for the guests
while the musicians in Oriental
costumes, sat cross legged on the ground
in the middle. Coffee and pipes filled
with Turkish tobacco were served; and
at intervals the band made hideous
noises on their rude instruments, or
sang with nasal twang monotonous
refrain in the minor key; wind instru-
ments were occasionally introduced,
and the effect was like a Chinese
symphony, or cat concert on the back
fence.
The next place they visited seemed to
require extraordinary caution, though
why there was need of it our friends
had no idea. The turbaned guide, in
his white cotton robe and yellow Slip
pers darted down the street that was, if
possible, narrower and darker than the
Others Peering anxiously to right and
left, he finally knocked at door; a
shutter was cautiously opened, brief
parley ensued and the party were
admitted, the door being instantly shut
and bolted behind them. Perhaps they
were going to be robbed and murdered.
and each of the Americans derived
what comfort he could from thoughts
of his trusty revolver. Across a dark
court yard and up a short flight of
stairs they proceeded, into a moderate
ly sized room which had no furniture
except pile of cushions at one end
and two large lamps, shaded with pink
tissue-paper suspended from the ceiling.
The gentlemen had hardly time to
settle themselves among the cushions
when an elderly Jewess appeared, which
seemed to be the signal for the guide to
retire, as he shuffied out in haste.
Then at the far end of the room.
through door concealed by rug on
the wall, entered three tall, magnificent
Jewish girls, attired in the costume of
Bluebeard's wives, according to the pic
lures. Their loose trousers were gather
ed at the ankles, their bare feet encased
in retrousse slippers; gauze kits extend
ed to the knee; small close-fitting
sleeveless jackets exposed the arms.
and long, silken but perfectly trans
parent wells covered their faces. Thew
at once began slow, graceful dance.
supplying themselves with music by
singing a sweet, wayering Hebrew
melody, the rhythm of sound and