The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-11-02
GI.IMPSES OF FEz
THE SACRED CITY OF MOROC.
 co.
Queer People and Picturesque Sights More Than Two Hundred Mosques fin FeZ,


 More Than Two Hundred Mosque,
 fin Fez.
 Especial Correspondence of the Journal
 and Courier.)
 Fez, Morocco, Sept. 25, 1901.
 Like most Oriental cities, Fez-or Fas, as the Arabs know it-looks best from distance, the farther the better Slngularly situated at the head of a funnel-shaped valley, formed by low hills whose slopes are covered with or chards and orange groves and whose tops are crowned by the ruins of an- cient Notifications, the distant view is wonderful. The town is still surround ed by old turreted and battlemented walls, so lofty that nothing within them IS visible from outside but the tops of the smallest houses and the slender m1narets of countless mosques, shining against the cloudless blue of the Afri- can sky like the spears of an advancing army. Through the valley winds the Wad el-Jubai, a branch of the Sebu river, which it joins a few miles north Of the town; and all along it's banks are ruined ediffces of every description broken columns and stone acqueducts or Roman times, cells of hermits, der vlshes and other religious fanatics of later date, dome-like tombs and dilap- dated forts. You remember that dur ing the middle ages Fez was one of the largest and most magnificent cities of the Mohammedan world, renowned for inc GChnO1S and ;,,et It's splendid public buildings. seven hundred mosques, and the finest library in existence. After the removal of the court to Morocco, this city gradually declined. But in the eyes of Western Arabs it is still place of paramount importance, being considered "holy' on account of innumerable tombs and rel ics.
 Entering the town through narrow slitin one of the lofty towers that flank the walls, you find that the latter are what westerners call "a buff," being not nearly so formidable as they ap- pear, but fast falling to decay. Before this point Is reached in your travels you have become accustomed to the strange people of northern Africa, Aclothed and unclethed; and stately Moors, ragged Jews, naked negroes Berbers, Bedouins, lepers, snake charmers. Arab steeds and dromeda- ries of the desert no longer astonish you The thing that strikes you first in Fez, and strikes with staggering force, Is the appalling smell, which seems to have come down from the days of Muley Edris, who founded the place A. D. 803, and to have been gain ing in strength and vigor ever since. The explanation is easy. Like all Mo- rocco towns, Fez possesses a system of drainage and an abundant water sup ply-nearly every house having foun- tain in its courtyard by which the drains are constantly flushed. But all this waste water has no connection with the sewerage, or rather the lack of it, and the closet of each house is placed just inside the street entrance, and needs no sign-board to locate it.
 Next you are struck by the extreme narrowness of the streets, many of which are mere foot paths in which two persons could not possibly walk abreast. Though F'ez is nowadays the commercial emporium of the desert, its
  nine feet wide. Considerable trade is carried on by means of caravans with adjoining countries to the south and | east, as far as Timbucto, and on the | other side to the sea and to Europe, by way of Tangier. Hence the narrow ways are packed, not only with people ! of every race and color but with many beasts of burden, including vicious camels that snarl and strike out their heels at passers-by, and occasionally half tanned lions and leopards in charge of their keepers. These mon archs of the desert are in great de- mand in Morocco, for household pets, | by those who can afford to pay the | price, It is said that the Sultan has | seven enormous lions not tanned at all. They are kept securely chained by day, but at night they are let loose and per- l mitted to range the courtyard in or der to guard the royal harem. A standing army could not be better pro- tection, for no lover is likely to brave those beasts, nor any frail Fatima to run away
 How can one describe a place when there is nothing with which to compare It? The houses are all flat-roofed and generally three storied, with blank walls toward the street High up in each--too high for eyes to see into small wooden gratings are set, to ad- init the air. Each immense dwelling, which is practically prison for its fe- male inmates, has only one narrow door of heavy wood, strong enough to withstand siege and always securely barred. When one wishes to enter he pounds upon it with the hilt of his dag ger a stone or any convenient missile; until, by and by, a leisurely eunuch shows his face at the little sliding pan- ,l and inquires what is wanted. And hen. hundred to one, the applicant IS not admitted-never unless the master if the house is present and receives him n person. The street door opens into , long, narrow, stone paved hall, from which other barred doors lead to the nner court yard. Here all is bloom md beauty, the music of birds and the flashing of fountains. A wide corri- ,ot filed and columned, surrounds the ,ourt. Into it all the rooms open wide; md here the Tights" of the harem nand tteir days, eating sweet-meats md twanging guitars. On the flat top Y each house IS shade-roof, rellised