The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-21
GOODBYE TO AFRICA. q
Y PERlLS OF THE STREET IN 7AN-
 CHER.
v Glimpse of Ceuta, spain's Most Tsrrible Convict Station, Of the Coast of Morocco.


 Tsrribie Convict Station, or the < Especial Correspondence of the Jour-
 nal and Courier)
 ss@E sgIs! On the Mediterranean, November 11th, 1901.
 J We have encountered many 'scdpes' X Iii course of these African wanderings,
 but none--to our knowledge-that came ieo near the "hair- breadth line as one
 which marked almost pur last moment
 on the dark continent. Already the Z steamer had signalled that the time of sdeparture was at hand, and we were Fhurrying to the quay, conveyed through Hthe winding lanes of Tangier by mag Snif1cent looking Moor, who might have
 been All Baba himself, but was really va hotel runner. Tall, straight and inn sperturbably solemn, with long gray
 beard and piercing black eyes made
 blacker by contrast with his immense White turban, green morocco slippers embroidered with gold on his stocking sJe1a feet, and voluminous draperies of tlnoWy woOllen, girded about the mid sdj6 by a crimson sash--he looked alto 2E6ther too imposing an individual, to
 ba ordered about by Christian dogs" sEYidentIy he entertained the same 'optnion for straight ahead he stalked,
 xVithout once looking back paying no
 more heed to his charges than if he had
 ri0t pocketed liberal consideration for spi1Oting us safe to port The wonder is no in tho crowds
 That surged the labyrinthing alleys,
 with their unexpected turns and cul de
 HAca Doubtless we should have done lxo5 and might still be hunting the port, Ind not the rear of our little process on been brought up by half dozen young XrAbs, pushing, pulling and prodding
 aa many unwilling donkeys, each dim- I1huting beast laden from head to tail ath our belongings Again and again atRe were compelled to retreat hastily ,4nt0 doorways, to allow strings of asses 3&6 pass, the animals completely oblit-
 Xfated under bulgng loads of grass or 'Stf8W, which scraped the walls on eith- ,Sr side; or huge camels lurching over fEe slippery stones on their great 'Sp0ny feet, snarling and showing their teeth when cruelty prodded by the driv- 'ef6 but obediently kneeling at Arabic command. Or we had to make way for " Scurrying troop of the Sultan's sol Hj3rs, who do not hesitate to trample Under the hoofs of their horses what aver may be in the path; or a company nk mounted water-peddlers, with drip ''ping spig-slxins of the precious fluid car fied before them on donkey back; or bevies of insolent slave women, return ing from market who delight to visit upon defenseless strangers some of the abuse rtliat is their own lifelong heri- fage # Our :" 'scape' was met near the jour- fiey end, at the last turn of the street. within sight of the landing. The nar- row. space was packed with a shouting, excited throng, through which we must force passage or miss our steamer The central attraction was a Santo, or s0-cailed "HoIy Man"-on other words, ~ Mohammedan lunatic, apparently of the most dangerous type. In this land 6f fanatics, you know, insane people, however violent. are permitted to range at will and indulge their widest vagar |Sas uni1indered, because it is believed | that Allah loves them above other men. | This ebony fiend might have come di rect from the internal regions, if , Hooks" count for anything-wi'd, roll ] |fig blOod-shot eyes; wide open, foam l3Gtked mouth, in which yellow snags of Eeeff contrasted with the blackness of liis akin and thick, wiry, curling beard. E4G wore no clothes to speak of-only ElIe remnant of a brown ''eehab' that !. lid not half cover his nakedness, and ylkuli- cap. studded with silver coins, from which hung long wooden tassels with similar pieces of money. Tells and blood curdling aughter issued from his throat as he mnced about, brandishing his bare Irr1s aloft Tn one hand he c1utched a .ed flannel flag, believed to contain harms and curses of equal potency; lnd in the other he grasped huge make which writhed and hissed and hrust out it's tongue and tried to strike With all it's envenomed power. The Janto's face and arms were scared with snake bites; but as he leaped to Ind fro and around the circle of spec ators-which prmoptly widened at his would bring the snakes lead to his own mouth and thrust out Iis tongue till 1t touched the serpent's auGS. Lne reptile seemed to Dlte the 0ngue repeatedly, but with no effect pom the lunatic, except that a few rops of blood triclSled down his breast
 uddenIy the lorrid creature thrust his and into his breast and drew forth { mother and larger snake-a mottlad sTlOw fully seven feet long. He twisted l ie two serpents together and teased hem in every way, until they became rantic with rage, when he would thrust { hem toward the spectators. who scat sred fin all directions. Remembering ha the street was barely five feet wide i nd that we--a handful of hated ''un- $ elievers," must run the gauntlet of | ancing Iunatic and furious sergents. I t pink you will agree that if not a hair readth 'scape, is was at least an un- Y nviable moment. ! It seemed to be particularly good 2 ay for snakes in Tangier. Directly in . ont of the spot where our luggage was ow scattered on the uay, awaiting the nal wise, a 'charmer" had taken up his and. His performance was assisted ' band, consisting of native violin nd two stringless snare drums; but