Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-01-09

BARIc TOWN. L
There are beauties In this barbaic
town as well as queer scenes. The
Great Mosque is one, with its Moorish
tower, as delicate in coloring and trac-
ing as any artist could conceive. The
Bay, upon which the town rests, the
town itself, fmm the hill above, with
its all-white houses, one-story in height,
with many slender minarets, these
are attractive sights. No Christian
may set his foot within the Mosque
The Kasba, or government quarter,
is more interesting than beautiful.
1t consists OF a square filed with Of
fetal buildings. We saw the PaSha
sitting at the gateway of the law court
administering justice, and we visited
the government prison so damp and
dark that six months is a life sentence.
The punishment here is something
frightful. The Scribe passed a minute
or two once in the Dark Cell OF the
prison at jefferson City; be stayed the
same brief space shut up alone in the
darkness of the dead-house Of Johns
Hopkins University, at Baltimore.
The Tangier government prison is
both combined and then a thousand
more. The blood-red flag of Morocco
floats above it. Over its gateway
might well be placed the motto which
the inspired Italian saw above the door
OF hell.
WOMEN IN MOROCCO.
The manner in which women are
treated is a certain evidence of a.
country'S civilization. By this test
Morocco is two thousand years behind
the times. Women are held here in
about the same esteem as dogs in Mis-
souri-not nearly as much as Dr..
Watson regards his fox hounds. They
walk upon the street in baggy trousers,
with shawl-like covering held in their
teeth to obscure their faces and are
jostled by the passers-by or cried at in
Arabic, "Get awaylp They are hidden
In the courts Of the houses Of the rich
or made beasts OF burden in the huts
OF the poor. We met this afternoon a
fne-looking Moorish countryman rid
ing a donkey to town. AT his side
walked his wife, bowed down under a
load Of stuff that she was taking to
town TO sell. Woman's rights in
Morocco are a thing unknown. What
a fine field for a Susan B. Anthony
Ian the women her are DR.. Mary
|, Walkers-at least SO far as dress goes.
A mar may have as many wives as he
, pleases, or rather, as many as pleases
| him.
LANGUAGE AND MONEY.
, 1t is said that more languages and
dialects are spoken In Tangler than 10
, any other town OF the same size In the
world. One may readily believe. They
include not only English, German.
Spanish, French, Italian, but a scort
J OF dialects related 10 the odd ArabiG
, tongue. The Moor who waits upon N
at table carries on a conversation II
four languages. The children on The
/. streets chatter in several at Least
I lsuflciently to make themselves under
: stood.
! British gold is at the highest prem
q ium here. American gold-and silver
o too-comes next. Then Spanish at 2
e per cent less and finally the money 0
Morocco itself. One must bargain il
pounds; shillings and pence, which !
a English, in dollars and cents, which !
2 American, in pesetas, which is Spanish
s In marks, which is German, Of j
E francs, which is French, all in tn
ie same shop. And everybody bargains
( To give one-half Of the first price ash
e ed by the shOp-keeper means to pa
q about twice what the article is worth
Il There are no fixed prices.
lie Americans stand well here. TIL
d natives have a high idea Of the proves
le Of the United States. A few hay
he been there in midway shows or othel
wise. A boatman on the abderahmar
he the small skif which brought us |
r shore, said be spoke New York an
Oh Brooklyn" When asked II he ha
1t been to New York, he said: "Ye
re plenty time. Big lady there. So tai
n Hold candle. Big light" So much Il
the Arabic idea Of the Barth0lt
statue Of Liberty Enlightening ii
n World.
be There are Hebrew signs in many
lis the shops. The Moors do not belie'
in signs. Even in their cemeteri'
Id there is not a word TO designate WI
TO is buried. They talk constantly b.
We write very little or not at all. Almo
the entire population is illiterat
OF There are three newspapers printe
he here, all weekly. The EngliSa-Arat
On paper is about the size Of a half pa
al OF the Herald.
K PEOPLE AND TmSes.
We were rowed from the steamer
the Tangier landing by six swartl
Moors, in red caftan and fez- The Gu
tom house examination is lenient. III
h~Otel-porter tossed a coin TO the {
fetal, the latter put II in his peck
and Up the street he went. In d
harbor we saw cattle swung cruel
i, aboard the steamer by ropes hung
their horns.
We found three Sundays here In 81
oesslon. The Nobammedans obser
Friday, the Jews Saturday, and I
Christians Sunday. MOhammedans
to Mosque a half hour and suspeI
business only that long. The Je
closed their shops tight from six o'clo
on Friday 10 six O'Clock on Saturd;
The ChrIstians-gell, the few that q
here-did about as Christians do
America.
A native guide was u escC
through the town. His name is Ha.
s1 med Ben Jamin, meaning Hamm
the son Of Jamin. He is Moorish, b
speaks English after a fashion.
The women go around the stree
bare-legged, but keep their faces COW
ed. Occasionally a specially pref
one viii drop the corner Of her mani
and show her face. Women We
trousers here and men wear skirts.
No stranger may go on the sins
main street Of the town after nigl