Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-01-01
AMONG THIEVEs IN MOROCCO.
of an English Correspon-
dent Who Penetrated to SheshO-
uan.

Walter r. Harris q CORRESPONDENT OF
the London Times In Morocco. has re-
centlv attra cted considerable attention
nv his picturesque dispatches describ-
ing the horrors Of the prisons In that
country and the ambition Of the sultan
to introduce reforms. Mr.. Harris now
illustrates in his own person the evils
that may befall any traveller who hap
pens to meet one Of the numerous rob-
Der bands Of Morocco. He has been de-
spoiled of his belongings by road agents
Of the Morocco type.
The incident Is all the more interest
ing because Harris is one Of the leading
authorities on everything relating to
Morocco. He has explored that country
in several capacities. now disguised rs
a poor Moor and then in his proper per-
son. once as a member Of a diplomatic
mission.
One Of his exploits in particular, was
daredevil achievement that exhibit
ed his nerve to the best advantage and
revealed district in Morocco that no
explorer has ever seen before. 1t Is the
irony of fate that a man who has
emerged unscatched from regions
where the natives would kill him on
sight If they knew him should at last
fall victim to common highway plum
derers on a road that was supposed to
be reasonably safe.
In the summer Of 1888 Mr.. Harris ven
tured into the Riff mountains among
the fanatical Berbers. who were certain
to kill any white man they might catch
among their wild hills. White men
were not their only prey. A little ear
lier the sultan Of Morocco had sent
them a governor whom they killed.
whereupon the sultan decided to let
| them alone for a time.
Harris entered this forbidden ground
very poorly equipped to support the role
of Moor. His acquaintance with Ara
bic was imperfect. AS he could not talk
without betraying himself, he assumed
the character of a deaf mute and relied
upon a trusty Arab boy, his only COM
panion, as a means of communication
with the natives.
So Harris set out, in the garb Of a
middle class Moor. legs, arms and face
stained brown, and bestride mule that
had no prejudices against Christians.
The explorer was bound for Sheshouan,
town Of 5000 inhabitants, which had
only recently been heard of, a few car
tographers having just placed 1t on
their maps where they supposed 1t to
be. The town is go miles from the Medi-
terranean. The inquisitive natives were
informed by the boy that his mater
lived in Fez and was travelling to Shes
houan.
This satisfied nearly everybody, but
two men of the -Hassan tribe ac-
cused Harris Of being Christian and
threatened him with death If he did not
instantly turn back. He managed to
elude them and learned later that they
proba bly, did not suspect his real char
acter but were merely trying to pick
quarrel as a pretext for robbing him.
In the course of few days the weary
mules brought the travellers to Shes
houan, quite flourishing town, which
had proclaimed far and wide that death
waited any Christian who should at
tempt to enter its gates.
The parents Of the Arab boy lived in
the town and the plan was to spend the
night in their house. They discovered
very soon that Harris was not what he
was represented to be, and bitterly up
braided their son for asking them to
risk their lives by giving shelter to
Christian. Finally, however, they were
nreyaiIed uDon py the offer of a large