Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-04
THE MOORS'LAST STAND
TETUAN, WHICH THE BENIDE
KABYLEs SURROUNDED. ~
Morocco Most Fanatical Of the Mohanas
medan Countries-Dangsg
to Christians.

Troubles OF so serious character an to
engender the belief that European interven-,
ton may be necessitated rage around Tet7
uan. A glimpse into this troubled city and
the country in which IL lies has special In
terest at this 3uncture. Morocco in spite
OF its close proximity to Europe. II the
most fanatical OF the Mohammedan coun-,
tries. Christians are hated ny the natives
throughout the country. and 1t II often
very dangerous to 60 outside the town OF
Tangier.
The business of Morocco Is entirely In tho
hands OF Moorish Jews. who amass con-
siderable wealth in the coast ports. 1t II
not prudent for a Christian to stay any
whore but In the Jewish quarter. At the
capital. Morocco City. and Fec the natives
expectorate and hurl stones at the foreign
infidels. AZ they call them. and no Chris
tian is safe in The streets unless escorted
by soldiers. Morocco Is one OF the most
fertile countries In the world: the soil is
very rich and has only to be scratched to
produce iuxurfant crops. The majority OF
the people live by agriculture. There il
very little machinery of any kind; labor 10
cheap. and everything is done by hand.
Tangier is the city best known TO English
men. A number OF tourists visit this an
cfent seaport every winter 1t il also much
frequented by army officers. who cross
from Gibraltar for shooting and pig stick
ing. There are roads in Morocco except
the caravan tracks into the interior. In
the best OF times they can hardly be called
roads. but in the rainy season. when tls
rivers are swollen and overflow. travelling
is both difficult and dangerous.
Tetuan, the old Moorish city. and the
center of the present trouble is about forty
miles from Tangier by road and forty
eight miles by sea from Gibraltar. Coming
to 1t from the Rock. one generally lands at
Ceuta. and rides along the coast on mule
back distance OF thirty miles.
A Cheap Sporting Paradise.
Game and poultry of all kinds are to be
had In abundance: delicious cartridges and
pigeons can be had for one penny each. and
there are quantities of wild pigs and ante
lope to be found by the sportsman. The
ride on horseback to Tetuan from Tangier
occupies about nine hours. An escort OF
two Moorish cavalrymen is necessary. as
numbers of wild tribesmen are continually
moving about the country. and there Is al
ways certain amount of danger In meet-
ing them. Native runners do the journey
in eight hours for five shiiiings.
+ One dollar per day is charged for each
soldier and in return. IL the tourist is
robbed the governor of the district sweeps
down on the villages near the scene of the
robbery and makes them pay one hundred
fold for the stolen goods. Whether the I'M
lucky stranger gets any part of the fine 5
another question.
Tetuan is surrounded by walls over fifty
feet high and six feet thick. surmounied by
brass cannons at various points. There are
two enormous gateS-the sea gate and the
land gate-which are opened at sunrise and
closed at sunset. l arrived at Tetuan at
o'clock at night on my journey from Fee,
one wet night in March. and it was nearly
an hour before l could gain admission into
the city. The fast of the Ramadan was on
at the time, and all true Mohammedans re-
Trained from eating. drinking or smoking
from sunrise to sunset. The Tetuantes
obeyed the Koran implicitly. and turned
the night into day. That is. they slept All
day and worked at night
Old Moorish Families. 81,
Many of the old families still have the
keys of their lost mansions in Spain, which
have been handed down religiously from
father to son with the hope that one day
the Moors may return to the land from
which they were banished. The Kabyles.
who are causing the trouble. are a warlike
tribe, who are always fighting with some
one, and in default of foreign foes. they
will fight among themselves In peaceful
moments they devote themselves to making
terrible-looking daggers and stealing chick
ems.
The mission stations do very little good
in Morocco The natives will not take the
medicine given them by the mission doc
tors when they are sick because Mohammed
is denounced a false prophet on the
lower part of the label. Whenever Morocco
is thrown open to the world there will be
plenty of fortunes to be made as the min
eraI wealth of the country is enormous: the
soil is most fertile and no concessions have
been granted to any one. Railroads and
machinery practically unknown. and
Morocco is a virgin country as far as civi-
lization is concerned. The country Is inter-
sected by numerous rivers which flow down
the Atlas mountains. and the climate in
most parts is healthy and can be improved
by sanitary measures. which are absent at
present. Except In the towns. Morocco is
very sparsely inhabited.