Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-08-01
MoRocco'S CAPITAL.
The City Of Fez-Quaint, Ancient AND
Most Oriental Of Towns.

The City OF Fez-Quaint, Ancient and
Most Oriental Of Towns.
A long line of gray walls, broken
here and there by battlemented towers
and topped by the white buildings of
the Sultan's palace and few minarets
such is the travellers first view Of
Fee as he approaches the capital by
the main caravan road. It is an I'M
attractive approach, for the last eight
or ten miles of the 175 that lie between
Tangier and the largest and i'm
portant city of Morocco pass over
plateau between level, unbroken
stretches of corn-growing country,
bounded on the north by bare hills,
and, further away, on the south, by
range Of rugged mountains.
One sees little but its gray, monot-
onous walls appearing on the horizon.
Yet it is an ideal site for city, and
Mulal Idris, its founder and patron
saint, did not err in fixing upon 1t for
his capital when, early in the ninth
century A. D. he laid its foundations.
There Is a picturesque story told of
the origin OF Its name; for ras, az tho
Moors call 1t, means "hoe" in Arabic,
and it is said that as Mulal Idris turned
the first sod he cried, Here I plant
my hoe"-a tradition almost identical
with the naming of Kairouan by the
great Okba. The main entrance to
Fee, the Bah Segma, is an unworthy
gateway for such q city, for it consists
of little more than an archway cut in
the wall, with no pretentions to size
or decoration.
There is a second gateway on the
right, in the wall that encircles the
palace gardens, through which on the
great feast days Of the year the Sultan
rides to pray at the "Msala" near by.
The "Msala" itself is short, white
crested wall, with niche or mihrab
facing the east, and is situated only a
few hundred yards away on the slope
Of the hill. Insignificant enough in
itself, 1t presents on state occasions a
marvellous picture.
Entering through Rab Segma one
passes for short distance along a
street lined with little shops, where
dried figs and raisins, walnuts and
groceries are exposed for sale. A sharp
turn to the right leads one into the
outerniost of the public squares Of the
palace, an oblong Enclosure, surrounded
by high walls, and pierced at each end
by great gateways. On the right is
facade and entrance to the arsenal, a
particularly hideous mixture Of bad
Oriental and worse European taste.
while straight in front Is the "Gate Of
the Lion" fine archway in modern
Moorish style. somewhat spoiled by
its gaudy coloring, which time is hap.
PLY softening. 1t Is under the shade
of its heavy roof that one Of the sew.
eral governors of the Fee holds his pub
lie court and deals out what he calls
justice. He sits cross-legged. attended
by secretaries, in a deep niche In the
gateway, while in a semi-circle before
him squat his dozens of white.robed
and red-capped soldiers. Before him
kneel the plaintiff and defendant both
talking volubly at the same time, and
each calling God to witness that the
other Is liar, which 10 probably
true.
A second public square lies beyond
this archway, on to which open the
gates Of the private precincts Of the
Sultan's palace, with their guard Of
soldiers, probably fast asleep. 1t is
from this second square that the routes
to old and new Fee respectively divide.
The latter consists Of the upper and
more modern town, and contains the
palace, the "Mellah," or Jews quarter,
and a district almost entirely official,
but boasts little of interest.-London
Times.