The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29
SULTAN MULAY'S HUNTPOR FUN
Az ENGLISH VISITOR TELLS or
MOROCCGS RULER.

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bicycle Smashing One Amusement
Boar Hunting With Fireworks Another
Initiates william TelI-Described a
Behaving Like Boy Out or school.
Come to Marakesh and see the Sultan
He's the best fellow you ever met. but it's
a tough contract to keep him amused.
For goodness sake. think OF something
fresh In the amusement line!'
That was the message ! got while Ia
Morocco In 1900 from an English friend of
mine who was then holding the position OF
official entertainer to Mulay Abdul Aziz.
Sultan OF Morocco. As knew my former
school chum for a conjuror. q mind reader,
a hypnotist. a photographer and a jolly
good fellow in half dozen other different
ways. wondered at his plant.
The more thought over It the more l
marvelled, and 80. at last. made up my
mind to give up my plans and accept the
invitation. And that is how learned of
Sultan Mulay's hard hunt for fun.
I arrived at Marakesh one sultry after
noon. Hardly had my friend greeted me,
when he rushed me OF TO see the Sultan,
who had expressed a desire to zee the
stranger as soon rs he had entered the
palace.
We found his Majest In the middle of
an immense courtyard In the palace. He
was learning TO ride the bicycle under the In.
struction Of Kaid Harry MacLean. Scottish
soldier Of fortune. who commands his army.
Hs had, had Jus, rsSeiyed large oonsignment
London and Paris and he had made up
his mind to master the machine even IN "a
smashed every one In Morocco.
Now. the courtyard was moro like q
dry river bed than ANYTHING else. From
smooth ground. Where there were no
boulders there were deep rlts and whore
there were neither boulders nor ruts, there
were small heaps Of bricks.
His Majesty had smashed three fine
SELF considerably battered. After civiIitis.
had been exchanged with all the fine, old
fashioned Moorish courtesy. nothing would
oontsnt him except all Of " riding:
Their are plenty Of machines, he said.
sns ~ Gii .i Ss,s , Are EYER hundred,
or course. In Morocco, the Sultan l. He
Who Must Be- 0beyed, 30 we mounted
our machines and did our best. am q
pretty fair cyclist, but ] came Q cropper
over big rock before ! had ridden thirty
and had to take another.
The same miAhaps befell the Sultan, Kaid
AaoLean and the court sntsrtainer, and /
I'M safe IN aging that In the hour the Sultan
Kept " awhesl we eucceeded 10 hopelsesly
wrecking . dossn bicycles.
y, At tbs end OF that time the Sultan
thought the sport was not sufaciently
sxcting, % he suggested that We vary
L BY riding Into one another and seeing
Who got hurt most. Even that pallcd on
aim presently, and he sent for some Of
,b Ministers and Q couple OF venerable
Iray-besrded uiemas, and made them
,ycs. too. despite their piteous protasts.
(. ~ they had nsver seen cycles In their
ives before. they wore better hands az
'mashing than than any Of US, and before !
hat aftsrnoon WAS over the courtyard !
sas strewn with what had once been the |
inest naohines In the market AltoEethsr |
" must have sn,aahed nearly nfty cycISs.
After We had rubbed ourselves with |
inlmsnt and changed our tattsesd clothes.
he Sultan invited W 70 Inspect his |
~ billiard tebls; vhich bed just Ar
IT, from 1egleadr We duly. edmired n.