New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-25
RAEULIS PRISONA
THE Stealing of Man and the Com.
ing of Fleet.

II you looS out OF your bedroom window 20 tho
Ief1 says Edgar Wallace. writing 10 The London
Mail from Tansier, under date OF June T. you win
see the hills OF Andalusia quite close at hand And
Andalusa is Spain. and spain is quite European.
and almost civilized.
II you turn your head so slightly 70 the right
you VIII see at your feet Tangier which is Darkest
Africa and the Mysterious East all rolled into one
Also. il is the first or second ce-t1ror rather n
is before the Christian era
MahoIneta-nism is almost a mOdernity. The
electric light Pickering feebIy at the corners OF
dark passages may pass for a miracle. The hotels
are Improved caravanseries. and need not count.
Perhaps it is the food, or the methods or the
rooms. but whatever it IS there is nothing IN
the average Tangier hotel that clashes with tnat
prevailing spirit OF antiquity which is Tanssers
very own
Low hills al olive green. circle the blue bav.
A thin golden RIBBON of beach separates the blue
and olive OF land and water. anc. psrcheG uncom-
icrJa5ly ct angle of thirty degrees. Tansfsr.
al Of a tumble, sits with her feet in the sea
Tier on tier. fiat roof 90 haring orange over
looking fiat roof OF washed-out blue. a white.
bright. yellowy Jerusalem OF a town. IL rises
Tangier ancient. Interchangeable, tnsanitary.
1t is Eastern: the East one reads about IN
ones callOW youth; the turbaned East; the East
in jeIlab and fez. the East that carries spears
and quaint. Iong-barreIled. queer-stocked guns;
the East that says its prayers Liberty carpets.
and goes 10 the mosque az all sorts OF neon
venieut hours.
paved passages that for streets CoaI-blacl1
negroes, all thews and psrspiration. jog past You
with tinkltng bell and bulging. dripping water
bag Grave Jews in black. shavea-headed hills
men all in rags. curious visitors from Fez-you
know tee CURIOSITY that IS expressed By scovI
and slovenly sol6iery IN soiled tunics. pass and
repass you every second Blanketed ghosts OF
women, their faces muffied. shuttle awkwardly
from street 10 street
bored little boy leads a hideously blind old
man to a group Of idlers IN the throngsd market
place The Old whines his formula and the
little boy. with his eyes fixed a troupe OF aero
bats. repeats the appeal mechanically
IN the name OF God. who VIII buy little
oil for my supperT'
e. for my support" pipes the boy abstract
elIy.
But the begging bowl goes unified
A uspng objurgation IN Spanish from one. 60
away. can't yo4?' in English from another; only
a Moor stops in his stride 70 search a capacious
leather bag AZ his side. and throws I'VE confines
- -
= osee! OF voices around YOU N 'sls sane ma s
French and sometimes English
An American '.jacky." as bright as baby's smile
W2Eid SPOT as an "a. au 4,ii in hsaysn
He has a little group OF Arab bows about him.
Open ulouthed. abashsd little boys, Allied with the
Little Raisuiis. riding hery Arab stieizs, and
armed with deadly accurate bamboo canes, sung sung
az their backs with strings or cotton cease Jne5r
maTaudings. and the blUbbering infautile Perdl-
BesoSair ana Fappyeofueky. with smile on
his wind-bitten face. the man who has come 10
paved streets. followed by the awe-stricken youth
..Insiiss?'' asks a vfIagsr from FANS. OF the
America" answers that wise gossip. and spits
. thiaE that this Is The Only dark spot on Raj
point on which Talgier-the real Tang1er that lives
eve 70 eve wiz the popular hero OF the moment.
Tangier IS beginning 70 think that perhaps Raisun
greasy ivan with It's shoes LETT at the door it was
varv foolish 10 take the Arnericans Had 1t been
only Eng1ishman
II the truth De told: there was a time when
dom, when it chuckIed nightly over the brisand's
exploit and voted that gentleman what IS Arabic
for 'the i-1f-" But the Joke o. the thing had
- =. At -Ia 1-s-b3s IN Tte 1v5-r5 fsv a 75- tfae
has absolutely no right 10 be within 3oeo miles Of
These lean white ships came 20 anchor and sent
men ashore-ships' postmen and chief petty officers
mCSLIy-whO spoke the English language with 2
70 me he sI7 a and 70 the s5gy CAFES Il cane
from various sources From MOors that waited at
raaIe al the hotels: from outdoor servants ar the
legations; from MoOrs who knew Spaniards who
know everything; from donkey boys and boatmen.
And the news was TO this effect: Perdicarfs who
ships that were crowdins UP the bay were amer
lean aIsoexcept the one stove-polshed vessel tnac
~ 1e-5ie,~5s nd annoyed and 9giTa1ed the tinted
states OF America 70 a larnentabIe and quite
ilstidabIe degree America has sense OF hui
NOR said Tangier, only. OF course. in more ORR
entail and stately language R2lSUIs joke was
not appreciated. and the Warships had come fully
prepared - work all kinds OF mischief TO the archi-
teCturaI gIoriss OF Tangier-
At frst Tangier asJOnished; then she was
pained then the blind. unreasonng passions OF the
Eas--the true East-were aroused The frantic
fear OF weak men at the mercy OF the strong lay
OF the souls OF MahOuet All ben Abseleul Ell Has
The fierce pride OF this strange people that has
resisted the advance OF civilization TOR thousend
years. tnhanned and for time II looked "a
though the presence or the American WdrSllp7
was likely 20 have a. effect other than that al
ticipstsG
Christians were stoueI-fUrtively II you can
lima zine a furtive StOuilS The fnhdsl was tnsultet
in the streets. and uTinpO-tant holy nan. a
sort of Eastern I'Ovie was all for preachlnE q
holy war against Christianity generally He RACED
aIOrE the beach half naked and called rs horrible
but his friends got hin away ana pur nun
bed. IN the morning he apologfZed IKE 4
little gentleman. One LnaTl--ir a NlahCue-
tan feast dav. and therefore pardOu1hle-tiis-
charged his ancient unusket at the Baltimore ana
sat down the sands waltiag Tor the snip 20
sink. In fact, IN the language OF local Journalism
'ENI citercnt running high IN Tangter. and al
the best people OF the town regarded the situation
5 serious
serious enough how serious viii rot b realized
until after his release For then 70 VIII be that
the powers VIII talk with painful platnEsss 70
Morocco. and the ships that are living idle n Tar
g1er Bay viii serve a most useful purpose
JEWEL HUNTING IN ST. PIERRE.