The Monte Vista journal., 1907-09-28

never radically suppressed rebellions
of the Rogui and Bou Hamara, the
benevolent Father Of the Asses.' who,
with his claim to divine descent and
revelation and his wondrous Gift of
eloquence, exercises q remarkable in
fluence upon the mule drivers and all
the other nomadic folk Of the empire
Nations Have Hard Task.
Such In outline is the situation by
which France and Spain md them,
selves confronted because OF the recog-
milton Of their special interests in the
disturbed country, and the police man
date which they received at the con-
ference Of the powers at Algeciras. In
the light Of recent events 1t would
seem not at all unlikely that their
diplomatic victory at the conference
will entail upon France and Spain the
loss Of many thousands Of men and
many millions Of francs. which neither
can AFFORD to throw away. The talk
Of an expedition to Fee. a flying col.
umn Of 10000 men, in which the boule-
ward sheets indulge. Is the sheerest
nonsense, or the widest madness. 1t
would require 10000 men, all picked
troops. to capture Fec. and it would re.
quire many thousands more, and re-
quire them indefinitely. to hold the
holy city and maintain something ap.
preaching law and order in the sur
rounding country.
Portugal was for several hundred
years in possession Of nearly all the
Moorish ports on the Atlantic coast,
including Casablanca: indeed. the sec.
ond title Of the ruler OF Portugal to,
day Is King Of the Algarves." which
refers to the royal pretensions TO
Moorish sovereignty. all substantial
basis to which has long since disap,
peared, together with the East Indian
dependencies
Fate Of Portuguese Army.
1t was in 1873 that Dom Sebastian
the chivalrous hero Of Portuguese song
and story. equipped an army for the
purpose OF overrunning the whole
country. A duke OF Leinster and many
other gentlemanly adventures joined
Dom Sebastian's standards and began
the journey to the capital. which SC
many conquerors have undertaken bu,
in which no single one has succeeded
at least not since the day when the
green banners OF the Prophet OF Islam
were first flung to the breezes from
the battlements OF Fec.
Dom Sebastian and his army of 20,
900 men. together with the uncounted
Adventurers who had come togethe,
from all over Christendom to follow
so gallant and SO generous q prince
met their fate in the valley by Alkesar
which Is watered by a shallow river
generally identified by historians and
geographers as the Lixus OF Pliny
There 10000 men were cut to piece,
by the Moorish cavalry. and those who
died here by the sword were the for
tunate members Of the army. Accord
ing to some accounts. Dom Sebastian
and the more notable Of his followers
wounded or captives. were taken Il
Mekinex. where. after they had gracet
the triumph OF the terrible sultan. Alb
del-Melet. their conQueror, the greater
number Of them were buried alive ir
the city walls. In these same walls
are visible today many hundred brick
ed up cells In which on this occasion
and at other times OF fanatical fury
Christians were immured while Twins
AZ punishment for refusing to recitt
the fatiha and 30 become renegadei
to their creed
Coded to England.
After this disaster Portugal gradu
ally withdrew from Morocco, and ir
1860 what remained OF her conQuests