Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16

hold all the country about II today, and
they still so dislike the Spaniards that 1t
is impossible for the Ceuta people to go
back into the country unless accompanied
by soldiers. The mountains nearby are
controlled now, l believe, by the bands of
Raisuli.
Melila, where 1 write this letter. is an
other of SPANS convict settlements 1t
lies on the Mediterranean several hundred
miles east of Ceuta and about thirty-six
hours by steamer across the way from
Malaga. There are also several islands
near here which are used to cage Spanish
convicts. They contain murderers, burglars
an political exiles.
A Spanish Military Prison.
Melilla itself is Spanish military prison
There are 5000 soldiers stationed here. and
a large number of them have come as pun
ishnent for desertion, crime and for various
transgressions of military discipline. /
cannot imagine a worse place. 1t makes
one think Of the inscription over the door
to Dante's hell, which read:
"All hope abandon ye' who enter here
The town is built upon a great bluff
which runs out into the sea. There are
thirsty hills all about, each with a great
white round fort upon it, and large IRON
barred barracks in and about the city.
Outside these large buildings the houses
and stucco. painted all colors of the rain
bow. They are built Spanish fashion in
blocks. and the iron barred windows are
as prison-like as their surroundings.
The Inhabitants are chiefly Spanish Jews
and motley Moors. The Jews have little
stores in the town. and the Moors have
bazaars just inside the walls. where each
turbaned merchant stands in q sort of a
hole. with his goods piled around him.
There is a Moorish cncampment nearby.
and there is quite a caravan trade with
all western and southern Morocco.
Stoned by the Spaniards.
have not found the natives here any
too friendly and / am glad to be back on
the little steamship Emr, far out in the
harbor. where I am writing this letter
When we landed and showed our passports
describing US as Americans the soldiers
scowled and were none too pleasant al
though l succeeded in getting some excel
lent photographs of them during my stay
In the town it became known that we were
Americans and the boys and men gath
cred around US with no friendly air. One
Of them threw a rock the size of Il man $
fist at the carriage and narrowly escaped
hitting me. AS it was il struck the door
handle and bent it. Our coaehman jumped
down and ran after the boy, but we con-
cluded not to give the offender over to the
police and indeed were rather glad when
We were safe out of the town.
A Land of Pirates.
It seems odd to think of pirates carrying
on their trade in this twentieth century,
but that is a regular business with certain
of the tribes of the Riff mountains near
here They do not go out with large ships
and attack the vessels of the Mediter-
ranean, as they did at the beginning of
the last century, but they rob and some
times kill the sailors OF the smaller craft
when the bad seas drive them upon the
shore Not long ago the whole of Morocco
was filled with pirates. and there We're pi-
braltar to Tripoli Just before entering the
strait one sees on the north coast the
town of Tarfa with it's old Moorish forts.
from where the Moors swooped down upon
all vessels going through the strait and
made them pay tribute. From that town
and custom came our word tariff"
About that same time the Moors OF Mo-
rocco and Algeria were preying on all the
commerce of the Mediterranean, and nearly
every great nation submitted 10 their eX-
actions. We did so for a time, but in 1915
we declared war upon these pirates, and
were the first to bring them to time. We
had trouble with the Dey of Algiers, and
sent Commodore Decatur over to tell him
that Americans would pay him tribute no
longer. The dey insisted until Decatur
when he began to weaken He then sent
out word to our commodore suggesting that
If he would pretend to storm the town.
using powder only, the tribute might be
omitted. Commodore Decatur replied that
cannon balls always went with American
powder and that If the dey received the
one he must take the other. Soon after
ward Decatur captured some of the AL
gerian ships, and the dey finally had to