Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-30
MisfellansulIs Rsaaiaa
THE LAND OF THE MooRS.
Fierce People Who Have Always Main
tanned Their Own.


tanned Their Own.
Half way down the Atlantic coast Of
Moorish empire, and about opposite
Charleston, rises out Of the sea the lit
tie port Of Casablanca, which is known
as the white House" port in every
language that is spoken along the
coast 1t is white and beautiful, II you
lie in the offing Of a clear night, like
all the rest of Morocco, and, indeed
the Mohammedan world. Casablanca
Is best seen by the pale moonlight, and
to windward.
Near by, Salee, at the very name OF
which our New England ancestors who
went down to the sea in ships were
wont to shudder and with good rea-
son, is now closed by sand bar which
even the daring Barbary corsairs would
not dare to cross in their light drawing
feluccas, but the Moor Of the bad coun-
try is still a pirate, though the times
have driven him inland from the seas
until recently he preyed upon the pass
ing caravans as a century ago ne
swooped down with his hawklike gal
leys upon our becalmed sailing ships
The Kabyle Norsemen who are today
rushing up to the French batteries and
rifle pits are doing it not only because
they have a hatred Of the Christian
which their church sanctifies to vir-
tue, but because they are starving to
death and want to get at the men who
have taken the bread out Of their
mouths.
Ten years ago these dashing horse
men, whose gorgeous costumes and be-
jeweled weapons made them most
beautiful, II somewhat barbarous OBJ
jects to behold, were the lords Of the
plains and marshes which lie between
the Western Soudan and the port
towns Of Southwest Morocco. They
were the masters of transportation In
this part Of the world. and had to be
reckoned with If you cared to take
caravan flight. In ostrich feathers,
gold dust, slaves or salt, they would
protect or pillage you, whichever was
the most profitable.
Profitable Pillaee Wiped Out.
Sid Boubkehr. who was and is the
most prominent man in this part of
the world, used to rebate and cut rates
Just like all the other masters of trans
portation, and just like you and me.
He would give a caravan protection at
his price, or he would pillage it to Sc
cure the just tolls which were his, as he
never doubted, by the divine right OF
might. Boubkehr and his colleagues
and rivals got all they could get out
of the job without disturbing business
or destroying values, and would still
be doing a profitable and philanthropic
business were 1t not for the recent
opening of the western Soudan by the
French, who have diverted to their
own interest and profit all the former
caravan trade from Morocco down TO
Timbuctoo and the Niger. So without
wishing to be unduly alarmed about the
situations Of the besieged garrisons In
Mogador and Casablanca, it is clear
that their assailants are not only IA
natics, but hungry fanatics, who have
been quietly put out Of a most profit
able and gentlemanly business, which
permitted them the extravaganza OF
often paying one hundred good dollars
for a carbine, which in New York
would be dear at twelve.
The dashing bordermen were bound
to the imperial government by the
slenderest Of ties. They were wholly
immersed in their profitable business
operations and in annexing to their
own households the most beautiful
slaves culled from the passing cara
vans. When the tax gatherers ventur-
ed into their domain they buried them
alive, but when the late Sultan Mulat
Hassan, who was a fighter, appeared
In their neighborhood, being conserva-
tive, clear headed business men, they
paid him large sums to go away and
not restrain trade.
Typical of this same Sultan Mulai
Hassan's attitude toward what Is call
ed progress and Improvement in the
western world is an anecdOte, the au-
thenticity of which I feel l can vouch
for There were and still are some
dangerous rocks in the harbor of Ra-
bat, and the owners of the coasting
steamships engaged in the Moroccan
trade were anxious for obvious reasons
to have them removed. Having failed
to interest the local governor in the
matter the steamship men got together
and sent an envoy to Fee, who re-
quested that the companies concerned
might be allowed to remove these dan
gers to commerce at their own ex-
pense.
Certainly not" was the sultan's I'M
mediate answer; "the rocks were put
their by God for some good purpose
ct no man dare to remove them
Young Sultan Raises Storm.
w lldl TIE sultan uOuuticSo S''eo''
was that foreign men-of-war could get
into the Atlantic ports Of his empire
quite easily enough, and at all events
he did not wish to appear in the eyes
of his sullen people as facilitating the
exits and the entrances of the hated
Christians. The policy Of his little son.
Abdul-Aziz has been much more lid
eral, and from the western viewpoint
more enlightened, and is, sad to relate
one of the contributing causes to the
present alarming situation. He re-
Gently consented to the request OF the
consular corps and the shippers that
harbor improvements should be under
taken in Casablanca. Whereupon the
suspicious Kabyles of the adjacent
mountains rushed down to the "White
House" city and killed twelve or fifteen
Europeans, mostly Spaniards, VINO
were engaged upon the work
In making concession to the Euro
pean spirit of progress and enterprise
for which his people are not ready, the
unlucky and probably most incapable
young sultan has raised Il storm whicr