Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-03-16
THIRD LETTER OF TRAVEL
 FROM PINE BLUFFIAN
Interesting Account of Places and People Along the Mediterranean iD Letter Written to The Graphic.
On Board .. $. Arabic
 February 21, 1909.

idea of my trip--it is so grand--lang
 uage is inadequate It has opened
 new world to ne We left Granada
 Spain in the early morning, soor
 emerged into the beautiful mountain
 ous country with no trees as far as
 the eye could see, but cultivated fields
 and beautiful homes. We passed
 groves of cork trees, the most valu-
 able kind in the world; saw the cork
 piled ready for the factory and the
 trees stripped of the bark-which is
 the cork. The bark grows again and can be taken off every six or seven years.
 We had jolly party In our com partment, and before we knew 1t Gibralta loomed up in the distance.
 We left the train at Algeciras and took steam to Gibralta. A half hour s ride brought us to the great fort ress; it is connected with Spain by narrow neck Of land called Neutral Ground The Spanish garrison on one end and English on the other. Only English people could go ill the Fort; guns were bristling from every point. We saw the Governors house. public library, and beautiful gardens.
 The Rcck is two miles long and half mile wide, and surely holds the key to the Mediterranean.
 It is one of the pillars of Hercules, the other one is on the African coast. twelve miles distance. There are many views of the rock from different points; it is tunnelled through many times and guns trained on the sea. It it quite an impressive sight, and I am sure if the Equitable Life In- surance Company is as solid as this rock, it is on a firm foundation.
 We reached Algiers. Africa, yester- uo the mountain to where the aristo cratic French live. through Wild Woman's Ravine," and to the Cover uor's palace, going through it and the gardens which were filled with all kinds of tropical plants.
 We then came down to the Moorsh and Arab quarters. This was most interesting to me, never expect to see more unique sight. with It's very narrow streets. crowds of Moors and Arabs dressed in the very loose, oaggy trousers, bare legs and feet, and feet or turban on head. The women cover their face, all except the eyes, and leave their legs and feet bare. The higher class wear stock ings and slippers. All wear the baggy trousers Both men and women wear shawls over head and shoulders.
 We went to the hotel Excelsior and were served an excellent lunch, table d'hote. I begrudged the time it took.
 We me, a lady from Michigan who had spent the winter in Algiers and was quite we'll posted. She took charge of us and showed us many in- teresting sights. We first went to Ahe home of the last Sutan's daugh- ter; it was also his Harem, was dec orated In Moorish style, the pillars around an open court of marble, the capitals of which had the acanthus leaf initiated: it grows i'll Algiers, and was first used in ornamentation by the Moors and has been copied in all ages since. The house was built in the Fifteenth century and had not been redecorated.
 We then went to the Sultan's pal ace which was built in the eleventh 1t looked like it. The columns were marble, capitals of ala baster, decoration. principally Moor ish tiling.
 The majority of Moors now live around Algiers, and back in the les- ert; their pride Is thorougly broken and one cannot imagine these people were lnH IeTEOI OL tuc Scd lOI LuhAy years, and that the United States paid millions of dollars ransom for their citizens.
 The stone breakwater which makes the harbor was built by Christian slaves, and 1t took thirty years to build it.
 We visited school instituted by the French to teach the poor Arab girls embroidering, carpet and silk weaving so they could be self-support- ins.
 They were doing beautiful embroid- ering, and the rugs hand made, were of soft shades. and artistic patterns. We went by the shops where the Arabs were making garments; they held their sewing with their toes. all sitting on the floor. they make a aloorish stitch which is very secure.
 On the summit of the hill is the old