Ellsworth American., 1912-02-07
DULL LIFE IN AGADIR.
Moroccan Town May BE Last to
Hear Its Own Fate.
robin Grey. in London Erpress.l

robin Grey, in London Erpress.l
Time hangs heavily on ones hands in
Agadir. The place itself had singularly
few attractions. 1t is very dirty. Flies
and feas abound everywhere, and every
kind OF unpleasant smell, and worst OF all,
there is no water.
At Fronte there is q spring. In the
sixteenth century the Portuguese, who for
. short while held Agsdir, built small
fort to protect the water, but nowadays it
is brackish. The women wash clothes
in it, children paddle and bathe in it and
anything and everything is thrown in it.
Moreover, Fonte is some 800 feet be-
low Agadir, and rocky, precipitous
trail Is the only means Of communication
between the two.
The pleasantest part Of Agadir is the
walls. They are broad enough to walk
upon, and at certain points widen into
large open spaces. The view is magnifi-
cent, the Atlantic ocean stretching far
away into hazy distance, the coast line
edged for miles with golden sand, the
River Sus winding through it's fertile val
ley past EAucttuh auu LhI IIoolhpi tAAA ~
finds the sea, and the Atlas mountains
reaching toward the heart OF Africa.
Here one meets the gossips OF the town
Frenchman waiting to travel inland,
chatting at the delay and ridiculing the
imaginary dangers, but still obliged to
wait; German, who, on the other hand,
shows we'll feigned surprise that any one
| @rI n
kindly protection of the Khaliia; Jew or
two, who will tell you how the price of
land in Agadir has increased two hun
dredfold in value.
They act as Intermediates in these land
transactions, for a good Moor will not sell
directly to a Christian, but, though no
doubt they insist on big commissions,
they run some risk.
The Berber language is commonly
known as Shilhab, but is more correctly
called Tamazight, which means "the
tongue Of the free". 1t is in this language
that Sidi Hammo wrote, or, rather, sang,
his love poems. Not only in language but
in their customs and philosophy the Ber-
bers OF Sus differ very much from the true
Moors, and very notably in their attitude
toward woman, which has grown out OF
the ancient Berber belief In female
creator. The translator OF Sidi Hammo's 8
verses says in his preface
sin the tongue of the Berber, the sun
the most potent generative force in exist
ence-is woman. Ayor, the moon, is her
child, and mankind are the slaves of the
! universal mother. This belief finds ex-
preston in various forms, notably in the
respect, amounting often to absolute fear,
| in which woman is held, position she
rarely occupies in Arab society.
"Eyery married woman becomes, in the
Shilhah vernaculsr, tamghart, the femi-
nine form OF amghar (sheik). The sheik
being the person OF highest consideration
in the clan, and the official representative
| Of kingly rule, the inference is obvious"
The Khalifa, having had instructions
from Kaid Ghillouli to entertain me, sends
me food four times day. In the early
morning large bowl OF soup made very
thick with semolina; then couple OF
hours later breakfast, which consists OF
scrambled eggs cooked, however with oll),
| honey, native bread, and sweet tea Favored
with mint. For the midday meal and for
dinner they prepare always stew, which
is usually excellent, though often made too
hot with peppers, spices and cus-cus, the
most popular OF all Moorish dishes.
These meals are always served on the
foor, and one is supposed to eat every
thing with ones fingers, but being pre-
pared, one is generally able to evsde this
custom, especially as the Khalifs himself,
even il we should be in the middle OF
conversation, always leaves the moment
any food is brought me. What one misses
most in the life here is news from Europe,
and it seems strange that this place,
whose fate is being discussed in half the
chancelleries of Europe, will probably be
the last to hear the results. France and
Germany might go to war over Adagir and
involve all Europe, but the peaceful mo-
notony OF the place would be undisturbed,
and nobody would hsve anything more to
do than gaze out to sea from the city walls.
"Did mention the fright got on my
wedding dayfn uSh-sh-h-h," whispered