Approach to the City of Marocco — Pleasant encounter — Halt
in an olive garden — Interior of the city — Difficulty as to
lodging — Governor unfriendly — Camp in the great square —
Negotiations with the Viceroy — Successful result — Palace of
Ben Dreis — Diplomatic difficulties — Gardens of Marocco —
Interview with El Graoui.
After vainly waiting nearly two hours for the return of our soldier,
we determined to push on towards the city of Marocco, though somewhat
uncertain what the character of our reception might be. This was not
merely a matter affecting our personal comfort during our short stay,
but was certain to have an important effect on the success of our
subsequent journey, and it was a most fortunate circumstance that
Hooker’s long experience in contending with the jealousies and
suspicions of the native authorities in Nepal and the border States
of North-eastern India, and his thorough knowledge of the character
of people, who, though far removed, very much resemble the Moors
in their ideas and maxims of policy, had prepared him to deal with
them successfully. We had gained the first essential condition for
exploring the unknown valleys of the Great Atlas, by obtaining the
consent of the Sultan; but it was impossible to guess the precise
tenor of the orders forwarded by him to the local authorities, and,
whatever these might be, the ultimate result would largely depend on
the good or ill faith of the latter in carrying them into effect. The
person whose favourable dispositions it was chiefly important
to secure was El Graoui, who exercises under the Sultan a wide
authority as Governor of nearly all the tribes of the Great Atlas
that recognise the imperial authority, extending over a considerable
portion of the country at the foot of the mountains inhabited by
a Shelluh population. El Graoui, as we knew, lived in the city of
Marocco, but outside his own jurisdiction. The Governor of the city
and its immediate neighbourhood was Ben Daoud, a man notorious for
his dislike to strangers and especially to Christians, and it was
to him that we had to look for our reception, on our arrival.
From whatever side it be approached the city of Marocco presents
an imposing appearance. The western side presented an outline
about a mile and a half in length. Massive walls, some thirty feet
in height, with square towers at intervals of about 120 yards,
completely enclose it, and on two sides at least it is girdled by a
wide belt of gardens in which the date-palm, olive, and fig are the
most conspicuous trees. Here, as elsewhere, the date-palm flourishes
in a sandy soil where the roots plunge into a more compact subsoil
kept moist by infiltration. On the north-west side the palm groves,
which we passed on our left, are so close and continuous as to give
the effect of a forest, while along our route they alternated with
other cultivated trees. The effect of the scene as we approached was
peculiar and new. The luxuriance of the vegetation that at intervals
screened from view the great range of the Atlas, the majestic old
olive trees, the rough trunks of the tall palms on which stood
many a motionless chameleon; the walls and towers of the great
city seen at intervals as we wound among the gardens and groves,
combined to form a striking and highly picturesque scene. It was
near 4 o’clock when, as we were drawing near the walls, we were
startled by the sudden appearance of a party of well-mounted Moors
in flowing _haïks_, whose horses leaped in succession through a
gap in an adjoining fence and advanced to meet us. Our surprise was
increased when the foremost of the party greeted us in English with a
friendly welcome. This gentleman, whose outward appearance was quite
undistinguishable from that of his companions, was Mr. Hunot, brother
of the British Vice-Consul at Saffi, and representative at Marocco,
of the house of Messrs. Perry & Co., of Liverpool. His companions,
grave and courteous-looking Moors of considerable local influence,
were Sidi Mohammed Hassanowe [1] and Sidi Boubikir, with two or
three more of less note. We were invited into an adjoining garden,
where carpets were spread under large olive trees, and a refection
in the Moorish style, consisting of green tea, cakes of wheaten
flour and kabobs, was speedily prepared.
Mr. Hunot had spent several months in the city, and in the absence of
M. Lambert, a French merchant, who has lived there for many years,
was the only European resident. Although his thorough familiarity
with the language, customs, and ideas of the natives made his
position less difficult, he found it practically so irksome that he
was then on the point of returning to Saffi, his ordinary residence;
and we owe it to his kind desire to assist us during this critical
period of our journey that he postponed his departure for a day. The
time passed very pleasantly, and we listened with satisfaction
to the opinion expressed by our hosts that no obstacles would be
interposed to our intended journey in the Atlas; when the first
sign of rocks ahead was disclosed on the return of the messenger
despatched to ascertain what sort of lodging had been prepared for
us. When the messenger acknowledged that a very small house with but
two rooms had been provided, it became clear that, so far as the city
authorities were concerned, there was no disposition to show us much
courtesy. Hooker at once sent back a message to the Governor, that
we should require a much larger house, or else an enclosed garden
in which to pitch our tents. After about half-an-hour’s delay,
the messenger again appeared, saying that a much larger house, with
four rooms, and more adjoining if required, was ready to receive
us. Hereupon we resolved to enter the city, and in company with
our new friends, whose ample _haïks_ picturesquely draped must
have contrasted favourably with the ugly _jellabias_ that we wore
over our European dress, we defiled in a long cavalcade, followed
by the mules, camels, and donkeys of our train, through the gardens
that on this side approach close to the city walls.
Before the gate we found an officer, evidently of inferior position,
with some ten or twelve ragged fellows on foot, armed with rusty
matchlocks, posted there to receive us, and to conduct us to our
quarters; and with this sorry escort, we made our entry into
Marocco. It is impossible by any language to convey the sense
of utter disappointment and disgust which overpowered us on our
first arrival; and though these feelings soon became subordinate to
others connected with our personal position, they are those which
predominate in our subsequent recollections.
After passing the gateway we had before us a wide road, with a
lofty mud wall on one side and a lower mud wall on the other. The
high wall on the right forms part of the enclosure of the Sultan’s
palace; over that on the left branches of shrubs or trees appeared,
showing that gardens or orchards lay behind. On either side of the
road rose accumulations of refuse and filth that looked as if they
might have been the growth of centuries, and the farther we went the
greater became the piles of abomination, until it seemed as if these
would block up the passage. We had passed a fine Moorish arch of
wide span, that forms the chief entrance to the palace enclosure,
and following this as it makes a sharp turn to the right, there
were still no signs of dwellings. The mud walls on either side, on
which many storks built their nests, were often in a ruinous state;
and here and there it seemed as if people had burrowed beneath so
as to make something between a den and a hovel. At length we turned
into a sort of lane, and soon emerged into what appears to be one
of the main streets. Hitherto we had met very few passers-by;
but we now found ourselves in a rather crowded thoroughfare,
encountering a good many men on horseback, and a large number of
foot passengers, many of them veiled women. The street displayed
nothing but mud walls, about twenty feet in height, without a single
window, but with openings at frequent intervals leading into short
and narrow passages or lanes. The behaviour of the people as we
passed was singular. Some of them cast scowling looks at us and
muttered words, certainly not of welcome, which may very likely
have included some unflattering references to our grandmothers;
but the great majority went by without seeming to heed us in the
least, as though European costume, which had probably not been seen
within the walls since M. Beaumier’s visit in February, 1868,
were a familiar sight calling for no remark.
At length the head of our escort turned suddenly into one of
the narrow lanes, barely wide enough to let a laden camel pass;
we followed and, after passing the entrances of five or six other
houses, reached a low door at the end of the lane. Stooping through
the mean entrance and a short passage, we found a small open court,
about fifteen feet square, on each side of which was a narrow room,
receiving no light except from the court. A very brief inspection
showed that the whole place was swarming with insects of every kind;
and as Hooker turned round to express his opinion and his intentions,
it was found that the officer with his rabble escort had decamped
the moment he saw us safe into the house, thinking no doubt that we
had thus no option but to remain there. When Hooker announced in
very decisive terms his resolution not to sleep in such a house,
Mr. Hunot and our new Moorish friends, foreseeing a row between
us and the Governor, urged that we should put up with the house
for that night, and on the following morning negotiate for a more
suitable dwelling. As we were holding council together as to what
should be done, a number of men appeared on the scene, each bearing
one of the customary large beehive covered dishes, as a _mona_
for our evening meal. They were instantly ordered to carry their
dishes back to Ben Daoud, and inform him that we refused to stop in
that house. They said they could not take away the food, as their
orders were to leave it for us; but on the order being repeated
in more imperative tones, they departed, most likely settling the
difficulty by appropriating the _mona_ between themselves and their
friends. At this point Hooker’s knowledge of the Oriental character
was conspicuously shown. If it be often true in the West that people
are taken at their own valuation of themselves, this becomes an
invariable rule among Eastern people. It was absolutely necessary
for our eventual success that it should be understood that we were
persons travelling by the express authority of our own Government,
and entitled to all respect from the officers of the Moorish Sultan,
however high their position might be. Were we to allow ourselves
to be treated as mere private persons recommended to their good
offices, there was an end to all hope of breaking down the barriers
by which national prejudice and ancient tradition had closed the
interior of the country against the intrusion of strangers. Had
we even given way for a single day, the ingenuity of the natives
would have found abundant pretexts for evading our demands; it was
much easier to refuse the proffered lodging at once than to give a
good reason why we could not spend a second night in a house where
we had passed the first.
A messenger was despatched to Ben Daoud. ‘Tell the Governor,’
said Hooker, ‘that my Sultana gives me a large house with a garden
to live in; hospitality would require that the Governor of Marocco
should provide me—the guest of his Sultan—with a better house;
but, in any case, I shall not live in a worse one.’ In a short
time the messenger returned with the answer: ‘The Governor has no
better house to give the Christians; but Marocco is large, and they
are welcome to provide for themselves!’ It was then immediately
decided to camp out for the night; and the better to mark our sense
of the reception given us, it was at first proposed to pitch our
tents outside the walls. From this, however, we were dissuaded. In
such a position, apparently deprived of the protection of the
local authorities, we should certainly, it was said, be attacked
by robbers, from whom our Mogador escort might not prove a secure
defence. It was finally decided that our best course would be to
encamp in the great open space beside the chief mosque and tower of
the Koutoubia. Our men had been ordered not to unload the baggage,
so we were immediately under way. In the twilight the filth and
abjectness of all that met the eye were not so glaringly prominent
as before; but as we rode through more streets and lanes and open
spaces, we saw no single building of the slightest pretension,
until we entered the great square, at the farther end of which is
the tower of the Koutoubia, the solitary specimen of architecture
of which the ancient capital can boast.
The daylight was fading fast, but enough remained to show that the
spot of our encampment was anything but inviting. Go where we would
the ground was covered with refuse of every kind, full of scorpion
holes, and swarming with insects, of which the most abundant and
unsightly, though the least mischievous, were very large black
Coleoptera, distant relatives of our European cockroaches, and the
whole space was bordered by a ditch or open drain that reeked with
foul exhalations. Meanwhile, we had sent the captain of our escort
with a message to Muley Hassan, the Viceroy, informing him of our
resolution to encamp in our own tents, until a suitable house had
been provided for us. A civil answer was returned, expressing a wish
that we should not camp out, and saying that he had sent orders
to Ben Daoud immediately to provide us a suitable residence. Soon
after came a polite message from El Graoui, expressing his regret
that we had not been lodged to our satisfaction, and forwarding a
letter that he had addressed to Ben Daoud on the subject. Nearly
an hour passed, when at last a final answer came from Ben Daoud,
saying that it was then too late to comply with our wishes, but that
on the following morning we should have a good house with a garden.
During all this time we had remained grimly sitting on horseback, no
way anxious, until it should be quite necessary, to commit ourselves
for the night to the unpleasant accompaniments that surrounded us;
but there was no longer any choice, and the order was given to
pitch the large tent and unload the baggage.
During the interval we had been much struck by the demeanour
of the people, who had from time to time passed by as we stood
grouped together in this most public place of the city. Whether
in obedience to orders, or from a spontaneous desire to display
their utter indifference as to the doings of the infidels, no one
paid the slightest attention, or even turned a head to notice us
or our proceedings. Even the very boys engaged in some rough play
when we first arrived on the square showed the same ostentatious
disregard—in striking contrast to the eager curiosity of the Arab
children in Algeria and the East, who will sit for hours together
watching every movement of European travellers. By this time,
however, the night had closed in, and the great square was silent
and dark before our large tent was pitched and the baggage brought
under cover.
Soon after there appeared a train of men bearing dishes—the evening
_mona_—along with twenty-four soldiers sent by El Graoui to guard
our camp during the night, and about half-past 9 we were able to
get the rather long delayed evening meal and discuss our further
prospects and proceedings. While thus engaged the sound of angry
voices outside the tent interrupted conversation; it was evident
that a violent altercation was going on, in which many voices
took part. When all was again quiet, we ascertained the cause of
the row. Ten soldiers sent by Ben Daoud as a guard for the night
had come to take their places round the camp, when they found the
ground already occupied. El Graoui’s men warned them off, telling
them they had no business there, and when the others insisted on
remaining to carry out their master’s orders the first comers
threatened to thrash them if they did not immediately depart. Peace
was re-established when Ben Daoud’s men retired to the farther
end of the square behind the great mosque.
When we came to talk over the varied experiences of the day,
we first of all agreed that, old travellers as we all were, and
familiar with the squalor of Oriental cities, we none of us had
ever known, or even imagined, the existence of a large town so
expressive of human degradation, so utterly foul and repulsive,
as this wherein we found ourselves. Of all the places commonly
visited by travellers Jerusalem is perhaps that which at the first
moment approaches nearest to the same impression; but, not to speak
of the numerous important buildings and the associations connected
with them, nor yet of the modern structures that have arisen during
the last half-century, the poorest quarters of Jerusalem are far
from rivalling the universal squalor and hideousness of all that
meets the eye in Marocco. A ruinous house, with windows closed by
weather-beaten rickety lattice-work, is not a beautiful object,
but it may be sometimes picturesque, and, at the worst, is far
better than a dead wall of crumbling mud, such as here meets the
eye on every side. It would seem as if the most miserable suburbs
of all the other towns of North Africa and Western Asia had been
collected together and enclosed within a lofty wall, so that seen
from without the whole might be palmed off on mankind as the effigy
of a great city.
On deliberating over the events of the evening in relation to our own
future prospects, we found reason to think that what had happened
did not necessarily bode ill for the objects of our expedition. A
fierce rivalry, as we knew, already existed between El Graoui and Ben
Daoud, men whose power and influence in the State were supposed to
be of equal weight. Whether to gratify his own feelings, or because
he so understood the intentions of the Sultan, Ben Daoud had showed
himself unfriendly, while El Graoui had clearly declared himself on
our side. But as Ben Daoud had no authority whatever in the Atlas
valleys, his enmity could do us no real harm; while El Graoui,
whose opposition alone was to be feared, might easily be carried
farther than he would have otherwise gone on our behalf for the
mere pleasure of thereby spiting his rival. In this way our visit
came to play a certain part in the interior politics of Marocco,
and the serio-comic development of the story acquires a share of
interest from the light it throws on native character.
Some time after midnight, after finishing our customary task in
laying out our collections of the day, which had been much smaller
than usual, we sallied out to view the surrounding scene. The
moon stood high in the cloudless sky, wherein there was so little
vapour that the stars seemed scarcely dimmed by her brilliancy. The
great tower, stark against the black vault, appeared gigantic in its
proportions as it looked down on the strange scene below. The noises
of the city—even the howling of the dogs—were for the moment
completely stilled; our camels, horses, mules, and asses lay resting
after their day’s work, and amongst them the sleeping figures of
our men, wrapped up in white _haïks_ or _jellabias_, looked weird
and ghostly in the moonlight. The distinctness with which we heard
the occasional whispers of the guards around our camp served only
to make the deep silence of the night the more impressive.
On this night the advantages of a tent of what is known as the Alpine
Club pattern, where the floor is made of canvas continuous with the
sides, and the entrance is closed by a flap rising about a foot from
the ground, were shown in a striking way. In the great tent, where
the ground underfoot was pierced with scorpion holes and swarming
with insects, Hooker and Maw did not venture to undress, and had
to pass the night perched upon the baggage, while Ball was able to
spread his mattress regardless of the creatures that might be moving
about under the canvas floor. When his tent was struck next morning
the ground underneath was absolutely covered with a continuous mass
of creeping things, yet not a single insect entered the tent.
When we all rose betimes on the morning of the 4th, we felt
that this must be a decisive day in our contest with the Moorish
authorities. At an early hour Hooker despatched two messengers, one
to the Viceroy, requesting an interview, the other to Mr. Hunot,
begging him to use his local knowledge and influence to make sure
that the request should reach the Viceroy. Soon after arrived a
message from Ben Daoud, saying that we were at liberty to pitch our
tents in an adjoining garden. If that offer had been made on our
first arrival, it is most likely that it would have been accepted;
but, as it was now clear that Ben Daoud was intent on yielding as
little as possible, Hooker wisely resolved to insist on the demand
which he had made on the previous evening, and returned an answer
in nearly the same terms as before.
At 8 A.M. a morning meal of wheaten cakes and milk came from El
Graoui, and throughout that and the following days he continued to
supply our wants and those of our followers on the most liberal
scale. Besides a light breakfast, three copious meals with meat
and vegetables cooked in the most approved style, accompanied by
dates and oranges, were regularly furnished; and the addition
of a mule-load of oranges that came later in the day furnished
in abundance the most acceptable luxury that nature affords in
this region.
It was clear that the question debated among the Marocco authorities
as to the best way of dealing with the troublesome Christian
visitors was considered a rather knotty one, for fully two hours
elapsed before our Mogador _kaïd_ returned with the Viceroy’s
answer. We were welcome to Marocco, he said, and he had ordered
the palace of Ben Dreis, with the adjoining garden, to be prepared
for our reception. That building belonged, it was added, to his
father, the Sultan, and not to the Governor of Marocco, so that we
should consider the use of it as a mark of the personal favour and
friendship of the Sultan. The request for an interview was evaded,
probably to avoid any further demands that may have been apprehended;
but we had obtained a complete victory, and had nothing more to
ask so far as our stay in Marocco was concerned.
Although the sequel of the story was not unfolded till a day or two
later, it may as well be here given. Si Boubikir, one of our Moorish
friends who had interested himself on our behalf, was sent for by
the Viceroy, and at the same time Ben Daoud was also summoned. The
latter was addressed by the Viceroy in the coarsest terms: ‘You
dog! you slave! you son of a slave! how have you dared to neglect
my father’s orders? Were you not ordered to provide a suitable
residence for these English gentlemen?’ With further additions
of threats and abuse. On the following day (after we had paid our
visit to El Graoui) a person sent by Ben Daoud came to Abraham,
our interpreter, to express a hope that we should also pay a visit
to the Governor of the city in token of reconciliation. He was to
assure us that Ben Daoud was no way to blame for anything that had
happened, as he had acted throughout by the express orders of the
Viceroy, who had desired him to begin by offering the smaller house,
then one somewhat larger, and to leave it to the Viceroy to meet our
demands, if we persisted in asking for a house with a garden. It was
quite impossible to guess how much or how little truth there might
be in this tale, and how far the scene got up before Si Boubikir
was a mere comedy; but it is characteristic of the country, that it
should not be considered improbable. Hooker decided that it was not
expedient to overlook the affronts of which Ben Daoud was either the
author or the instrument, and his message was met by a curt refusal.
The house or palace of Ben Dreis, which we were to inhabit,
originally belonged to a powerful minister, whose property, after
the custom of the country, had been confiscated by the sovereign. In
1864 it was occupied by Sir Moses Montefiore; and a correct sketch
of it is given in Dr. Hodgkin’s narrative of that gentleman’s
mission of benevolence to Marocco.
We were told that a short time would be required to prepare the house
for our reception, and it turned out that the first requisite step
was to knock down the wall that stood where the entrance had formerly
been. A house in which Jews or Christians had lived was regarded
as unclean and unfit for the dwelling of a true believer, and
accordingly after the departure of Sir M. Montefiore, the entrance
had been walled up, and the house had so remained ever since. When
the way had been cleared, an escort of soldiers, despatched by the
Viceroy, accompanied us to our new dwelling, which stands inside
its walled garden very near to the Bab Roub—the gate by which we
yesterday entered the city. We were agreeably surprised when we
approached by far the finest house which we anywhere saw in this
country, a massive square building, entered by a Moorish arch. As
usual, the ground-floor rooms, with the central court, roofed in,
contrary to the usual practice, were fit only for servants, or for
stabling animals and storing goods, and the best apartments were
on the upper floor. These were, of course, destined for us. But the
first glance showed that in a country where animal, and especially
insect, life is so active, the rooms in their present state would be
no pleasant habitations. This, however, was foreseen and provided
for, and, before many minutes were over, a crowd of men, including
our own attendants, were hard at work carrying up large vessels of
water from the irrigation stream in the adjoining garden, and armed
with rough brooms, with which to complete the work of cleaning the
premises. Water was turned on in such abundance as to stand ankle
deep in most of the rooms, and pour in a copious stream down the
staircases and other openings. When all was done the blazing sun
soon dried all up, and during our stay we suffered no inconvenience,
and scarcely saw any insects, except a few harmless beetles. When
the rooms had been thus cleansed and dried, we proceeded to instal
ourselves in our new quarters. There was a large central room,
open to the sky in the middle, with roofed bays or recesses around,
and several adjoining, which served as bedrooms. The terrace roof,
overlooking the trees of our garden and the city wall, commanded a
magnificent view of the Great Atlas range, and in the early morning,
and towards sunset, afforded an unfailing attraction.
During this and the following days much time was consumed in long
discussions respecting our future plans and arrangements. During
the remainder of his stay in Marocco Mr. Hunot was kind enough to
devote most of his time to us, and in his visits he was generally
accompanied by Si Mohammed Hassanowe and Si Boubikir, who sat
gravely by, rarely taking any part in the conversation. One of the
subjects requiring mature consideration related to the manner in
which the objects of our journey might best be made intelligible
and satisfactory to the Moorish authorities. The matter had
already been under discussion at Mogador and during our journey,
but its importance was now much more obvious when it was clear
that our farther progress would depend on the view that El Graoui
might take of our character and intentions. We were well aware
that anything so simple as the statement that the object was to
gratify our curiosity as to the vegetation of the Great Atlas,
would at once be set aside as a false pretext, intended to cover
some sinister design. That one man should be crazy enough to make
a long journey for such a purpose might have been thought within
the range of possibility; but to suppose that three should all
at once be smitten with the same form of insanity was plainly too
ridiculous. To endeavour to explain that Hooker, as Director of a
great national establishment such as Kew Gardens, should be anxious
to enrich it by the introduction of new, rare, or useful plants,
was not likely to be more successful. The existence of any public
institution having a claim to attention apart from the personal will
or caprice of the sovereign could not be made intelligible to the
native mind. It was clear that if we did not present ourselves as
persons in some way carrying out the direct orders of the Queen of
England, we should have no claim to respect, and should be regarded
as adventurers prompted by some motive we did not care to avow.
Of course, we felt a natural reluctance to use the Queen’s name in
an unauthorised way; but, without entering into subtle discussion
as to the extent to which the acts of ministers are to be regarded
as those of the sovereign, the fact that the Foreign Secretary had,
through the Queen’s representative, applied for the Sultan’s
permission for Hooker’s journey, undoubtedly justified him in
assuming a position different from that of an ordinary traveller. It
is true that the knowledge and personal interest which Her Majesty
has always shown in matters relating to Art have never been publicly
displayed in reference to natural history; but it would certainly
not be straining the truth to let it be understood that such a
unique institution as the Royal Gardens at Kew is regarded by her
with sympathy and favour. The most natural way of conveying this to
the Moorish mind seemed to be to say that the Sultana of England
had great gardens, in which were plants from all the countries in
the world, excepting the Great Atlas, and that she had sent Hooker
and his assistants to collect and send home whatever new plants
they could find there. To this suggestion, a serious objection
was made. It would appear unworthy of a great ruler, we were told,
to trouble herself about anything so frivolous as a garden: ‘Her
thoughts must be engaged in the government of her vast dominions,
and above all in the management of her armies and fleets, and not on
mere matters of amusement.’ ‘But,’ as it was urged, ‘there
is one use of plants that every one can understand. Cannot you say
that you are seeking for herbs useful to cure diseases, and are
charged to bring these home to the Queen of England?’ Of course
it was true that if by any chance such new plants as we might find
possessed medicinal qualities, they would thereby acquire additional
interest, and, therefore, in our numerous subsequent communications
with the authorities, Hooker stated that his commission was to
collect and bring home the plants of the country, and especially
those useful in medicine. It is pretty certain, however, that the
imagination of our interpreter enlarged upon this text, to what
extent we could not of course say. How much that we afterwards
heard was serious, and how much more play of fancy, it is hard to
guess; but there is no doubt that the current belief among our own
followers was that the Sultana of England had heard that there was
somewhere in Marocco a plant that would make her live for ever,
and that she had sent her own _hakim_ to find it for her. When, in
the course of our journey, it was seen that our botanical pursuits
entailed rather severe labour, the commentary was: ‘The Sultana
of England is a severe woman, and she has threatened to give them
stick (the bastinado) if they do not find the herb she wants!’
It was impossible to decide on our future route until after an
interview with El Graoui; but whatever that might be, it was certain
that we should require a number of animals to convey ourselves
and our baggage; and we yielded to the general opinion of the
country in preferring mules for this purpose. Camels are unfit
for the rough mountain paths; and the mule is decidedly superior
to the horse in endurance of prolonged fatigue, inferior food,
and vicissitudes of climate. In a journey of some length it is
decidedly economical to purchase horses and mules rather than hire
them; and we resolved to supply a part of our wants in that way,
Mr. Hunot being good enough to undertake to choose eight mules,
for which on the following day we paid 8_l_. each.
The current coin in South Marocco we found to be French five-franc
pieces (called by Europeans, dollars) for all except small
transactions. These are carried on by Moorish silver pieces,
worth respectively something less than four pence and two pence,
and little coins of an alloy of copper and zinc, called _flous_,
of which about fifteen go to an English penny. It was necessary to
provide our interpreter, Abraham, with bags of these coins to defray
the trifling expenses of our journey. It being understood that the
provision of food for our followers and the animals of our train
would be undertaken by the local authorities, wherever we should go,
the only serious expenses we had to provide for were the purchase
or hire of mules, and such gratuities as we might think proper
to distribute amongst our escort and our servants on our return
to Mogador. For presents to governors, sheiks, and others whom it
might be desirable to conciliate or reward, we had brought with us
a supply which turned out to be more than sufficient for the purpose.
To pass a quiet evening in our own house, free from any immediate
cause for trouble, and with the prospect of a good night’s rest,
such as we had not known since we left Mogador, was an enjoyment
keenly felt; and though our quarters were absolutely devoid of
furniture of any kind, the mere sense of quiet and freedom from
intrusion made them seem to us perfectly luxurious. The position
of our dwelling was indeed admirably chosen. Completely separated
from the inhabited quarters of the city, with their noises and
their stenches, by large gardens and high walls, the only building
within our view was the great tower of the Koutoubia. Some idea
of the effect as seen through one of our windows is given in the
accompanying woodcut. It is very similar in design and dimensions
to the Giralda at Seville and the great tower at Rabat, and like
these is said to have been built by Christian captives. Including the
lanthorn at the top, the height is about 270 feet. It is a singular
proof of the deficiency of the Moors in constructive faculty,
that the only stone structures in this, the ancient capital of the
country, once the abode of wealth and barbaric luxury, should be this
tower, and the great arch forming the entrance to the Sultan’s
palace, of which the carved stones were transported piece by piece
from Spain.
The morning of May 5 presented the unusual appearance of heavy
clouds covering the sky and concealing from view the range of the
Great Atlas. This did not last long. The sun soon reasserted his
dominion over the plain, though the clouds still hung round the
higher peaks. The direct heat of the sun was already great at this
season, but the air was always relatively cool. In the shade of
our rooms the thermometer marked about 80° Fahr. during the warmer
hours of the day, and fell to about 70° at night.
It was a matter of some interest to us to study the spontaneous
vegetation of the gardens of Marocco. We could without difficulty
have obtained permission to visit the very extensive gardens that
occupy the larger part of the enclosed space surrounding the
palace of the Sultan; but we decided that we should be able to
work more effectually, and without risk of exciting the suspicions
of the natives, by confining ourselves to the rather large space
surrounding our own dwelling. To the English reader it may be well
to remark that, in Marocco, as in most Eastern countries, a garden
means something very different from what we understand by it at
home. So far as any idea of enjoyment is connected with it the
paramount object is shade and coolness. Trees, and running water,
without which in this climate few trees will grow, are therefore
the essential requisites. Beyond this the Moor, if he be rich and
luxurious, may plant a few sweet-scented flowers, of which the
rose, violet, jessamine, and _Acacia Farnesiana_ are most prized;
but beyond this, no mere pleasure of the eye is ever dreamt of, and
here, as elsewhere, there seems to be among the natives a complete
want of the sense of beauty.
[Illustration:_J. D. H. & J. B. delt._
TOWER OF THE KOUTOUBIA AT MAROCCO]
To the Moor the chief object of a garden is not pleasure but
profit. In this admirable climate nearly all the vegetable products
of the temperate and subtropical zones may be had in profusion
wherever water is attainable, and of this the Great Atlas provides an
unfailing supply to the city and its neighbourhood. Even at the low
prices of the country, fruits are the most profitable of all crops;
and it is asserted that the Aguidel Garden—the largest of those
within the palace enclosure—containing about forty English acres,
produces on an average 20,000_l_. a year.
The fruit-bearing trees planted in our garden were the date-palm,
orange, olive, fig, pomegranate, apricot, almond, pear, apple, and
mulberry, along with a few vines. Besides these were cypresses,
willows (_Salix babylonica_), aspens, _Robinia_, _Melia_, and
_Celtis_.
There were several tall bushes of _Acacia Farnesiana_, just coming
into fruit, and of white jessamine. The only cultivated flowers
were the rose, Mirabilis, and hollyhock, and a large-leaved variety
of sweet violet, which has also been found in Madeira. Of wild
arborescent plants we noted only _Zizyphus Lotus_ and _Lonicera
biflora_; the latter species (peculiar to North Africa) we observed
here and there throughout our journey. Although the list of wild
herbaceous plants includes few that are not common throughout the
Mediterranean region, it may interest some readers to give it in
full. Specimens of nearly all the species enumerated were preserved
by us.
_List of Plants growing wild in the Garden of Ben Dreis, in the
City of Marocco. Those marked (*) are British species._
*Papaver Rhœas, L. | Leontodon hispidulus, Boiss.
|
*Fumaria parviflora, Lam. | Sonchus maritimus, L.
|
——— agraria, Lag. |* ——— oleraceus, L.
|
*Sisymbrium Irio, L. |*Convolvulus arvensis, L.
|
——— erysimoides, Dsf. | Solanum villosum, Lam.
|
Brassica geniculata, (Dsf.) | Withania somnifera, (Link.)
|
*Capsella Bursa-pastoris, L. | Hyoscyamus albus, L.
|
Lepidium sativum, L. | Cynoglossum pictum, Ait.
|
*Viola odorata, L., var. | Verbascum sinuatum, L.
|
Frankenia pulverulenta, L. | Linaria græca, Chav.
|
Spergularia diandra, (Guss.) | Scrophularia auriculata, L., var.
|
Lavatera cretica, L. |*Veronica anagallis, L.
|
Malva parviflora, All. |*Marrubium vulgare, L.
|
——— nicæensis, All. |*Verbena officinalis, L.
|
*Erodium moschatum, (L.) |*Beta vulgaris, Moq.
|
——— malacoides, (L.) | Chenopodium ambrosioides, L.
|
*Oxalis corniculata, L. |* ——— murale, L.
|
Zizyphus Lotus, L. |* ——— album, L.
|
Medicago pentacycla, D.C. |*Rumex crispus, L.
|
*Trifolium resupinatum, L. |* ——— pulcher, L.
|
Lotus arenarius, Brot. |*Polygonum aviculare, L.
|
Lythrum flexuosum, Lag. | Euphorbia pubescens, Vapl.
|
Bryonia acuta, Dsf. |* ——— peplus, L.
|
*Conium maculatum, L. |*Mercurialis annua, L.
|
*Apium nodiflorum, (L.) |*Urtica dioica, L., var.
|
Ammi majus, L. |*Parietaria officinalis, L., var.
|
Carum Petroselinum, (L.) |*Typha angustifolia, L.?
|
*Caucalis nodosa, (L.) |*Cyperus longus, L.
|
* ——— infesta, (L.) | Phalaris minor, Retz.
|
Lonicera biflora, Dsf. | Piptatherum multiflorum, P.B.
|
*Galium Aparine, L. | Agrostis verticillata, Vill.
|
*Gnaphalium luteo-album, L. |*Cynodon dactylon, L.
|
Anacyclus Valentinus, L. |*Poa annua, L.
|
Chrysanthemum coronarium, L. | Kœleria phleoides, Pers.
|
Senecio gallicus, Chaix, var.| Cynosurus aureus, (L.)
|
Calendula stellata, Cav.? |*Festuca rigida, (L.)
|
Carduus myriacanthus, Salzm.?| Brachypodium distachyon, (L.)
|
Onopordon illyricum, L. |*Bromus madritensis, L.
|
Picris pilosa, Del. |* ——— mollis, L.
|
Leontodon Rothii (Thrincia | ——— macrostachys, Dsf., var.
hispida, Rth.) |
|*Hordeum murinum, L.
This list affords a fair illustration of the general uniformity
of what may be termed the ruderal vegetation throughout the
Mediterranean region. Of 81 species enumerated there are but four
(_Brassica geniculata_, _Lonicera biflora_, _Picris pilosa_, and
_Leontodon hispidulus_) that do not extend to Southern Europe;
fully one-half are found in Northern France and Germany; and 37
are included in the British flora.
About 4 P.M. we started by previous appointment to pay our visit
to El Graoui. The usual course in this country is to make the
first visit to a man in authority one of pure ceremony, wherein
presents are made that are intended to prepare the way for any
serious business, which is reserved for a second interview; but the
necessity for deciding without delay on our future plans, which
depended altogether on the consent and assistance of El Graoui,
forbade this dilatory mode of proceeding, and it was decided that
we should go at once thoroughly into the subject of our intended
journey. This was a proud day for our interpreter, Abraham. While,
in spite of some concessions made to Sir Moses Montefiore, his
coreligionists in the city are forced to put off their shoes when
they leave their own enclosure, Abraham, rejoicing in a pair of
gamboge leather boots, could enter with head erect the presence of
the most powerful subject in Marocco. Preceded by several mounted
soldiers, we passed, by the same filthy roads as before, through
the great gate leading to the palace. Perhaps the sight of a stately
procession irritated the feelings of the people; certainly there was
on this occasion no doubt as to the disposition of the bystanders,
made sufficiently clear by muttered curses and spitting towards
us, and even by a few stones thrown in the same direction, though
scarcely intended to reach us.
The walled space which surrounds the dwelling of the sovereign
appeared to be a nearly regular square, of which the sides measure
about half a mile. Besides the residence of the Sultan, rarely
inhabited of late years, and the extensive ranges of mean irregular
buildings used by his attendants and body-guard, another block of
buildings served as the dwelling of his son, the then Viceroy; and
a third group, to which we proceeded, was the home of El Graoui,
who thus avoided the inconvenience of inhabiting a place subject to
the authority of his rival, Ben Daoud. We saw no building of the
slightest architectural pretensions, or at all comparable to the
house in which we ourselves were lodged. Through narrow tortuous
passages, amidst low buildings, scarcely more than ten feet high,
and of the meanest appearance, we reached a whitewashed building of
two floors, and through a narrow door and passage were ushered up
a short flight of steps into a small room, wherein sat a stout man
of completely black complexion, whose broad countenance gave the
impression of considerable energy with an habitual expression of
good-humoured ferocity. The room was decorated with woodwork, cut
into elaborate geometrical patterns and painted in bright colours,
the only form of decorative art known to the Moors, and lighted by
a lanthorn overhead through small bits of coloured glass. We seated
ourselves on the carpet-covered cushions ranged on either side, and
a few of the ordinary phrases of courtesy, familiar to all readers
who have made a tour in the East, were exchanged. Presently, on a
signal from the great man, the inevitable green tea was served in
English china tea-cups, followed by a slight refection, the air of
the room being meanwhile perfumed with the heavy scent of incense
burned over charcoal.
After this, we, without further preface, commenced conversation as
to the object of our journey, taking care to adhere as nearly as
possible to the line of discourse previously fixed upon. Having
in general terms explained that we wanted to collect the plants
of the high mountains, Hooker was careful to add that we did not
care about stones or minerals. We had been warned that the belief
in the existence of precious metals in the Atlas is traditional in
the country; and though no ruler of Marocco is known to have made
any effort to search for or work mines, extreme jealousy is felt
lest strangers should be attracted by the prospect, and attempt,
in consequence, to establish themselves in the country. In point of
fact, we were obliged to refrain from any overt attempt to collect
even the commonest rocks, and the fragments which we carried away
were picked up and pocketed—as by stealth—when removed from
the watchful eyes of our followers.
El Graoui, with apparent frankness and good-humour, said that he
should have much pleasure in carrying into effect the intentions
of the Sultan in our regard, and that we should have full liberty
to go where we pleased in the portions of the Great Atlas where
the authority of the Sultan is recognised, orders being given
that the local authorities should provide food for us and our
followers. This brought us at once to a question of pressing
importance. Up to this moment we had no notion as to the limits that
might be set to our journey by the Marocco authorities, though too
well aware that Hooker’s engagements in England would not under
any circumstances allow us to carry our explorations very far. In
answer to our inquiries, we were told that we were free to travel on
the northern slope of the mountains that send their waters to the
plain of Marocco. The names of various districts were mentioned,
several of which were strange to our ears, and not to be found on
any map; but we retained those of Glaoui, Ourika, and Reraya, the
latter two being afterwards familiar to us. Further than this, we
were informed that we might travel eastward through the provinces
of Demenet and Ntifa, both apparently high mountain regions,
whose waters run northward to the Oum-er-bia. We were emphatically
told that we must not attempt to cross the chain southward in the
direction of the Sous valley, and we gave a distinct promise to
abstain from doing so. The actual decision as to our future route
was far too important a matter to be disposed of on the spot by
men so imperfectly prepared as we necessarily were, and it was
arranged that Hooker should, in the course of the next day or two,
acquaint El Graoui with the route which we might adopt.
The main point being thus settled, some further conversation ensued
as to the arrangements for our journey. El Graoui informed us that he
would send an escort of five soldiers under the command of a Kaïd,
and further suggested that the escort that had already accompanied
us from Mogador should remain with us throughout the journey. As it
seemed desirable to humour the great man’s fancies, the latter
arrangement was at once agreed to, and in the sequel we found it
decidedly advantageous. The interview was brought to a close by
Hooker presenting to El Graoui a pair of excellent, though not
showy, rifled pistols, which he had brought from England under the
impression that they might be useful for personal defence. We had an
unnecessarily large store of articles intended for presents—silver
watches, musical boxes, opera glasses, cutlery, and the like; but,
on reviewing our stores, Mr. Hunot decided that such objects would
be thought too paltry for a man of El Graoui’s importance, and
that serviceable fire-arms would be far better suited to his taste.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: The designation _Sidi_, equivalent to the Italian
Signore, given to persons of consideration, forms no part of the
name. In conversation it is abbreviated to _Si_.]