OUR MISSION
TO
THE COURT OF MAROCCO
_Printed by R. & R. Clark_
FOR
DAVID DOUGLAS, EDINBURGH
LONDON HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO.
CAMBRIDGE MACMILLAN AND CO.
GLASGOW JAMES MACLEHOSE.
[Illustration: MEMBERS OF MISSION.]
OUR MISSION
TO
THE COURT OF MAROCCO
IN 1880
UNDER SIR JOHN DRUMMOND HAY, K.C.B.,
MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY AND ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY THE
SULTAN
BY
PHILIP DURHAM TROTTER,
CAPTAIN 93D HIGHLANDERS
ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE HON D. LAWLESS, RIFLE BRIGADE
EDINBURGH: DAVID DOUGLAS
MDCCCLXXXI
=Dedicated by Permission=
TO
HIS EXCELLENCY SIR JOHN DRUMMOND HAY, K.C.B.
MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY AND ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY TO THE SHARÍFIAN COURT
_IN REMEMBRANCE OF MUCH KINDNESS_
PREFACE.
Some said, “John, print it,”
Others said, “No;”
Some said, “It might do good,”
Others said, “Not so.”
Whatever weight I might have been inclined to attach to the fluctuating
expressions of friendly opinion contained in the above lines, there is
at all events one ground on which I have been nearly tempted to allow
the “noes to have it,” and that is the length of time which has elapsed
since the return of the Mission.
The delay has been a matter of great regret to me; and its cause—viz.
the long continuance of a severe fever, contracted either amid the
scenes of which I write, or in that valuable but pestilential possession
of Her Majesty, the Rock of Gibraltar—must also be my excuse for any
imperfection of style or composition which may be found in this volume.
The work itself is merely an elaboration of my diary kept from day to
day during my residence in the Sultan’s “happy realms;” and though the
interest of the events recorded is not of a sensational or startling
character, I think I may safely assert that truth—if nothing else—is to
be found in the following pages.
I may mention that Leo Africanus, whose work on Marocco I have several
times quoted, was a Moor of Granada, who fled to Fez when that city was
besieged in 1492. He was patronised by Mulai Ahmed, founder of the
present dynasty, and later in his career was captured by Christian
corsairs, and taken to Rome. Here he was well received by Pope Leo X.,
who is said to have induced him to embrace Christianity, and to have
baptized him under his own name. His book was translated into Latin and
Italian, and was published in Venice in 1563 by Ramusio in his famous
work, “Delle Navigationi e Viaggi.” In this form it found its way to
England, and was, in 1600, rendered by Master John Pory into the quaint
English of his time.
I obtained the outline of my map by enlarging that of the “Carte de
l’Empire de Maroc,” executed in 1848 for the French War Department. The
filling in of the interior on either side of the route we followed is
from observations of my own, supplemented by information taken from a
map by M. Tissot, lately French Minister at Tangier, and now Ambassador
at Constantinople, to the extreme accuracy of whose work, as far as I
could judge of it, I am able to testify. Upon the latter source, also, I
am chiefly dependent for the geography of that part of the country,
remote from our route, which I have not visited, but which is doubtless
as correct as that which I was able to verify for myself. It is possible
that my rendering of Arabic spelling into English may be thought
pedantic or incorrect; but allowing for the corrupt form of Arabic
spoken in Marocco, I have approached, as nearly as was feasible, to the
now authorised Anglo-Oriental system. For the benefit of those who may
be unacquainted with the “spelling of the future,” I may mention that
á sounds like a in harm,
ú „ „ oo „ goose.
í „ „ ee „ seed.
î „ „ i „ smile.
a „ „ u „ but.
u „ „ u „ full.
i „ „ i „ bit.
My sincere thanks are due to the Hon. D. Lawless, Rifle Brigade, for
placing at my disposal the negatives of photographs he took during our
tour. Of the very successful results obtained from them by Mr. Alexander
Rivington, Lansdowne Road, Tottenham, readers of this book will judge.
The peculiar appearance of the arch opposite page 242 is due to some
photographic eccentricity; but as the details of the building are
clearly brought out, and the crookedness of the picture does not lessen
its architectural value, I have thought it best to retain it among the
illustrations.
I am further much indebted to Sir Joseph Hooker, C.B., K.C.S.I., for his
kindness in furnishing me with a list of the plants collected for him by
Miss Drummond Hay during our wanderings, and which will be found in the
Appendix. To others, also, who have tendered their advice or assistance
in matters about which I was doubtful, I beg to offer my grateful
acknowledgments.
P. D. T.
EDINBURGH, _April 1881_.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Decision of Government to send an Envoy Extraordinary to the
Sultan—Preliminary arrangements—Presents for Sultan—Account of
Tangier—Landing there—Dance at Italian Legation—Departure of
Mission—Market at Hadd el Gharbía—Ad Mercuri—Wild flowers
Pages 1–18
CHAPTER II.
Tomb of Síd Ahmed ben Ali—Megalithic remains at
Mzorah—“Lab-el-barôd”—“Mona”—Extortion by
Europeans—“Matamors”—Sharíf of Wazan—Boar-hunt—Camp servants
19–33
CHAPTER III.
Flat country—Heliographing—Cold nights—Roadside sacrifice—View of El
Araish—Saints and lunatics—Reception at Alcazar—Musicians—Town of
Alcazar—“Kohl”—Sultan el Mansor—Battles of Alarcos and
Alcazar—Compounding a felony
34–43
CHAPTER IV.
Romans and Portuguese—Fording the Wad el Kús—“El Má Bared”—Chess
playing—Land tortoises—Changing escorts—Kaïd of Ben Aouda—Quail
shooting—Entertainment at Habassi—Poison—Kuskussú—Solitude of
plains—Thunder-storm—Irregular protection
44–60
CHAPTER V.
Kaïd of Habassi—Passage of Wad el Sebú—Arab women—Pigs and evil
spirits—Beni Hassan—Curiosity of villagers—Sick and blind—Sentries
at night—Illness or accident—Rain—Missing the road—Quitting the
plains—Síd Búbakr—Geographical difficulties—“Kúbbe”—Nomenclature of
villages—Famine—Foreign tyranny
61–82
CHAPTER VI.
Leaky tents—Beni Aamer—Hospitality of villagers—Sea of mud—Storm—Camp
attacked by robbers—Perils of darkness—Curious rocks—First view of
Fez
83–95
CHAPTER VII.
Entry into Fez—Compulsory welcome—Grandees of Fez—Kaïd Maclean—Violence
of soldiers—Merchants of Fez—Jews—Our garden in Fez—Kaïd El
Meshwa—Moorish etiquette—Grand Vizier—Streets and shops—Sanctity of
mosques
96–109
CHAPTER VIII.
Visit to the Chamberlain—Our host’s sons—French officers at
dinner—Reception of Mission by Sultan—Kilts and equestrianism—Palace
enclosure—Homage of soldiers—Dialogue between Sultan and
Envoy—Delivery of the Queen’s letter—Presentation of Mission
110–122
CHAPTER IX.
Position of Fez—Water supply—Breakfast at Grand Vizier’s—Hidden
treasure—Sultan’s garden—Laying down telephone—Royal stud—Dinner at
Kaïd Hadj Hamed’s—Surgery
123–138
CHAPTER X.
Exhibition of heliographs, &c.—Breach of etiquette—Sultan Mulai
Hassan—Refusal to be photographed—Phonograph—Ancestry of
Sultan—Breakfast at the Kaïd el Meshwa’s—Moorish architecture—Dinner
with Bashaw of Fez—His harem—The Prophet on women
139–157
CHAPTER XI.
Breakfast at the “Eyebrow’s”—The late Síd Músa—Second sight—Death of
Grand Vizier—Moorish customs—Marocco at Chatham—Cursed by a
saint—Professional story-teller—Shallow
graves—Slave-market—Treatment of slaves
158–170
CHAPTER XII.
Silver ornaments—Mosques—Market—Snake-charmers—Jews—Police
arrangements—Frequency of murders—Army reform—Good intentions of
Sultan—Unpaid officials—_Lex talionis_—Mock Sultan—Two remarkable
events
171–189
CHAPTER XIII.
Visit to the palace—Failure to photograph Sultan—Setting up
telephone—Panthers—Beauty of palace—Sultan’s
entertainment—Jugglers—Native drama—Dance of the Aissowieh—Saint of
Fez—Visit to the “Melha”—Inspection of infantry—Inns of
Fez—Treatment of lunatics
190–211
CHAPTER XIV.
Farewell audience—The Sultan’s thanks—Discourtesy of Vizier—Claiming
protection—Designing foreigners—Precautions against them—Artillery
practice—Presents from Sultan—News from home—Books in Fez—Political
results of Mission
212–225
CHAPTER XV.
In camp again—Departure from Fez—Consular agents—Infantry drill—Closing
of gates—Source of Wad el Fas—Defences of Marocco—Chances of
Invasion
226–234
CHAPTER XVI.
Heavy rain—Hill of Kanúfa—Telegraph v. heliograph—Ladies of
Mequinez—Selection of heliograph station—Bokhári—Final
instruction in heliography—Sultan Mulai Ismael—His cruelties
and sanctity—Visit to prison
235–245
CHAPTER XVII.
Departure from Mequinez—Volubilis and Zarhún—Mulai Ismael and the
devil—Q. Cæcilius Domitianus—Description of
ruins—Horse-stealers—Hondius his map—Ptolemy—Failure to enter Mulai
Edris—Fate of impostor—Arab tents—Dangerous route—Berbers and Jews
246–260
CHAPTER XVIII.
Threatened attack by Zemmúr—Direction of march changed—Fight with
Zemmúr—Sport spoiled—Forest of Mamora—View of Rabât—Camp at
Sla—Sallee rovers—Ruins of Shella—Female saints—Tower of
Hassan—Auction of rugs
261–270
CHAPTER XIX.
Return of Síd Búbakr—His house in Marocco—Precautions when from
home—Mehdía—Portuguese defeat—Râs ed Dúra—Whited sepulchres—Arab
girl—Chamomile and borage—Cork woods—El Araish—Well-to-do
Jews—Passage of Wad el Kús—Remains of Moorish fleet—Insect
life—Azîla—Irregular protection of Jews—Fording tidal rivers—An
avenger of blood
271–286
CHAPTER XX.
Return to Tangier—Difficult task of English representative—Obstacles to
collecting information—Photographs—Ethnology—Berbers and
Arabs—Bokhári—Moors—Further results of Mission—Conclusion
287–294
APPENDIX.
Appendix A. General List of Plants collected
295
Appendix B. Translation of Letter from Kaïd Ali to Lieut. Haynes
302
Appendix C. Diseases of Marocco
302
Appendix D. Extracts from Memorandum on Army Reform
303
Appendix E. Substance of Report on Sultan’s _’Askár_, or Regular
Infantry
303
Appendix F. Extracts from Letter of Sir J. Drummond Hay to Author
305
Appendix G. Specimen of a “Sharífian Letter”
305
Appendix H. Inscription on Stone at Volubilis
306
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
1. MEMBERS OF MISSION
_Frontispiece._
2. ARAB SCRIBE AND HAÏM SECSÚ
_Opposite page_ 5
3. ARRIVAL AT HADD EL GHARBÍA
„ 16
4. SÍD AHMED BEN ALI
„ 18
5. MONOLITHIC REMAINS AT MZORAH
„ 20
6. ALLARBI, HADJ ALI, HADJ HAMED, AND ABD-ER-RAHMAN
„ 32
7. OUTER WALL OF ALCAZAR
„ 40
8. CAMP AT HABASSI, A “DAY OF REST”
„ 56
9. GROUP OF ARABS OUTSIDE HABASSI
„ 60
10. A MID-DAY HALT ON THE ROAD TO FEZ
„ 72
11. SÍD BÚBAKR
„ 84
12. VIEW OF FEZ, ENTERING FROM N.W.
„ 102
13. TOMB OF SULTAN NEAR FEZ
„ 114
14. VIEW OF FEZ FROM S.W.
„ 124
15. KAÏD OF FREIGÍAHS AND SOLDIERS IN PALACE GARDEN
„ 134
16. VERANDAH OF PALACE, “EYEBROW” IN BACKGROUND
„ 140
17. RUIN NEAR FEZ
„ 148
18. STORY-TELLER AND AUDIENCE
„ 164
19. THE SULTAN’S “SUBSTITUTES”
„ 192
20. FORT NEAR FEZ
„ 220
21. CAMP BETWEEN FEZ AND MEQUINEZ
„ 226
22. VIEW OF MEQUINEZ, ENTERING FROM THE EAST
„ 234
23. GATEWAY IN MEQUINEZ
„ 238
24. DO. DO.
„ 242
25. RUINS OF VOLUBILIS
„ 246
26. DO. DO.
„ 250
27. TOWER OF HASSAN
„ 264
28. RUINS OF SHELLA
„ 268
29. PASSAGE OF THE WAD EL SEBÚ AT MEHDÍA
„ 272
30. EL ARAISH
„ 276
31. KÚBBA, NEAR AZÎLA
„ 282
CHAPTER I.
Decision of Government to send an Envoy Extraordinary—Preliminary
arrangements—Presents for Sultan—Account of Tangier—Landing
there—Dance at Italian Legation—Departure of Mission—Market at Hadd
el Gharbía—Ad Mercuri—Wild flowers.
_British Legation, Tangier, 2d April 1880._
The British Government having, early in the year, decided to send an
Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Marocco, the Mission was appointed
to start in the beginning of April for Fez, where, at that season, the
Sultan, Mulai Hassan, and his Court, were residing.
The convenience of the Envoy and of the members of the Mission was not,
however, the only thing which had to be taken into account, for the
forms of Moorish etiquette on such occasions are stringent, and much
correspondence and many couriers had to pass between Tangier and Fez
from the time when the subject was first mooted until the final receipt
of the Sultan’s permission for Sir John Hay to present himself, with his
suite, at the Sharífian Court.
A descriptive list had also to be furnished to His Majesty of the
individuals His Excellency proposed bringing with him, together with the
approximate number of camp followers and baggage animals which were to
form part of the invading force, all and sundry of whom would, according
to the custom in Marocco, be entertained at the expense of the State
during the whole period of their absence from Tangier.
Preliminaries were at last all arranged, and the ten Government tents
required to supplement those belonging to Sir John and those provided by
the Sultan, were sent across from Gibraltar on the 31st March, in order
that all might start together on the following day, and the camp be
pitched at the first halting-place out of Tangier, ready for the Mission
to occupy it on Saturday, 3d of April.
I had for some time enjoyed the acquaintance and friendship of our
minister at Tangier, and he, knowing my desire to visit the interior of
Marocco, had kindly invited me to accompany him in the approaching
Mission to Fez.
Sir John, having suggested to the Foreign Office that a telephone and
set of heliographic instruments would be a suitable present to the
Sultan from our Government, was anxious to know if I could undertake the
task of explaining their use at the Court; and though I had to confess
to only a limited knowledge of the former, I was glad that my services
should be utilised in regard to the latter instruments.
The contingent from Gibraltar who were fortunate enough to be taken in
His Excellency’s suite, were Surgeon-Major Will, medical officer to the
Mission, and Lieutenant Haynes, R.E., sent in charge of the instruments;
while the Hon. D. Lawless, R.B., and I accompanied Sir John in a private
capacity. Though we were only four in number, exclusive of my servant,
the Gibraltar authorities had the discernment to recognize our
individual merits, and H.M.S. “Express” was accordingly placed at our
disposal to take us across the Straits. At 10 A.M. on Friday, the 2d of
April, we weighed anchor, and, after a pleasant crossing, brought up off
Tangier about 2 P.M. Having a considerable amount of private baggage, to
say nothing of the large boxes containing the scientific instruments
destined to electrify Marocco, the convenience of having the gunboat to
convey us and our chattels was not to be despised.
Probably many people have a personal acquaintance with the bay and town
of Tangier, while most of those who only know it by name are aware of
the position it occupies in English history; but for the sake of the few
who are not included under either of those heads, I may mention that in
the year 1662 the town became an English possession, being, as were also
the town and island of Bombay, part of the dowry of Catharine of
Braganza on her marriage with Charles II. Tangier had been in possession
of the Portuguese for nearly two hundred years, and the national feeling
of a certain party in Portugal was much against this part of the
transaction, which, for all the benefit derived by our own country,
might just as well have been left alone. After twenty-two years of
misfortunes and mismanagement, during which time we got rather the worst
of it at the hands of the Moors, the place was given up, and the
magnificent mole—the only useful relic of English occupation—destroyed.
Since that date Tangier has been in possession of its rightful owners;
at first it was merely a refuge for pirates, a community who flourished
in Marocco till 1817, but subsequently, owing to its being the only port
with decent anchorage for vessels, it has become the chief outlet for
the produce of the country, and is blessed, or the reverse, by the
presence of all the foreign representatives. As soon as the farce,
which, under the name of “Conference,” is about to be enacted at Madrid
comes to a conclusion, the affairs of Marocco will not be long in
appearing prominently before the world; and the foreign powers who sit
like vultures, expectant, over the last throes of the victim, will take
counsel together as to who is to possess the dainty portion of the
carcase represented by the town, of which a brief historical sketch has
here been given.
[Illustration: ARAB SCRIBE AND HAIM SECSU.]
Apart from the official dignity of our approach to Tangier in a
Government ship, there was a practical advantage, which will be readily
admitted by any one who has arrived there in the ill-found and
uncomfortable steamers from Gibraltar. The only substitute for the
long-vanished mole is a rickety wooden pier running some 150 feet into
the sea; on this it is possible to land at high-water, though even then
it is a risky operation with an east wind and sea coming in upon the
shore; at low-water, however, the boats can only get within a certain
distance of the beach, and thither a crowd of lightly clad and yelling
natives run out to meet the passengers. After a free fight has taken
place over the person of their trembling burthen, the latter finds him
or her self hoisted on to a pair of bare and slippery shoulders, to
preserve equilibrium on which it is necessary to cling to the smooth
shaven head which appertains to them. Cutaneous diseases being, however,
rife in Marocco, it is only the absolute certainty of a ducking which
overcomes the squeamishness of the traveller in availing himself of such
a scorbutic _point d’appui_, which he is glad to relinquish, and to jump
upon the sandy shore as soon as the _trajet_ is accomplished.
Fortunately, none of these trials awaited us, as a large lifeboat
belonging to the Custom-house came alongside and took both us and our
goods ashore; the interpreter of the Legation, Haïm Secsú, being ready
with a number of mules to carry up the luggage to its different
destinations.
It is a favourite pastime of certain European Powers, whose dealings
with Marocco will hardly bear a close inspection, but who hope to
increase their influence by a display of force, to anchor large vessels
of war off the town of Tangier, a nautical manœuvre[1] which will, they
fondly imagine, strike terror into the heart of the Moor. At present
there are two Italian ironclads in the bay, the aggregate tonnage of
which is doubtless expected to add weight to the counsels of Italy in
the approaching Conference. Properly speaking, the Italians should have
about the smallest voice in these negotiations; their trade with Marocco
is almost _nil_, and the number of Moorish subjects legally under their
protection does not exceed ten; upon their “list,” however, and off it,
there will be found an army of not less than one hundred, all of them
ready to prostrate themselves before the representative of Italy, and to
hail his presence with the adulation and servility so gratifying to the
senses of some functionaries.
Rooms having been taken in various hotels for the members of the
Mission, their baggage was conveyed there on the backs of Moors and
other animals. With the scientific instruments and my own personal
effects (the latter a by no means contemptible pile, His Excellency’s
remarks on which I rather dreaded), I came to the Legation, where a room
had been kept for me, and where I met another passenger for Fez, Lord
Zouche, who had just come out from England to swell the Envoy’s train.
Before sunset we tried from the roof of the house to communicate with
the signal station at Gibraltar by means of the heliograph, but a slight
haze rested upon the rock, and there were, unfortunately, no means of
replying to us.[2] It is expected that after the Sultan has seen the
apparatus, and been convinced of its harmlessness, he will allow one to
be put up here, so that a system of signalling may be established with
Gibraltar.
In the evening some of us went to a ball to which the Italian minister
had kindly invited us; the warriors of the ironclads had also been
bidden to meet the beauty and fashion of Tangier, and poured, to the
number of about forty, into a small and already overcrowded room.
Dancing was rather a muscular effort, but what struck us strangers with
astonishment was the extraordinary action of one of the sailors, who
officiated as master of the ceremonies during a kind of country dance,
and who certainly took care that no want of vocal power should be
allowed to mar his part in the entertainment. Gliding about among the
couples, he shouted his orders to them in a voice he would have used in
hailing a man at the main-truck, and which, coming up with considerable
exertion from the region of his boots, found an exit at the corner of
his mouth, whence it issued in a continuous stream, drowning music,
conversation, and all other sounds in one mighty roar. What rendered a
naturally discordant voice even more disagreeable was the harsh and
infamous accent of the French in which his directions were given; and it
must have been a relief to all when the last order was pumped up to the
surface, and the shout of “Messieurs, saluez vos dames,” proclaimed that
for the time, at all events, the functions of Boanerges might be laid
aside. Zouche and I made our escape home as soon as we decently could,
but my feeling about that son of Italy is such that I felt bound to note
down the above remarks in my diary before turning in, with impressions
fresh on my mind, and his terrible voice still ringing in my ears.
_Camp, Kaa er Remel, Saturday, 3d April 1880._
Sleep in my room at the Legation became a matter of difficulty at an
unconscionably early hour this morning, owing to the lane in front of
the house being filled with camels and mules, each remonstrating after
its kind against the loads which were being imposed; while the equally
intelligible yells of the Moors inside the courtyard, where each of them
shouted separate orders at the top of his voice, kept up a chorus of
sound that was deafening and continuous. All lesser noises, however,
were eclipsed about 9 A.M. by His Excellency, who, appearing on the
scene like Jupiter Tonans, desired, in choicest Arabic, to know why some
order relating to the luncheon-tent had been neglected. My knowledge of
other Oriental languages enables me to testify to the great facility
they afford for the powerful expression of thought, and the dead silence
which followed the fluently delivered utterances of the Envoy, leads me
to believe that Arabic is no exception to the rule. Breakfast in the
quiet dining-room at the back of the Legation was a relief after the
Babel that was going on in front, and a certain interest attached to the
last meal we were likely to have for some time under a solid roof,
accompanied by the luxuries of real china and silver forks;
electro-plate, and metal cups and saucers lined with white enamel, being
the fashion for camp work.
Everything at last was got under way, and a rendezvous for the scattered
members of the Mission having been appointed in the market-place outside
the town, they assembled there and waited for His Excellency.
The military escort, which had arrived from Fez about three days before,
was drawn up in an open space at the foot of the principal street, and
as close as practicable to the door of the Legation. It consisted of
fifty men, wild-looking fellows, mounted on stout serviceable little
horses, under command of their kaïd,[3] and included a standard-bearer,
who rode a grey horse and carried in his hand the red banner of Marocco.
I saw several well-known faces in the square—Mr. Benatár, the Jew
dealer, who only expects 100 per cent on his Fez wares, now offering
them at a slightly lower figure, as we were _en route_ to that city
ourselves; and Hadj Kadór, the popular and, I believe, excellent guide
to travellers, offering to “personally conduct” us all, escort and Envoy
included, into the interior and back again, then wishing us, in his
sepulchral voice, “Good-bye, gentlemens; hope you enjine (enjoy)
yourselves at Fez, gentlemens.” One day this same Kadór was showing
Colonel Macpherson of my regiment and me the 30-ton guns recently bought
by the Sultan, and on our remarking, “What on earth is the good of these
guns to you? you can’t even mount them!” he rather aptly
replied—“English gentlemens buys Moorish curiosities; our Sultan he buy
English curiosities—all fair, all fair.”
The main street was crowded with people, and the hill on which the
market-place stands presented an unusually animated appearance. Not only
were the natives assembled there in large numbers, but all the foreign
legations and consulates had put in an appearance, and with the English
visitors from “Bruzeaud’s,” the “French,” and other hotels, had taken up
their position on the road to see the sight, and bid God-speed to the
“Bashador” and suite. His Excellency was not long in making his
appearance, with the red flag borne a few yards in front of him, and the
escort, led by the kaïd, about the same distance behind. The members of
the Mission, and a few friends who were to ride out to luncheon with us,
tailed in as well as the crowding of the mob and the fighting of the
horses would permit; and amid the buzzing of the Moors, and a hearty
English cheer from the few throats which were capable of giving one, the
cortége moved on “majestueusement fermé,” as a French newspaper
afterwards described it, “par une litière,” which was carried on poles
like a sedan chair between two mules, one in front and one behind, and
in which Lady Hay was to accomplish the long and tedious journey to Fez.
Among other attentions on his part, the Sultan had sent four horses for
Sir John’s use, upon which he mounted the Gibraltar contingent. One of
these, a large white horse, as we got to a narrow bit of road a little
way on, “went for” the horse nearest to him, and being pulled in, reared
straight on end, falling backwards, with his rider, Haynes, apparently
under him. It was as ugly a fall as could be seen, and no one could get
near to help him on account of the fighting propensities of the horses.
However, much to our surprise and gratification, both horse and rider
picked themselves up, apparently none the worse, though how the latter
escaped was one of those things no fellow can understand. I think some
of us were a little saddened by the accident, as, being on strange
mounts, no one knew whose turn might come next.
About five miles along the road we came to the luncheon-tent pitched on
a small hill to the right, where, after an excellent repast, we said
good-bye to our friends, who had come to see us so far, and after a
further march of an hour and a half arrived at this our first camping
place. The name Kaa er Remel, or Sandy Bottom, describes the nature of
the soil. The camp is pitched on a high plateau, presenting, with its
thirty-five tents, an imposing appearance. The flag of Marocco is furled
on arrival, its place being taken by a large Union Jack planted in front
of the Bashador’s tent. We were all much gratified, before turning in
to-night, to hear that the gun—the signal for us to get up in the
morning—is to be fired at seven A.M. to-morrow instead of six; and long,
we hope, may this modification of arrangements remain in force. We
crossed the Mharhar at Meshráa[4] el Sejra, just before getting into
camp, and the distance marched was about twelve miles.
_Camp, Hadd el Gharbía, Sunday, 4th April 1880._
The camp at Kaa er Remel was too noisy after six A.M. to allow of any
sleep; horses neighing for their breakfast (absolutely yelling for it,
some of them), and Moors shouting at the top of their voices, in tones
which make one think they are about to cut one another’s throats on the
spot, were enough to banish the dull god. But apart from all this was
the disturbing idea that His Excellency would not hesitate to carry out
his threat of striking the tent over the head of any member of the
Mission who did not show some signs of vitality and movement very soon
after seven A.M. The “photographer,” too, had declared himself ready to
do a picture by the instantaneous process of any one whose tent being
thus summarily removed might be discovered in his bath, or in any other
delicate position in which it would be equally unsuitable to be
perpetuated. We breakfasted comfortably at 8.15, mounted, and left camp
about nine, in advance of most of the baggage animals. The road for some
time passed over level ground and fertile plains, where wheeled
vehicles, were there such things in the country, could travel in safety,
till, at the end of four miles, we came to the foot of a pretty steep
hill, where a halt of a few minutes was called to get the escort
together, and to allow of Lady Hay mounting her mule—a more secure
method of progression, over rough and broken ground, than the litter. Up
the winding, stony path, sometimes two abreast, and sometimes in Indian
file, the party slowly advanced, the deep red of the ensign of the
standard-bearer hardly showing in contrast with the rich colour of the
sandstone track which glowed warmly in the light of the morning sun. A
very impassive functionary is this same advanced trooper, never varying
his pace, and never stopping save at the desire of His Excellency,
conveyed through the venerable kaïd; his flag, always about twenty yards
ahead, looks like a red phantom, the pursuit of which, for about five
hours, has been allotted to us all for our daily task. From the top of
this hill, which we are told is almost our last before reaching Fez,[5]
the view was as beautiful as it was extensive. Below and behind us was
the fertile valley of the Wad el Mharhar, which we crossed yesterday;
away to the east towered the mountains which separate the Province of
Tangier from the Rif country—that mysterious district, peopled by a
handsome and warlike race, whose homicidal propensities render it
impossible for any strangers, especially Europeans, to set foot therein
with any chance of return. On the west were the woods which skirt the
Awára territory, kept sacred to the wild boar and his pursuers, foremost
among whom ranks the veteran sportsman under whose auspices we are about
to enter the (to us) unknown tracts between here and the sacred city.
Beyond Awára, again, was the wide Atlantic, whose waters, though
apparently smooth as a mill-pond, were rolling in their waves of
“perpetual surf” upon the sandy shore.[6]
At 10.30 we arrived at Nzala el Gharbía, where our luncheon tent had
been pitched; el Gharbía is the name of the district we are in, and
Nzala signifies a “guard” or “guardhouse.” There are many of these
enclosures in the country for the use of people with droves of cattle or
caravans of merchandise, who, on payment of a small sum to the
custodians, are allowed to camp in them at night in comparative safety
from the attacks of any neighbouring robbers. A small detachment of
stalwart Arabs, armed with long guns, was drawn up to receive us, but no
further demonstration in our honour was made. While strolling round the
village later on I heard, proceeding from one of the tents, a low,
wailing sound, with occasional hysterical sobs at regular intervals; and
though, of course, I could not satisfy my curiosity at the time, I
learned afterwards that there had been a death in the house, and the
relatives were holding a kind of wake over the departed. We resumed our
march about two o’clock, but our standard-bearer took us a long round,
having missed the shortest road in consequence of no deputation having
been sent out to show us where the camp was pitched. The Sheikh of the
village, on being sent for to explain this apparent neglect, and also to
account for some rough usage one of the grooms had received at the hands
of a villager, protested his innocence, saying that since nearly all the
people of the place were under the protection of one foreign consul or
another, it was out of his power either to provide an escort or to
execute justice on evil-doers. Though the Sheikh no doubt slightly
exaggerated the facts, his statement was in the main true enough, and is
only one instance among many of the evils which this system produces,
ending, as it must inevitably do, in the total stagnation of the native
administration of law and justice.
A large “sôk” or fair was being held in the neighbourhood, the chief
object of interest to strangers being a professional bleeder, who sat
outside his ragged little tent with a semicircle of patients in front of
him waiting their turn to be operated upon in the following manner:—A
small incision having been made somewhere behind the ear, a
cupping-glass, or rather tin, was applied, filled and emptied three or
four times, and the contents poured into a rapidly filling pool by the
doctor’s side. The patient then deposited a small coin with the
operator, and his place was taken by another. This practice of
blood-letting is almost universal among the country people, who imagine
that the removal of an ounce or two of extra blood before the hot season
commences will render them less liable to be affected by the heat of the
sun; as most of them go about not only bare-headed, but with their
crowns closely shaven, no doubt some cooling process of this sort is
necessary. The little scars caused by the above process, and which many
of our servants bear on the back of the neck, had always been a puzzle
to me; for though the Moor’s head is generally a mass of cicatrices,
there is a certain form and regularity about these others which attracts
one’s attention, and I am glad to have discovered their cause.
This camping ground is beautifully situated—sandy soil, high ground, and
a magnificent view from it. There is a spring, too, with excellent
water, not very far off, but the hard and fast rule that all our
drinking water should be boiled first and filtered afterwards, is always
kept in force, however attractive the outward appearance of the element
may be.
Our “photographer,” who galloped into camp before us, took a view of the
cortége, as it appeared coming to a halt before we dismounted; but owing
to the escort not being properly closed into focus—the whole affair only
occupying a few seconds—the effect is not as imposing as it might have
been. On the right of the picture are the figures of two curious-looking
people, who, like all the other natives, were quite ignorant of what was
going on; the one on the mule, wholly enveloped in his haïk, or flowing
white robe, with his head-gear twisted into the shape of an old wife’s
mutch, is Sir John’s Arab scribe, a most intelligent and hard-working
old gentleman. Every evening after our arrival in camp he may be seen,
through the open door of His Excellency’s tent, squatted on the ground,
absorbed in writing to his master’s dictation. He has been this road
before, and is, I am sure, full of information which I would gladly
extract, could he speak anything but his own barbarous tongue. The other
figure of the old man in a skull-cap, seated on a pony, is that of one
Ben Shittim, a Moorish Jew, and the headman of the village of Azîla,
who, with his son, an extraordinary specimen of humanity in European
costume, and who could speak Spanish, had ridden over to pay his
respects to the Bashador.
[Illustration: ARRIVAL AT HADD EL GHARBÍA.]
A line of tents, seven in number, a quarter of a mile off, attracted my
attention, and, hearing it was Colonel Gordon-Cumming’s party, I walked
over there before dinner with Zouche. They are _en route_ to Rbat,
having halted here for Sunday, an ensample of godliness of which we have
not been guilty; His Excellency, however, put his veto on the use of the
gun to-day, though he stood his ground under fire from the photographer,
and would not have objected to the heliographers taking shots at each
other from opposite hills, had those officers possessed sufficient
energy to unpack their instruments for a little practice. Science,
however, like cleanliness, is a nearer approach to godliness than is
quail shooting.
We all visited the site of the ancient Roman town of Ad Mercuri—at least
what we were encouraged to believe was such—but which would have been
more interesting had the outlines not been wholly concealed by a heavy
crop of barley. I am sorry, however, that we had no time to prosecute
our researches, for I believe that on the eastern and western
extremities of the plateau on which we stood, the _enceinte_ of the town
and a wall in good preservation are clearly marked; whereas the huts and
gardens of the Dshar[7] Jedid entirely hid the line of the ramparts in
this direction. The beautifully clear spring above mentioned, which is
partly surmounted by a massive stone arch, said to be the work of the
Portuguese, was another object of interest we visited. Our archæological
studies were, however, interrupted by signs of approaching night (we
have no twilight to speak of in these latitudes), warning us that
dinner-time was near. This same hour of dinner bids fair to be a not
unimportant part of the day’s programme, for the Israelitish chef,
Judico, is a master hand at field-cookery, so that his endeavours, and
our appetites together, form a pleasing and successful combination.
His Holiness, the Sharíf of Wazan, High Priest of Marocco and all
Northern Africa, who, with his attendants, has come out here to join in
a boar-hunt we hope to have on Wednesday, is camped close by.
Wild flowers seem to be more abundant the farther we get into the
interior, my tent being carpeted to-night with a luxuriant crop of wild
mignonette, which, I suppose, is the ordinary “Reseda odorata,” though
the scent is not so strong as the garden species at home. This plant is
indigenous to Marocco, and was taken long ago from here to France, where
it was christened “Mignonette,” and in 1742 made its first appearance in
England. The weather is still charming, but the sun is, of course, daily
gaining power, and our complexions are beginning to suffer
proportionately. A nightly application of glycerine, which I have
already begun, will, I hope, mitigate my sufferings, though, as former
experience teaches me, it is not a becoming cosmetic, but induces, in
time, a complexion like that of the Bengali Bábú. Beasts and creeping
things, too, are on the increase; and, as I write, I hear enormous
beetles, attracted by the light in my tent, hurling themselves with
suicidal force against the walls.
The distance we marched to-day was about ten miles.
[Illustration: SID AHMED BEN ALI.]