Transcriber's Note:
Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without
note. Archaic, dialect and variant spellings remain as printed.
THE ARAB'S PLEDGE:
A TALE OF MAROCCO
IN
1830.
EDWARD L. MITFORD,
CEYLON CIVIL SERVICE.
LONDON:
HATCHARD & CO. 187 PICCADILLY,
Booksellers to H.R.H. the Princess of Wales.
1867.
[_Right of Translation Reserved._]
LONDON:
STRANGEWAYS AND WALDEN, PRINTERS,
Castle St. Leicester Sq.
PREFACE.
This little Tale, which the Author has given permission to be published,
was written more than five-and-twenty years ago, after a residence of
six years in Marocco. The story is founded on tragical facts, which
occurred at the time, and is intended to illustrate the character of the
people of West Barbary, as well as the state of oppression under which
the Jews of that country suffered, but which of late years the Author
understands has been greatly ameliorated, owing to the humane exertions
of Sir Moses Montefiore, and the remonstrances of the British
Government.
_April, 1867._
CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAGE
I. THE CONSPIRACY 1
II. THE ACCUSERS 10
III. THE PLEDGE 22
IV. THE HUNT 32
V. THE SPY 45
VI. THE SAHARA 51
VII. THE SHEIK OF THE LION TRIBES 65
VIII. THE SULTAN 76
IX. THE FALCON CAGED 86
X. BLOOD FOR BLOOD 97
XI. SHEIK AYOUB 122
XII. AZORA 148
XIII. THE FALCON'S SWOOP 162
XIV. RETRIBUTION 175
XV. THE PLEDGE REDEEMED 182
EXPLANATIONS OF ARABIC TERMS USED.
_Alfa_ regiment.
_Azora_ from Johor--Pearl.
_Bab_ gate.
_Bintekee_ a gold coin (of seven or eight shillings).
_Delal_ auctioneer.
_Djehennem_ hell.
_Djilabea_ a striped hooded cloak.
_Douar_ a circle of tents.
_Filelly_ from Tafilelt.
_Fondak_ barrack--caravanserai.
_Hayk_ Moorish plaid.
_Jinnah_ heaven.
_Kaïd_ a governor.
_Kaisaria_ bazaar.
_Kasba_ citadel.
_M'Shouar_ audience hall--durbar.
_Majnoon_ possessed with a demon.
_Marabt_ holy beggar--friar.
_Merjana_ coral.
_Mulai Idris_ patron saint of Fez.
_Oom el hassn_ nightingale.
_Peçeta_ a silver Spanish coin.
_Roh_ a spirit--(rook or castle.)
_Rebeb_ a stringed instrument.
_Sahel_ the plain.
_Shah Māt_ king is dead--(check-mate.)
_Taleb_ a lawyer--scribe.
_Zurzur_ blackbird.
THE ARAB'S PLEDGE.
CHAPTER I.
THE CONSPIRACY.
Our scene is in Marocco, and the reader will, I trust, pardon details of
dress and scenery which may appear tedious, but are necessary in the
delineation of the manners and customs of a people who, though so close
at our doors, are so little known as the Moors, Jews, and Arabs of West
Barbary.
The town of Marocco lies at the foot of the Atlas, which rises in grand,
imposing masses to the eastward, piercing the sky with its snowy peaks.
Around the town are extensive groves of date-palms, plantations of
olives, gardens and orchards abounding with apricots, pomegranates,
grapes, oranges, quinces, and jujubes, as well as flowers; which latter,
however, are never cultivated with any care and grow almost wild.
Beyond, extend the plains, varied by evergreen woods and tracts of
cultivation, nearly to the sea-coast. These plains are barren during the
greater part of the year, but after the periodical rains of spring, are
carpeted with grass and wild flowers; and afford pasture to herds of
gazelles, which at that season forsake the vicinity of the rivers and
bound joyously over their free expanse.
The Jews, whom this tale principally concerns, live among the fanatic
Moors in a state of most abject degradation. They are compelled to wear
a distinguishing dress with the indispensable badge of a black cap and
shoes; they must take off their shoes and walk barefoot in passing
before mosques, official residences, gates of towns, and in presence of
any persons in authority; the wealthiest Jews may be loaded with abuse,
and even struck by the lowest Moors without daring to retaliate or raise
their hand in self-defence, the penalty for striking a Moslem being
amputation of the hand. On the slightest pretext they are thrown into
prison for the sake of their wealth, and then tortured to extort a heavy
ransom for their deliverance. But their greatest danger arises from the
terms of the Mohammedan law; in accordance with which if two witnesses
swear that a Jew has repeated the words of their confession of faith, "I
believe there is but one God, and Mohammed is the prophet of God," his
denial is worthless, as the evidence of Jews is not admitted against
Moors: he is at once invested with a Moorish dress and forced to conform
to Moslem rites, under peril, in case of refusal or recantation, of
being burnt alive.
The gardens before mentioned are the resort of the towns-people, who
come out to enjoy the coolness of evening after the heat and dust of
the streets. In one of these a natural arbour was formed by several
grape-vines, which after climbing up the shafts of the date-trees for
fifteen or twenty feet had lost their hold, and with interlaced boughs
and tendrils, sloped back in a curtain of foliage supported by thick
shrubs of jujube and arbutus, gemmed with waxen berries of yellow and
crimson; from the festoons above hung a profusion of half-ripe, blushing
grapes. The grassy floor of this bower lay in deep cool shade. Two Moors
had selected this inviting spot to spread their carpet. In front of
them, where the trees had been cleared away to plant the ground with
melons and Indian corn, opened an extensive view of the snow-capped
Atlas and the city of Marocco; its mud walls hidden by a canopy of white
dust and vapour, above which rose the minarets of the mosques, the chief
of which, the Juma Kitibea, towered in proud pre-eminence.
These two persons, who are likely to be prominent actors on our scene,
showed by their dress and appearance that they were soldiers of the
Sultan's army. Over a coat of red cloth they wore a full white shirt
with open sleeves, confined round the waist by a red sash, full white
trousers to the knee, and on the head a tall red cap with a blue silk
tassel; yellow slippers completed their costume, and over all they wore
the white hooded burnoose. They carried silver-chased ataghans in their
belts; their swords and guns were leaning against the trees; their
horses, with saddles of faded red, were picketed among the long grass.
The elder of the two, Abdslem Ibn Hadj, was a short thick-set mulatto,
whose grisly black mustachios and beard gave a fierce expression to a
countenance which was otherwise a picture of treachery and cunning. The
other was a young man of pale complexion, with a fine cast of features
and a noble form; he was originally of an amiable and retiring
disposition; but this had been greatly changed by his association with a
dissolute soldiery. He was the son of a man of rank; his father had for
many years been Kaïd of a large province, and being suspected of having
amassed wealth, was, according to the arbitrary custom of the country,
thrown into prison, his property confiscated, and his son forced to
serve in the capacity of a common soldier. The father did not long
survive his disgrace.
This oppression rankled in the heart of Hassan, and nearly overcame
every remnant of moral principle in his mind. He saw that honour and
religion were only used as a veil for the greatest enormities, and that
self was the great idol of prince and beggar; watching every opportunity
for revenge, he had become mixed up with Abdslem, whom he had foolishly
trusted, in plots against the Sultan who had injured him.
The two friends, having filled their pipes with hashish, threw
themselves on the carpet, while a negro boy, who had accompanied them on
a mule, produced from his panniers provisions, dried fruits, and some
charcoal, with which he made a fire in a hole in the ground to prepare
tea,[A] an indispensable beverage in every Moorish party.
[A] The diversity of national beverages is curious. The Moors drink
_green_ tea; the Persians, _black_ tea; the Turks, _coffee_; as the
French affect _wine_, and the English _beer_.
Abdslem, whose intellects were getting confused with the intoxicating
drug he was smoking, began talking,--
"God is great! yes, God is great! oh, wonderful! What blessings He has
bestowed on His servants! The infidels covet our country; of course,
they have heard how beautiful it is; they can't help it. O the green
grass and running water! Ya Mohammed! O the noble horses and the
graceful girls! Curse on the infidels! Abdslem Ibn Hadj wears a sword!
The banner of the Prophet waves over us! And where are their fathers'
houses?"
He lay back emitting a thick cloud from his lips, without observing his
companion, who was all the time immersed in a dark reverie, with his
eyes fixed on the carpet pattern.
"God be praised!" he continued. "What a splendid view! Look at that
mosque! they say its height is not to be measured. And look at God's
hills; the true believers in Paradise enjoy not greater--"
Here he stopped short, perceiving that he was talking for his own
amusement.
"How now, Hassan! do you come out here to shut your eyes, or to enjoy
God's blessings? Better have stayed in your fondak smothered with dust
and fleas. I'll lay my life your head is still running on that
infidel's daughter, (may her days be shortened!); you have no more heart
than a Christian. O child! if the men got wind of it, you would be the
laugh of the whole Alfa!"
He checked himself as he saw the other's darkening brow, which showed
him he was going too far with one who, although his equal in station,
was his superior by birth.
"Well, don't be offended, you know I am your friend, although _I am_
fond of talking. Try this tea; the live water of the infidels I prefer,
but that is not easily got."
"May your father's house be desolate!" said Hassan surlily, putting
aside the offered refreshment. "Have I not curses enough on my head,
without that of your rattling, insulting tongue superadded; if you have
no better entertainment to offer, hold that in the devil's name?"
"Ya Allah! may the devil be accursed! This is all I get for my good
will. The wise has said, 'He who loses his temper may drink the sea.' I
am silent!" and calling the boy to replenish the tea-pot, he continued
drinking cup after cup till he had exhausted the supply, while his
companion sat evolving wreaths of smoke and twisting long grass into
cords.
"And now," said Abdslem, turning suddenly round, "shall I prove to you
that I am your friend?"
Surprised by this sudden address Hassan looked up with an expression of
hope on his face; which, however, quickly changed to a glance of
suspicion.
"Why, Abdslem, if words could do it, you can; but I have long learnt the
value of friendship, which is bought and sold like market stuff, but
ever fails in time of need,--unless interested."
"Very good," said Abdslem; "so it is; but hear me first, and then judge.
You love the Jewess! The Jews were created for slaves to the Moslems!
But you can't buy her; the infidels won't sell their children with all
their love of money; and she won't turn Moslem; so you can't marry her,
it is against the Koran. She is pretty; it is a wonder how God can give
Jews such beautiful daughters!"
"May your father be burnt! Why do you torment me thus?" said Hassan,
springing up.
"Wait and hear me," said Abdslem; "I have a plan in which I will the
more readily assist as it is to save a soul from Djehennem. Now mark!
try your luck once more, and if she repulse you, we will go and swear
that she has pronounced the confession of faith of Islam. The fear of
death will prevent her from retracting; and you will then possess the
object of your wishes at the trifling expense of an oath. There, have I
proved I am your friend? God is great!"
Hassan, whose countenance had brightened when expecting to hear a way of
obtaining the object of his wishes, although accustomed to wickedness,
when he thus suddenly heard the proposal, revolted at its enormity.
"Friend!" echoed he. "Fiend, say rather! I thought I had fallen low
enough; but I see there are deeper depths of villany; and _you_, my
_friend_--" he continued, with a bitter sneer, "would still plunge me
downward, until you land me in the lowest pit of hell; and there you
would leave me,--if you may."
Abdslem was rather staggered at the manner in which his proposition had
been received.
"Wonderful," said he; "I thought to have served you, and these are my
thanks! Well, I will trouble you no longer with my friendship, or my
company. Find another butt for your spleen; I have borne with you thus
long for your father's sake. Here, bring my horse, you son of fourteen
generations of black fathers," he called to the slave boy.
Hassan was touched.
"Stay!" said he, seizing his hand, as he rose to depart, "forgive
me,--my misfortunes gall me; I speak at random; leave me not now when I
so much need your assistance."
"I do not bear enmity," said Abdslem; "I only thought of gratifying your
wishes, but if you will not take what may be had for such small pains,
let us think no more of the infidel. I would rather see all the Jews in
Marocco burnt in their quarter than see you down-hearted."
"I have trusted you, O my brother," said Hassan, "with this secret
grief; but can we not devise some other means?" For he was unwilling to
give up all hope.
"I see none," said Abdslem. "Open violence would cost you your head; and
fraud would bring you under the Sultan's hand, and he would not spare
your father's son. What worse are the means that I propose than the end
you aim at? And then the merit of bringing a Kafir to the true faith!"
"True! there is some reason in that," said Hassan, whose scruples were
fast fading away before his passion, which blinded his better judgment;
and what had at first revolted him by its criminal deformity, softened
down by familiarity and was stripped of its repulsiveness.
"True, she will thank me hereafter for saving her from infidelity."
"God be praised!" said Abdslem; "and you will laugh over it some day,
when your 'pearl' is called Merjana, wife of Hassan; as a praiseworthy
stratagem."
They now mounted their horses which were unwillingly disturbed from
their unusual feast on the leafy drapery that surrounded them; and
leaving the boy to collect their canteen, they rode slowly towards the
town; and before reaching it the artful suggestions of Abdslem had
completed the victory over his companion's scruples; and the next
morning was fixed upon for putting their plot in execution. As they
entered the gate called Bab Er Rahamna, the eastern sun threw their
shadows far up the street, a symbol of the darker shadow that their
coming cast upon their victim.