A TRIP TO MOROCCO

Evening Star, Issue 19274, 12 June 1926, Page 21

A TRIP TO MOROCCO

A well-known Dunedin lady, who is it present travelling abroad, sends the following interesting account from Amismiz, Morocco: — March 29. Wo left home, whore we had had real Siberian weather for two months previously—at the end of December. We left from Bordeaux for Casablanca, arriving there two days Into owing to tho heavy seas we encountered eti route. We caught glimpses of both the coasts of Portugal and Spain, being at one time quite close in to the Spanish coast, where a little village running down to the water’s edge, seen in the dazzling sunshine, and what must have been a very fine old monastery on the hills to the right of it, captivated our fancy. Some hours later we caught but a faint glimpse of Lisbon, being again far out to sea, a thick haze almost shutting out any view. Ihere was nothing much to charm one at Casablanca, unless I might sa y ™ restaurants, whore- we got first-rate meals; one would go along way in Paris to better them. It is as yet a mushroom city, though when one thinks that it is just a matter of about fourteen years since any_ building existed, one must admire it a busy, bustling place, with fine hotels and | flats, business promises, and big broad | boulevards. Wo went through the socalled Arab quarter, and found it very sordid and unsavory, and tenanted by a mixture of Spanish-Portngueso, Jewish population, and one was most glad to got out of it. Tho Jews are a pe-culiar-looking lot in tliis country, the men reallv repulsive. As you may know, in "Morocco, by law, they are allowed to dress only in black, the men wearing a long, loose gondourah, and a little round cap stuck On the back of tho head, in front of which hangs, away over the forehead, a huge fringe of awful-looking black hair. The , women (in the towns) all wear a bright red shawl, which almost entirely covers them, thus giving a bright note to an otherwise sombre garment. We stayed just a couple of nights there, and went on to Marrakech, tho southern capital of Morocco, some COO kilometres from Casa. This trip (as is, indeed, all travelling in this country) wo did by motor coach, leaving before daylight (another custom hero)—an extraordinary business: one creeps quietly out of one’s hotel (luggage having been , seen on in advance), a crazy-looking j voitnre awaits one at tho door, and . one rattles away off about 4.30 a.in. ! to the grand “ place ” or starting point' of one’s which looks and feels like an absolute inferno; coaches, largo and small, and cars of all descriptions, laden with baggage; motors roaring, and head lights on dusky burnous (lor the Arab is nothing if not a voyageur), rushing and yelling in every direction, which "makes one wonder if it is not all a mad dream, until one finds oneself far out in the “ cled,” and at length daylight and lights out tend to make life more normal again. T ho ; trip to M’koch was rather monotonous j until just some hour and a-half before 1 arrival, on turning a sharp bend, wo i came into full view of tho range of i Atlas, snow-capped and dazzling in tho | sunshine; and this wo had in view for , the rest of the trip, arriving at, M’kech about mid-day, rather stiff and j tired, and glad to get to our journey's , end. We stayed there some three weeks in a most comfortable hotel, the Doukkala (one of the Transatlantique), situated right in the centre of.. the Arab commercial quarter, about a tenmimites’ walk (or drive in these crazy voitureS, which usually have -some sort of a breakdown on the way, hut which no one, yourself included, minds), through narrow winding streets, and matting-covered roots, for the latter part, being then among the Souks, and to the everlasting cry of “Bnlekl Balok!” (out of the way), pushing for the most part donkeys laden with every kind of merchandise out of tho way. We stopped in front of -what looked like a very big Arab house with a pretty garden, which one would never think was a hotel until one sees above one the Doukalla sign on the gate. This was an Arab house transformed into a transatlantic hotel, and we quite enjoyed our stay there. I was not very keen on M’kech; after a few. days one tires of it rather. Of course, had I not seen anything of the Orient her ore, I Kiipposo I should have thought it rather wonderful. There is an mormons Arab (and Jew) population, which is augmerited daily by continual streams or these dirty burnous from all parts of the mountains. Towards evening in the main placo, when everyone is out, it has its charms. There are literally thousands of Arabs swarming everywhere, and in this place everything is going on—dervishes dancing (these were rather fine), young hoys dressed in imitation women’s clothing and imitating women’s voices, singing; snake charmers,- crazy-looking creatures jumping with-bare feet on piles of broken glass, swallowing boiling water from a brass kettle; story-tellers, who always drew a largo and wrapt audience; and heavens knows how many other things going on. _ It was rather a wonderful sight, this largo mass of dusky people in grey burnous, with there and there a spot of color from the fez of tho young Arab militaires and the uniforms of the French. ■ There are, of course, a few places to interest one very much. I think of all I loved “ the tombs of tho Saadiens." It is a temple wherein lie many Sultans, the architecture of which is divinely beautiful in its simplicity of line and beautiful Arab work in plaster; twelve fine marble pillars form a very fine arch. These simple marble tombs on the ground, mats betweel each one, leave an impression of peace and repose I don’t think I have ever felt in all the other tombenux, etc., I have seen in other places. There is a smaller ■ temple, wherein lie the wives and children of these past Sultans, the tombs varying in size to the very tiniest, where lie the children. Then there is a small court with a remarkable old tree, and right in the full sunlight lies the tomb of one who desired to Tie as he had lived, where the sun would always fall upon him (or rather upon his tomb). I am afraid' this will seem' rather stupid, but I think the sheer simplicity of it all left rather a deep

i impression. One place that interested me very much, though I suppose it is never noticed by the usual stranger to these parts, was the palace of the English Caid Maclean. It is right m tho centre of tile main street, place or Djeman El Fra, is of pure Arab construction, and one of the very few existing—for, yon knew, wherever the French are they are sure to make a point of ruining all his fine architecture and replacing it by French monstrosities. It is •occupied as a, 1) ronch bureau, let to then by the Caid IV . - lean (at a nominal rent) on one oondition—that it remains untouched. I only hope it will bo so arranged as to always remain so; hut it ifi pje a thorn in tho flesh to the FlOnch (you know, they do not like us. 1 m° an the British nation, a little hit those days) Well, WO rummaged about there, and then wacame mi to Artiemiz, on Arab 1 own in the heart of the mountains. Just a matter of sixty nulos south from M’kech, but a pood 3J hours’ run mi rather fmmh and mountainous roads. It was quite interesting all along the way, the snowy Atlas always in view, quaint Arab villages amongst tho olive groves, and wnmWfnl knshahs (real old Feudal castles) perched high on mountainous peaks. Halfway hero our way .ran alongside a deep ravine twining in and out of tho mountains, tumbling blue water at the bottom; and also one passes over a very pleasing Portuguese bridge, mto of the first of its kind I have over seen. This hostelry is right on the top ot a high hill.'Just at the back of which is a verv fine kasbnh, said to bo the Second largest in Morocco, but being allowed to fall sadly into rum, though occupied most of the year. Me loot across on to tho Arab village, the MilInh, and an old nun exactly opposite, most quaint and picturesque y situated high on tho side of a hill, a long, winding road intervening and leading to the river (which is at present dry), over which one crosses to the olive groves. There are small Souks to one side of the hotel, uninhabited except on market day, which is a most primitive affair, but pretty good. It is a big dav for these mountain people (a mixture of Berber, Tchlour, and Negroid) for the buying and selling of cattle (most miserable animals), mules, donkeys, sheep and goats, gram and pottery; and unless one knows one comes suddenly upon a gruesome sight —that of butchering, the killing, skinning. cutting up, etc., of the animal in question all being done outside, and scores of horrible dogs drinking lip and wallowing in blood till their legs and beads are bright red. These mountain people are not on the whole by any means beautiful; very few. of tho women cover at nil, and all go out and about a lot, which makes it more interesting, and the Jewesses (whom I rather like here) one sees going up and down the hill with their water jars* They are all, men and women and children, and in particular the Jews, most polite; always a “ Salaam et la bnissc ” en passant,‘most softly spoken by the Jewess. There is ahvays for such flromote country place quite a lot of movement—l mean, of course, purely native. The walks, though necessarily rough, are glorious, and I have never known such wonderful air as this pure dry mountain air. I makes mo feel as if I can never breathe enough of it.