In the Tail of the Peacock   By: Isabel Savory

IN THE TAIL OF THE PEACOCK

By ISABEL SAVORY.

Author of " A Sportswoman in India "

WITH 48 ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS AND A PHOTOGRAVURE PORTRAIT

"The Earth is a peacock: Morocco is the tail of it"

Moorish Proverb

London: HUTCHINSON & CO. Paternoster Row 1903

PRINTED BY HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD., LONDON AND AYLESBURY

PREFACE

THIS book contains no thrilling adventures, chronicles, no days devoted to sport. It will probably interest only those minds which are content with "the C Major of this life," and which find in other than scenes of peril and excitement their hearts' desire.

Such as care to wander through its pages must have learnt to enjoy idleness, nor find weeks spent beneath the sun and stars too long that is to say, the fascination of a wandering, irresponsible life should be known to them: waste and solitary places must not appal, nor trifling incident weary, while human natures remotely removed from their own, alternately delight and repel. Those who understand not these things, will find but a dull chronicle within the following pages.

If to live is to know more, and to know more only to love more, the least eventful day may possess a minimum of value, and even quiet monotones and grey vistas be found and lost in a glamour born of themselves.

In this loud and insistent world the silent places are often overlooked, and yet they are never empty.

ISABEL SAVORY.

WESTFIELD OLD HALL, EAST DEREHAM. February, 1903.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I PAGE TANGIER COUNTRY PEOPLE THE PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA MOORISH PRISONS WE RIDE TO CAPE SPARTEL DECIDE TO LEAVE TANGIER AND PUSH INLAND 1

CHAPTER II

CAMP OUTFIT A NIGHT AT A CARAVANSERAI TETUAN THE BRITISH VICE CONSUL MOORISH SHOPS WE VISIT A MOORISH HOUSE AND FAMILY 27

CHAPTER III

DIFFICULTIES OF "LODGINGS" IN MOROCCO A SPANISH FONDA A MOORISH TEA PARTY POISON IN THE CUP SLAVES IN MOROCCO EL DOOLLAH MOORISH CEMETERY RIDE TO SEMSAR SHOPPING IN TETUAN PROVISIONS IN THE CITY 63

CHAPTER IV

THE FAST OF RÁMADHAN MOHAMMED HIS LIFE AND INFLUENCE THE FLOOD AT SAFFI A WALK OUTSIDE TETUAN THE FRENCH CONSUL'S GARDEN HOUSE JEWS IN MOROCCO EUROPEAN PROTECTION 97

CHAPTER V

PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS AT GIBRALTAR A ROUGH NIGHT THE STEAMER WHICH WOULD NOT WAIT AN IGNOMINIOUS RETURN TO TETUAN A RASCALLY JEW THE ABORIGINES AND THE PRESENT OCCUPANTS OF MOROCCO THE SULTAN, COURT, GOVERNMENT, AND MOORISH ARMY 121

CHAPTER VI

WE LOOK OVER A MOORISH COURTYARD HOUSE WITH A VIEW TO TAKING IT WE RENT JINAN DOLERO IN SPITE OF OPPOSITION AN ENGLISHMAN MURDERED OUR GARDEN HOUSE THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF MOORISH SERVANTS A NATIVE GUARD THE RIFF COUNTRY 153

CHAPTER VII

COUNTRY PEOPLE FORDING THE RIVER WE CALL ON CI HAMED GHRALMIA AN EXPEDITION ACROSS THE RIVER IN SEARCH OF THE BLUE POOL MOORISH BELIEF IN GINNS THE BASHA POWDER PLAY TETUAN PRISON 181

CHAPTER VIII

MISSIONARIES AT TETUAN POISONING IN MOROCCO FATIMA'S RECEPTION DIVORCE AN EXPEDITION INTO THE ANJERAS AN EMERALD OASIS 217

CHAPTER IX

WE LEAVE TETUAN A WET NIGHT UNDER THE STARS S`LAM DESERTS US WE SAIL FOR MOGADOR THE PALM TREE HOUSE SUS AND WADNOON COUNTRIES THE SAHARA THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS 249

CHAPTER X

ON THE MARCH ONCE MORE BUYING MULES A BAD ROAD FIRST CAMP ARGAN TREES COOS COOSOO A TERRIBLE NIGHT DOCTORING THE KHAYLIFA ROUGHING IT UNDER CANVAS 281

CHAPTER XI

A PARTING MONA FORDING SHESHAOUA RIVER JARS OF FOOD FIRST SIGHT OF MARRAKESH A PERILOUS CROSSING RIDE INTO MARRAKESH THE SLAVE MARKET 311

CHAPTER XII

THE THURSDAY MARKET WE MIGHT HAVE GONE TO GLAOUIA LEAVE MARRAKESH AND SET OUT ON OUR LAST MARCH FOR THE COAST FLOWERS IN MOROCCO ON THE WRONG TRAIL ARAB TENTS GOOD BYE TO EL MOGHREB 339

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS