YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Purchased from the income
of the bequest of
WILLIAM ROBERTSON COE
Honorary M.A. 1949, for
material in the field
of American Studies.

S * f,

COOS-COO-SGO:

tefte hm Tnngttt,

IUST AFBICA.

BY G. FORT.

K»=jf?V«

PHILADELPHIA:
J". S. M'CALLA, *P*RI*INra?EIl,
237 Dock Street.
1859.

Entered according to Act of Congrw?, in the year ltSS, by
G. FORT,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

introductive note to the reader.
It was once my lot to reside, during seven
years, in Tangier, on the coast of Africa. Ever
since my return home numerous friends have
been urgently requesting me to give them, in
print, a series of letters, written whilst living
there. These oft-repeated wishes have at last
been reluctantly granted, and the letters are
before you on the following pages. Coos-coo-
soo is the name of the favorite, national dish
of the Tangierines, and is composed of several
different articles. As these letters are descrip
tive of the various different races who compose
the population of Tangier, the name has been
deemed very appropriate for the title of this
book by
The Author.

CONTENTS.

Page.
LETTER I.
Across the Oceak  9
LETTER II.
Quarantine  13
LETTER III.
A Christmas Day on the Bay  15
LETTER IV.
Still on Board  23
LETTER V.
On Shore  26
LETTER VI.
A First Walk in Europe  31
LETTER VII.
A Walk on the Rock  38
LETTER VIII.
Departure from the Rock  46
LETTER IX.
A Surprise  53

0 CONTENTS. Page.
LETTER'X.
Arrival at Tangier. Outer and inner view of the. Town... 63
LETTER XI.
A First Walk in Africa  71'
LETTER XII.
An African Fountain and Grave-yard  70
LETTER XIII.
A Walk to an African Garden  85
LETTER XIV.
Fruit Trees. An African Way to Milk the Cow  90
LETTER XV.
Seedy Sharkey  95
LETTER XVI.
Consular Etiquette  y.y
LETTER XVII.
An African Rain. A Famine and its Victims  101
LETTER XVIII.
The Flowers. Beggars' Bread. Grave Robber  110
LETTER XIX.
Tangier Mcedden. Walk o:; the House-top  110
LETTER XX.
A Moorish Betrothal. Coos-coo-soo, and how to make it... 123
LETTER XXI.
A Moorish Wedding and the Beide  133
LETTER XXII.
Moorish Masonry. Banks of Society  142
LETTER XXIII.
Moorish Houses  i^.-

CONTENTS. 7
Page.
LETTER XXIV.
Moorish Parlors and Kitchens  151
LETTER XXV.
Visit to a Moorish Lady  159
LETTER XXVI.
A Moorish Tea Drinking. A Tangier Water Seller. The
Breach in the Wall  166
LETTER XXVII.
Jewish Cemetery. A View of Tangier from the House-top.. 171
LETTER XXVIII.
Seedy Sharkey's Life and Wife. Sandhills  180
LETTER XXIX.
Moorish Saddles, Bridles and Horseback Riding  190
LETTER XXX.
The Renegades. TheHaik. Passports  198
LETTER XXXI.
A Jewish Wedding in Tangier  203
LETTER XXXII.
The Jewish Wedding Continued. A Rural Morning Ramble. 209
LETTER XXXIII.
A Moor's Change of Rank. Cattle Prison. The Cultiva
ted Fields. The Castle  218
LETTER XXXIV.
Tangier Castle Continued  224
LETTER XXXV.
Tangier Castle Continued  231
LETTER XXXVI.
Jewish Toll. Moorish Festival  236

8 CONTENTS. Page.
LETTER XXXVII.
Festival of the Mouloud. A Flight of Storks  243
LETTER XXXVIII.
A Day at the Lakes  249
LETTER XXXIX.
A Day at the Lakes Continued  258
LETTER XL.
A Snail Vender  262
LETTER XLI.
The Eisawys  265
LETTER XLII.
Moorish Granaries. Muley Abdrahaman  269
LETTER XLIII.
Moorish Snuff Takinb  273
LETTER XLIV.
Jewish Festival. Lady John Franklin. A Moorish
Child's Funeral  277
LETTER XLV.
Canes and Palmettos. The Date Seller. Ploughino  283
LETTER XLVI.
Consular Cemetery  287
LETTER XLVII.
A Christmas in Africa  289
LETTER XLVIII.
A New Year's Day. Departure from Tangier  293

LETTER I.
ACROSS THE OCEAN.
Bay of Gibraltar, Dec. 23A, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
According to the promise, made at the
time of my departure from America, I now write
to you, on my arrival in Europe, without wait
ing, until my journey is ended, by my landing,
at Tangier in Africa.
Our passage across the Atlantic, was stormy
— but why need any one attempt to describe,
what you and everybody else know all by heart
— a trip across the ocean is now so common,
that all readers know, it is made up of alternate
sunshine and tempest. That it is diversified, on
one day, by the view of mountainous waves,
capped with hoary foam, and on another, by
seeing the surrounding waters calmly gleaming,
under the bright rays of an unclouded sun.
Thus is the voyage, most frequently, a perfect
type of our journey through life ; in which we
are called to pass through scenes of varying

10 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
sunshine and darkness — the light of prosperity
and the shadow of adversity — now a few days
of peace, quietness and bodily good health —
then through long nights of sorrow, harassing
cares, or of suffering sickness.
That thus it is, we believe to be, as benefi
cial, as it is wise. Too much trouble, would
wear us out. Too much rest and peace, we all
know, harden the heart. Of the two evils —
a broken and a hardened heart, our heavenly
Father, in mercy, love and goodness to our souls,
sends us the broken one, the most frequently.
It would be needless, to take up your time, with
a long and tedious description of our voyage.
But there was connected with it one little cir
cumstance, which will never be forgotten — we
had a skilful musician on board ; he was a com
mon sailor, what his name was, or of what place
he was a native, I know not, even the likeness
of his face and form was unheeded, all things
concerning him, were unnoticed by me, except
the sweet melody of his flute, that is even yet,
through memory, freshly sounding as it did,
when he was sitting among the bowsprit-rig
ging, and sent to us on the quarter deck, those
never-to-be-forgotten strains of harmony !
Oh, how delightfully its low and soothing

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. • 11
tones, floated upon our ears, and seemed to waft
our enraptured senses into a calm haven of per
fect bliss ! No, his music will never be for
gotten !
Even so it is with the mental productions of
some writers ; they may be unknown, or if ever
known, they may be entirely forgotten, but if
they have poured forth from their gifted minds,
some beautiful and impressive sentiment — it
lives forever, and becomes dear to the hearts of
posterity. Let us then thank Heaven, for the durability
of all that is beautiful and worth preserving, in
the writings of old and long since deceased
authors. Let us also thank the same Heaven
for the gift of the art of printing, by means of
which, that durability is preserved and promul
gated. And let us be thankful that in our
favored land, the press is free, unfettered, and
untaxed. "We arrived at Gibraltar this evening after dark,
and were obliged to cast anchor at some distance
from the town, and there await the visit of the
health officer. Very much we fear we may be
condemned to a place in quarantine; as the
health regulations of this port are very rigid.
The great rock of Gibraltar is said to be seven

12 C00S-C00-S00, OR LETTERS
miles in circumference, and about two and a half
long, it looks now, as we see it in the darkness
of a moonless night, hke some huge animal,
crouched in repose but having its side full of
open and glaring red eye-balls. The apparent
eye-balls, are the town lamps and lights from
windows. At nine o'clock a gun was fired, from
the top of the rock, and its roar came booming
around us in the bay, like a clap of thunder.
It reminded us that we were in a warlike, and
military region where we would have to be care
ful of our actions, or we might find ourselves
shot into, instead of being as we were then,
only shot over.
We will sleep but httle this night — anxiety
about the decision of the health officers, will
prevent our resting well. We have been six
weeks and some days in our prison of a ship,
and we are naturally very desirous to leave it,
as soon as we possibly can. Good night ! My
first night in Europe. Yours affectionately,
&c, &c

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 13

LETTER II.
QUARANTINE.
Gibraltar Bay, Dec. 24th, 1 8—.
Mt Dear Friend :
This morning we arose very early. At
about 8 o'clock a boat from the quarantine guard-
ship came alongside of ours, and an officer in it
received our American bill of health, with a pair
of long iron tongs and dipped it in vinegar.
Then, after asking our captain a long list of
questions, the officer ordered his men to return
to the guard-ship, where he had to exhibit our
bill of health.
In the course of a few hours the same boat
returned, and told us that we would have to move
into the quarantine ground, and there remain —
he could not yet tell how many days. They
said that our paper would have to be examined
more fully before it could be decided how much
longer we would have to remain prison-bound.
The hateful, yellow flag then was hoisted to
the head of our mizen-mast, and we were towed,
by our own boats I believe, into the quarantine
ground. And why was this done ?

14 C00S-C00-S00, OR LETTERS
Our bill of health was clean — the port from
which we sailed was perfectly healthy — but
there was at that time an epidemic disease, said
by the English newspapers, to be prevailing in
one of the cities of the United States, which city
was more than a thousand miles distant from
the port we had left more than six weeks ago,
and at a town not more than two days' sail from
Gibraltar, the very same disease is now raging,
with more virulence, than it has ever done any
where in North America.
All this is positively true ; but we are treated
with severe rigor, because our port is known to
be careless and very remiss in its quarantine
regulations. It was very trying, but, Hke all
other evils, it had to be borne. The (to us) in
teresting question is now, the one so oft repeated
— How long ?
All day long we have waited in vain for an
answer to this important question. In the after
noon several boats, containing the friends of the
captain and some of our passengers, paid us kind,
considerate, but very distant visits.
They were obliged to keep a wide space of
water between them and our ship, and even that
privilege was granted them only by especial
favor from the officers of the guard-ship.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 15
A few minutes before sun-set a health-boat
came alongside, and put on our deck a guard to
watch our actions. He was armed, and had au
thority to enforce his commands over us. He
seemed to be a very good humored, and well-
disposed person, yet his presence was unpleasant,
because it was forced and unwelcome. We could
not resist feeling that he was a spy on our move
ments. How we treated him must be deferred for the
present. Adieu until my next letter.
Yours, affectionately, &c, &c.

LETTER III.
A CHRISTMAS DAY ON THE BAY.
Bay of Gibraltar, Dec. 25 th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
This morning the health officer came
alongside and informed us of our doom. Then
there was grumbling enough on all sides of us.
The guard grumbled because the bed the cap
tain had allotted him was too short, and too nar
row — it did not suit him " at all, at all."

16 coos-coo-sod, OR LETTERS
The men of the crew were grumbling, because
they had to work on Christmas — the mate was
grumbling at them, for presuming to grumble,
instead of working with a good will — the stew
ard grumbled that he was sick — the captain
grumbled that his breakfast was not ready in
proper time — the passengers grumbled that every
thing was untidy and out of order — then guard,
men, mate, steward, captain and passengers all
grumbled because we were condemned to a quar
antine of fourteen days.
That was any kind, more than it was a merry
or a happy Christmas morning on shipboard.
We all forgot to look beyond the present to
the stable in Bethlehem, and to give thanks for
the blessing which was there so freely given to
our sinful and ungrateful race.
Alas, are there not even too many like us ;
frowning upon their petty affairs, while they are
forgetful of the stupendous events of the great
past, and of the still greater future ?
At 8 o'clock we heard the shrill music of fifes
and drums on board the guard-ship, and also the
distant harmony of a full band, playing martial
tunes on shore. Then the ringing of bells on
the vessels around us, sounded very pleasantly ;
and gradually, amid the tingling of bells and

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 17
melodies of a variety of music, our ill humor
vanished, so that we began to make merry over
our prolonged confinement within the "wooden
walls " of our " floating prison."
If it is true that " misery loves company," we
ought to be in a very loving mood, for we have
plenty of company. We find there are near us
at least forty square-rigged vessels, and about
double the number of lateen-sailed ones.
The weather is fine — the sky is clear, and
cheerfulness has taken us under its pleasant in
fluence, after awhile we walked the deck, and
greatly enjoyed the novelties of our gay and
bright surroundings.
Meanwhile the guard and the captain entered
into conversation, and seemed to have come to
the wise and commendable conclusion to become
better acquainted. The guard soon took particu
lar pains to make himself agreeable, and for that
purpose repeated to the captain the current news
of the quarantine ground, and rehearsed several
anecdotes, of which I remember only one. It
ran in the following manner :
There is a vessel here which arrived a short
time ago from Ireland, after a boisterous voyage
of fifty-nine days. This vessel encountered ter
rible storms in the Bay of Biscay. There were

18 C00S-C00-S00, OR LETTERS
on board of her three female passengers. One
day, during one of the storms, the captain of the
said vessel was at the helm, and at a short dis
tance from him there stood one of the female
passengers. A tremendous wave broke suddenly over the
quarter-deck, and swept both the woman and the
captain overboard. A sailor immediately flung
one end of a coil of rope towards them, the wo
man grasped it, but the captain sank, apparently
without making a single struggle or effort to
wards saving his important and valuable life.
The woman continued her hold on the rope,
amid the furious raging of the howling tempest,
and the surging violence of the mountain-like
waves, during the terrible space of three-quarters
of an hour, before she was hauled safely on deck.
; " There now," said the guard, in conclusion,
: " would you believe that of a woman ? Was she
not, think you, a stronger vessel than the captain?"
At about noon the port-physician came along
side, and inquired of the guard if we were " all
hands all right." Before the guard had time to
answer him, he in a pompous and haughty man
ner, ordered the captain to bring all hands on
board to the side of the ship, that they might be
viewed by him.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 19
Some of the passengers were below at the time,
and they, in obedience to the captain's message,
happened to come on deck just as the robust,
healthy black steward was in the act of stretch
ing out his great red tongue, for the doctor's ex
amination. Fortunately for their risibilities,
they were not obliged to follow the steward's
example. That trouble (and it must have been a good
deal,) was imposed on him in consequence of the
guard having reported to the M. D. his com
plaining of not being well. The doctor then
asked the captain a vast multitude of unimportant
and troublesome questions, and then waved us
a gracious good morning.
These investigation visits, he makes regularly
every day, to all the vessels in quarantine.
A provision-boat comes alongside every morn
ing, with fresh meat, vegetables, bread, fowls,
eggs and milk, so that there is no impediment to
our living on the fat of the land, provided we
have money to pay for it. The price is high,
but our captain is liberal, and buys like a prince.
His money has to be thrown into vinegar before
it can be touched by the boat people. This
afternoon another boat came near, and threw on
board our ship a basket full of dainties for one

20 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS

of the passengers, from his kind friends on shore.
At about two o'clock, p. m. the captain ordered his
gig to be manned, and, after having given us a hint
to prepare for a treat, he told us to take a seat
in it with him. As we did so we noticed that
he was dressed in his best land-suit, and looked
exceedingly well. How we wondered what he
could be intending to do with us?
When we arrived within speaking distance of
the guard-ship, he asked for leave to row around
the quarantine ground, stating for his reason,
that one of his lady passengers wished to see
some person on another part of it. A lady's
wish is, sometimes, as good as law, to even the
rigidity of a quarantine officer, and he, this time,
condescended to grant the captain's desired per
mission, which he did, he said, " for the sake of
gratifying the lady."
The captain used his privilege to the utmost,
and kept us in motion until sun-set. The water
was very clear and beautifully smooth; the
smallest pebble at the bottom of the Bay was
distinctly visible. This remarkable clearness of
the water is said, by the weather-wise, to be a
sign of an east wind, which here, brings dry and
oppressive weather : it is so injurious to some
persons on the Rock, that they are obliged to

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 21
keep within doors as long as it lasts. It some
times continues during five or six weeks.
The view of the town of St. Roque, in Spain,
with its large church and monastery crowning
the centre of a high hill, is very beautiful from
this place. The bells cf the church were ringing
a merry peal for Christmas, and several bands
of music were playing animating and gleesome
tunes on shore.
Our row, along the Spanish shore of the Bay,
was exceedingly pleasant. We saw the paisanos,
or country people, walking about in small groups
on the beach, while on the sides of the hills be
yond it, were many of the inhabitants of St.
Roque, in happy, loving pairs, or in merrily
laughing parties, strolling about, enjoying this,
their greatest annual festival. Though, for that
matter, almost every other day is a festival with
them : they seem to know very little about daily
toil. One can almost fancy that their working
days are " few and far between."
After spending some time in rowing along the
Spanish shore, we went in and out between the
rows of the many small vessels that contained a
large proportion of our companions in quaran
tine. The greatest number of these were laying
under the gay and flashy flags of Sardinia and

22 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Portugal. We passed as closely to them as we
could, to see their mode of living and view their
domestic arrangements. Their comforts were
not numerous, neither did they occupy much
space. A box or basket of charcoal, a small clay
furnace, a frying pan, a pair of rusty old tongs,
a few tin cups and plates, a large brown earthen
dish, a bottle of olive oil, another of cheap sour
wine, a bag or box of hard bread, were all the
articles they required to make them superlatively
happy. Their favorite dish was composed of
fresh sardines, fried in oil, and freely sprinkled
with red pepper.
Some of the boats were so rich as to own a
guitar, and on board of them there was no lack
of music and dancing.
But there now, as usual, my pen has danced
itself down to the end of my paper, and I dare
not begin another sheet to-night, for fear, if I do,
day-dawn will find me still at my desk.
Sincerely wishing that you may enjoy many
happy returns of this blessed holiday,
I remain, yours truly,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 23
LETTER IV.
STILL ON BOARD.
Bay of Gibraltar, Dec. 16th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
This Bay is said to be in some places 125
fathoms deep. While we were yesterday going
on our pleasant row, around the quarantine
ground, we saw several persons on board of a
Portuguese mistice) of war, who were said to be
prisoners, for having been caught at night while
swimming about the quarantine ground ; which
breach of law subjects them to the penalty of
their lives. Their statement is, that they were
engaged in a squabble with some comrades on
the shore of the neutral ground, and that unin
tentionally they had killed one of them, and
were trying to escape from the dead man's re
lations, who were pursuing them when they
were caught swimming. They are now waiting
for the expiration of then quarantine, to be
taken ashore, and there stand their trial before
a legal tribunal. Poor fellows, they looked the
picture of woe and distress. This is to them a
very dull Christmas season ! And most em
phatically they are proving that,

24: C00S-COO-SO0, OR LETTERS
" The way of the transgressor is hard."
As the sun was sinking in unclouded beauty,
below the Western horizon, we reached the side
of our own ship. That httle excursion did us
good ! After seeing those miserable fishermen,
and pent up coast-traders in their diminutive
little boats, our clean and roomy ship seemed to
be a palace instead of a prison.
Then to think of our national and religious
difference ! Truly when we thought there
upon, we were compelled by the contrast, to take
courage and give thanks to the Giver of every
good and perfect gift, whose mercy alone had
made our lot in life so much better than theirs !
The evening was fine, clear, and mild, as any
evening in May at home.
After tea, we took a walk on deck, and lis
tened to the vesper bells at the Church of St.
Roque, in Spain, and of the Spanish church in
Gibraltar. Then our ears were again delighted, by the
martial music of several bands playing on the
Rock, and on board of some of the large vessels
near us.
Really, our first day in quarantine after all,
turned out to be a very happy and pleasant one.
At nine o'clock p. m. we saw a short, bright

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 25
flash of hght beam from the highest pinnacle of
the Rock, then we heard the booming report of
the evening gun, in a few minutes afterwards,
the silence of the " stilly-night" air, was softly,
stealthily broken, by the slowly measured plash
ing of hght oars, in the water near us, presently
we discovered gliding softly past us, the dark-
colored boat of the quarantine-pohce, as it went
on its vigilant and wearisome round, through the
quarantine water to see if all was well. If they
should find any vessel without a light at the
mast-head, over or near the yellow flag, the
Captain of that vessel would be unmercifully
fined. Our walk on deck closed about ten o'clock,
and we then retired to the cabin, where we
spent an hour or two, in reading, writing, or in
silent meditation. We are hoping that our next
letter will be dated, and written within the
strong walls of Gibraltar. How glad we will
be to make a change ! Yours affectionately,
&c, &c.

26 C00S-C00-S00, OR LETTERS
LETTER V.
ON SHORE.
Gibraltar, Jan. 6th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
Day before yesterday, at about noon, we
were told, that the pratique officer, was coming
alongside to set us free. What joyful news that
was f Although we were spending our time
very pleasantly, while the weather was clear
and fine, we knew that it could not be expected
to remain in its present agreeable state much
longer. We were well aware, that to be where
we were in a gale of Easterly wind, or in a
thunder storm, with a Western hurricane, would
prove, not only disagreeable, but might be dan
gerous to our lives, we were therefore, exceed
ingly anxious to proceed on our journey, as soon
as we could.
Upon our hurrying up to the deck, we were
delighted to find that the pratique officer was
actually at our side, and politely telling our
captain, that Mr. H. S. our worthy and gentle
manly Consul, had interceded for us to the
Board of Health, with so much earnestness,

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 27
that they had called a meeting to consider our
case, and that the result of their meeting was a
resolution to set us free without delay.
The hateful little yellow flag was immediately
torn down, and trampled under foot by one of
the sailors, and the beloved " Star Spangled
Banner" was soon floating aloft in its place.
That blessed banner ! How dehghted we were
to see it once more, gaily streaming over our
heads in beauty and joyous welcome. At half
past one o'clock we weighed anchor, and were
towed into the admittance ground.
We again came to anchor at three o'clock.
Then the captain and one of the passengers
went on shore, with our American passports, to
obtain passes for hberty to enter the gates of
Gibraltar. They remained on shore until near sun-set ;
and then returned on board without them, but
we were promised that they should be sent to
us on the following morning. We were ex
pecting to make our home at the house of an
American friend, until we could meet with an
opportunity of going over to Tangier.
The captain congratulated us on the good for
tune of having a friend to stay with, and said
something which prejudiced our feelings against

28 the Gibraltar hotels, and added that if we had
not, he would be glad to have us remain on
board his ship, until our departure for Tangier.
We landed to day between three and four
o'clock, and went to the residence of our Ameri
can friend. We found his family all in sad con
fusion, and overwhelmed with grief. He had
just been suddenly seized with a severe illness,
and was scarcely expected to live. It was im
possible to intrude upon them at such a time.
Then we did not know what to do, or where
to go. We felt very unwilling to go to a hotel,
and at the same time, we did not want to return
to the ship — we were so tired of it. Thus we
lingered and loitered in the street, in a state of
indecision, until we perceived that the evening
shadows were beginning to lengthen, and with
them the conviction darkened our minds, that
we must determine to return to the ship very
soon, or the sun would set — the gun fire — and
then the gates would close upon us, and we
would be obliged to take shelter for the night,
in a hotel. As soon as we had made up our
minds to return to our old quarters, we started
on our road towards the gates ; we had not pro
ceeded more than a few yards, when a pleasant
looking, and well dressed little boy, came run-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 29
ning after us, and he told us, that his mamma
wished us to return with him to her, and to do
her the pleasure of giving her our company to
dinner which was then nearly ready.
His mamma was an old friend, but one upon
whom we had not felt at liberty to call without
an invitation. She was very kind, and procured
for us lodgings in the house of a private family,
where we have two very comfortably furnished
rooms, in one of which is burning a bright fire
of English coals, in a grate ; this fire affords a
very home-hke aspect to our temporary resi
dence. For the rent of these rooms, the fire
and the attendance of a servant, we pay three
dollars per week. Twice a day the servant is
to bring to us, a kettle of boiling water, and a
small tea service. We are to find, and scald our
own tea, also the sugar and cakes, or crackers
to eat with it. We are to procure our dinners
from a mess-house. These dinners, we are told
by our kind friend, will consist of the best and
finest edibles in the world, and wiil be given us
in an abundance that will be extravagantly boun
tiful. Thus we will live, at half the amount we
would have to pay at a hotel, besides the gain
of living in private, and feeling perfectly at home.
This we could never do at any hotel.

30 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
Do you wish to know what a mess-house is ?
It is a long low building, in which the officers
of the garrison take their meals, we beheve at
the expense of the British government. Truly
they are well fed. We understand that they
have their choice, to take their meals at the
mess-house, or to receive larger pay and find
their own provisions. The majority of the un
married and some of the married ones prefer eat
ing at the mess-house.
We shall probably remain here a week or two
— we will have to wait until the wind comes from
the East, before we can depart for our future home
on the shore of Western Barbary in Africa.
Yours truly,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 31
LETTER VI.
A FIRST WALK IN EUROPE.
Gibraltar, Jan. 8th, ig — .
My Dear Friend :
Yesterday we took a walk out on the
surface of this most wonderful place. When we
started out on this our first walk in Europe, we
resolved to keep our eyes wide open, to see as
much as we could, and to make a note of it all,
for your especial benefit. Well do you deserve
this attention, in return for the real treat which
we this morning received from you in the form
of a four paged letter, all filled with interesting
news about the dear ones at home. As we read
it, we fully realized the force and beauty of the
following STANZAS,
On the pleasure of receiving letters from home, when in a foreign
Country.
" 'Tis sweet, unutterably sweet,
Upon a far and foreign shore,
The pen-recorded thoughts to greet
Of those whom 'twas once bliss to meet,
But now are severed by the roar
Of mighty ocean, and the green
Of hill and plain, outstretched between.

82 coos-coo-soo, or letters
" Then like a lava-tide the past
Comes o'er the spirit, bye-past things,
And half-forgotten thoughts, which cast
Gleams, far too beautiful to last,
Of heavenly radiance from their wings
And lo ! in hues more bright than truth
Start visioned forth the scenesof youth !
Yes ! like a picture there they smile,
The sunbright years of early life,
'Ere stooped the heart to worldly guile,
And earth an eden looked the while,
Keplete with bliss, and free from strife ;
Days far too heavenly to remain !
Days which will ne'er return again !
And thus 'tis welcome, thus 'tis sweet,
When journeying on a foreign strand,
The letter of a friend to greet —
And dream that we once more may meet
Within our own our native land ;
It is the hope whose glorious dye
Alone makes bright futurity !"
Alas, many a weary year will pass before we
meet ; but meanwhile, we pray jou may fail not
to let us hear from you very frequently. We
will do our part faithfully of writing to you, of
all we see and learn, of the rare places in which
we are to pass so much of our precious time.
This Rock of Gibraltar was called (they say)
Cape Calpe, by the ancients ; it is now reported
to be seven miles in circumference, two miles

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 33
and a half long, in height it measures fourteen
hundred feet. The meaning of its present name
which is composed of two Arabic words, Gibel-
trek, is literally translated into English, Moun
tain-road. It is doubtlessly the strongest forti
fication in the world. The garrison within its
walls at this time, is supposed to consist of sev
eral thousand armed men. Their number varies
at different times, as the regiments of the Brit
ish army are constantly changing about from one
place to another, and are always coming and
going, according to the will and commands of
the Commander-in-chief.
The Rock was taken from the Spaniards by
the English, under Sir George Rook, in the year
1704. Since that period they have made several at
tempts to re-take possession of the important
citadel. In the year 1782 they made their last
attack on it, but suffered so severely, and lost
so heavily, that since then they have given up
their efforts to recover it.
The place at present is provided with dry
meat, butter in firkins, and breadstuffs from
England, Ireland and the United States ; with
fresh beef, poultry, eggs, and oranges from Bar-
bary. Wines and liquors are imported from

31 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
France and Spain. Fruits and vegetables are
brought in abundantly from Spain; figs, raisons
and honey are supplied by Smyrna and other
places in the Mediterranean. The Bay of Gib
raltar yields an abundant supply, and a great
variety of excellent fish. The oysters are not fit
to eat; they have a strong copperish taste, which
renders them unpalatable. But where there is such
an abundance of so many other good things, those
selfish and hard-hearted creatures may be easily
dispensed with. A walk through the business
part of Gibraltar is very amusing ; there are to
be seen in it people from every part of the globe.
Their different modes of costume, and the va
riety of languages which they speak, make up a
continual confusion of sights and sounds which are
seldom seen or heard in any other place. While
viewing them one might easily fancy that here is
the centre of the different veins of the world, and
that Gibraltar is the heart of that world — for is
it not as stony, flinty and impregnable, as is this
structure of nature's firmest handiwork.
The town is built on the North- Western por
tion of the Rock, it begins at the water of the
Bay, and extends nearly half way up the side
of the Rock, and is about one mile in length.
It is surrounded by a strong thick double wall,

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 35
which near the water is faced by batteries.
These batteries are strongly armed with can
nons of the largest calibre on carriages, and
heaped up with immense piles of balls and
bomb-shells. To be ready to kill and destroy
their fellow men, appears to be the ruling object
of the rulers of the place.
Not only the town but the entire Rock is con
stantly, day and night, (Sundays not excepted,)
under the strictest and most rigid martial law.
Sentinels are stationed here, there, and every
where all over the place, just as they would be if
the town was besieged by a numerous array of
fighting enemies. Our eyes are constantly being
dazzled with the sight of their brilliant red coats,
and the bright gleaming of their highly polished
arms. After a certain hour at night — the hour is
changed according to the will and pleasure of the
Governor — no person is allowed to walk the street
without being able to give the watch-word, (which
is frequently changed,) unless they have in their
possession an especial permit. If any one would
attempt to pass a sentinel after that certain
hour, without answering his roughly toned
question, " Who goes there ?" by repeating the watch-

36 coos-coo-soo, or letters
word, or showing a permit, to be out late at
night, he would be taken prisoner and detained
under arrest until next morning.
The Governor of Gibraltar is the civil and
military head of all authority, and is in his
way, almost royalized. He reigns like a mon
arch over his little territory, and is treated with
unbounded respect and honor. He mixes very
little in general society, and appears to be almost
alone in his official grandeur.
Society here is divided in the higher circles
into two different classes, and I suppose may be
considered as a true copy, in epitome, of society
in England. The two classes are the military
and the civilian ; the civilians are the rich mer
chants, and the military class is composed of
officers of the Army and Navy, and the various
Consuls, if they are salaried officials.
If they are not salaried by their own nations,
but are merely commercial agents, engaged in
business for their own private benefit, they are
considered as belonging to the civilian rank.
To these rules there are of course some excep
tions ; but they are the exceptions and not the
rules. The civilians call the military, " The liveried
servants of H. Majesty," and the military con-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 37
temptuously style the civilians, " The stupid,
plodding trades-people."
Generally the merchants are the richest, and
they live in splendid houses which are hand
somely furnished.
In point of inteUect and respecting other
moral and religious qualities, they are about
equally divided : there are good and bad in both
classes. Under the houses are dug in the solid rock
large tanks, into which the rain is conducted
from the roofs over them, and on these tanks the
residents of the houses mainly depend for their
supplies of water.
The ground floors are used for storage, the
rooms of the second stories are used for count
ing houses and business offices, and in those of the
third stories are the dwelling places — the
parlors, kitchens and bed-chambers, all on one
floor, for the use of the families. They are
large and well ventilated rooms. The houses
very seldom have a fourth story.
The retail stores are generally on the ground
floors ; and are very well supplied with an abun
dance of goods and attentive clerks.
But I must hasten to conclude this letter, as
the vessel which I hope may carry it in safety
3*

38 coos-coo-soo, OR LETTERS
to your loving hands, is expected to take her
departure to-night, for which reason I must send
it off before sunset, or you will have to wait for
it a month longer. Yours affectionately, &c, &c.

LETTER VII.
A WALK ON THE ROCK.
Gibraltar, Jan. 1 6th, 1 8 — .
My Very Dear Friend :
About half way up the rock, there are
the ruins of an old Moorish castle. I presume,
you know that this town was formerly owned
and inhabited by that once powerful, but now
fastly diminishing nation — though diminishing,
they are to me, a very interesting — yea, the
most interesting of all the nations of the eastern
hemisphere — because they are to be my future
neighbors. When we went out of the southern gate of the
town, we came to a very beautiful small grave
yard; it is finely shaded by large trees, and rich-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 39
ly ornamented with handsome and costly tomb
stones. This grave-yard is very small, so small
that I do not think it is more than a hundred
feet long.
This is only guess work, you know, for I have
no means of measuring it, and I cannot be for
ever asking questions about height, and depth,
length and breadth.
In fact, I have already found that there is
very little use in ever asking questions, upon
such descriptive subjects, for the answer to them
most 'frequently is, that disagreeable and un
satisfactory one, "I don't knozv."
I would, I believe, rather trust to guess-work
than to it.
But I must try to remember in these letters,
to tell you when I guess and when I know.
Well, to return to this enchanting little grave
yard. I was told — so I presume to be able to
say I know — it is used only by a favored few of
the most distinguished officers of the British
government. To have a friend or relative buried
on the rock, is considered a great honor. The
usual place of interment is on the Neutral
Ground, where it is said that at the depth of
three feet, the coffins float in water. To be
buried on the Neutral Ground, is viewed with

40 coos-coo-soo, OR LETTERS
great dread and aversion by those who are not
natives of this place.
Such persons, if they can afford it, generally
have their deceased friend's mortal remains con
veyed to their native country.
The natives of the rock are accustomed to the
shallowness of the neutral ground graves, and do
not seem to care much about it.
There is a Jewish burying ground, high up
on the south of the Rock, which is said to be
filled up with graves, and, on that account, the
Jews of this place, (who are numerous,) are also
obliged to bury on the Neutral Ground.
After going past the beautiful little grave-yard,
near the town-gate, we entered the Alameda.
This is an elegant and much frequented pub
lic promenade ground. There is in one part of
it a large, well gravelled space, nearly square,
which is used Arery often as the drilling place of
the privates. To witness the operation is very
painful, and well calculated to make one pity the
poor soldiers. But it makes them perfect in
their profession, and is profitable to their nation
— even thus may we view the discipline of the
spiritual children of Israel, it is painful and
wearisome to their natural feelings, but it works
out for them the peaceable fruits of Christ's

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 41
righteousness, and will lead them, if they are
faithful unto death, into his glorious kingdom of
everlasting rest.
Rest, rest, rest, oh, how comfortable is the re
flection that there remaineth a rest for the peo
ple of God !
On this space also, we were told, that the
public services of the Established Church of
England are held on Sunday mornings, for the
benefit of the soldiers.
On such occasions a large bass drum is used
for a reading-desk, which is covered by a British
flas;. This square, or space of ground, is entirely
surrounded by high and luxurious hedges of the
scarlet blossomed geraniums, they are very beau
tiful, with their dark green leaves, and their
bright, gay flowers. They grow in the open air
all the year. Snow and frost never show their
destructive operations on this highly favored
httle spot.
The other parts of the Alameda consist of
_ walks, hedges, flower beds, fruit trees and sweet
ly-scented shrubbery. There are also present,
some very fine orange and lemon trees. In one
spot there is a beautiful little rustic bridge, which
is tastefully constructed over a deep, though

42 coos-coo-soo, or letters
narrow chasm or cleft in the rock. The railing
on the sides of the bridge, appears to be made of
the tangled roots of a tree ; they look as if they
had been cut out and put up as they once grew,
beneath the surface of the ground.
In another place there is a handsome vine-
covered summer-house, which is called the pavi
lion, on account of its beautiful shape.
It is very delightful to sit on one of the many
seats, or to walk about over the flower-decked
paths of this lovely Alameda, and listen to the
martial music which is almost incessantly greet
ing our ears.
Almost constantly we are within hearing of
melodious sounds of some kind of musical in
struments. Sometimes a whole band of skilful
performers will be filling the air with enchanting
harmony. At others, a group of well-trained
bugle players will be exercising their melodious
faculties, while they sit, perched high up, almost
out of sight, and hidden by the expanded leaves
of wild palmetto bushes, upon a neighboring
pinnacle of the stony rock, and their long peals
of entrancing melody, will resound from point to
point, and from the roaring depths of the exca
vations beneath the surface of the rock, thence
bounding, they sweep from wave to wave of the

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 43
surrounding sea, and then, gradually and very
softly die away, in oft repeated and long con
tinued echoes, among the distant hill-tops of
sunny old Spain.
Farther south — beyond the precincts of the
Alameda, there are several little cottages, which
are used as summer residences. They are very
pretty, and very small — perfect little fairy
palaces. From this Alameda, there are several narrow
roads, cut out of the solid rock, and they lead
the way, by zigzag turns, to the top of the rock.
The ground in which the plants and trees
grow, we were informed, was carried there at
the expense of the British government.
Where it was carried from, was a question
which we forgot to ask. Perhaps it was brought
from Spain. The Neutral Ground is covered
with barren sand.
Half way up the side of the rock, and on a
line with the town, in an eastern direction, there
are a few remains of an old castle, which was
built by the Moors, in their by-gone days of na
tional prosperity. There are not about them
much of the appearance of a castle. They look
more like a heap of useless old stones.
On one part of the highest ridge of the rock,

44 coos-coo-soo, or letters
there is an ancient tower, which is also said to
be of Moorish construction. It was formerly
their watch-tower, and appeared to be on the
highest spot of the whole rock. The English,
with their superior and scientific knowledge of
altitude, discovered a pinnacle which is consid
erably higher than the site of the old Moorish
watch-tower, and on it they have erected their
flag-staff. On the same spot they have built a
battery of several large cannons.
It is from this highly elevated battery, that
the morning and sun-set guns are fired, which
are the signals for opening and closing the town
gates. There is also fired from the same bat
tery a gun at 9 o'clock, p. m. The sun-rising
and sun-setting guns are fired off at the moments
in which the sun makes its first appearance
above, and when it takes its departure for the
night beneath the horizon.
There is something very sublime in this pub
lic announceinent of the beginning and ending of
one more day of our mortal career upon earth.
It is a subject of thought which should be
rich in gratitude and thankfulness to that great
Benefactor by whose power " we live, move and
have our being." We vividly rejoiced in the
announcement, but, could we have a vote upon

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 45
the subject of the mode in which it is made, we
would, if possible, have it done in some way that
would be less warlike than the discharge of a
cannon. The fact is that your present correspondent is
no friend to gunpowder, in any way or for any
purpose, except on one day of the year, and that
day is the fourth of July. On that happy and
joyous day, my patriotism vanquishes my native-
born quakerism, and I enjoy the flashing of the
fiery material, as much as any urchin who de
lights to keep the day in a roar with its expen
diture. On the centre of the side of the rock, there is
the entrance to a large cave, called St. Michael's,
the end of which has never yet been discovered.
Several persons have been known to lose their
lives b}7 endeavoring to find it. Some people
beheve that it ends in Africa. But such a be
hef is founded only on conjecture ; there is no
sohd fact to sustain it.
The excavations which are large and strongly
mounted passages, cut out ofthe sohd rock, many,
many feet beneath its surface, are very curious
and well worth a visit.
We enjoyed our walk very much ; if you will
be half as much pleased with my feeble discrip-

46 coos-coo-soo, or letters
tion of it, you will thereby be made happy
enough for one day. And now I must bid you
good-night, for my rocky rambles over, under,
in, out and about this wonderful place, have made
me quite ready for the rest of my pillow. Adieu,
may you, my dear friend, enjoy a good night's
rest ; and may your dreams therein be not of
the rock — rocky. Mine, I am sure, will be very
rocky — but in my case, they will be brightly
illumined by radiant and roseate recollections of
a lovely day's roving.
Again adieu. Yours, affectionately, &c, &c.

LETTER VIII.
DEPARTURE FROM THE ROCK.
Tangier, Jan. I S — .
My Dear Friend .
My letter at last is dated at Tangier, and
my journey is ended.
We had begun to imagine that we would
never reach our destination, at which you will
not wonder, if you will have patience to bear

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 47
me company while I recount to your hstening
ears the long chapter of " haps and mishaps"
which met and followed us on our attempt to
cross the straits — truly the attempt was full of
various straits, and of as many crosses too, but
among all the crosses there seemed to be no
getting across for us.
When we began looking about for a passage
to this place from Gibraltar, we were told by a
friend, that there would be a good sized and safe
vessel, ready to sail in a few days.
Depending upon his superior knowledge and
experience of the subject, we took his advice
and waited until it would be ready. After
waiting five whole days we embarked on board
of a coast-trader of lateen sail, and the Sardin
ian flag. It generally made the trip to and
from Tangier, once in two weeks. It was
employed to carry living beef from Tangier to
Gibraltar, and was highly recommended to us
as being the largest and safest vessel, in which
we could expect to obtain a passage to Tangier
in the space of a long time. Verily, upon
reaching it, we fancied neither its size nor
safety ; but we wanted sadly to be at our jour
ney's end, and would have been willing to have
started for that even in a tub, if nothing better

48 coos-coo-soo, or letters
was come-at-able. Several times while we had
walked the streets of Gibraltar, we had seen
Moorish men with their white turbans and flow
ing mantles, but we had never met them as
closely as we now saw them on board that
coast-trader. There were on board about thirty Moors, all
going to their homes in Tangier. Some of them
were hadgi, who were on their return from a
pilgrimage to Mecca. Others had been to Gib
raltar on a trading expedition. They sat upon
the deck-floor of the little craft, and filled its
narrow limits so completely, that there was not a
foot of space left there for the use of our little
party of new comers.
The captain of the felucca, or the patrone as
they all called him, told us that we were to have
the exclusive use of the cabin. This we fancied,
included a hint that we had no claim upon any
part of the deck.
But such a cabin !
A log cabin on a wild Western prairie was a
palace compared to it ! There was not in it one
single article of furniture of any kind, except a
few narrow, thin mattresses, which were spread
out on the floor, without sheets, pillows or
blankets.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 49
All such cumbersome luxuries were expected
to be provided by the passengers, for their own
use, or to be — done without.
Our supper — the only meal which we ex
pected to need on board — was packed up in our
own basket.
I seated myself on an end of one of the mat
tresses, as near to the door as I could, not only
for the sake of getting as much fresh air as was
possible — a very much needed article every
where — but also for the purpose of watching the
actions and manners of my future neighbors.
They kept me busily employed ! They and
their movements Avere to me highly interesting
and important. I was not among them a travel
ler who was to abide with them, merely a few
days, or weeks, or months.
But my future residence among them was
destined to be permanent for years — perhaps
for hfe !
Alas ! how dark and sorrowful was to me the
gloomy anticipation !
There they all sat with their unstock-
inged and unshod feet coiled up under them
out of sight. They were talking slowly and
soberly in deep, low, gutteral sounds. Some
times — though rarely — they would laugh, with

50 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
a sober, grave looking, stealthy sort of laugh,
which seemed to act on their mouths only, and
not to have any heart-feeling in it.
They did not by any means appear to be a
happy or merry people.
The hadgi were dressed in better style than the
others, their long flowing, fine woollen haiks
were of snowy whiteness, and were wound most
gracefully around their brilliantly attired bodies
and over their shoulders.
We started from the anchorage in the Bay of
Gibraltar with a fair wind ; but it was very
light, almost too light to carry us against the tide,
or current, which is always rushing to the Medi
terranean Sea through the Straits of Gibraltar.
We sailed slowly past the town, the Alameda,
and that part of the Rock which is called " the
South." The Alameda, with its fresh green hedges, and
its darker hued orange and lemon trees, made a
very beautiful view, in strong contrast with the
frowning black batteries, so thickly mounted
with then- gloomy looking and life-destructive
cannons. Thus we again realized that the Rock
was a miniature of the world. It was so full of
beautiful green spots, profusely interspersed
with dark and sombre ones.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 51
The patrone seemed then to be very uneasy
about the wind ; his eyes were often cast towards
the top of the Rock, and as the departing rays of
the setting sun brightly illumined the highest
pinnacle, he seemed to despair of there being
an increase of the Eastern breeze. The Moors
all turned their faces towards the East, bowed
their heads very lowly, pressed their hands rev
erently over their hearts, and prayed aloud for
an increase of the wind. Then they held a
whispered and very earnest consultation among
themselves, and upon it they resolved to offer a
vow to the Deity for the blessing of a stronger
wind. They vowed to pray a certain number of
prayers in the great Mosque at Tangier, if they
should be permitted to cast anchor in Tangier
Bay, before the dawn of another clay.
Then to propitiate Wis favor, they procured a
small cloth bag, and collected in it every piece
of money that was on board, belonging to any
one of the Mohammedan faith. Then they
hung the bag up on the head of the mast, and
with their eyes all fixed steadily on it, they
chanted in concert a low-voiced and plaintive
prayer. Thus they continued to do until it
was quite dark. But the wind did not increase.
Nine o'clock gun was discharged, and we were

52 coos-coo-soo, or letters
still beating back and forth against the current of
the Straits. Fortunately for our comfort the
water was comparatively smooth, the motion of
the vessel was not unpleasant, and seemed in its
gentle action and its lowly murmured sounds to
invite us to calm repose upon the sheetless mat
tresses. The patrone then asked some of the
stronger passengers, if they would be willing to
assist at rowing the small boats, in order to tow
us over the most rapid part of the opposing cur
rent. To this they most readily consented ;
then speedily the boats, two or three in number,
were filled with the crew and passengers, and by
dint of their united labors at the oars, we made
some headway towards the haven where we all
so anxiously longed to arrive.
The patrone's spirits were now raised to hope
fulness, and he told us in broken En dish, that
we would soon hear the bark of the Moorish
watch-dogs on the Barbary coast.
The now mid-night barking of those dogs5
warns me that I must defer for the present the
continuation of our journey, to within the sound
of their unmusical voices. Yours affectionately,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 53

LETTER IX.
A SURPRISE. Tangier, Feb. 1st, 1 8 — .
My Very Dear Friend :
With a confiding feeling of security in
the promises of our Patrone, we took possession
of his hard, nocturnal accommodations, and with
carpet bags for pilloAvs, cloaks, shawls and over
coats for sheets and bed clothes, we Avere soon
in a sound sleep, which lasted until day-dawn.
We were aroused from our morning slumbers
by hearing the rolling bomb of a cannon's loud
and near report, we opened our eyes in astonish
ment and exclaimed aloud, " What is that ? Do
the Moors too fire a morning gun ? "
We felt that we were at anchor, and gladly
supposed ourselves to be safely moored Avithin
the waters of Morocco.
Upon hastily going on deck, and looking
around us, we found that Ave Avere at anchor in
the identical spot Avhich Ave had left the day
before. We stared at the Patrone for an explanation,

54 coos-coo-soo, or letters
he pointed to the top of the rock, shrugged his
shoulders, and said,
" Paciencia, falta viento."
His English was all lost in his Spanish pa
ciencia. Well, in one hour after that we were comfort
ably eating our breakfast in our former lodging
house, beside the brightly burning fire of English
coals. Over and over again Ave asked ourselves the
question, "Will Ave ever see Tangier?"
That afternoon we met with an English lady
and gentleman, who told us that tbey were going
to start next day for Tangier, on board the Span
ish courier boat, in company with the Spanish
Vice Consul of Tangier, and they advised us to
go Avith them.
The run from Gibraltar to Tangier is generally
made in five hours. This little courier boat was
in the habit of making the trip between the two
places once a Aveek, and is so small that it can
easily run in the eye of the wind, and dodge
about betAveen its blasts, or be easily forced
ahead by rowing, and was altogether more easily
managed than the large mistico or felucca, in
which Ave had made our first attempt to cross
the Straits.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 55
Thus zealously argued our neAvly made British
friends, and we, in our anxiety to arrive at Tan
gier, believed every Avord they uttered.
The next morning Ave embarked, and again
started from the Bay of Gibraltar. This time
we had a head wind, and plenty of it. The
waves of the sea were high and roughly cast us
hither and thither, as if we were only a cork cast
upon them for a thing of sport and pastime.
In a short time we were all suffering from sea
sickness of the most violent kind. The motion
of the miserable little craft into Avhich we had
been allured, was so short, quick and abrupt
that it seemed to tear us asunder, and to threaten
our lives. All our former experience of the
"healthy ailment" seemed as blissful when com
pared to this unprecedented and merciless attack.
Here on board of this little Spanish boat there
was no cabin at all, we all lay helpless and hope
less upon a pile of sails, spread out for us by the
kind hearted sailors, on the planks of the deck.
A more pitiable looking set of passengers could
not very easily be imagined, by even the most
fanciful brain.
Nearly all day we battled with the wind and
the waves. The Spanish Vice Consul was as
sick as any of us. When we Avere more than

56 coos-coo-soo, or letters
half way over, the wind increased in violence,
and the waves, of course, kept it company, by
piling still higher and higher their surging foam.
Oh, it w;*.s a miserable time we had. At last
the Spanish Vice Consul thought it was impru
dent to undertake to spend the night out in that
increasing Avind, especially as the clouds were
beginning to threaten rain, and it was finally
quite apparent to him and the Patrone, that we
could not reach Tangier before the close of the
day. At sun-set the town gates would be shut, and
we would not be able to go on shore.
Oh, those toAvn gates, those town gates, Avhat
a nuisance they are !
The Vice Consul's will was law to the Patrone,
and therefore Ave were compelled once more to
return to the Rock.
We sailed along quite speedily before the wind,
until Ave came to the distance of about five miles
of the Bay of Gibraltar. Here the Avind sudden
ly ceased and Ave were left at the mercy of the
current. We were then in great danger of being
carried behind the Rock, Avhere being Avrecked
on the rocky shore, would have been almost cer
tain, in case of a sudden squall of Avind o\rer-
taking us. We still had some distance to go.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 57
At sun-set the gates Avould be closed, and we
Avould be shut out for the night. Oh, hoAV
anxious we were to get on shore ! Then there
arose a fair Avind which carried us safely into
the harbor, but it was too late — before we had
anchored the sun-set gun fired, and we were shut
out for the night.
Then, suddenly the twilight of evening was
obscured by a pitch-like heavy cloud, which
" hung like a pall " over the whole sky, and a
terrible blast of wind swept over us, which
seemed as if it would tear us from our anchor.
A frightful peal of thunder rolled its thousand
echoes OArer the hiUs on shore, and resounded
through the long and deep excavations of the
Rock. Flash after flash of vivid lightning dazzled our
eyes. One of the sailors covered us up closely
with a painted aAvning, just in time to prevent
our being deluged in a heavy shoAver of rain,
which then poured down in torrents. To have
to spend the whole night in that condition,
seemed very awful, besides being very danger
ous. There was great risk of our cable parting, in
which case, Ave must inevitably be wrecked and
Irowned. 5

58 coos-coo-soo, or letters
The English gentleman and the Spanish Vice
Consul prevailed on the patrone to venture to
send a boat to an English brig of war, which was
lying near us, to tell the captain on board of it
of our exposed and endangered condition. He
at once, very politely, sent us a boat rowed by a
powerful band of sturdy Enghsh sailors, with an
invitation to take shelter for the night in his
cabin. The getting out of one boat into the other, the
row from the Spanish courier to the English brig,
and the clambering up the wet and heaving side
of the man-of-war, the pouring rain, the wind,
the boisterous waves, the roaring thunder and
the dazzling lightning, as we then and there fled
for refuge beneath the deck of the English brig,
formed a variety and a sublimity of the awful,
which we hope we may never see again.
When at last we were safely sheltered in the
comfortable and spacious cabin of the English
brig, we felt as if we had been suddenly trans
ported to another world. We were soon seated
at the captain's hospitable supper-table, and amid
the luxuries and the warm and dry surroundings
of his comfortable quarters, we were, ere long,
forgetful of the storm which was still raging in
unabated violence over us. The clean and cozy

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 59
beds, with the repose-inviting pillows, sheets and
blankets, lulled us to a sound sleep, which we
greatly needed after our day's toilsome tumbling
about over the rough waves of the Straits. We
seemed to have passed by one step from all the
hideousness of semi-barbarism, to the comforts
and comforting luxuries of a refined and highly
cultivated civilization.
Why do they not have a steamer in which to
cross the Straits ? was the question which we
asked ourselves over and over again. The only
answer we could find to it was the supposition
that it would not pay. For we could plainly see
that the "mighty dollar" was as potent in its
operations upon the inhabitants of Europe, as it
is upon any thrifty son or daughter of Adam in
the dollar-loving land of yankeedom.
Still we cannot help beheving that if some en
terprising and energetic American, Avith suffi
cient capital to start it well and comfortably, so
as to give it a fair trial, would undertake to ply
a daily steamer packet between Gibraltar and the
neighboring ports of the Barbary shore, he would
make it a paying speculation, and would take a
long and powerful step towards the civihzation
of Africa. The English people love comfort and
are able to pay for it. The present abominable

60 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
system of an overstrained and unreasonable
strictness of the quarantine laws, forms the great
est obstacle which we can see to the success o'f
the plan ; but a daily and regular intercourse by
steamer with the shores of Barbary, would tend
to break doAvn and weaken all that is over
strained and unreasonable in that system. An
occasional trip someAvhere away from the Rock
would be a desirable treat to its pent up inhabi
tants, if they could obtain it in comfort and at
a moderate expense.
After a good night's rest and a hearty break
fast with our kind English friends, we returned
once more to our pleasant lodging house, with
the determination not to leave it again for the
port of Tangier, until we saw a cloud-cap upon
the top ofthe Rock of Gibraltar, which is here
an indication of a steady and continued east
wind. We had seen as much of the Rock as we wished
to see. We had ridden into Spain as far as to St.
Roque and to Algecirus, we had visited and sat
in the " Queen's Arm Chair," and did not wish
to extend our travels farther into that kinardom,
for fear of missing the east wind, which might
any day incline to favor our wishes. Our few
visits to our few friends in Gibraltar were soon

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 61
paid. Besides all that, the rain continued to
pour down in torrents, and out>of-door exercise
was very unpleasant. Then what were we to do
with our time, until there should occur a change
of wind. Books — had we no books ?
Yes any amount of them within our reach, and
in them we read, rambled and roved in uninter
rupted mental enjoyment, until we were indif
ferent to all winds and all weathers.
A blessing we fervently invoked upon all wri
ters, printers and binders of books.
What would the world be without books ?
A dry, sordid, sandy and steril soil, void of
pleasure and of delight. Thank heaven that we
live in an age which is abundantly supplied with
books. Again and again we exclaimed in the
quiet retreat of our private lodgings, a blessing
upon all writers and printers of books.
The many hours of enjoyment which they
have bestowed upon us are the happiest of our
lives. ' The " Queen's Arm Chair " is a very ancient
tower, built upon the top of one of the Spanish
hills opposite to Gibraltar.
Tradition says that the Queen of Spain once
took up her residence in that tower, and dwelt

62 coos-coo-soo, or letters
there during the siege of the Spaniards against
the Rock, to recover it from the English, and
that she sat day after day on the top of that
tower, watching to see the flag of Spain hoisted
in triumph and victory over the walls of Gibral
tar. It further states that at last the Queen
vowed that she would not change her clothes
until she saw this desire of her heart accom
plished. She wore the same garments during forty
days, and then the English general, pitying her
forlorn condition for the want of a change of
raiment, gallantly hoisted the Spanish flag with
his own hands, and kept it afloat long enough to
give her Majesty time to renew her toilet, and
to be freed from her rash and inconvenient atow.
But I beg you to excuse me for intruding so
long at once upon the use of your precious and
so fully occupied time. How my pen Avill keep
running away with me and all my conscious ideas
of the flight of minutes and of hours.
How can any living mortal find time to be in
its passage over us, slow or heaAry ?
Mine ever flies so rapidly that it is truly like
the weaver's shuttle, flying hither and away, so
swiftly that it defies the power of the keenest
vision to discern its shape or form. May it, as

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 63
it flies, form a web, which will stand the test of
that great trying time when every one's work
will be made manifest, whether for good or for
eAril. Adieu, dearest friend,
&c, &c.

LETTER X.
ARRIVAL AT TANGIER. OUTER AND INNER VIEW
OF THE TOWN.
Tangier, Feb. 15 th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
Again buoyed up with fresh courage, and
with renewed hopes we once more embarked for
Tangier. On the day which witnessed this our third
departure from the Bay of Gibraltar, the stead
fast old Rock had his night-cap (as the natives
term it) hanging in floating mist upon his sturdy
old broAV.
That cap of misty clouds Avas said to be, by the
weather-wise of the place, an infallible prognos
tic of a steady and long continued East wind.
It commenced blowing one day about half an

64 coos-coo-soo, or letters
hour before sun-set, and the next morning at about
nine o'clock we made our third embarkation from
the good old town of Gibraltar.
We were favored with a delightful trip across
the Straits, and were most agreeably disap
pointed to find that when we arrived within
sight of the town of Tangier, it presented, con
trary to all our anticipations, of what a town in
Africa must look like — a cheerful and bright
looking prospect. The houses of the natives
are dazzling white. The Consular houses, about
ten or twelve in number, are painted in different
colors according to the fancy of theh' respective
occupants. Adjoining almost every ay ell sized native
house, there is a large and OArershadowing fig-
tree, or grape-vine arbor. .
As these two plants are here Aever-green and
never lose their leaves, and as the houses are by
frequent white -washings kept perpetually white,
the two most beautiful colors in landscape are
constantly and beautifully blended together in
undiminished lustre, and luive an excellent effect
upon the feelings of the beholder who ap
proaches the town ; especially if he has, or
expects to have a home, or some home-endeared
little spot as his own future resting place, near

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 65
some of those shady trees, or brightly green
arbors. Tangier is said to have been built by the
Ancient Romans, and called by them Tingis.
It is, according to Malham's Gazetteer, in North
latitude, thirty-five degrees and forty-nine min
utes, and in West longitude from Greenwich,
five degrees and fifty minutes.
This town was colonized by the Romans,
and at different times it has belonged to
Goths, Arabs and Portuguese. On the mar
riage of Charles IL, King of England, Avith
Catharine the Infanta of Portugal, in was given
him as a part of her marriage dower, on January
thirtieth, in the year one thousand six hundred
and sixty-two. It was by the English, made a
free port and considered a great acquisition to
the nation. During the space of twenty-two
years it was to them a heavy expense and
trouble, on account of frequent and harassing
attacks being made on it by the surrounding in
habitants, to whom it was finally abandoned in
the year one thousand six hundred and eighty-
four. Before the English left it they destroyed
the fortifications, and the mole which had cost
them immense sums of money and amount of
labor.

66 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Since then it has remained in the possession
of the Moors, Avho are as I understand their his
tory, the race of Mohammedans who formerly
inhabited Spain, but being expelled from that
kingdom they returned to Barbary, Avhere they
were resisted and opposed by the 'Breber race,
who were once their own people, and they all sprang
from Syrian forefathers, so that they are not ab
origines of Africa, and are not negroes but a
white race. The Moors and Brebers are still
two distinct races, although they have the same
religion, the Mohammedan, and have been for
many years hving under the same government.
The Moors occupy the walled towns and are the
most civilized of the two races. The Brebers
occupy the villages and remote mountainous
districts ; they are divided into different tribes.
Besides the Moors and Brebers there are a
large proportion of Arabs, who move about from
place to place in this country and live in tents,
having no continuing abiding place anywhere.
About one-fourth of the population of the
walled towns is made up of the descendants of
Israel, and of course are distinct from all the
other surrounding people.
There is a fine old castle which surmounts
the high hill at the Western side of the town,

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 67
of which I mean to trouble you with a descrip
tion some of these days, after having paid it a
visit. It is a noble looking old structure with its
ivy-tAvined towers, and grey-stone turrets.
But ah, here come other ideas to crowd out
from my mind's eye, the beauties of the scene
around me ; they form the recollection of my
mode of landing on this continent.
The two living actors in that scene seized
me, sat me by force upon a chair which they
brought with them, and as quick as thought
they hoisted me to the top of their broad and
brawny shoulders, and carried me from the ves
sel to the sea-shore sand of Africa.
They were two public porters of Tangier, and
were Jews. There are here no wharves, or any
other convenience for the landing of passengers,
they have to be carried on shore by porters who
wade through the mid-thigh deep Avater. Our
bearers landed us on the beach in front of a long,
low, white structure Avithout Avindows. This we
were told Avas the custom house. As there is
very little commerce carried on by the natives,
they do not need very extensive custom-house
buildings. Walking forward Ave came to a large
double gate, near which there is constantly sitting
an old gate-keeper. During business hours he is

68 COOS-COO-SOG, OR LETTERS
surrounded by the captain of the port, and
other custom-house officers, one or iavo talbs,
Avho are their learned men, and several other dig
nitaries who there daily congregate, and as they
sit on mats or sheep skins, they discuss the news
of the times, and take a view of any strangers
who may arrive or depart from the place. After
Ave entered the outer gate, we ascended a steep
alley or passage between two high walls, which
led the way to the inner gate. Here we beheld
a venerable old figure, which I am sure if once
seen can never be forgotten ; he was clothed in
robes of purest white, his beard Avas long and as
white as his raiment. It extended nearly to his
girdle ; in one hand he held a long wooden staff,
on which he partly leaned, in his other hand he
held a long black rosary. The beads of the
rosary we were told were made of palm wood,
they were black and polished very brightly; be
tween every 28 beads of wood there was a
longer one of ivory.
On one end of the rosary there was suspended
a small white ivory comb, which was used only
for combing the beard.
The beard is held by the Moors in almost
sacred veneration. There cannot be offered to
them a greater or more despised insult than to

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 69
pull or assault the beard. This venerable old
man was devoutly counting his beads. In the
course of his long life, he must have uttered a
million prayers, for he was always praying.
This old man had somehoAV learned to say in
very plain English,
" How do you do ?"
Whenever any one of the English or United
States nation passed him, he Avas in the habit of
repeating the question in a loud clear voice.
Whenever such passer-by happened to be the
captain of a vessel, he would add the word Rice
to his friendly salutation, as rice in his native
language means captain.
One day it happened that a heavy gale blow
ing from the East forced an American ship of
the merchant service from the East Indies, bound
to Gibraltar, to take shelter in the Bay of Tan
gier, there to remain until it should abate. As
he was nearly out of water or provisions he
came on shore to make the necessary arrange
ments for obtaining a fresh supply. As he en
tered the inner gate he Avas much surprised to
hear the old gate-keeper exclaim,
" How do you do Rice ?"
" Well," said the* captain to his companions,
" I knew I Avas pretty Avell known in many
6

70 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
parts of the world, but I did not think I was
known here in Tangier !"
His name was Captain Rice.
After passing the inner gate, we came to a
paved street on which stand the houses of the
British, Portuguese and Spanish Consuls. It
is kept cleanly swept by the servants of the
Consuls, and is decidedly the only decent street
in the whole town. The other streets are never
swept, except by the winds and waters ofthe
Avinters' tempests. But I must defer the re
mainder of our walk until my next letter.
Yours sincerely, &c, &c.

LETTER XI.
A FIRST WALK IN AFRICA.
Tangier, Feb. 20th, 1 8 — .
My Dearest Friend :
The streets of Tangier are all very narrow,
and very crooked, except two. One of these
excepted ones is the street «n which stand the
three above named consular houses, and the

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 71
' other is the main street, Avhich is about twenty
feet Avide. On it there are two or three large
dwelling houses, and a great many of the Tan
gier shops or stores of merchandise.
These shops are so small that they look like
little closets. The shop-keeper can, and gene
rally does, sit in the middle, upon a mat, or
tanned sheep or goat skin, on the brick or mor
tared floor, and then, without much effort, he
can reach his goods with his hands from his
shelves to his customers, who always while ex
amining or purchasing his goods, stand outside.
There is not as much time spent in idle shop
ping in this town as there is in some places that
we know of.
Many of the streets are so narrow that a
man can stand in the middle and touch the house
Avails with his hands on both sides.
Here, with difficulty, two loaded donkeys can
be made to pass each other. Many are the dis
putes and squabbles which take place betAveen
their drivers, as they squeeze along past each
other. Two loaded camels cannot; one or the
other has to back out. The altercations fre
quently carried on between the drivers of the
beasts of burden in Tangier are sometimes very
amusing to the beholders. They create a multi-

72 coos-coo-soo, or letters
tude of loud and angry words, and an infinity of
violent gesticulations and threatened blows, but
they generally end in Avords. The Tangierines
seldom come to bloAvs. If they cannot settle
their disputes Avith words, they generally appeal
to the law, and arrange them before the Judge,
or the Governor of the town.
Our walk from the town gates to the Consul's
residence, where our future home was to be
made, put to flight all the flattering ideas Avhich
we had conceived in favor of the beauty of the
toAvnwhen we were vieAving it from a distance, as
we sailed into the Bay of Tangier. The ma
jority of the streets through which we passed
on this, our first walk in Africa, were so crooked
that they seemed to be playing bo-peep with us,
and to be ever and anon going entirely out of
our sight by coming to an end against a high
wall. When arrived at the Avail, we would find
there a short, narrow turn of the road, Avhich
Avould Avind around the corner of the same high
Avail. In a short space Ave would meet with
other similar turns. We thought we were being
conducted home by the lack way, on account of
our travelling gear and gait ; for a trip across
the straits does not put a body in a very pre-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 73
sentable guise. The back way ! We soon
found that there Avere not any front ways be
longing to the town of Tangier.
When we arrived within a few yards of the door
of Mr. M.'s house we suddenly heard behind us one
of the most hideous and unearthly sounds which
we eATer heard in our lives. It was uttered in a
loud, shrill, piercing and powerful tone, which
seemed to be partly a shriek of pain and partly
a yell of menace. On looking behind us, we
saw approaching, by long hasty strides of at
least three feet in length, a tall, gaunt figure of
a man. He was apparently six feet six inches
high ; his skin was dark and tawny, it was
drawn tightly OArer his large bones, in a way to
make him look as if he was only half fed. It
was evidently as water-needy as his bones were
unclothed by flesh. That he did not patronize
the bath-tub or wash-basin could be plainly
seen. A more foul looking man until then we
had never seen. His head Avas entirely un
covered, and closely shaved all over except in
one spot, from which was growing a long, plaited
lock of tangled and soiled hair. His feet were,
bare, excepting their coat of dirt, and that was
very thick, and of various colors. His body
was entirely unclothed, with the exception of a
6*

74 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
long woollen haik wound round and round it,
after a fashion of his own fancy.
The same said haik looked as if it had been
dragged through a mud pond and hung to dry
upon his back — a dirtier place certainly could
not be found. He strided on past us without
raising his eyes from the ground, on which they
were intently fixed, and still as he passed along
up the street he ceased not his dreadful cries,
nor his immensely hurried strides.
" What is that ? " said I in great terror.
I was answered, " It is only Seedy Sharkey,
he is deranged, but he will not do any harm, he
is perfectly innocent."
Seedy Sharkey ! Sharkey enough he looked
to be seedy of any or every thing that was fright
ful and disgusting. He looked quite too shark-
ey for me to feel much confidence in his inno
cence, and every time his fiendish yell was re-
poated I felt my heart quake until it beat
against my throat, until I too was tempted to
scream Avith terror, as fiercely as he was doing
for his own amusement. Imagine if you can my
dismay, when I found that his home was almost
adjoining Mr. M.'s, in which I was iioav going to
reside, and that he — the aAvful Seedy Sharkey,

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 75
was hereafter to be one of my nearest neigh
bors. I have since discovered to my astonishment,
that this same Seedy Sharkey is the most high
ly reArered and honored mortal man who lives in
Tangier and its vicinity. And that we are con
sidered to be highly fiivored by Providence, in
being privileged to reside so near to his dAvell-
ing. It is one of the Moorish fancies, (" and their
name is legion,") that deranged people and idiots
are the especial favorites of heaven, and that
they are holy, above the commonality of man
kind. The veneration in which they are held is not
far from their being idolized. But idolatry is
not one of the sins of the Koran, or of the fol
lowers of Mohammed. The false prophet for
bids idolatry as strongly as the law of Moses does,
and the followers of the former adhere to the let
ter of their law more strongly than we do. They
will not have in their houses, either public or
private, any kind of picture, or image of any
kind of created nature.
They honor and revere Mohammed, because
they believe that he was the chosen prophet of
God, to make known to mankind his law, but

76 coos-coo-soo, or letters
they do not worship him. When they pray it
is true that they bow their faces towards the
east — this they do, not in adoration of their pro
phet, but in conformity to a custom which was
observed by their ancestors, even long before the
days of Mohammed. He did not approve of it, but
allowed it to be continued in pity of their love
of an old habit, and in imitation of the Jews,
who also bow their heads towards the east when
they pray, yet they are not idolaters.
Yours, affectionately, &c, &c.

LETTER XII.
AN AFRICAN FOUNTAIN AND GRAVE YARD.
Tangier, Feb. 24th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
After we had rested and dined, we all
went to walk to the Consul's garden, Avhich is
about a quarter of a mile beyond the town walls.
After winding through several narrow and
croc-ked streets, we came to the main one. Here
Ave passed one of the public fountains. What a

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 77
scene of human misery and of human comicali
ties Ave there beheld !
In our country if a m n wants to kno\v the
character and habits of any town in which he
may happen to " tarry for awhile," — he reads
their newspaper, and by it he forms his opinion
of them — if they have no newspaper, why of
course he has to conclude that they are not worth
the trouble of forming an opinion about. But,
dear J., if you ever travel in this part of Africa,
and if you want to know the habits and manners
of your surrounders — do as I did to-day — take
a stand near the public fountain, and watch the
inhabitants obtain their supply of water, and you
will at once be made acquainted with them.
Alas ! alas ! most truly did I find that even
here, in Africa, the " mighty dollar " was the
one reigning monarch of all hearts. The poor
and shabbily dressed Tangierines were rudely
pushed aside by the stronger — stronger, because
better fed part of the crowd of water-carriers.
The way that some of the black-skinned, half
naked, pure African-blooded little slaves dodged
the sticks of the stronger and better-kept, full-
grown, fat servants of the richer people, Avas con
vincing proof that young negroes will be young

78,
negroes to perfection in Northern Africa as well
as in the South of the United States.
There were manifested among them the same
rolling up of the whites of the full round eyes,
the same mischief-loving leer and monkey-like
capers, which are so characteristic of the darker
skinned young negroes on our Southern planta
tions. Then, in that motley group, we saw one poor,
half-starved and half-clothed Arab woman, with
her babe tied in a dirty cloth on the bare back
of one shoulder, while from the other she lower
ed an old black goat skin, which she brought to
the fountain to be filled with water. It was
very painful to see how she had to wait and
stand apart from the rest, until the strong and
the well fed were first supplied, and there she
had to wait and wait, until perchance she and
her child were both suffering from the pangs of
prolonged thirst. Verily I saw there bravely
imitated the sturdy oppression of the strong over
the weak, which is too often a blot upon our own
more civilized and highly favored fellow pilgrims
in their graspings after the, good things of this
life. But alas, we saw a still more piteous and
lamentable looking object approach Avith timid

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 79
and stealthy steps. He appeared to be afraid of
every thing and every person he saw. In his
abject humility he seemed a more melancholy
and pitiable creature than was even that half-
starved and half-clothed Arab woman. Here
now we saw that she could have her revenge on
a fellow mortal, and could triumphantly trample
upon him, jostle him aside, and make him wait
her pleasure to approach between her and the
eagerly waited for water. We beheld how her
sunken eye flashed upon him with scorn and
hatred, by which she proved that her heart was
not softened by her suffering. Who was it over
whom even she, degraded, despised and starved
as she was, could so domineer with disdain and
trample upon as her inferior ? Who is he, do
you ask ? He cannot be very poor, for he is
well clothed, his garments are clean, neatly made,
of fine materials, and are as good as new, his feet
are well shod, with shining black slippers, his
head is nicely sheltered beneath a fine woollen
cap, with a long silk tassel dangling from the
centre of its top. He shoAvs too that he is well
kept, for his face is full and ruddy, and he does
not bear a soiled looking old skin, in which to
carry the water, but gracefully poised upon -his
shoulder there is a large, red, clean looking

80 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
earthen pitcher ; yes, all this was true, and
moreover he was some rich man's favorite ser
vant ; yet, Avith all his favored circumstances, he
must succumb and yield to the tyranny of the
meanest, poorest, youngest and weakest Moham
medan of all that mean, poor and dirty fountain-
side rabble of Tangierines — because he is a Jew.
Remember, if your travels ever carry you to
Barbary, and while there you want water brought
to you in a hurry, not to send a Jew to the
fountain to procure it, unless you can be content
to wait a long time for it, or send him at some
unseasonable hour, while the faithful followers
of Mohammed are asleep, or eating, or praying.
Sleeping, eating and praying are the three
elements in which they exist.
Near this fountain, in an Eastern direction, is
the caravansary, where the camels and their
drivers from the interior, on their trading expe
ditions to Tangier, are accustomed to lodge.
It is simply a square, large space, surrounded
by a high wall ; around the walls are toavs of
covered stalls, in which the drivers spread their
beds and sleep, while their faithful and patient
four-footed companions chew the cud, and rest
their gauntly, awkward limbs around the stalls,
on the bare ground, unlittered and unroofed.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 81
The drivers and traders from the interior
bring their beds and cooking utensils with them.
I remember when a child, while reading of
Christ telling the man whom he had healed, to
take up his bed and walk, my ignorant faith in
the truth of the Bible was sorely tried. I asked
myself the question, " How could a sick man,
just cured, carry his bed ?" I now see that his
bed was not heavy, as it was probably like these
camel drivers', merely a mat or a skin. Thus
too it will be in our future life, we will find many
things, now " hard to be understood," which will
then be as plainly explained to our understanding.
Oh, that we may have confidence und resigna
tion given us, to wait in love, patience and faith
until the full explaining time will be open to our
view. After passing the caravansary, we walked
through the southern gates of the toAvn, and
found ourselves in a large open space, in Avhich
we were told, the semi-weekly markets of food
were held. As this was not a market day, we
must defer our observations on that important
subject until some other time. They hold their
market days on Thursdays and Sundays.
Think of that, will you ? A Sunday market-
day !

82 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Alas, for my lost Sabbath day quietness and
sweet repose. If quantity would make amends
for quality, we would have no reason to com
plain, for we have here three holy days of rest
in succession.
Friday is the resting day of the Mohamme
dans, Saturday of the Jews, and Sunday of the
few nominal Christians who reside here.
As we passed through the market place we
were amazed to see the great numbers of half-
naked beggars, who were sitting and lounging
idly about it on the bare ground, and huddled
together in groups along the base of the town
walls. Of regular clothing they were entirely
destitute ; a few tattered, soiled and muddy-
looking, old woollen rags were all the covering
they possessed. They belonged almost exclu
sively to the Breber race, who apparently are
distinct from the Moors who live in Tangier and
other walled towns of Morocco. Their appear
ance is entirely different, and so are many of
their customs; although they are followers of
the same religious belief in the Koran, and live
under the same government, and are all of them
the loyal subjects of his imperial majesty, Muley
Abdrahaman. His sway over them is absolutely
despotic. He is the owner of their persons and

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 83
their property, if he chooses to carry out the
powers with which he is invested. But his
reign, when compared to that of some of his an
cestors, is mild and free from cruel tyranny. He
appears to be well loved and respected by his
subjects, as far as we can judge, upon our short
acquaintance Avith them.
While passing through the market place, we
saw on one side of it a high stone wall, which
we were told was the wall of the Swedish Con
sul's garden. On the left hand side of the mar
ket we saw a small square building, which is a
saint-house, or sanctuary, and also a place " where
prayer is wont to be made " by the devoutly in
clined Tangierines.
From the market place we entered a public
road, which was surrounded on both sides by the
pubhc Moorish cemetery of Tangier.
It is of immense size, and probably has been
in use many centuries. It is entirely uninclosed.
In some places the road is much lower than the
surface of the grave-yard. In those places may
sometimes be seen the bones of the dead of other
ages, peeping out from the dry, sandy soil which
surrounds them. The lines of bones are lying
tier over tier.
The remains of deceased humanity are held in

84 coos-coo-soo, or letters
sacred veneration by the Moors, and whenever
one of them discovers a projecting bone exposed
to view, he will immediately push it in and cover
it up with earth as well as he can with his hands.
He will be very much displeased if a Christian
will touch, or even look at them. Yet such is
the inconsistency and want of enterprise among
these strange people, that, though they will not
go to the trouble of properly -securing the bones
of their ancestors from exposure, they will be
offended if a stranger will presume to look at
them or acknowledge that he sees them.
A Jew is not allowed to walk along this road
or on any other holy ground, with his shoes on
his feet, but must carry them either in his hands
or pockets.
But my paper is filled and I must now put
away my pen until to-morrow. Wishing you
may be favored with pleasant dreams, not of
grave-yards and bare bones, I must bid you good
night, for the muedden is warning me by his
cries from the nearest mosque tower, that my
hour for rest has arrived. Until the dawn of
another day, adieu. Yours sincerely,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 85

LETTER XIII.
A WALK TO AN AFRICAN GARDEN.
Tangier, Feb. 26th, 18 —
My Dear Friend :
We continued our walk over the road,
which runs through the public cemetery, and as
we did so, we met several groups of Moors ; as
we passed them they placed their hand upon
their hearts and said to us,
" Aleikum Salaftm."
Our little party answered them by saying —
" Salaam Aleikum." These Avords mean,
" Peace be with you."
Sometimes we met small parties of Moorish
women, who were fully enveloped in their large
white woollen haiks, from under which nothing
but their large black eyes could be seen.
The only notice they bestowed upon us was to
draw their haiks still more tightly over their faces.
Then again we sometimes met a few Jews. Stock
ings are never wororin this country by either Jews
or Moors. The Jewish men wear black morocco
shoes or slippers, the male Moors wear yelloAV, and
the females of both races wear red ones. The Jew-
7*

86 coos-coo-soo, or letters
esses are very fond of having theirs embroidered
with silk or gilt, and silvered thread, sometimes
they wear them made of rich crimson or purple
silk-velvet. They dearly love to have a hand
some and expensive pair of slippers.
A male Moor when fully equipped for riding
on horseback, wears a pair of long yellow mo
rocco boots which reach to his knees, but when
he walks he wears only the yelloAV slippers. They
all remove their slippers from their feet when they
enter a house. To enter a room with their feet
covered, would be among themselves a rude
breach of etiquette.
When we arrived within a short distance of
Mr. M.'s garden to which we were going, we
saw walking before us three persons attired in
European style, who were followed by a finely
dressed Moorish soldier as their guard.
One of the three Europeans we were informed
is a young French nobleman, who for some po
litical offence against his own government, has
been exiled from his own home, where his large
property was taken from him by confiscation.
He has been living for the last six or eight
months in Tangier, where he is supporting him
self by teaching. At his side Avalked a beauti
fully formed young lady, who is the only daugh-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 87
ter of a family from the North of Europe. This
Miss A. 0., Ave are told, is extremely handsome,
and greatly beloved by all who know her. She
has two brothers, one of whom was then walk
ing with her. She is the idol of them and of
their fond parents, who have hired this young
Frenchman to give her the finishing touches of
her knowledge of the French language, and for
the purpose of allowing him more fully an op
portunity of doing so, they permit her to walk
out with him and to receive his visits at home ;
in short he almost Hves under the same roof
that covers her own residence.
Her figure was so interesting and her move
ments were so graceful as she glided on slowly
before us, that I felt a strong desire to overtake
her, that I might enjoy the pleasure of seeing
her fair face, and of being introduced to her.
For which purpose I tried to hurry forward and
to overtake her. But Mr. M. would not second
my motion, on the contrary he actually slack
ened his, and I was obliged to yield to necessity
and give up my chase after beauty.
Before we came within a few yards of them
they suddenly all disappeared !
" Oh," I exclaimed, " where have they gone ?"
" Into the Danish Consul's garden" answered

88 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Mr. M., " which is near mine and here we are at
our own garden gate."
Mr. M. then knocked with his walking cane
a few hard raps on the gate, and it was opened
by his gardener. Upon entering we found our
selves in a very pleasant place, which covered
about tAvo acres of well cultivated ground, that
was also well watered and shaded. We saw it
fenced on two sides and a half, by high and
thick hedges of native canes, their long, narrow,
floating leaves rustled merrily in the wind, and
gleamed brightly and gaily in the beams of the
declining sun. They are very beautiful, these
gay cane hedges, they wear their pale living
verdure all the year, and grow very fast. The
other side and a half were hedged with the
African aloes, or as some call them the century-
plant ; these formed a strong contrast with the
cane hedges, with their long, stiff, thorn-tipped
and spiry lea\Tes.
Mr. M. pointed out to our notice some of the
aloes, which he said would bloom next summer.
If I live lo see their blossoms I will drop you a
note about them, and then may you be so much
pleased with it, as to think I merit a good long
letter in answer. I am already anxiously desir
ing to hear from you again. Oh, how wearisome

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 89
are the heart-yearnings, which I feel ever toss
ing up their surging billows of love towards
my far distant native home ; would that we
could all feel the same degree of intense affec
tion towards that happy place which is eternal
in the heavens !
There are three springs in Mr. M.'s garden*
but he says that their waters are not fit to
drink. The trees which shade these three
springs with their Avaving leaves, are the orange,
olive, pear, lemon and pomegranate. There are
also in this garden a feAv peach trees, which Mr.
M. has imported from America, but they do not
thrive. At one time he was so anxious to pos
sess at least one peach tree in full bearing, that
he went to the trouble of bringing a portion of
peach orchard soil all the way from America, by
way of experiment, but it did not prove suc
cessful, the tree still droops. I stood upon that
same httle spot of American ground, here on the
African continent, which in my Aveary feeling of
home sickness was a httle satisfaction. But I
must bid you adieu for the present, and again
defer the continuation of our Avalk in, and from
the garden. Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

90 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS

LETTER XIV.
FRUIT TREE3.— AN AFRICAN WAY TO "MILK THE COW."
Tangier, Feb. z8th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
As you are an admirer of flowers, you
will read with patience all that I will find time
to write about them. The prickly-pear, Indian
fig, or cactus opuntia, here grows to the height of
five or six feet, and bears a delicious fruit.
Hedges are sometimes formed of it. Some of
the leaves are eighteen inches long and an inch
and a half thick. If the fruit is eaten early in
the morning, before the rays of the sun shine on
it, it is very cool and refreshing; after the
thorny rind is peeled off, the fruit is of a dark
orange color, the rind is similar to the leaves,
and is equaUy as full of those annoying bunches
of little thorns which give the plant the name of
the prickly-pear.
It requires some skilful pracf.ce to succeed
in removing the rind of the fruit, without getting
one's fingers filled with the thorns. When they
are so filled, the only means by which they can

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 91
be removed is to rub the hands all over with dry
sand or finely pulverized earth.
When the leaves of the plant are dead, the
pulp all dries away from between the firmer
woody fibres of which they are composed, and
these form a very beautiful piece of lace or net
Avork, which can be split open a great many
times, and when so split, they form a tasty ma
terial for making fancy boxes and baskets.
The Consul's daughters sometimes amuse
themselves by making such articles from it for
keepsakes. But they are too brittle to be of
much real service.
The aloe leaves are far more useful ; the fibres
of the dried aloe leaves make a very strong,
smooth and white thread, Avhich is here used by
the natives for sewing. In Spain it is manufac
tured into a handsome and delicate looking
texture for ladies' dresses, and although it is
very thin and light, it is so strong that it will
wear as long as some silk goods. It is capable
of receiving the most beautiful and delicate tints
by dyeing. It seems strange that it is not more
extensively made and worn in all places where
the aloe can be easily grown.
The orange trees in this country are very fine,
large and abundantly fruitful. By proper man-

92 coos-coo-soo, or letters
agement of grafts they are made to produce two
crops a year. It is no very rare sight to see
trees with the one half of their wide spreading
hmbs covered with ripe fruit, and the other half
fully enveloped in a richly perfumed white cloud
of freshly opened blossoms.
And such fruit as some of it is, out-rivals every
thing that you ever tasted from Havana or
Florida. Oranges cannot be exported and eaten
in the perfection of their true and native deli-
ciousness. I wish you were here to enjoy Avith
us some of the exquisitely flavored ones which
are so luxuriously growing around us — yea, that
are even lying in their abundance, decaying un-
cared for on the ground beneath our feet.
The pomegranates are very beautiful trees,
and so are their rosy-tinted fruit and crimson
flowers, but like a great many very handsome
people, their beauty is all external, and forms
too often their only recommendation. Still they
are beautiful, and will eArer be both admired and
very much loved.
We walked and sauntered about the garden
until nearly sunset, and then we were very
much amused by viewing the gardener milk the
cow. As cow's milk, unmixed with that of
other domestic animals, cannot always be pro-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 93
cured in the Tangier markets, Mr. M. keeps his
own cow, and has for her use a small patch of
pasture in one corner of his garden.
It is a part of the gardener's business to milk
the cow, and carry her milk every evening to
Mr. M.'s house. One of the many droll ideas of
these very droll people, is, that a cow cannot be
milked unless her calf is at the same time feast
ing at one portion of her milk-givers, while ano
ther one is yielding its contents to the manipu
lations of her keeper. The milk is received into
a narrow-mouthed earthen jar, which the man
must hold quite close to the cow's side, or the
stream of milk cannot reach it ; thus he must
hold the jar Avith one hand while he milks with
the other, and also while the calf is running a
race with him in the operation Avith all its might.
The man meanwhile does his part, as if he felt
that he is committing an act of highway robbery,
and is fully under the impression that he Avill
infallibly be kicked flat on the ground by the
cow's heels, or be sent floating high up in the
air over it by a well directed aim of her horns,
to punish him for his flagrant and unpardonable
dishonesty. They never kill a lamb, a kid or a calf, and
these privileged youngsters are allowed to reap

94 coos-coo-soo, or letters
their infantile treasures by taking all the milk
they can get,, until the fountain which supplies
it is exhausted. The natural consequence is,
that milk is very scarce.
Camel's milk is considered to be a great deli
cacy, but the young camel also is never weaned,
except by nature.
By the time the man was through with his (to
us) amusing operation of half milking the cow,
the sun was upon the brink of the western hori
zon, and Mr. M. said that Ave must go towards
home or we would be shut out of the town gates.
Oh, these worrisome town gates, Avill I ever be
used to their annoying and tyrannical inflic
tion ! I would so much have loved to have
roved and rambled among the orange and pome
granate groves of that lovely garden until the
moon would arise, and illumine with her silvery
rays their rustling leaves, but — the town gates
— oh, the hateful town gates must enclose us
within their prison-like locks, and we must leave
the moon-lighted leaves, to the (by us) unthared
enjoyment of the old cow and her young calf,
the half of whose supper had been robbed from
it to form a part of our own evening meal.
As we passed the gate of the Danish Consul's
garden, on our homeAvard Avalk, I could not help

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 95
wishing that we might have the pleasure of see
ing Miss A. 0. come out of it, but in vain, she
did not make her appearance. Under the dis
appointment I was consoled with the hope that
very soon I would meet and become acquainted
with her. I naturally considered that where
there were so few nominal Christians living to
gether in a place like this, so completely shut
out from the rest of the civilized Avorld, they
would often meet in friendly intercourse. The
manner in which this hope also failed me, must
form the subject of a future letter from
Yours affectionately,
&c, &c.

LETTER XV. -
SEEDY SHARKEY.
Tangier, Feb. 29th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
About an hour after our return home
from Mr. M.'s garden, the full moon was fairly
risen over the hills of Cape Malabat, which form
the eastern boundary of the Tangier Bay.
We stood at the window and watched the
playing of her beams upon the waves of the ever-

96 coos-coo-soo, or letters
moving sea, and in admiration of their beautiful
light I proposed to walk on the terrace or flat
over the top of the house, that we might enjoy
a wider view of the quiet and splendid scenery.
But Mr. M. put a peremptory \'eto upon any
such indulgence of my wishes. He said that the
dew of the night Avas particularly injurious to
new-comers, and that we must not, on any ac
count, expose ourselves to its eAdl effects. I re
mained at the window, gazing in admiring rap
ture at the moon and brightly illumined waves,
and listening to their gentle murmurings as they
broke over the sand and stones of the shore.
Their sound was the only one Avhich then broke
the solemn — stilly silence of the cool and plea
sant night air.
I was beginning to feel rebellious against the
restraints laid upon me, and I felt as if I would
soon resolve to break through them all, and take
the liberty of Avalking out somewhere to enjoy
more extensively the novelty of my rare sur
roundings. Just then, my rebellious thoughts were, with
my ardent Avishes after more Avidely extended
freedom of action, all suddenly put to flight, by
hearing the awful sound of Seedy Sharkey 's voice,
as he came striding and yelling up our street.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 97
Liberty! Freedom of action! — I then felt as
if I would be willing to creep into any place — I
would not care how narrow or how dark it might
be, to get away from that terrible sound.
The next morning, while we were eating
breakfast, we were informed that Seedy Sharkey
had at dawn of day departed on one of his long
journeys, and that probably he might not return
home for weeks or months, as he generally spent
the greater part of his time away from home ; he
was kindly treated wherever he went. His chief
pleasure seemed to be taken in yelling aloud and
in sitting and walking about the different ceme
teries in different parts of the land. In his
habits they say that he is very abstemious,
although he could live on the fat of the land, if
he would accept the one-half of the good things
of this life which the people are always willing
to bestow upon him.
What a happy relief it is to think that we are
for a time at least, released from the direful
noise of his terrifying voice.
Yours affectionately,
&c, &c

98 coos-coo-soo, or letters

LETTER XVI.
CONSULAR ETIQUETTE. Tangier, March za, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
A few days after our arrival, Mr. M.
received a note of invitation to spend the even
ing at the house of the parents of Miss A. 0.
He declined going and gave as his reason for
doing so that he was engaged with company at
home. I felt very sorry that we were not in
cluded in the invitation, as I was so exceedingly
anxious to see Miss A. 0.
Mr. M. then explained to me that all the in
tercourse between the Consuls and their families
was carried on with more regard to ceremony
and etiquette than to pleasure, and the enjoy
ment of each other's society. Also that I need
not expect any hrvitation until after ISiad been
visited formally, and until aU received calls
should be as ceremoniously returned, and that I
need not expect to receive any calls for several
weeks after my arrival.
How tantalizing all this was to my feelings,
and to reflect that I must not expect to see Miss

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 99
A. 0. until her parents saw proper to pay us an
unmeaning and ceremonious call, Avhile I am so
very anxious to become acquainted with her !
I am told that she speaks the English lan
guage quite fluently, that she is highly accom
plished, and possesses a finely cultivated mind,
&c, &c, &c. In short I am constantly being
told so many fine things about her, that I feel
as if I love her as much as I could do, if I had
seen and known her all the days of her life.
And yet to think that my meeting with her
must be postponed for weeks, and perhaps for
months on account of an idle and unmeaning
ceremony ! And that too, here in Africa ! In
this darkened corner of the earth where Euro
pean society is scarcer than grains of gold.
Truly when I think thereupon, I am out of all
patience, then while thus feeling out of patience
I Avant to run out and take a refreshing walk
on yonder broad beach, or to saunter out to the
garden hoping that I might again see her and
her teacher taking their daily walk.
But although my morning duties are all dis
charged, and though there is yet a full hour be
tween now and dinner time, I Avant so much to
spend that hour somewhere upon the green earth,
I am coolly told that I cannot go out to walk be-

100 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
cause the guard is not ready to attend me, and
that he will not be until after dinner !
Oh, how weariedly oppressed we are by cere
mony, etiquette, guards and town-gates ! But
after awhile we settled down to be satisfied
with our quiet ante-dinner promenade upon the
house-top, and we there one day resolved that
before we were a year older, we would have a
little garden of our own growing up there on
that same old house-top. If we were not al
lowed to find friends to love, nor liberty to take
" our walks abroad," just when we felt the need
of them, we must have some flowers to cheer
us with their silent but beautiful companionship,
in the absence of all other social joys and plea
sures ; them Ave hope to be able to love and ad
mire without being obliged to stop and consult
the convenience of town-gates, lazy guards, un
seasonable dinner hours and all the cold and
nipping laws of ceremony and etiquette !
Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 101
LETTER XVII.
AN AFRICAN RAIN. A FAMINE AND ITS VICTIMS.
Tangier, March 1 8th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
I wish some of our Philadelphia rainy-
day grumblers were here to be cured of their
discontent with having to hve through a rain of
some two or three days.
It has been raining incessantly night and day,
during the last two weeks. And they tell me it
very often continues to rain in the same style
throughout the space of four and six weeks. The
other night the rain entered my room in such
torrents through the ceihng that I was obliged
to rest in another apartment. What are Ave to
do for want of exercise and fresh air ? I feel
tempted to do as the natives do when they can
not help it — go through it.
Yet incredible as it seems, the people of this
land never use umbrellas. The Emperor is the
only native in the whole nation who is ever shel
tered from the rain by an umbrella, and he never
appears in pubhc, in sunshine or rain, without
having one held over him by an officer, Avho is

102 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS

especially appointed for that purpose ; the um
brella is the main mark or sign of royalty.
When the Emperor can claim to be in a direct
line, a descendant of the prophet, he is privileged
to be sheltered by a green one, when he cannot,
a red one is used.
When we are walking out, it frequently occurs
that some simple son or daughter of the country
will watch for an opportunity, and ask leave to
stand a moment under our sun-umbrellas, and
when the easily granted favor is given to him or
her, the gift of a bag of gold would not, I verily
believe, be received Avith greater pleasure.
But to return to the watery subject, with
which I began this letter ; it has now rained
night and day for the last two weeks. During
all that time we have walked nowhere out of
doors, not even on the dear old house top, which
we have already learned to love, as a pleasant
retreat from the fatigue and labor of our in-door
engagements. We now begin to feel as if we
cannot much longer endure this irksome confine
ment to the under-roof circle.
We have umbrellas and are permitted to carry
them as much as we please. But of Avhat use
are they ? The wind blows so strongly that
the labor of holding on to the umbrella is more

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 103
fatiguing, and worse than being exposed to the
falling rain.
We gain but little dryness by remaining within
the house, as the rain by spells, pours from the
ceiling all around us, and we are obliged to be
surrounded with tubs, pans and deep dishes to
catch the water, and prevent our floors from
being flooded. The roofs of the Tangier houses
are constantly being washed out of repair. Our
Avalking clothes by reason of the long rest they
are having, and of the dampness Avhich surrounds
them, are actually mouldy.
Some of the Consuls and their famihes go out
in the rain, and others do not.
The rainy season commences in October and
lasts till April, so that the year is divided into
the dry and rainy seasons. There is never any
frost here, yet the weather on account of its ex
treme dampness, is very chilly. Chills and fever
sometimes prevail, but they are not as common
as they are in the United States.
We had a call this morning from one of the
Consuls from the North of Europe. Mr. A. E.
is a very gentlemanly official, and exceedingly
pohte in his manners. When he first came in
he was so much excited that he could scarcely
vrish us good morning, or inquire after our wel-

104 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
fare, before he commenced to explain to us the
reason of the violent excitement from which he
was suffering. He had, on his way from his
garden to the town, seen a terrible sight — it was
one child eating the flesh of another, and the
wounded one Avas so benumbed with cold and
hunger, as to be insensible to the gnawing of the
flesh from its bones. A httle girl belonging to
the crowd of starving beggars outside of the
town walls, about ten years of age, was carrying
a younger child upon her back, after their fash
ion, and the carried child was so overcome Avith
hunger, that he saw it actually eating the flesh
of its bearer.
The sufferings of these poor creatures are
awful. It appears that in their roving life, wandering
as they do from place to place, they never lay
up any provision for future use OA^er what is ne
cessary to supply their wants from one harvest
to another, so that when there is a failure of
their crops, they are in a state of famine. Last
year the season was so dry, and there fell so
little rain during the winter, that the planted
grain did not grow, and they, for that year, had
no harvest, and are now suffering all the unima
ginable horrors of famine. They have, in their

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 105
present distress, flocked in large numbers to the
sea-port towns, and are now in starving beggary,
crouching around the walls of the towns.
As the crops last year failed all over the em
pire, and as the little wheat which was in store
here, and the flour that has been brought from
Gibraltar, are both sold at very high prices,
there is not much chance of the starving stran
gers from the interior of the country, obtaining
enough to reheve their hopeless condition. As
they are too poor to purchase the food they need,
they depend entirely upon begging for a living.
Being as they unfortunately are, so very nume
rous, the supphes given them by charity, are of
course very scanty in proportion to the number
of the receivers. At present it is quite a com
mon thing to see them dying with hunger, and
too far gone towards their last moment to have
strength to eat when food is given them; thus
they frequently die on the street.
One day a man was found dead lying near our
door, with a whole loaf of bread under his head
for a pillow — it had been given too late to save
his life, but no doubt he died more easily with
it under his head. The terrible sight of their
skeleton4ooking faces, is the only thing which

106 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
reconciles me to the imprisonment that this long
continued rain has imposed upon us.
We see enough of them here, under our win
dows, Avhere they come A'ery frequently, but they
do not look so dreadfully heart-rending when
they present themselves to our view in pairs or
small groups, as they do when they are seen by
the scores and hundreds outside of the town
walls, Avhere they sit on the mud with the rain
pouring down on their more than half-naked
bodies. Do you ask me,
"Why do not the authorities provide them with
" places of shelter?"
The authorities argue that if they would do
so, they Avould pour into the towns from the in
terior in such multitudes, that they would soon
outnumber the regular inhabitants; and that as
soon as they Avould find themselves the stronger
of the two people, they would massacre all the
Moorish citizens and take possession of the
towns. The Moors Avill not alloAv them to spend even
one night Avithin the town gates, and if they at
any time find they are becoming unsafely nume
rous in the neighborhood, the Governor issues a
proclamation, that they must immediately depart

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 107
from the town altogether. Thus the poor
wretches are driven about from town to toAvn,
and will so continue until the end of the present
rainy season.
Some time ago, one of the English Consul's
daughters undertook to give them all a loaf of
bread a-piece every morning, at, her own expense
and with her own hands, from her father's win
dow. After she had done so several days, the Gov
ernor sent her word that she must stop doing so,
or she would cause an insurrection in the town,
and that if she did not at once cease giving bread
to the beggars, she and her father would have to
leave the place immediately. Not wishing to be
the means of producing a public breach of the
peace in any Avay, the fair lady Avas obliged to
discontinue her kind and charitable donations.
Oh, how sad it is to see the poor creatures
dying for the want of food ! The agonizing ex
pression of their countenances is terrible and
harrowing beyond description. Being too weak
to Avalk far at a time, they crawl about from spot
to spot in a sIoav, snail-like pace, and then sink
down in the street mud under our AvindoAvs
and moan out in a Avhining and melancholy tone
of voice, these words,

108 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
" Ahil alghasnah aah lamumeeneen ghetsuna
haley arrabu !"
" Oh, ye of humanity, oh, ye faithful, give us
alms for the sake ofthe Lord!"
My heart is kept constantly on the rack in
compassion for their forlorn condition. Oh, that
I had the power to transport them all to our
warm almshouses on the other side of the Atlan
tic ! And how ardently I Avish that these peo
ple could be taught to receive the love and faith
of the blessed Messiah into their hearts, which
would move them to feel for the necessities of
their fellow creatures, and to devise some plan
by Avhich their awful miseries might be de
creased. But alas, while they shut their hearts and
eyes against his love and law, they will be as
tightly shut against all the miseries of their
brethren !
But the koran is their bane.
The koran Avith its usurped imitation of the
true Avord of God ; with its professed declaration
of being God's revealed will to man ; with its
(in part,) moral code of wholesome and beneficial
laAvs, is blindly fortifying them against the ad
mission into their hearts of every ray of hght,
which but for it, might be allowed to beam upon

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 109
them from the sublime heights of Mount Cal
vary. Alas for them!
They Avill not be preached to " of the truth
as it is in Jesus."
Their time for that has not come yet. But it
cannot noAV be very far distant.
When Mr. A. E. was here this morning, he
also brought us other bad news. He informed
us that Miss A. 0. is very sick, and has been so
for several weeks. As no one of her family has
yet called on us, ceremony forbids our going to
see her, however much Ave may wish to do so.
How pleasant it would be to spend a few
hours each day by endeavoring to cheer her in
her sickness. We have heard so httle of the
English language spoken since we have been
here, that it would be a great treat to converse
with her in that familiar, dear old tongue.
I now feel more anxious than ever to hear
from her, and I long to go and inquire how she
is, but — ceremony forbids it — oh, how much
suffering has ceremony to answer for !
Yours truly, &c, &c.

110 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS

LETTER XVIII.
THE FLOAVERS. BEGGARS' BREAD. GRAVE ROBBER.
Tangier, April 8 th, 1 8— .
My Dear Friend :
The rains are now becoming "few and
far between," and we occasionally have a feAV
hours of clear sunshine. How delightful it is to
see once more the clear blue sky !
April in Africa (at least in this part,) is very
much like April in Pennsylvania — made up of
showers and sunshine, only that the shoAvers
are heavier, and the sunshine is warmer and
brighter here than there. And the flowers —
you neA^er saw such a profusion of flowers as
now cover the fields and roads of this fertile
country ! They form a carpet of the richest
and most varied tints, in such immense quanti
ties that their blossoms almost cover up the
grass and leaves that grow between them. The
roving beggars by whom we are still surrounded,
have found a substitute for bread. The plants
commonly called Indian turnips, are now grow
ing in great abundance all over the country; they
dig up their roots, cut them into small pieces
about the size of coffee berries, spread them out

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. Ill
in the sun to dry, then grind them in their
hand-mills. They scald the ground roots, then
mix them Avith water into small cakes and bake
them. The fields in the neighborhood of the
town, look as if a large drove of SAvine had been
rooting up the ground. Poor souls, how much
like brutes they do live ! They are now less
numerous than they were a month ago, which
is a great relief to our ears, eyes, feelings and
— our purses.
A few days after the date of my last letter,
while the poor creatures Avere still at the height
of their multiplied miseries, thsre was in the
Tangier cemetery the funeral of a rich Moor.
As the corpse was buried in a goodly amount of
fine muslin Avrappings, a feAV hours after the
funeral, one of the starving beggars who Avas a
largely built young man, robbed the newly
filled grave of the said rich Moor. He Avas de
tected in the act of concealing the muslin on
his person, intending to sell it to procure some
food with the money he should receive for it.
He was immediately hailed by the witnesses to
meet them before the Judge, who Avithout any
delay condemned him to death by stoning, and
he Avas at once delivered over to the will of the
infuriated rabble of the town.

112 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
The operation of stoning him instantly com
menced — he ran as long as he was able trying to
escape from his pursuers, which Avas only a short
time, and Avhen he could no longer run, or even
walk, they dragged him to that part of the town
wall Avhich is built on the brink of the sea, at
the base of which there are many large, rough
stones, there they threw him over; as he fell his
brains Avere scattered upon them, and very soon
his poor broken body Avas washed out to sea.
This they say, is the first public execution of
a criminal that has occurred here for more than
ten years. We may well rejoice at the depar
ture of the poor creatures from our midst.
This afternoon Avhile returning from our walk
to the garden, we met a procession of men Avho
A\rere carrying an article that proved to be a
plain, unpainted and unvarnished wooden bier,
on its Avay to the cemetery. On the bier was
lying an uncoffined corpse. The men were
Avalking very fast and this is in fact the only
occasion on Avhich they are eA*er in a hurry —
Avhen they bury their dead. They never allow
two suns to shine upon a corpse.
If a person dies before sunset on one day,
they think he or she must be buried before the
rising of the next morning's sun.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 113
As they Avalked along they sang,
" La Elaahlah Mohammed arrazul Elaahlah."
" There is but one God and Mohammed is the
Prophet of God!'
These words they chanted over and over again,
in a low and monotonous tone, all the way from
the door of the dwelling place of the deceased?
until they arrived at the side of the grave.
The Moors do not generally use any regularly
made coffin, but lower the corpse into the grave
on a board, place two other boards at its sides
and then cover them with another.
The Arabs substitute aloe leaves for boards
during these hard times. They place a layer of the
aloe leaves in the grave, lower the dead on them
and then spread over it another layer of the
same leaves, then fill the grave with earth. It
is probable that the Arabs, and the other coun
try people around us, use boards whenever they
are able to buy them.
On account of the scarcity of lumber, boards
are very dear. The consuls Avhen building their
houses, are obliged to bring the required lumber
from the North of Europe. I beheve there are
not ten acres of wood-land within ten or twelve
miles of Tangier. The surrounding hills and
fields are entirely bare of trees, except here and

114 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
there a few fig, orange, olive and other fruit
trees growing in the gardens, but Avild forest
trees are things that I have not yet met with.
Their absence gives the country a tame and
lack-lustre aspect, nothing can supply their place
in the beauty and adornment of a landscape.
To-day Ave have been credibly informed of the
cause of Miss A. O.'s sickness. A few days after
we saw her walking out to the Danish Consul's
garden Avith her brother and French teacher, the
latter gentleman had the presumption to ask her
parents to permit him to marry their daughter.
The inexperienced youth forgot the change
Avhich existed in his circumstances, and that he
was not noAV upon a social footing of equality
Avith the young lady Avhose hand he sought.
He thought only of her exqusite beauty, and of
the ardent loAre which it had produced in his af
fectionate young heart. He forgot that the
property — the broad acres and the bright pal
aces Avhich once Avere his, were noAV owned by
others, and that he was so poor as to be depen
dent upon his OAvn exertions for a living — in
short he forgot — everything except his ardent
and sincere youthful love. Who could blame
him, seeing and conversing with her day after
day as he did? But unfortunately for him

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 115
and his fair young captivator, her parents forgot
the only thing Avhich he remembered — love to
her, and they remembered that which he utterly
forgot — his poverty. They well knew that in real
rank he Avas their superior, and that in talents,
education and moral rectitude of character he
Avas fully her equal. But all these things they
also forgot and remembered only that he Avaspoor.
The answer which he received from them was his
passport, (sealed and signed) to Gibraltar, which
he was requested to put into immediate use, and
receiAred Avith it from his employer the command
to depart at once and forever from Tangier.
As he was here under the protection of Mr.
0., and disowned as a felloAV citizen by the Con
sul of his own government, and knowing it
would be in vain to appeal for protection to any
other Consul, or to claim it from the Moors, he
was obliged to obey the tyrannical mandate and
to depart from the town in a boat which Avas
just ready to sail for Gibraltar.
It is noAV striking the hour of midnight, and
is therefore better to defer the conclusion of this
matter until to-morrow evening.
Hastily and lovingly yours,
&c, &c.

116 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS

LETTER XIX.
TANGIER MUEDDEN. WALK ON THE HOUSE-TOP.
Tangier, April 15 th, 18—.
My Dear Friend :
The unfortunate young Frenchman em
barked for Gibraltar, where Ave do not know
what ever became of him. We only know that
he was forced to leave here without a farewell
interview with Miss A. 0., and that on that same
day, she was taken sick with a violent fever.
She went to bed, and never again raised herself
from it.
About three days ago she died, and to-day she
was buried. Her coffin was eirveloped in the
flag of her nation. Her brothers attended her
funeral, but her parents did not leave their OAvn
private apartment and were invisible to all call
ers. Four of the Consuls walked beside her
coffin as pall-bearers. She was borne to the
grave by four Europeans, who Avere followed by
the male members of the different consular fami
lies. There Avere no females present either at
the house, funeral or grave-yard. She was bu
ried in the consular cemetery, a small lot which

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 117
adjoins the Swedish Consul's garden on the west
side, and is a pretty httle spot, surrounded by a
thick hedge of native canes.
This then is the end of the first European in
whom I felt interested after landing on the coast
of Africa.
Her early death is deeply deplored by all the
inhabitants of the place who knew her, and
especiaUy the Consuls' families feel her loss very
deeply. Her father has been ill in bed ever since her
decease, and her mother, in all probability, will
never again visit any person.
After the sad and solemn funeral Avas over, Ave
Avalked to the Jew's river, which at this time of
year, is about twenty-five feet wide. It runs
into the sea at about two miles distance from
Tangier. In it we saw some of the laundry-
women of Tangier Avashing their clothes. They
rubbed them well with so_rp, then put them on a
large stone or rock beneath the surface of the
water, and while they held them fast Avith their
feet, they pounded them vigorously with thick
wooden clubs, then they rinsed them thoroughly
in the deeper water.
They then tied them up in large bundles and
carried them, dripping wet as they were, into
10

118 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
the town upon their backs. As the greater part
of the washed garments were of woollen texture,
you may imagine how dripping wet they were.
How true it is, that in Africa a woman too
often is made to do the duties of a beast of bur
den. When the laundresses arrive at home, they
hang the colored and white cotton things upon a
line to dry, the woollen goods are reserved to go
through another process before being dried. They
have a large cane basket, with only a feAV narrow
slats in the bottom, and without a handle, this
they turn upside down, and over it they spread
in layers all the white woollen garments of the
wash, and cover them up closely with a thick,
dry cloth ; this they call the bleaching. They
then put some burning charcoal in an earthen
pan, sprinkle over it broken sulphur, and then
put the earthen pan under the basket. The
fumes of the sulphur whiten the woollen goods ;
they are left in this state about twenty-four
hours, during which from time to time, fresh
coals and sulphur are put under them.
They are then taken up and hung on lines to
dry and air. Smoothing irons are never used
by the natives of this country. Lavender
flowers or pulverized frankincense are then

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 119
burned under the clean clothes by those Avho
can afford the expense, to give them an agree
able odor. These two articles are very much
used by all the Tangierines to scent their dwell
ings and wearing apparel.
After returning from our walk to Jew's river,
as it was not yet tea time, Ave took another
promenade upon the terrace on our house-top,
and there we saAV for the first time in many long,
wearisome weeks, the clear and cloudless setting
of the sun.
How beautifully its rosy-tinted hues enlivened
and enriched the surrounding scenery of land
and water. Not a breeze fanned the air around
us, not a ripple waved the smooth and glassy,
the gaily gilded surface of the Bay. Oh, it was
delightful to enjoy such a calm, after the tem
pests of rain and wind which have been so unin
terruptedly prevailing around and over us during
the last many weeks. Everything around us
now looks very peaceful and quietly happy. Oh,
that the appearance was real, and that this peo
ple were as happy as the surrounding scenery is
now brightly beautiful. But alas, that they can
never be, while they despise and disdain the name
and honor of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. In his faith and only in his name can

120 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
true happines ever be found in this hfe of mor
tality. The gentle murmurs of the calm sea, as it
broke slowly, tide-washed, over the sands of the
shore, Avere the only sounds which broke the si
lence of the sun-set hour. The braying of the
neighboring donkeys was hushed, for they were
quietly resting after the labors of the past day.
The barking of the ever vigilant watch-dogs had
not yet begun for the night. The swalloAvs had
not yet paid us their annual visits. The storks
were beginning to return to their ivy-built nests
on the town walls, but at the moment of which
I am writing, they too Avere still, and a more
peaceful or calmer period I never beheld. Oh,
how my heart roved away from its quietness and
followed in their western course, the rays of the
declining sun, as they rolled far away over the
waves of the broad Atlantic, and yet for five
hours longer would shower down in brightness,
their light upon the heads of beloved ones at
home. Oh, how I longed to go with them there,
even though I should have to leave aU ther calm
beauty of the scene around me. How true it is
that " there is no place like home."
I think you will rejoice with me when I tell
you that Seedy Sharkey has not stunned my

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 121
ears by the hideous sound of his voice since the
first day of my arrival here. Sometimes I think
that perhaps it will be all the harder to endure
hearing when he returns home, after his long
absence. But at all events, I am heartily glad
that he is away.
The setting sun reminds me of what I was told
to-day about some of the Moors' fancies.* They
profess to beheve that the world is supported
upon the horn of an immense ox, and that AAThen
he is tired of holding it on that horn, he changes
it to the other, and the motion of changing it is
what causes earthquakes.
They also relate that Avhen the sun sets, it
falls into the sea, and is SAvallowed by a large
fish that carries it by night to the east side of
the earth, and there throws him again upon dry
land, and that his return causes the new day.
This evening, while I was on our house-top,
I distinctly heard the sun-set gun of Gibraltar.
We may therefore expect to have an easterly
wind to-morrow, especially as there are misty
clouds gathering over the top of the Rock. At
the same moment in which we heard the sound
of the Gibraltar sun-set gun, we saw a small
white flag sent waving upon the calm evening
air from the top of the minaret of the mosque. 10*

122 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Then we heard the song of the Talb, or the
Muedden, who called the faithful to prayer.
Five times daily this same sound breaks out
upon the usual quietness of the Tangier air, and
when so heard, aU devout Mohammedans im
mediately begin to pray. The rich ones go to
the mosque with their rosaries in their hands.
Those of the • poorer classes, who cannot afford
to spend that much time from their labors, pros
trate themselves in prayer wherever they may
happen to be when the appointed hour arrives,
so that they are often seen praying upon the
house-tops, and in the busy market places, or at
the corners of the streets. A man here is not
despised for his devotion, and therefore does not
attempt to conceal it. But many of them never
feel it, and then of course, they have none either
to show or conceal. At each time of prayer the
Muedden, or prayer-crier in the minaret of every
mosque, sings out in a loud voice the foUowing
words :
"Allah kabeer la el lah la la ela Allah, la el
la Allah, la ela ela Allah, ashhedu Mohammed
razul Allah."
"God is great, there is no God but one God, there
is no God but one God, and proclaim ye that Mo
hammed is the Prophet of God."

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 123
But hark, the tea-bell rings, and I must de
scend from my flight among house-tops and
minaret songs, to the duties of tea-spoons and
butter-knives. Adieu. Yours, affectionately, &c, &c.

LETTER XX.
A MOORISH BETROTHAL. COOS-COO-SOO, AND HOW
TO MAKE IT.
Tangier, April 24th, 18 —
My Dear Friend :
This morning at an early hour our street
resounded with the noises of a Moorish merry
making, which is always announced by female
voices uttering loud and incessant warfwallows
in concert with loud clappings of the hands.
These sounds are heard at weddings, births and
at the beginning of any one of their National
festivals and at the first appearance of the new
moon. At first we did not know on what occa
sion they were now proclaimed. But we were
not kept long in suspense upon the subject, for
very soon we saw a band of Moorish musicians
come up the street and place themselves around
the street-door or gate of our nearest neighbor.

124 coos-coo-soo, or letters

This act on their part informed us that either a
betrothal, or a wedding was then and there to
commence. The neighbor has three daughters all under
fourteen years of age. They are in good cir
cumstances and therefore the festivities will be
conducted with corresponding "pomp and cir
cumstance." Soon after the band arrived in front of the
youthful bride's door, they began to play on their
not well toned instruments, and at the same time
the clapping of hands and the warwaUows of the
women within the court of the house continued
without interruption, and gave abundant proof
that the fair daughters of Morocco were not de
ficient in strength of lungs and of hands, at
least not while they Avere enjoying the exciting
merriment of a wedding's preparation, whatever
else they might happen to lack on other occa
sions. When the music had been playing about a
half an hour, the first betrothal or marriage gift
arrived from the future husband to his stiU un
seen wife.
The amount, value and kind of these presents
are all a part and parcel of the marriage agree
ment made and settled by the friends of the

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 125
young couple, with all the coolness and delibera
tion which could be experienced by them, while
conversing upon any other business transaction.
They are commented upon and talked over by
neighbors and others as freely as the state of
the weather, or the prospects of the crops by
farmers. The quahty and quantity of the present de
pend upon the fortune of the bride-groom.
When the father of the bride is in good cir
cumstances, he is expected to throw open his house
to his friends and give a feast, which generally
lasts several days and evenings, during which time
he is to have music playing, dancing, war/wal
lows, hand-clappings, and plenty of good eating
and drinking. The men and women guests on
these occasions never meet. They go to the
house at different hours, and occupy different
rooms, when the dwelling is large enough to af
ford two suits of apartments.
War wallows are loud and joyful cries made
with the voice, while the hand is lightly and
quickly patted over the lips, so that the same
woman cannot produce a perfect war/wallow, and
at the same time clap her hands ; but one half
of the assembled party of rejoicers, will perform
one part of the noisy demonstration, and the

126 coos-coo-soo, or letters
other will perform the other part. In this way
the merry and deafening peals will be continued
for many hours without any interruption.
The gifts on the present occasion consisted of
several mules* burdens of wheat neatly stowed
in new panniers made of palm-leaf straw, the
mules' bridles were tastefuUy decorated, and
each mule was led by a man or boy, who was
handsomely clothed in clean and brightly tinted
garments ; also of jars filled with honey, butter
and coos-coo-soo, wnicli were jauntily tied up in
silk handkerchiefs of brilliant colors and this
country's manufacture. These bundles of lux
uries were gracefully borne upon the heads of
tAvelve very black female slaves, real pure
Africans they seemed to be.
Some of these slaves were gaily dressed in
wide sleeved kaftans of red and Avhite striped
French chintz, others had on the same shaped
kaftans made of the same kind of material, but
the stripes were blue and white; they had sashes
of Avide red silk scarfs around their waists,
and bright silk handkerchiefs tied around their
woolly heads, broad silver bands on their wrists
and ankles, and sUver rings in their ears.
Coos-coo-soo is the name of the main ma
terial of which is composed their favorite Na-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 127
tional dish, and is highly esteeemed by all the
natives of Morocco.
It is made of the finest part of the Avheat, or
the heart of the grain called semula, and is sepa
rated by numerous sittings with hand-sieves
made for the purpose, from other parts of the
ground grain.
It is then mixed with water into very small
balls not much larger than mustard seed, which
are also sifted through sieves which are pur
posely prepared for this use. The process of
preparing this coos-coo-soo is very tedious, and
occupies the greatest part of the time of the
Moorish housekeeper or her servants. When it
is all sifted to the proper size, it is spread upon
cloths in the sun and thoroughly dried, then put
away in jars and is ready for use.
When they want to prepare it for the table,
they ha>-e ready some kind of meat. Fowl is
the favorite and most used, after fowl mutton is
next preferred, Avhen mutton or fowl is not con
venient they use beef or goat's meat. Pork you
know is never eaten by Mohammedans, they
never raise and will not touch it if they can
help it. The meat is put into a stew-pan over
a slow fire, where it is stewed until it can be
easily puUed apart. As the Moors never use

128 coos-coo-soo, or letters
knives and forks their meat carving is done with
their fingers, by holding on to the ends of the
bones and pulling it apart from them.
While the foAvl or meat is stewing in the pan,
the coos-coo-soo is steamed over it in an earthen
vessel which is full of holes, and similar to a
cullender. Meanwhile in a smaller sauce-pan
are stewed a number of sliced onions, correspond
ing in quantity to the size of the fowl, foAvls or
meat which is being cooked. These onions are
generally boiled in two or three different waters,
which are poured off to extract from them their
strong taste, and then stewed in a smaU quan
tity of water with pepper, salt and saffron.
When these things are nearly done, the cook wiU
boil four or more eggs until they are very hard,
they are then shelled.
When the meat is well done it is put in a deep
dish, the gravy is thickened with flour and col
ored with saffron and ground cinnamon. While
the gravy is thickening the coos-coo-soo is stiU
kept over it. When the gravy is done the coos-
coo-soo is poured into the same dish with and
over the meat; the onions are put on the centre
of the coos-coo-soo, the eggs either whole or in
halves are placed around the onions, ground cin
namon is spread over them, and the graAry is

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 129
poured over the whole dish, and it is ready for
the table.
This is the summit of a Moorish gourmand's am
bition — to be seated beside a full dish of smoking
hot coos-coo-soo. It is considered by all ranks and
races of the land, to be the most delicious prepa
ration that was ever tasted. It must be con
fessed even by us strangers, that it is really Arery
nice — very palatable, and very nourishing food.
Every body who eats it pronounces it very
good, and we are always willing to haAre it on
the table — no matter hoAV often. The Moors
never have a feast of hot food, Avithout a dish
of coos-coo-soo being placed on the table of the
first course of dishes. They on common occa
sions in their own family sit around the dish, and
eArery member dips in his hand and helps him
self to the different parts. The meat is general
ly brought to the surface by the aid of a long
wooden spoon and is pulled to pieces by the
fingers of one or two persons and is eaten Avith
the coos-coo-soo.
Before they sit doAArn to eat they always wash
their hands. In this laudable custom they are
invariably as well drilled as were the Jews of old.
They consider it a great abomination to eat with
unwashed hands. 11

130 coos-coo-soo, OR LETTERS
On more ceremonious occasions plates are
used and handed round to the guests. At these
times a servant goes round the room just before
the company begin to eat, he holds a wash-basin
in one hand, a large pitcher of fresh water in
the other, and has a long clean hnen towel hang
ing over his shoulder ; he stops beside each one
of the assembly, who washes his or her hands
as he pours water over them into the basin, and
wipes them on the towel.
Now to return from this ramble over coos-coo-
soo, let us go back to our starting point from the
betrothal festival.
The twelve black honey, butter and coos-coo-
soo bearers, walked up the street with the solem
nity and slowly measured paces of a funeral-like
procession. They were foUoAved by the mules with the
wheat and their leaders, who Avere also very
silent and very sober-looking in their demeanor.
As they approached the house and while they
were depositing their precious burdens within it,
the band played a solemn monotonously sound
ing tune upon tlieir inharmonious instruments.
Whatever else the Moors can be praised for
they surely will never be applauded for their
musical proficiency.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 131
Sadness seems to be their most frequently used
tone.
^ The bearers of the present to and from the
house, made quite a fine looking display. After
they had taken their departure, the female
friends of the bride and her mother paid their
eaUs of congratulation, and there was a running
in and out of the house all day.
Six months after this betrothal ceremony the
marriage festival will be celebrated.
Before that time arrives, most probably we
will have an opportunity of Avitnessing the nup
tial ceremonies of some other fair Moorish lassie,
which if possible shall be committed to " black
and white," for your especial benefit.
I belieA^e I have not yet written to you about
our beautiful promenade on the Tangier beach.
Oh, it is a lovely place ! When the tide is out
it is I think over a hundred feet wide, and is at
least two miles long. It is a smooth hard sand,
stretching in a gentle curve around a part of the
Bay to a small river or armlet of the sea, near
which Ave never go because the guard (Avho
always attends us,) says, there are dangerous
quicksands near the river.
This lovely beach is often covered with an
abundance of very beautiful sea-shells, and

132 coos-coo-soo, or letters
marine Aveeds, and innumerable little salt Avater
insects and sea-worms.
We sometimes find very large sea-stars, and
very frequently immense numbers of sea-eggs.
During the prevalence of a Western Avind,
there cannot be enjoyed in this country a more
delightful and refreshing exercise than is found
in a horseback ride, or a walk upon this beautiful
broad level beach.
It is sheltered on the South by a large num
ber of very high sand-hills, and on the West by
the town and castle of Tangier.
When the wind blows heavily from the East,
Ave take our afternoon exercise in some other
direction, but nowhere can we meet Avith as
much beauty and loAreliness of created nature, as
we meet with here on this our faArorite prome
nade ground, which is laved by the ever surging,
never resting waves of the Bay.
We frequently find some smaU but very pretty
specimens of red and white coral. A large box
filled to overflowing with shells and other curi
osities gathered on this beach, which we intend
to send you one of these days, avUI prove to you
that you are not forgotten by
Yours affectionately,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 133

LETTER XXI.
A MOORISH WEDDING AND THE BRIDE.
Tangier, May 5 th, 18 —
My Dear Friend :
A few days ago we sa\v a decently
dressed Moor stalking down the main street of
the toAvn, with an air and a gait which plainly
indicated that he had some kind of important
business to perform. An air and a gait which
are rarely seen in the use of our turbaned neigh
bors. To be eager in the pursuit of business is
evidently not their fort*? but to take the world
easy and to let it go as it may please Providence
to direct, is the darling trait of their national
characteristics. To walk for pleasure and exercise is com
pletely beyond their comprehension. They think
that when the Consuls walk (as they do almost
daily,) to their gardens, that they go there to
superintend the cultivation of some favorite fruit
or vegetable. The Moors' only pleasures consist
mainly in eating and sleeping. As they never
walk for pleasure, as soon as we saw the above
alluded to individual, we saw also that he must
11*

134 coos-coo-soo, or letters
be intrusted with some urgent piece of important
business. Then we heard him exclaim in a loud
voice a few words, which Avere presently ex
plained to our wondering ears. He was a herald,
and he was proclaiming to the worthy inhabi
tants of Tangier, that Seedy Such-a-one was to
be married, that his wedding ceremonies would
commence on that evening, and that all his male
friends and acquaintances were then and there
by him, invited to visit his house, and to eat to
his future happiness.
In a few hours after that proclamation was is
sued, any respectable male person who wished
to, could go to the bridegroom's house and par
take of this commencement of the marriage fes
tivity. Dried fruit, nuts and sweet cakes on all
similar occasions are liberally and in great abun
dance handed round among the assembled mul
titude. Some music is played in the court of the
house. On the tops of the surrounding houses will
often be seen, well dressed Moorish women, who
thence with their faces closely covered, look
down upon the guests.
The next day at an early hour, the bridegroom
sent from his house to the dwelling of his be-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 135
trothed, a present of cloths, linens, muslins, silks
and gauzes in the piece, and several articles of
made-up wearing apparel. This present Avas
borne from one house to the other, very much in
the same style that was displayed on the occa
sion of the betrothal at our nearest neighbor's
house, of which I sent you an account in my last
letter. On this latter occasion the procession which
was formed by the bearers of the present, was
foUowed by a band of music, which played a
more hvely air than was indulged in at that time.
When this latter present arrived, it found the
fair young bride sitting on a bed, clad in a clean
under-garment, with the wrappings of a bed-
sheet over her face and shoulders.
In this manner she sat several days, during
which time she was visited by her female rela
tives and friends. And there were at inten'-als,
dancing, instrumental music and singing per
formed before her.
On the second or third day the bridegroom
sent an ox, and had it killed in front of the
bride's house. This was a part of the bridal
present. While the ox Avas being kiUed, the band
played a slow and melancholy tune.

136 coos-coo-soo, or letters
On the last day of the bridal visitings from
her female friends, young girls only visited her,
and they spent the entire day with her, while
she still sat undressed on the bed. They
amused her and themselves by telling stories and
by singing love songs. In the yard ofthe house,
in which was growing a very large and over-sha
dowing fig tree, there were straw mattings spread
out in the shade of the tree, and in the centre of
the mattings was placed a handsome Moorish
carpet, on which sat a dozen female musicians,
who played upon their musical instruments.
At intervals they would jump up and dance,
one at a time. When the dancer stopped she
was paid some money by every person present,
this money was generally given in copper, and
did not amount in value to much of a sum.
But if any of the female European inhabitants
of Tangier are present on such occasions, they
are expected to give the dancer gold and sUver.
The Moors pretend to believe that money is
ever ready at the command of Nazarenes,
through their intercourse with Satan, with Avhom
they believe them to be in league.
The next day the bride was invisible, except
to her own intimate friends and very near fe
male relatives. That night she was dressed in

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 137
great splendor, and carried from her room in a
box, or closely covered seat, which was with her
in it, fastened to the back of a mule. This box
is made of strong heavy wood, shaped at the top
like a canopy. Thus seated she rode to the
mosque, into which she was carried, and Avhat-
ever ceremonies were therein performed, we
were not permitted to see, as in this empire, a
Jew or a Nazarine is not allowed even to stop
before and look into a mosque.
While passing it the JeAvs are obliged to carry
their shoes in their hands and walk barefooted,
unless through the influence of some one of the
Consul's intercession to the " powers that be,"
some favorite of the Jewish people is allowed to
wear the European costume, which permission
includes the liberty of wearing shoes while pass
ing over holy ground.
From the mosque the bride was borne to her
new residence, still seated in her prison-like box.
When she left the door of her parents' house, the
bridegroom rode before her on a Avhite horse.
He was handsomely attired, but his face and
figure Avere completely covered from sight by the
ample folds of a very large, white haik, and he
remained during several days with his face

138 coos-coo-soo, or letters
covered. As this was his first marriage, he car
ried a drawn sword in front of him.
If he had been before married, the same draAvn
sword would have been borne on his back. The
procession which foUowed him from the bride's
house to his own, consisted, first, of the band of
music, playing a loud and wfld air ; after the
music walked men and boys, bearing burning
wax candles, flaming torches and lighted lanterns.
Others bore in their hands long, native-made
muskets, which they heaA'Uy loaded with powder
and fired off at the length of eA*ery few steps,
others discharged fire-crakers and other small
fire-works. Other men and boys hallooed, shouted, sang
and clapped their hands, with a vociferation
which was enough to stun one's ears for a week
to come. Whenever the man's marriage is a
first one, these noises are raised to theh highest
possible pitch. How the poor girls can make up
their minds to become wives in this country, is
beyond aU reasonable comprehension.
But the poor souls ! I forgot — their minds and
wills are not consulted on the subject at aU, for
they are the slaves of their parents or of some
other male relative who occupies the place of a
father.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 139
The next morning before daylight, or about
the time of the first call to prayer from the top
of the mosque's minaret, the bridegroom fired off
a loaded musket, and then commenced anew the
waifwallows of the women and the clapping of
their hands.
The marriage festivities then continued seve
ral days, more or less, according to the means
and wishes of the bridegroom and his parents.
The music, dancing and feasting are gone on with
till then sounds are wearisome. At 9 o'clock,
A. m. on the morning after the bride was carried
to her new home, she was splendidly dressed in
costly robes, her face was highly painted in red,
white, blue and black, and she was richly deco
rated Avith all sorts of jewels. She was then
visited by every person who wished to do so.
Each one who paid her a visit was expected
to put a present for her in the hands of her mo
ther or her appointed representative.
She Avore bands of precious stones, one over
the other on her head, until they formed a space
a foot in width, Avhich was covered with all man
ner of all colored precious stones. These bands
they call sfifas, and under them were pinned a
great many rich and highly colored silk hand
kerchiefs of native silk, some of them were inter-

140 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
woven Avith gold and silver threads. A bride
generally Avears as many of these sfifas and
heavy silk handkerchiefs on her head as she can
obtain Avhen she is dressed to go to her future
home, and when she is exhibited to her friends
the next day. Suspended from one of these
sfifas are large clusters of similar precious stones,
which are hooked fast to the ear-rings for the
purpose of supporting them, as on account of
their immense weight and size they could not
be worn Avithout this plan of supporting them.
The part of the ring which enters the ear is
as thick as a finger. The process by which the
bored ears become trained to wearing this weight
must be very painful. The ear is first bored
with a common needle as is done in other places.
When the hole is healed from the boring, they
insert in it a piece of Avax. This piece of wax
is gradually increased in size untU the opening
in the ear is worn large enough to admit a large
date seed, then it will be large enough to force
the ear-ring into it.
Those Avomen who cannot conveniently wear
their ear-rings every day or all day, always Avear
a date seed or a roll of Avax in the holes in their
ears, to make them retain their proper size.
The hands of the bride Avere covered Avith

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 141
finger-rings, and her nails Avere tinged Avith
henna. The wrists and ankles were adorned
with heavy " tinkling ornaments."
The eye-brows and eye-lashes Avere painted
black. The whole face and neck Avere first
painted white, the cheeks were then painted a
thick dark red, and over the red cheeks were
drawn blue and Avhite lines. Down the centre
of her chin and the front part of her neck there
were painted lines of deep blue spots.
Her teeth, gums and lips were also tinged
with a substance which gaAre them a broAvnish
red color, and also imparted a fragrant and
agreeable odor to her breath.
She was altogether a blaze of jewelry, of gold,
shver and paint, which was well calculated
to make the wondering beholder forever sick of
the sight of jewelry, gold, silver and paint.
Thus bedecked and painted, with a thin white
gauze \ei\ throAvn over her face, she sat as mo
tionless as a statue, and with closed eyes, all the
remaining days of the feast.
She did not once open her eyes, speak a Avord,
or in any Avay move her feet, hands or head; aU
she did Avas to sit and to breathe all the time
there Avere any visitors present with her — it
seemed to me they Avere with her all the time.
12

142 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
But my paper is fuU, and I fear your patience
is wearied with this long description of this mo
tionless African bride. Yours truly, &c, &c.

LETTER XXII.
MOORISH MASONRY. RANKS OF SOCIETY.
Tangier, May I oth, 1 8 —
My Very Dear Friend :
On the first day of this month we had,
for about an hour, a heavy shower of rain accom
panied by thunder and hghtning. This was a
very rare circumstance. The rains generaUy
cease in April, and after that dry weather con
tinues untU September or October. Many of
the natives look upon this unexpected shower
as a prognostic of eAdl, and are in quite low
spirits about it.
Hoav would you like to accompany me on a
visit to a Moorish lady, and have the pleasure of
seeing the interior of one of these queer looking,
white houses, by which we are surrounded ?
As your answer to this question is not being

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 143
conveyed to me by lightning speed, I will take
the liberty of thinking that your silence is equi
valent to a consent, and I wiU take you with me
on our proposed visit as soon as we can make
the necessary arrangements for starting.
But before we go, perhaps you would like to
have me teU you what sort of a house it is to
which I am going to conduct you, and that you
may wish me to explain more fully what is
meant by calling the houses queer.
In the first place they are entirely windowless.
Window-glass is nevrer used by the Moorish
house-builders. Their houses are built of native clay, bricks
and stone. Sometimes they are both mixed and
used together in the construction of their houses.
There are generally parapets surrounding the
tops of the first-class houses, which are three or
four feet high.
After the walls are erected, the roof of boards
is fastened on them. Then they are plastered
aU over inside and out, and weU whitewashed
with thick hme.
The roof is finished by putting on the boards,
a layer of moist clay, about a foot thick.
It is well beaten down by two, four or more

144 coos-coo-soo, or letters
men, who are masons b}' trade. In this pound-
insr theA" use heavA' wooden clubs or beaters.
These clubs are similar in shape and appear
ance to those used by our street-pounders, when
they newly pave a street in Philadelphia.
Over the layer of clay they put a coat of lime,
then they put upon that lime another layer of
wet clay, then over that clay they spread a
thicker one of lime, and then the whole roof is
well and long beaten. They generaUy spend a
day in pounding the very smallest sized roof.
While they are pounding they sing* in concert
with the poundings of their heaA-y wooden in
struments, the foUowing song to a dull tune,
which though so dull, has a quiet and soothing
influence upon one's feehngs.
" Shena aUa aUahu kes-deen wawlaUa zalhen
ya arrabu bla amen. Arahamna alwala danien.'
After this pounding is completed, the roof is
thickly whitewashed several times — and then it
is pronounced — finished.
And so it is — finished for about three months,
when it wUl begin to crack open in irregular
seams, generaUy in two or three places at once.
If these seams are not immediately repaired
by a plaster of wet clay and hme, they Aviden

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 145
very fast, and then the roof wiU leak under the
first rain that faUs on it.
So that masonry is a never-failing trade in
Tangier. Before a mason or any other man
ascends to the top of a house, he has to put his
head only out of the door or opening which leads
to it, and " cry aloud," at the top of his voice
several times in succession, these Avords :
" HamU atrack ya ahgereen ! "
They mean " Clear the road, oh neighbors ! "
If he should presume, either by design or for
getfulness to omit to do this, the first Moor who
chooses to do so, is at liberty to shoot him.
This is one of the peculiar laws of the land.
When he does give notice for the neighbors to
clear the way, the women who dwell within view
of the house on which the mason is working, have
to conceal themselves in their houses or else at
tire themselves in their walking gear — the haik,
so as to cover their faces from the mason's vieAv.
Now I will endeavor to give you a description
of the Tangier houses, and for the sake of the
better enabling you to understand it, I will di
vide the houses into several classes, according to
the means and rank of their occupants.
There are not any regular or fixed rules of
rank in this country, except that the military are
12*

146 coos-coo-soo, OR letters
considered the highest and most respected. The
black slave of to-day, who was perhaps only a
feAv years ago brought here from his native land
of Guinea, may be in a feAv years at the highest
pinnacle of power and rank, if he is a Moham
medan. This elevation to high rank is obtained by fa
voritism, and is open to every native-born or
adopted faithful Mohammedan.
A renegade from either Christianity or Juda
ism, is never permanently received into favor.
It sometimes happens that a renegade may be,
either by his money or his knowledge, useful to
the Sultan or his officers, in which case his
money or his knowledge will secure to him an
apparent and present favorable position of power,
but as soon as his immediate services are at an
end, he is forced to a low grade, and there he is
left, to drag out a miserable and forlornly hope
less life. There is for him no chance of a resto
ration to his lost estate.
Color of the skin is no barrier to rank or fa
voritism. The highest offices are sometimes be
stowed upon men Avho are but a few removes
from the full bred negro.
Slaves from Guinea are common, though not
very numerous, they are speedily lost sight of

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 147
by amalgamation. They are kindly treated
while slaves, and very often liberated by inter
marrying vrith the natives of Morocco.
The offspring of the female slave, if the father
is a freeman, is also free, and upon an equal
footing in every respect, with his other children.
But I must, I find, close for the present, and
remain as ever, Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

LETTER XXIII.
MOORISH HOUSES.
Tangier, May zoth, 1 8 —
My Dear Friend :
The first class house in this venerable
old place contains two Ioav stories, and is built
around the four sides of an open court.
Sometimes these houses are double and will
possess two courts. The entrance from the
street to the court is generally low and narroAv.
The court is paved with square marble slabs of
alternate white and black colors. Between the

148 coos-coo-soo, or letters
slabs are rows of highly glazed tUes of various
colors. On the four sides of the court are large fold
ing doors almost as high as the ceilings of the
rooms into which they open. These doors are
generaUy kept wide open during the day for the
purpose of admitting light as there are no win
dows. In one side of the folding doors there is
a small wicket door just large enough to admit
one person with very hard effort.
The doors and the ceilings ofthe best rooms are
painted in mosaic imitation. This painting is in
credibly minute. The wood is first rudely and
roughly carved in star and sexagon-shaped spots ;
some of the sexagon spaces are hoUowed or
grooved out, others are left full ; the stars are
all full but they are of two different shapes and
sizes, neither of which is much over half an
inch in diameter.
Then intertAvining around and between the
stars and sexagons, are plaited and twisted into
fanchul looking forms very narrow bands of the
surface of the wood. These bands form all over
the whole surface of the wood-work, large stars
of different shapes and sizes, the stars and sexa
gons are painted in every possible hue and shade
Avith oil paint, the centre spot is no larger than

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 149
a smaU seed then another of another circle of
color succeeds, until the star or sexagon is fuU,
then around it on the edge of the outer color,
there is painted a row of Avhite dots no larger
than the head of a very small pin. The sur
rounding bands are painted a bright yelloAv, on
Avhich . gold dust was freely scattered Avhile it
was Avet. The edges of these bands are white
and then through the centre of the yellow paint
there are drawn lines of dark red paint, inter
spersed Avith others of dark green, red and blue
between them and the white edges. These lines
are so thin that they can be covered by a very
fine thread.
The Avhole effect of this carving, painting and
gUding is very beautiful. But on account of its
vast expense it is very rare.
The largest rooms are never more than about
ten or twelve feet wide and from fifteen to
twenty long.
There is almost invariably a bed or a AAide
high cushioned seat at each end of the room.
The floors are paved with glazed tiles of differ
ent sizes patterns and colors ; these tiles are
very beautiful and are manufactured at Tet-
uan, a town about a day and a half's journey
from here ; they are there made in immense

150 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
numbers. Many of them are not larger than
a quarter of an inch square, others are from that
size to an inch or inch and a half in diameter.
They are brightly glazed and are of aU colors
and shapes.
These floors look beautifully clean, bright and
cheerful. Sometimes the rooms are paved with marble
slabs of different colors mixed with the tiles.
These floors, pretty as they are, will frequently
be covered with fine matting and very thick
wooUen carpets of Moorish manufacture. These
carpets are more than an inch thick and are
very durable.
But as usual my pen has carried me to the
end of my paper, and now that it is on the car
pet I will take a hasty leave of you and bid
you good night. Yours affectionately,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 151

LETTER XXIV.
MOORISH PARLORS AND KITCHENS.
Tangier, May 25 th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
On the carpet around the rooms are
spread beautifully embroidered silk-velvet or
morocco cushions. These cushions are embroid
ered by hand, Avith the needle, in threads of gold
and silver. They are very beautiful, and eager
ly bought by all the Enghsh and American travel
lers who by chance happen to pay a visit to
Tangier. In the first-class house they are placed round
the rooms for seats. Chairs and tables are neArer
seen. The sides of the room are either painted in
mosaic imitation, or covered with fine porcelain
tiles in various patterns; they are thinner and
larger than those with which the floors are paved,
and appear to be of French or Chinese manufac
ture. The ceilings are painted like the large folding
doors. The sides of the room are hung full of

152 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
handsome mirrors, and over them are suspended
in festoons, richly embroidered silk scarfs.
Over the beds and doors there are sometimes
hung handsome white lace or thin mushn cur
tains. On the second story there is a verandah
or gallery running round the rooms, supported
by pillars or arches.
Sometimes the court-yards are ornamented
with a few flowers, and almost invariably there
will be growing in them either grape vines or
fig trees. The upper rooms are furnished, (if
furnished they can be considered,) in pretty
much the same manner as the loAver ones.
Wearing apparel and clothes are hung in recess
es or stowed away in large chests. The chests
are sometimes handsomely painted.
The trade of cabinet-making is unknown in
these regions. The house carpenter makes the
few articles of avooc! Avhich are used in house
keeping. Some of the richer Moors will occasionally
import a few bedsteads or chairs, but such in
stances are very rare.
The kitchen in a first-class Moorish house is
very clean and very simple in its arrangements.
At one end of it there is built a large furnace,
which contains several places for burning char-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 153
coal. This furnace is built of bricks, clay and
mortar, then nicely Avhitewashed. It is kept
very clean. There are no cushions in the
kitchen, but there Avill be found here and there
about it a few tanned sheep or goat skins or
small mats, for the use of the cook and other
servants. The preparations of the food for cook
ing are made by the cook, (while in a sitting
posture on the floor,) upon a low stool Avhich is
not more than ten or twelve inches high. I have
seen a Moorish cook steady the meat she Avas
cutting by holding her foot on it. A dish-rack
or two or three shelves for holding the cooking
utensils, and the few dishes they use complete
the furnishing of the culinary establishment.
The mill for grinding the Avheat, (for here
every house-keeper is her own miller,) is kept in
a closet or some other small apartment near the
kitchen. The numerous sieves used in bolting
the flour, the large wooden or earthen pans, and
the baskets Avhich are used for holding the flour
and for making coos-coo-soo, are generaUy kept
hanging on the kitchen Avails, though by the
more careless domestic managers, they will be
stowed aAvay in the mill apartment, Avhere of
course they must be more or less injured by the
dampness of the small and unventilated room.13

154 coos-coo-soo, or letters
There are sometimes high, narrow loop-holes
in the Avails of the house for the admission of
light. The kitchen floor is paved with red and green
tiles. The-ceihng and walls are plastered and
are kept very white by frequent Avhitewashings.
Beneath some part of the court or dwelling
there is generaUy a large tank or cistern, in which
rain-water is collected. This water is used only
for Avashing aud cleaning. The supply of water
for drinking and cooking is brought by the ser
vants from the public fountains, of which there
are several in Tangier. This fountain water is
brought to the town by an aqueduct, which it
appears is very old.
Those persons who live near the fountains
carry the water to their homes in large earthen
ware pitchers, AAdiich hold several gallons. They
are carried on the shoulder by all the bearers,
except those Avho are negro slaves.
They carry them on their heads.
There is a remarkable propensity among the
negro population of all lands, to carry their bur
dens upon the tops of their heads. Do they do
so on account of the thickness of their sculls, or
are their sculls made thick by the weight of their
burdens ?

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 155
Those persons who live at a di.-tance from the
fountains have the water carried home in small
wooden barrels on the backs of donkeys or
mules. The barrels are borne on wooden frames
fastened to the saddles, or in palmetto straAv pan
niers. When the water reaches the house it is poured
into immense stone-waro or earthen jars.
There are no fire places or chimneys in a Moor
ish house anyAvhere except in the kitchen. Dur
ing winter or the rainy season, if the family wish
to have a fire to warm themselves, they have
brought into the room in which they are sitting
a small clay portable furnace, very much like
those used at home in summer for burning char
coal. They are careful to have the injurious
gas burned out from the charcoal before the fur
nace is brought in. These fires are generally
sufficient to make their small and well-carpeted
rooms quite comfortable in the coldest weather
which ever visits this place.
In all probability it Avas precisely such a "fire
of coals " at which St. Peter stopped to warm
himself when he was by Satan tempted to deny
all knowledge of the blessed Saviour, who Avas
about to shed his blood, to redeem his soul from
the everlasting dominion of that arch-adversary.

156 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Thus it often happens that the temporal bless
ings of this world will tempt and prevail on poor
erring humanity to despise and disregard the
more important ones of a future existence. I
never see one of these small clay furnaces Avith a
"fire of coals" in it, that I do not think of St.
Peter, and imagine I can see him, with his be
numbed fingers stretched out over it, in the act
of warming his hands, while from his inconsis
tent lips are falling the words,
" I know not this man."
He had better have done as St. John did — fol
lowed the Saviour more closely — and have braved
the cold. So now in our day of greater light — our
country of greater cold — more freezing winters
and of more comfortable means of procuring arti
ficial heat, there are many weak disciples who
are tempted to loiter far behind their Redeemer,
to warm themselves with the cherished comforts
of this mortal hfe, and while doing so, are be
guiled into a forgetfulness or denial of their God
and Saviour. They had better resist the allure-
ing inducements, brave the dismal cold of stern
poverty for a little season here below, and en
deavor to obtain an abundant entrance hereafter
into the presence of that Saviour, in the glory of

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 157
his heavenly kingdom, from Avhich they shall
never — no never be thrust out.
In a second-class house the court is paA'ed
with red and green tiles, the rooms have large
folding doors down stairs, up stairs they are not
surrounded by a gallery but are entered by small
door-ways. These door-ways will sometimes have
doors hung on them and sometimes only a mus
lin curtain drawn over them. The larger rooms
are paved with the glazed tiles of various shapes
and colors. The Avails and ceilings are plainly
plastered and kept neatly whitewashed, and are
decorated with as many looking-glasses and em
broidered sUk scarfs as their inhabitants can af
ford to procure. The floors will be coA'ered Avith
matting and carpets of this country's manufac
ture, but the carpets will generally be of a cheap
er quality than are those which are used in a
first-class house. The kitchen, mill-room and
water-tank are all very much like those of a first-
class house.
The rooms and courts of the houses which be
long to the third-class dwelling places, are paved
with red and green bricks. The ceilings and
walls are plain white and unadorned. Cloth
cushions, sheep and goat skins are used for seats.
These houses generally consist of one story.

13

-::-

158 coos-coo-soo, or letters
In the fourth-class houses the courts are un-
paved, the walls are white, and the floors are
prepared with clay and mortar, in the same way
that the house-tops are done by the masons.
These houses are always kept white and clean
by frequent applications of fresh lime. Their
floors have scattered over them here and there a
few sheep skins or smaU mats as seats and beds.
These houses contain one, two, three or four
rooms. They have no regular kitchen, but the
family cooking is done on portable clay furnaces,
either in one of the rooms or in the yard, accord
ing to the state of the weather.
We frequently see from our house-top the
women who occupy houses of this class, engaged
at their domestic employments, and truly, Avhile
viewing them and their style of toilet, we have
applauded the law of the land, AAThich demands
that when a man goes on a house-top, he must
cry aloud
"Clear the road, oh neighbors! "
Neighbors ! how dearly I love that sweet old
word !
WUl you and I, dear J., ever again be neigh
bors ? And AviU these tedious long letters ever
cease from Yours very lovingly, &c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 159

LETTER XXV.
VISIT TO A MOORISH LADY.
Tangier, June ist, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
The fourth class houses are in summer
tolerably comfortable places, and are sometimes
like the larger ones cheered by the shade of a
grape-vine or fig-tree. This interspersing of
Avhite and green all over the town, gives it much
^the appearance of a cemetery filled Avith green
graves and white tomb-stones Avhen Ave look
down on it from some higher place — from our
house top or from the Castle Hill.
As our house is on the highest part of the
town, and as its stories are more elevated than
they are of the surrounding houses, Ave have
from the top of it a fine view of the Avhole place.
The roofs or tops of the fourth class houses
do not generally have parapets built around
them, though they will sometimes be thus pro
tected on one side only.
The fifth class houses are simply one small
room often Avithout any court or yard of any
kind. They are entered from the street either

160 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
immediately into the room, or through a low
narrow passage.
They are crowded in here, there, and every
where all over the town. Not a foot of ground
is lost or wasted.
The sixth class houses are those of the vil
lages, and sometimes one or two wiU be erected
in the gardens near the waUed towns for the ac
commodation of the gardeners. They are con
structed of stones piled loosely into walls Avith-
out the use of mortar, sometimes they are
mixed with mud or clay and sometimes without
it. They are roofed Avith thick layers of cane
stalks and leaves, tied on with palmetto-rope
over a roof-tree of aloe stalks.
In these houses the floors are the bare earth,
and the walls are never white-Avashed, in fact
they are so void of every comfort that in our
country they would not be considered good
enough for stables, yet here thousands of people
live out their whole lives with no better homes.
These houses are sometimes covered Avith layers
of aloe leaves.
We Avill now escort you on our promised
Aasiting excursion. We Avill call on the wife of
a Moor who a few years ago paid a visit to
Great Britain.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 161
He has but one wife, and seems to be an af
fectionate and kindly attentive husband. He
has learned some good lessons from his inter
course with the English people.
This Avorthy couple have tAvo children of their
own, and two others who are adopted. These
adopted children were originally given to them
for safe keeping by their father Avho was a for
eigner, during a visit to his native country ;
while there he suddenly died, and thus his or
phans were left in a country Avhere their guar
dian had the poAver to retain them as slaves, or
sell them into perpetual bondage to the highest
bidder ; but instead of doing either he adopted
them, and now treats them upon an equality in
every respect Avith his own children.
They occupy a first class house. We Avill
now take our cards of admission and have them
carried by a female Jewish servant, Avho Avill
act as our interpreter. We should be guilty of
a breach of etiquette if Ave should go without
our cards. They consist of a canister of fine
green tea and a bundle of the best loaf sugar,
broken into small lumps ready for use. These
things are tied up in a new silk handkerchief.
Now we enter the Moorish lady's drawing
room, as we do so the JeAvess hands our gift to

162 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
the servant Avho has admitted us, and she puts
it aAvay. There is no allusion made to it by us
to our friend, who will receive it after our de
parture. We find her sitting on the bed at one
end of the room. The bed is made of a thick
woollen mattress and covered Avith sheets and a
handsome red silk counterpane, she is surround
ed by silk-covered pillows and cushions. There
are fine, thin muslin curtains hanging over the
bed from the ceiling to the floor, open in the
middle and looped to the sides of the room by
being tied to large brass knobs with red ribbon.
She does not arise to receive us, but continues
to sit with her feet curled up under her in real
Moorish style.
She receives us with a very pleasant smile,
says Ave are Avelcome, shakes hands Avith us very
Avarmly, and when she takes her hand from ours
she presses it to her lips Avith a Arery fervent
kiss. The AA7armth or coldness Avith which the
kiss to her own hand is given, is significantly
expressive of the state of her feelings towards
us. The act of kissing her hand after touching
ours, is in itself a mere form with Avhich every
friendly visitor is received, but Avhen it is clone
with as much fervor and apparent good Avill as

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 163
it is in this instance, we may flatter ourselves
that Ave are especial favorites.
Chairs are offered to us by the attendant ser
vant, which are of course an innovation on the
habits of the land, and a cushion is placed near
the side of the lady, on which our Jewess is re
quested to seat herself. The Moorish women
never speak any language but their own native
one, Avhich is an impure Arabic. The JeAvish
women of Morocco always speak Spanish, Ara
bic and Hebrew.
Soon after we are seated the four children are
brought in and introduced; they all havre very
fan clear complexions, and are a very pretty and
happy looking little group. As soon as the cere
mony of the introduction is over, the children
aU sit down on the carpet Avith their Avhite little
feet coiled up under them. The lady's dress
was made of fine figured, thin white muslin, it
had very wide sleeves which were tucked up
above the elboAvs Avith loops of long thick cord
of blue silk Avorn over the shoulders for that
purpose. Beneath the muslin robe there was
another of fine scarlet cloth richly embroidered
with gold and silver thread, and with small
pieces of silk Arelvet worked in with gold and
silver. The cloth robe is open in front all the

164 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Avay down to the lower edge, and is embroidered
very richly on the part that covers the breast,
and on the lower corners. Its sides lapped over
in such a Avay as to conceal its being made open;
the muslin robe was open only as far down as to
the waist. The upper part of the cloth robe had
the edges decorated with close rows of very small
bell-shaped silver buttons. These buttons are
sometimes made of gold, are very handsome and
are the workmanship of native jewellers. The
bust of our friend's muslin robe Avas richly em
broidered Avith white silk, also around the neck
there was a handsome edge of rich embroidery,
this embroidery was mixed with small round
pieces of scarlet satin. From the throat to the
waist tha edges of the muslin robe were decked
with small silk buttons, which were so close to
gether as to touch each other. These sUk but
tons are manufactured by native women and
girls, with no other instrument than a small
round iron rod about five inches long, and about
as thick as a four-penny nail ; it is pointed at one
end, and has a round head or knob at the other.
The buttons are very pretty and durable.
The lady's hair Avas parted in the middle and
plaited in long braids Avhich hung down behind
her ears, and Avere tied together at the ends

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 165
with silk cords and tassels which hung down
her back. Over her hair she Avore first a black
silk scarf, the ends of Avhich had a deep border
of heavy gold-threaded cloth, these ends hung
down her back while the middle of the scarf
Avas bound tightly around her head very near
her eye-brows. Over the scarf she wore two or
three highly colored silk handkerchiefs, one over
the other in such a way as to leave about an
inch in width of each one to appear peeping out
from under its upper successor ; they Avere
pinned tightly around her head and their ends
were hanging down behind it. She wore golden
ear-rings, the ring part which entered her ear
Avas as thick as one of my fingers, they were
ornamented with large drops of cut red coral.
She did not Avear any sfifa or tiara of jewels on
her forehead Avhich showed that she Avas not in
full dress, and she received our Arisit more as a
call of friendship than of ceremony. The ear
rings she Avore wrere not of the full-dress heavy
kind Avhich need supporters.
But our dinner hour has arrived, and I must
conclude this letter in the midst of our visit, as
I wish to forward it to Gibraltar by the courier
boat which is to sail in an hour.
Yours affectionately, &c, &c.
14

166 coos-coo-soo, or letters

LETTER XXVI.
A MOORISH TEA-DRINKING. TANGIER WATER SELLER.
THE BREACH IN THE WAIL.
Tangier, June 8th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
The Moorish lady whom we were visiting
at the conclusion of my last letter, wore around
her waist a long sUk scarf, about tAventy inches
wide, and three yards long. It was of native
manufacture, and was heavily interwoven with
gold and silver thread. This scarf was folded
lengthwise till it was about four inches wide, then
bound tightly around the waist.
On the walls of the room in which she received
us there were hanging seven large looking-glasses,
several gold and silves Avatches, five or six swords
and cimeters, some of which Avere of English and
others of Moorish make, and five or six handsome
silk scarfs. Also, there were hanging among
these things, two handsomely painted wooden
tablets, on which were written in Arabic char
acters of all colors, a few extracts from the
koran. BetAveen these tablets and the wall Avere

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 167
suspended pieces of very rich silk embroidery, as
if they were too sacred to be allowed to come in
contact with the cold and stony walls of the
house, on a par Avith its other treasured orna
ments. Soon after Ave were seated, a servant 'brought
in a broad low stool, handsomely decorated with
painting in arabesque patterns, which she placed
in front of her mistress, and spread over it a fine
white hnen cloth, then another servant entered
with a tray in her hands which she put on the
low table or stool. On the tray there was a tea
set of handsomely gilt French china. The tea
was sweetened in the pot Avith so much sugar
that it was almost a syrup. The mistress poured
the tea into cups without milk or cream, and the
servant handed them around to us. Then there
were trays of various kinds of very small sweet
cakes handed around by other servants. They
were very nice, and entirely new to us. They
formed a very palatable and delicious novelty.
They and the tea were also offered to our
Jewess, but she declined partaking, as to have
done so would have been contrary to the laws
by which she and her nation are governed, they
never eat with any but their own people. When
we took our leave of the fair Lady Fatima, she

168 coos-coo-soo, or letters
invited us very kindly to repeat our visit as
often as Ave pleased.
AU the time we were sitting and enjoying her
delicate dainties, our guard or Moorish soldier
was waiting for us outside of the street door.
To be thus diligently watched over and attended
in all our movements, is more irksome and un
pleasant than can be imagined by any person
who has never experienced it. We cannot help
feeling that it is a restraint upon our liberty or
freedom of action.
When we left the Moorish lady's house, we
walked through several narrow winding streets,
in which we met a feAv people, one of them Avas
a water-seller. He carried the water in a goat
skin on his back. The skin Avas seAved up Avith
the hair inside, for the purpose of being more
durable. It was like the water-bottles of old,
Avhich are so frequently alluded to in the holy
Scriptures. This water-bearer was carrying his
refreshing burden about the town for the purpose
of selling it to the thirsty wayfarers. He sold
it at a very low price, as he gave a goodly sized
cup of it for a small copper coin of little A-alue.
Continuing our walk Ave Avent past the British
Consulate, Avhere we saAv the inmates starting
on their afternoon's horse-back ride. Then we

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 169
walked in front of the great mosque, into which
we wished to enter, but dared not even peep.
We were soon after directed by our guard to
notice the breach in the town waU, over which
that unfortunate grave-robber was thrown last
winter by the excited Tangier rabble, of whose
public execution by stoning at their hands, I
Avrote you an account soon after it occurred.
That part of the Avail has been broken down
by the relentless tooth of time, until it is not
more than three feet high from the street which
passes it on the inside ; but on the outside, the
depth of the wall is, I think, about thirty feet.
The surface of the sea-beach at the base of this
wall, is covered with pieces of broken AvaU and
large stones when the tide is out. When it is
fuU the beach, stones, and the base of the wall
are several feet under water. In many places
the stones of the base of this Avail have been
worn away by the action of the waves against
them, until they look as if they had been scooped
out by art, but the cement which joined them
together centuries ago, is still as perfect and en
tire as it was the day it was put there by hands
which have crumbled to their native dust, long,
long ago. How wonderful and how durable are
the works of human skill ! »
14*

170 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
We stood and gazed for some time over the
breach in the wall, where that suffering criminal
ended his mortal career, and as we reflected on
his unfortunate misery, and compared his fate
with that of hundreds of other men, who in our
own land rob the graves, not only of graA7e-
clothes, but of their dead occupants for money's
sake, and yet go unpunished, under the plea that
dead bodies must be furnished to the unfeeling
demands of science and medical wisdom. We
felt that the civihzation of the one land in this
respect, was not more tolerable than the venera
tion for the grave, which was on this spot so bit
terly proved by the inhabitants of the other.
But the gaping old breach in the sea-washed
wall has brought me to the end of the last page
of this letter, and the continuation of our after
noon's walk past it, must be deferred until some
future occasion. Until then adieu.
Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 171

LETTER XXVII.
JEWISH CEMETERY. A VIEW OF THE TOWN FROM THE
HOUSE-TOP. Tangier, June 15 th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
After leaving the breach in the Tangier
waU, we Avalked past the Tangier tannery, where
we saw some men working at their useful but
unpleasant trade. The vats were numerous,
probably about six or eight. They appeared to
be about four feet wide and about eight long,
and constructed of brick or stone masonry.
The matters of length and breadth, height and
depth, have all to be calculated by guess-work
in this country. If we should be seen going
about the town with a measuring line in our use,
we would very probably be banished from the
land by the authorities which rule over it. As
guess-work is so much easier than taking mea
sures would be, we rather rejoice than lament
over this jealous watchfulness of "the powers
that be," in this one respect, although on other
accounts we cannot help grieving over the silly
fears of the Moors, who seem to dread allowing

172 coos-coo-soo, or letters
any stranger to enter or walk over their crumb
ling old towns. The fact is that the poor souls
feel their decrepitude as a people and fuUy real
ize that sooner or later, they must fall under and
yield themselves conquered captives, to some
other more powerful and vigorous nation. They
seem to feel that this is their unavoidable, ulti
mate destiny, but naturally desiring to defer the
period of their future downfaU as long as possible.
They are meanwhUe zealously guarding their
peculiar nationalities from the scrutiny of stran
gers' eyes as carefuUy as they can.
The art of tanning and preparing leather, we
have been told, they have known in its highest
perfection, from very early dates, and that they
keep it a secret from aU outside intruders.
We passed by the tannery, walked a short
distance on the beach, then ascended a very nar
row and steep path, which brought us to the
Jewish cemetery.
It is sheltered on the west side by the waU
of Tangier, and on the others by hedges of aloes
and prickly pears, and growing near it are seve
ral large fig trees, which cast over it a cool and
pleasant shade in summer, and shelter it from
the Avinds of winter.
The Moors very seldom intrude within its bor-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 173
ders, as it is considered by them an unholy and
unclean place. The graves are very close to
gether, facing the east. They are covered with
flat grave stones, almost on a level Avith the sur
rounding earth.
The stones are generally of a very dark blue
color, and are engraved with long inscriptions in
Hebrew characters. We then came to a part of
the toAvn Avail, Avhich is protected by what has
once been a very deep moat, about forty feet
wide. It is now nearly filled up with rubbish
of various kinds, and seems to be the favorite
reservoir of old shoes, worn out straAv from mat
tresses, and whatever else people may want to
be rid of.
We passed a beautiful, narrow, descending
road, nicely shaded between two high hedges of
cane. At the end of this road there is a well of
water, at Avhich Ave often see the poorer Avomen
of Tangier filling their heavy earthen pitchers,
Avhich having filled they slowly bear away upon
their shoulders.
We then went through the market place, past
the fondak or caravansary, then past the pubhc
fountain, where we stood a few moments to be
amused and amazed by the thronging wranglers

174 coos-coo-soo, or letters
who there "do congregate," to procure the re
freshing element which we aU love so well.
We then wound in and out, and around the
corners of a few winding, narrow streets, tiU we
reached our home, where we wound up the day
by taking our accustomed sun-set promenade on
the house-top.
We are now very much interested in watching
the motions and actions of immense numbers of
storks making their semi-annual abodes upon the
ivy-bound waUs of this crumbling old town.
The loud flapping of their broad wings as they
dive down to their nests, and the clatter of their
long, hard bills, form quite an enlivening and
agreeable break on the sUence of this solemnly
stiU place.
An almost constant deadness of all sound
vrithin this town, is its most preArailing and pecu
har characteristic.
It is always incredibly quiet, except upon the
foUoAving occasions :
1st. When the Muedden eaUs the faithful to
prayers. 2d. On a market day, when the hub-bub of
the buyers and seUers of something to eat wiU
come like a murmur upon our ears from the

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 175
market place, beyond the town walls. This
hub-bub lasts only a few hours.
3d. When there is a death, a funeral, a birth,
a wedding, or some other public rejoicing some
where in the neighborhood.
4th. In the morning very early, and very late
in the afternoon, we sometimes hear the braying
of a donkey, and now and then — very rarely,
there wiU be a camel somewhere within hearing,
that is kneeling in front of its driver, and begins
to feel that it is receiving more weight on its
back than it is wilhng to carry, Avhich it betrays
by a low moaning — menacing use of its unmusi
cal voice.
It will neither cease to make this unpleasant
noise or arise on its feet, until its burden is
lightened. In this respect the camel is the master over
its owner or driver. It will carry as much as it
pleases and not one straw more.
5th. When a house-top is being made or re
paired, Ave hear the soothing sounds of mason's
songs and the heavy beatings of their pounders.
6th. The flappings of the storks and the clat-
ier of their bills.
7th. When a juggler or a beggar passes by,
we hear their doleful ditties, both vocal and in-

176 coos-coo-soo, or letters
strumental, either of which is not much of an
improvement on a dead silence.
8th. Very frequently we hear the low, rum
bling noise of the domestic mills of our near
neighbors, and the pounding of some one of them
with a short, thick stick on the outside of her
outer door or gate, while she stands within it,
out of sight. This is her signal for the baker's
boy to come for her bread, which she takes this
way of informing him is ready for the oven.
9th. At night we are incessantly surrounded
by a loud barking of watch-dogs. Occasionally
we hear the hootings of owls, and at regular in
tervals Ave hear the night-guard calling out to
each other to ascertain whether " all's well."
With the exception of these sounds, when the
elements are at rest, and the storms of wind and
rain and thunder have all passed away, the
place is as deadly still as a quiet country grave
yard, unless there should happen to be a quarrel
taking place about the right of way, or some
thing of that sort, when the vocal din will be
loud but not long, it is soon hushed, and the si
lence again reigns abroad. This stillness is very
remarkable, and on me it has a depressing and
doleful influence. I feel many times as if almost
any place out of this would be a paradise.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 177
This silence is partly caused by the absence
of all bells, Avhich are said to be forbidden by
the koran, and by the entire want of wheels. I
do not believe there is a wheeled vehicle in the
Avhole empire.
I have never seen any, except two very odd
looking ones in one or two of the Consul's gar
dens. It appears to me that this dead stillness is a
symptom of the dying out of the Morocco nation.
'Tis sad to see anything die — because death
is the offspring of sin — yes, 'tis very sad to view
death in any form — be it on a tree, a flower, a
leaf — yea, eAren a single blade of grass, when it
fades, withers, totters, falls and dies — when it
changes the freshness, the bloom, the fragrance
of its natural hfe, and sinks into decay — to death,
is deeply calculated to fill the mind of the re
flecting beholder with feehngs of grief and re
gret. To see a bird, a fish, a fowl or quadruped —
more particularly that noblest of all domestic
animals — a horse, to see these yield their facul
ties, their life, their breath, to the irresistible
power of the destructive tyrant, who finaUy
claims them all as his victims, is stiU more pain
ful. 15

178 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Then to see a beloved, a majestic, a soul-gift
ed human being, a fellow mortal, of immortal
mould, sigh out in lessening gasps, the floAving
life of his present existence, and to be conquer
ed by the " rider on the pale horse," is most
excruciatingly sorrowful.
But alas, Avhat are all these compared to the
feelings of a person, who, while standing here on
this high house-top, and viewing below and
around, on aU sides, the infallible symptoms of
a whole nation graduaUy but surely sinking into
death. Oh, the view is indeed very, very sad !
The sadness of this view is greatly increased
by the inevitability of the approaching doom,
which is hurrying them forward to meet their
destiny. Mr. M. thinks that even since he has
resided here, he can perceive a slow, gradual,
but stiU a perceptible decrease in the population
of the country.
A census is never taken ; it Avould not be al
lowed by the authorities, but as far as guess
work and comparison wiU enable him to judge,
he believes that the number of the inhabitants
becomes smaller and smaller every year. The
climate on this coast is quite healthy, the breezes
from the sea are always delightfully refreshing,

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 179
the soil is rich and yields abundantly, except
occasionally, when there is an insufficiency of
rain ; but this does not often occur, Avith a pro
per management of the fruitful years, the evil
of a few dry ones would not be noticed. And
yet these people cannot prosper, notwithstanding
aU the natural advantages Avhich they so richly
possess. Poor souls, they seem to feel a pre
sentiment of their future downfall, yet they
have not the abUity to prevent it.
One of their santos, or holy men, a long time
ago prophesied that the day would come, in
wliich, while the people were at prayer in the
mosques on a Friday, their towns would be en
tered and taken possession of by their enemies.
Ever since, from that day to this, the town-gates
are closed, locked and barred during the hours
of the extra Friday exercises in the mosques, and
while they are being performed there is no going
out or coming in through the toAvn gates. This
is often very annoying, and the more so, when
we reflect that it is caused by the declaration of
some such character as our neighbor Seedy Shar
key. But as his santoship is a seedy subject,
we must defer the consideration thereof, to the
next letter from
Yours very affectionately, &c, &c.

180 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS

LETTER XXVIII.
SEEDY SHARKEY'S LIFE AND WIFE. THE SANDHILLS.
Tangier, June 20th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
I Aerily believ^e I have forgotten to teU
you that Seedy Sharkey has long ago returned
from his protracted visit to some other regions,
where he has been blessing the inhabitants with
his honorable and beneficial presence.
About six times a day ever since his return
home, he has strided up and down our street,
past our house, and every time his vToice has
fafled not to utter those unearthly sounds which
so thoroughly terrified me on my first arrival in
this — not city of the dead, but — this cemetery
of the hving, rather of the existing — for I feel
that to be here is merely existing, not hving.
WUl you beheve me, when I tell you that I am
positively beginning to like to hear the sound of
his exciting cries ? There is life in them — that
is some comfort — where there is so much dead-
ness of aU sounds, a living yeU is acceptable and
far preferable to the wearisomeness of no sound
at aU.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 181
" A living dog is better than a dead lion."
I think I told you in a former letter that
Seedy Sharkey's home is near our own. He
lives in a fourth-class house, immediately adjoin
ing the town wall.
He has a wife, but no children. I am very
glad there are no little Sharkeys to inherit his
blessedness. It is a comfort to think it will all
die with him.
When he does die — if he ever can. To see
him, one can almost fancy that he might out-
stride even death, but this Avould be only fancy.
He must and wiU die, and after his death there
will in aU probability be built over his grave a
monument and a house of prayer and refuge,
which wUl be much larger than the dAvelling
place now occupied by him and his wife. His
living where he does, is of course his own choice.
He could live in any house in the land Avhich he
would take a fancy to call his OAvn. It is a
great comfort to reflect that ours is contaminated
by our infidelity to Mohammed and by our eat
ing swine's flesh ; so that we at least are secure
from all danger of having him take possession of
our house.
He and his wife dress and look very poor, but
in reality, although poor, they can, if they choose,
15*

182 coos-coo-soo, or letters
live like princes in the eating line, as he is at
liberty to walk through the markets and past
the shops, and help himself to whatever he may
want "without money and Avithout price." Yet
they live like very poor people. This simphcity
of their way of living is viewed by their neigh
bors as a voucher of their superior sanctity.
The wife is a contented looking, middle aged
Avoman, about ten years his junior. She is
visited by the Moorish ladies of the highest rank,
while her husband is absent from home, and no
doubt she leads a happy and comfortable life
upon the strength of her husband's insanity. He
never condescends to look at any one of our
family, and he invariably passes along as if he
was totaUy ignorant of our existence. She seems
disposed to be on friendly terms with us, and
when we meet her she always greets us with a
pleasant smUe and a kindly spoken " Keef
koontsy." Did I not teU you last Avinter that I would
have a garden of floAvers here on the house-top?
WeU, so I have. But how did I get it ?
Thinking that my first attempts towards ob
taining it Avill amuse you, they shaU noAV be
offered to your acceptance in black and white.
The first beginning was caused by the politeness

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 183
of the French Consul. He is old and feeble, too
much of an invalid to visit and too polite to treat
a stranger or new-comer with entire neglect, and
therefore, instead of paying me a friendly caU,
he sent me his card, accompanied by a very
smaU package of flower seeds, and a very long
message about his regrets at not being able to
come in person, and begging me to accept his
gift of rare flower seeds.
I felt really grateful for his polite attention,
and still more so for his precious little present.
It was precisely what I was ardently wishing
for — the beginning of my flower garden. Hav
ing procured a small box of garden earth, and
having it safely placed on the house-top, the
seeds were sown without delay.
They were carefully watered every morning
and evening for at least four weeks, but all in
vain, they did not grow. After the fourth week
was over there peeped out from the ground a
tiny little germ — only one — it grew very fast —
for several days I was in ecstacies with my
beautiful French flower, Avhich Avas to be so ele
gant and so rare. At the end of about two
Aveeks I was unwillingly forced to the conviction
that the plant I had nursed with so much ten-

184 coos-coo-soo, or letters
derness, was a common road-side Aveed. A
rough, coarse and disagreeable weed.
How great was my disappointment can be re
alized only by ardent flower-lovers.
Meanwhile Mr. M., with his usual kindness,
had, without my knowledge, sent to Gibraltar an
order for a dozen beautiful flower-pots, which on
their arrival, he presented to me as my own.
They were beautiful large porcelain ones, made
at Malaga, handsomely ornamented with green
handles and wreaths of grape-vine leaves.
Here then I had a splendid collection ready
for my house-top garden. To have them fiUed
with fresh garden soil and carried up to the top
of the house, were easy matters, but to fiU them
with rare and beautiful flowers, was a more diffi
cult undertaking. Flowers of every kind were
so abundant — the fields Avere covered with hya
cinths, lillies and almost every kind of bulb-rcot-
ed treasures. Roses were so plenty everywhere
they were not worth looking at, geraniums were
groAving and blooming in everybody's kitchen
gardens, so that filling my twelve elegant flower
pots with plants rare and handsome enough to
correspond with them in worth and beauty, was
a very slow process. One or two hehotropes —
my favorites — from the Swedish garden, three

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 185
or four large carnations from the Dutch Consul's
garden, a jessamine from the French garden, and
then my supply was at a could-go-no-farther
boundary. One day as I was taking my ante-dinner pro
menade on the house-top, I made a splendid dis
covery, as briUiant as it was splendid. I saw
growing upon the top of the town AvaU, which in
that part is about five or six feet wide, and may
be twelve or fifteen feet high — a beautiful bright
red flower. I saw it as the sun was shining
brightly from between two heavy clouds. It
was the first peep we had enjoyed from old sol
during several weeks, for it was in the midst of
the rainy season. How brightly they gleamed,
both the sun and the flower. I was puzzled to
decide which of the two was the most cheering.
I immediately ran down stairs to the guard,
and after describing to him the flower, and the
spot on Avhich it was growing, I requested him,
if possible, to obtain it for me. In about a quar
ter of an hour he returned to me with the gay
blossom, and behold, it was nothing more than a
common scarlet poppy, the ditto of the one that
had grown where I had so carefully sown the
French Consul's rare flower seeds. The poppies
grow here in every variety of size and color, in

186 coos-coo-soo, or letters
such an abundance, that they are tiresome Aveeds.
Thus I was again disappointed, and still had
several flower-pots that were unoccupied, except
by their waiting contents of fresh garden soil.
One afternoon for the sake of a change, we
went to walk on the high sand-hills, which he
on the south of Tangier Bay, and are in them
selves a very great curiosity. They are said to
have been formed within the memory of some
few old men who are still hving in Tangier. Our
guard told us that his father could remember
when the ground under them was richly cultiva
ted, and filled with gardens, in which were grow
ing a great many grape vines, and large, full
sized fig trees. But they are now aU out of
sight and completely covered up with this sand.
It appears to be washed upon the beach by the
waves of the sea, and then blown by the wind
to these hills. It is said that there are similar
sand-hiUs on other parts of the Morocco coast.
It seems very Avonderful and mysterious. Where
can all this sand come from, and what is its fu
ture destiny?
On these sand-hiUs we, one afternoon walked,
and by the time we reached the top of one, we
were glad to sit doAvn to rest. While resting,
we were interested in listening to the soft mur-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 187
muring of the waves of the Bay, as they broke
near us on the beach, and in watching the actions
of a few long-billed and longer-hmbed wild fowls
that Avere fishing for the supper of themselves
and their little ones at home.
While thus pleasantly engaged "a la Mores
que," I discovered growing near our sitting place
a beautiful and very delecate white, star-shaped
lilly, streaked here and there with a few thin
lines of a very pale pea-green, it Avas entirely
leafless, and about one inch and a half in diame
ter, and though so delicate, it was groAving on a
thick and rugged looking stem.
I asked the guard what he called the flower.
He said he did not know, for he had never
seen one like it. Here then was something rare,
and as it was reaUy very beautiful, I gave it the
name of the sand-star, and at once resolved to
transplant it into one of my still unoccupied
flower-pots. Full of this determination, I began
digging round the stem with a stick, and as I
thus made very slow progress, the guard drew
his cimeter from his side, and with it undertook
to dig up the flower root.
When he had dug to the depth of a foot, and
there being still no sign of the root visible, and
as the sand at every succeeding inch's depth

188 coos-coo-soo, or letters
was found to be harder and harder, he proposed
to postpone the operation of digging up the
plant untU the next day, when he would bring a
hoe to aid him. The next day our worthy and
obliging guard went alone after the newly dis
covered sand-star, and was gone so long that I
concluded he had fallen in with some agree
able companions on his way to the sand-hnTs,
and had forgotten aU about his errand.
After he had been gone nearly three hours,
he returned with it in his hand. His face was
as red as if he had been half baked ; the un
usual exertion he had been making, for he was
not accustomed to manual labor, had put him
into a glow of bodily heat, which was no doubt
increased by feelings of resentment toward me
for having wished to possess the rare plant.
The stem of the flower was full five feet long.
It was attached to a bulbous root as large as a
full sized dinner plate. Of course the guard's
labor was all in vain — it was impossible to plant
such a botanical monster upon the house-top or
anywhere else. Thus I Avas made to experience
another disappointment. We afterwards saw
several flowers of the same kind on those sand
hills, but never in any other place. We have

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 189
not met with any person who can tell us any
thing about them.
To-day is the twentieth of June, and since the
first day of May we have not had one drop of
rain, neither did we expect to see any until next
September or October, but to-day, at about
eleven o'clock, we Avere all astonished to see the
sky suddenly overcast with dark clouds, and
during about twenty minutes, a light shower of
rain descended from them.
Soon afterwards the sun again came out and
the rest ofthe day continued clear and fine.
The natives are prophesying that all kinds of
evUs must follow in the train of these two un
expected showers. What a pity it is that they
wiU pervert the blessings of refreshing showers
into causes of discontent and evil forebodings.
Let us be wiser than they, and be sure ever to
be thankful to our Heavenly Father for aU his
good and perfect gifts, even if he does some
times, in his unerring wisdom, see fit to pour
them on us in showers of rain and from a tem
porarily clouded sky. Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.
16

190 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS

LETTER XXIX.
MOORISH SADDLES, BRIDLES AND HORSEBACK RIDING.
Tangier, June 29th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
Do you remember that I wrote . to you
about the first European lady that I saw here
on the day of our arrival, and who died soon
afterwards ? Her parents have both remained
within their own house ever since, without either
paying or receiving any visits. The health of
the father has been declining ever since.
No doubt he would be better if he would en
joy the benefit of fresh air and exercise.
They have two sons ; upon the youngest they
seem now to bestow aU the love which they
used to lavish so fondly upon their daughter.
. He is a pretty and very gentle looking lad,
is handsomely dressed, and wears long curls of
golden-hued hair down his back. It is said by
Madame Rumor, that his mamma cannot sleep
day or night unless he is within the reach of her
hand, so that the poor boy has to sleep in his
mother's room. He sometimes, but very seldom,
is aUowed the liberty of riding out on the back

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 191
of a favorite, highly fed and very large donkey
attended by two servants, one on foot at the
side of the young gentleman, and the other a
Moorish soldier as guard, is mounted on a hand
some horse.
The other son is as wild as the mountain air,
he is naturally of a very sociable and amiable
disposition, he is about two years older than his
sister was. He is fond of riding on horseback
and almost lives in his saddle. As he was born
here he can speak the Arabic like a native ; and
often rides out of town alone, though at other
times he will be attended by a guard for the
sake of appearance. He associates with the
Moors as one of themselves, and is allowed by
his grief-striken parents to choose his own com
panions. An unfortunate liberty for a young
man to possess in this land of peculiar tastes and
habits. He has no cares — no duties to perform,
and is living according to the unrestrained dic
tates of his own uncurbed wUl.
Cut off as he is by ceremony and silly eti
quette, from associating or meeting with the
other Consuls because his parents will not visit
them and their fanulies, and disliking the dul
ness of his own melancholy home, he runs at
random into the semi-civilized company of the

192 coos-coo-soo, or letters
natives, with whom the other Europeans of the
place do not associate.
What a pity it is that parents wUl sometimes
neglect hving children in their blind and useless
grief, over those who are dead and buried !
Young Mr. O.'s chief amusement and occupa
tion consist in riding on horseback, which he
does in Moorish style ; he OAvns for his own and
his servants' use at least six or seven fine large
horses. As his saddle and bridle are of native
Moorish manufacture, and as they are precisely
like those which are used by the Moors, I wiU
describe them for you that you may form an
idea of their appearance, when adorning the
backs and heads of their fleet-footed horses.
Before putting the bridle on, the horse's head
' is decorated with an ornamental head-gear made
of red silk, and red and yeUow morocco, to
which is suspended a long fringe made of red
silk cord and tassels. This rich looking fringe
hangs over the front of the head tiU it almost
touches the eyes, on each side is a silk velvet
pad hanging down gracefully under the ear.
These pads are also decorated with red silk
fringe and tassels. There are sometimes at
tached to this head-gear many httle bags taste
fully made of red velvet or morocco, in which

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 193
are strongly sewed extracts from the koran.
These written sentences are generally bestowed
upon their owners by jugglers, as preventives or
charms against the injurious influences of evil
spirits. Tho straps of the bridle are tastefuUy made
of red and yellow morocco, often stitched and
elaborately worked with flause silk of aU colors.
The bit is of iron and is very powerful, the
horse's mouth is often made to bleed by its use ;
it wiU hold in and have full command over any
horse or mule, that is not incurably vicious.
The saddle is fastened to the back with one
broad strong girth, and by another around the
breast, the saddle trees are very high and the
saddle very much resembles a chair. It is cov
ered with a large saddle cloth made of fine cloth
or velvet, and richly decorated according to the
fancy, taste and ability of its owner.
The stirrups are made of Avrought iron very
long and broad, they are as long as a man's foot,
and nearly as broad as they are long. They are
drawn up very high towards the saddle, so that
when a man is riding on horseback his knees are
almost on a level with his elbows, and his feet
rest firmly against the sides of the horse.
Besides these broad and heavy stirrups, the
16*

194 coos-coo-soo, or letters
rider Avears long iron spurs as thick as one's fin
ger, and quite as long ; they are pointed at the end.
The stirrups and spurs are handsomely plated,
sometimes gilt and ornamented with devices in
arabesque, they are attached to the saddle by
means of handsomely braided red and yeUow
morocco straps. They possess altogether a very
gay and gaudy appearance, and add muchto the
adornment of the country, when we meet them
during our long quiet rides through it.
We encounter them most frequently on the
beach, or between it and some favorite garden
in the neighborhood. The Moors are extremely
fond of the exercise of horsemanship, it appears
to be the only pleasure in which they heartily
rejoice, besides eating and sleeping. For eating
and sleeping are both to them matters of plea
sure more than of necessity.
They have an amusement which they caU
" lab al barode" or " running powder." In this
sport they freely indulge during the weeks of
their three great National festivals, and on any
other occasion of public rejoicing. This exer-
eise of running powder has the appearance at
first sight of being a sham battle, but is merely
an exhibition of the Moors' horsemsnship, and
their dexterity in handling their immensely long

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 195
heavy muskets, and managing their highly
spirited steeds. Their muskets are weighty
and unwieldy affairs, made by native gun
smiths, they are almost invariably decorated
with smaU plates of sUver, sometimes of gold,
these plates are covered with arabesque figures,
and quotations from the koran.
It is a gay and lively scene, when the beauti
ful beach is covered by large parties of these
handsomely mounted and richly dressed Moor
ish horsemen.
The viewing of these sports of horsemanship by
their lords and masters, is also much enjoyed by
the Tangier Moorish ladies, who go in largo num
bers for that purpose to the sides of the sand-hills,
which conmand a full view of the beach. On
these occasions the ladies are dressed in their
best and Avhitest haiks, and their faces are taste
fully painted, although one eye is the only fea
ture which they allow to be uncovered. They
applaud and enliven the event by frequent and
prolonged warwallows. The men are so much
engaged with their guns and horses, that they
never even look towards the place where the
women stand, and act as if they were uncon
scious of their presence.
A Moor never looks at a woman in public, to

196 coos-coo-soo, or letters
do so would be considered a breach of good
manners. The men run powder by starting in rows of
ten, twelve or more horses abreast, gaUopingvery
swiftly to a certain distance doAvn the beach,
they then discharge their muskets, turn short
around and gaUop back to the starting point.
While advancing and returning they aU shout out
in a loud voice in a way that is truly indescri
bable. They then stop to re-load their bulky fire-arms,
with as much powder as they Avfll safely bear.
While they are doing so, another party of like
numbers wiU start off abreast to the same dis
tance, shouting in the same way, then discharge
their pieces, and return also to the starting point.
This running forwards and back again, is kept
up the whole afternoon and until sun-set.
The poor horses are kept in a foam, and their
blood often runs in streams doAvn their sides,
and from the corners of their mouths.
The Moors are passionately fond of their pet
horses, and in general treat them with much care
and kindness, but when they are excited by the -
enjoyment of their "lab al barode" they seem
to forget that their faithful bearers are made of
flesh and blood, and are capable of any feeling.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 197
The Avomen poor souls never mount a horse
or camel, except when travelling a long jour
ney, on removing from one place to another.
When they are thus mounted they do not guide
the reins, but sit passively in a kind of chair or
frame of wood made for the purpose, and in such
a way that the occupant is rendered almost help
less. The rich women and their favorite female
servants sometimes ride for pleasure, to visit a
garden near the town, but these rides are taken
on donkeys, and they are driven by men or boys.
The holding the haiks over their faces whUe out
of doors, is as much as the Moorish women can
do at once, as both hands are required to keep
it in its proper place over their heads and faces.
The only frequent pleasures of Avhich the Moor
ish women partake are to attend weddings and
other joyful celebrations, and to walk out on
Fridays in small parties, and spend a few hours
sitting among the palmetto bushes, and graves of
the public cemetery. Yours truly,
&c, &c.

198 coos-coo-soo, or letters

LETTER XXX.
THE RENEGADES. THE HAIKS. THE PASSPORTS.
Tangier, July ist, 18 —
My Dear Friend :
The air to-day is so beautifully clear, that
the white houses in Tarifa, on the Spanish coast,
are plainly visible through a common spy-glass,
and so is the flag-staff at Gibraltar. We fre
quently see that same flag-staff from here, but
never the flag.
The other day there arrived in this port a
small fishing boat from the coast of Spain.
There were on board of it seven or eight Span
iards not fishermen, but refugees who had made
their escape from Cadiz. They at once landed
without waiting to ask permission from either
the Spanish Consul, or the Moorish authorities.
As soon as their feet touched the soil of Africa
they declared to the officers of the port who met
them on the beach, their intention of becoming
true and faithful followers of the Prophet Mo
hammed. This declaration instantly released
them from all allegiance to their own country,
and enabled them to bid defiance to the Spanish
Consul, and his demands for their passports.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 199
This acknowledgment was sufficient passport
to the protection and guardianship of the au
thorities of Morocco.
They were immediately conducted in triumph
to a barber-shop, and had their heads reheved of
the weight of their jet black Spanish locks. Their
scalps were very soon as smooth, and as free
from hair as the palms of their hands. They
were then taken to a public bath where they
were made to wash away the uncleanness of
their false Christianity. Before they left the
bathing establishment, they were fully clothed
in suits of Moorish costumes, aU except the
haik. The haik requires long practice to render
wearing it successfully possible, and I do not
believe the attempt is ever made by a renegade.
These men were taken from the bath-house
to the mosque, where they were very speedily
turned into foUowers of Mohammed. Then no
matter what crimes they may be guUty of, they
cannot be given up by this country to the one
on the opposite side of the straits.
Soon after the ceremony of their instalation
into their new creed was over, a Spanish brig of
war came into the Bay, hastily cast anchor, and
landed some of her officers ; they came in pur
suit of the refugees.

200 coos-coo-soo, or letters
But they were too late, they were now be
yond the reach of aU Spanish authority.
Poor creatures, what a life of misery is be
fore them ! As they have money with them —
while it lasts — they are being famously lionized.
As soon as their funds are exhausted this lion
izing wiU be turned to donkeyizing, and they
will be lowered to a level with beasts of burden,
unless they are skilful at some art, trade or
profession, by which they can and wiU be useful
to their new masters — can and wiU are two
widely different words you know- — here in
Africa, as weU as in other more favored parts
of this lower world — they wiU soon be forced to
earn their daily bread by the lowest and most
laborious kinds of toU.
We saw four of them on the street the other
day, they were easily distinguished from the
mob of middle classed rabble, surrounding them
by the newness and unfaded brightness of their
freshly bought attire. In every other respect
they already appeared to be quite accustomed
to carry the turban, to wear the wide uncouth
Moorish trousers, and to waddle along quite suc-
cessfuUy in the broad, heavy, yeUow slippers of
their adopted country.
It was some relief to find that their round, fat

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 201
faces, dull stupid eyes, and unintelligent features
seemed to indicate that they were incapable of
feeling the miseries of their hopeless condition.
Perhaps after all they have not lost much of
present benefit, by the exchange of their nominal
belief in one religion for another, which is none
at all. It may be that they were before the ex
change as Avicked and unhappy as they could be.
The Governor of Tangier intends to send them
up to the Sultan of Morocco, where their skill
and usefulness Avill be tested and their future
position in the social scale of the land, decided by
the pleasure and interest of his imperial majesty.
The haik is a long white garment without
seam, similar in shape to a very large long shawl.
It is worn by the men and women, but in differ
ent ways ; the men wear it wrapped around the
body, Avith the ends hanging gracefully over the
shoulder. The women wear it in such a man
ner that the face and head are completely coa'-
ered by it, Avith the ends tucked aAvay out of
sight under the arms.
On the latter it is an unbecoming and ghostly-
looking affair.
One night a small bay-boat arrived from Gib
raltar, Avhich had on board a Spanish subject,
who had been turned Out of Gibraltar for some
17

202 coos-coo-soo, or letters
trifling breach of martial law ; he was sent
adrift without any passport, and the conse
quence is, that he is not allowed to land in any
of the neighboring ports. The Spanish Consul
here is now diligently employed to prevent his
landing at Tangier.
The British Consul with characteristic hospi
tality, sends him the food which keeps him from
utter starvation. We do not yet know what
his fate will be.
The patrone of the boat that brought him
here, cannot wait with him much longer. The
man's only alternative is to obtain the privilege
of landing here by turning Mohammedan, or to
submit to the authority of Spain by accepting a
lodging place in one of its prisons, or to make
his escape from the boat he is now in, when it
returns to Gibraltar Bay, by taking refuge as
a common saflor on board of some English or
American merchant vessel ; on all sides nothing
but hardships await him — for the want of a
passport. What must we think of the govern
ments who are afraid to admit into their lands
one single man without a passport ?
Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 203

LETTER XXXI.
A JEWISH WEDDING.
Tangier, July I oth, 18 — .
My Dear Friend*:
We were lately invited by a young Jew
to attend his sister's wedding. He is one of the
Tangier dry-goods merchants who are in the
habit of caUing at our house to sell their pretty,
and temptingly cheap goods. As his dress is a
good sample of what is worn by the better
classed Jews of this country, I will describe it
for you. His trousers are made of fine Avhite
muslin, they are wide but not flowing like the
Moors. His shirt is handsomely embroidered
with white silk on the bosom and around the
neck, the front is finished with two very close
rows of small white silk buttons.
Over the shirt he wears a blue cloth or a
white cotton Arest or sack without sleeves and
over it a fine blue cloth coat or outer garment,
very much like a sack coat, it is open in front
and is fastened around the Avaist by a broad silk
scarf folded to the width of about four inches.
His head is covered by a small black woollen

204 coos-coo-soo, or letters
cap, ornamented on the top Avith a long blue and
Avhite silk tassel, that hangs down on one side
of his head.
The sleeves of his coat are wide, and reach
about half way between his wrist and elbow.
The sides and front of his coat are sometimes
faced with red silk, and braided with silk cord
of various colors.
He wears black morocco slippers. The Jews
in this country never wear turbans.
This young JeAv's name is Sr. B., and he is very
much respected by all Avho know him. We at
tended his sister's wedding as much to gratify
his feelings as our own curiosity. She was, we
found, a lovely girl about fifteen years of age,
the sight of her beautiful face we concluded was
weU worth the trouble of walking to her resi
dence. Her complexion was of clearest white
and brightest red, her hair, eye-lashes and eye
brows were of jetty blackness, her lips were red
and full as two beautifully ripe cherries, her
eyes were of a bright and flashing hazel, her
teeth Avere like two rows of pearls set in coral,
and she was altogether as beautiful a specimen
of humanity as one could desire to behold. We
found her sitting on the bed in the best room of
her mother's house. It is a second class house,

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 205
and is very neatly furnished in the Barbary-
Jewish style, which differs very little if any
from the Moorish.
As with the Moors, so with the Jews in Tan
gier, a wedding is a festival of much ceremony,
and lasts several days — more or less according to
the wealth of the bride's family; a crowded
house is expected and fully enjoyed. On the
first and second days the bride sat on the bed,
simply attired in her under garments and wrap
ped in a sheet, her hair was without ornament,
and hung down over her shoulders in natural
ringlets. She was surrounded by her maiden
friends, who were dressed in their holiday cos
tumes, and they almost all seemed to be nearly
as beautiful as the bride ; their eyes were gener
ally fine, large, black and very expressive.
The Tangier Jewesses certainly do not en
courage one's belief in the truth of physiog
nomy — for where in the wide, wide world can
there be found more intelligent looking faces, and
yet where can there be met with more barren and
empty minds than those possessed by these
same fair descendants of Sarah and Rebecca.
The bride's young friends spent the greater
part of two days with her, whUe there they
were feasted with dried fruits, sAveet cakes, con-
17*

206 coos-coo-soo, or letters
fectionery and a kind of weak liquor distiUed in
a domestic stiU from raisons or figs and anise
seed. They drank it largely diluted with water,
yet even in that weak state, it was sparingly
used. They were certainly good examples of
temperance in drinking.
Such a thing as an intemperate Jew or Jew
ess, I have not yet seen in this place.
These Barbarians appear wiUing to leave the
vice of inebriation to the unshared possession of
their more enlightened neighbors, "over the
water." The bride's youthful and fair companions
amused themselves and her, by telling stories,
dancing, singing and with instrumental music.
Their music is not very melodious.
On the afternoon of the second day of the
wedding, the bride's young friends took their
leaAre of her, and she was then visited by her
married friends, who dressed and conducted her
to their pubhc bath, where they spent about
an hour. This bath is veiy large, deep and cold.
The poor brides generaUy dread the plunges
which are there given them, more than any
other part of the Avearisome wedding ceremonies.
She was then conducted back to her mother's
residence, where the married friends remained

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 207
with her, and commenced the operation of attir
ing her in her wedding garments, and of paint
ing and adorning her face and head.
Her dress consisted of scarlet broad-cloth and
crimson sUk velvet, richly decked with gold lace,
gold threaded embroidery, braiding, buttons and
a perfect blaze of jewelry ; on her head she
wore five or six sfifas, or tiaras of fine stones,
and over them a crown made of scarlet velvet
cloth, and covered with gems and precious
stones. Over aU these treasures of finery she
wore a thin white silk vaU.
Her eye-lashes and eye-brows were painted
black to make them look heavier and longer.
Her cheeks and skin were not painted except by
nature, and by that most superior of all artists
she was beautifully finished in pearly white and
rosy red.
These Jews crown every bride among them,
because they hope that she may become the
mother of their long expected Saviour, who is to
be their regal deliverer from their long captivity,
in aU the lands of the whole earth, and Avho is
to restore them to their lost royal estate in the
Holy City of Jerusalem !
If the Bible had no other witness under the
sun to prove the heavenly authenticity of its

2Q8 coos-coo-soo, or letters
records, the faith alone of these Jews would
prove it beyond aU possibility of a doubt. They
are a living, standing, undeniable, indestructi
ble miracle, certifying, age after age, and cen
tury after century, the truth of God's Holy
Word !
At about half past eight o'clock in the even
ing, the bride was ready for her ceremonious re
moval to her new home.
The assembled guests were crowding every
room in the house, except the one in which the
dressing was performed.
When it was completed the doors were
thrown wide open, and the costumers made the
air ring with their warwallows and hand-clap
pings. At the same time a band of Jewish musicians,
who were sitting in the court-yard, commenced
playing their discordant strains, then every per
son who wished to was allowed to go in and look
at the beautiful bride. She sat on an elevated
seat in the middle of the room, her eyes were
closed and her arms were folded across her
breast. Dried fruit, cakes and confectionery were
then handed around to the numerous guests and
spectators. Meanwhile the music, warwallows

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 209
and hand-clappings continued without abate
ment. At about nine o'clock they began to pre
pare for her removal to her new home. But how
she reached there must be the commencement
of a new letter, or you wiU feel that my lengthy
epistle is intruding too much at once upon your
precious and fully occupied time. TiU my next
adieu. Yours affectionately, &c, &c.

LETTER XXXII.
THE JEWISH AffEDDING CONTINUED. A RURAL MORNING
RAMBLE.
Tangier, July 1 8 th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
I will continue in as few words as possi
ble the description of my young neighbor Estara's
marriage festivities. When she had sat upon the
elevated seat, or (as they called it) the throne,
in her mother's house about half an hour, and
was gazed at by the "mixed multitude" who sur
rounded her, she was approached by two Rabbis
and four men and an innumerable crowd of httle

210 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS
boys. The Rabbis placed themselves one on
each side of her, the four men held in their hands
four immensely large, burning wax candles,
tastefully painted in red and green. The boys
sung or chanted in Hebrew, and with a vocifer
ating voice, over and over again the words :
" Here she is the bride, oh, the bride, the
bride. We have come to take the bride, to take
the bride. Oh, here she is, here she is, we have
come to take the bride."
They were now all ready to start. But at
this interesting point there was some delay occa
sioned by the bride's brother causing to be borne
to her side a sedan chair, which he had borrowed
from one of the Consuls, and he insisted that his
sister should not walk but be carried in the
chair. The bride's father was dead, and whenever
that is the case, the brother or next nearest male
relative, becomes the " master of the feast."
Finally they succeeded in seating her in the
sedan chair to her brother's entire satisfaction,
but in opposition to the will and wishes of the
Rabbis and the spectators. The former no doubt
felt themselves cheated by this arrangement out
of the pleasure of leading her through the streets
to her new home, and the latter out of the grati-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 211
fication of feasting their eyes upon her beauty
and splendid attire. To aU it was an innovation,
and as such it was most cordially frowned upon
by them, except the enthusiastic and affectionate
young brother. The bride of course was not ex
pected to exercise any desire on that or any
other subject. She was being married, and was
passive in the hands of her masters — tormentors
I felt they must be to her, if she had any feel
ing. At last the procession was formed and in mo
tion. First, the four bridal-candle bearers, then
the two Rabbis and the bride, borne by four por
ters; around and after them crowded the shout
ing, chanting, singing, yeUing little urchins, who
it is said, are in the habit of sticking needles and
pins into the flesh of the bride to test her forti
tude and resignation.
It was probably a desire to savre her this tor
ture which led the young merchant to devise for
his sister the protection of the borrowed sedan
chair. Then foUowed the bride's relatives and the in
vited guests, and after them the public who saw
fit to give their presence and add to the length
of the parade. The number of this parading
pubhc depends upon the popularity and standing

212 coos-coo-soo, or letters
of the bride's family, and was on this occasion
very flattering in the size as weU as in the re-
spectabUity of the concourse.
When the procession had passed over about a
fourth part of the distance towards her new
home, her future father-in-law met it and insist
ed upon forcing her to descend from the sedan
chair, and to be led forward between the two
Rabbis in the customary mode. The bridegroom
met her at the right hand side of his front door,
and on the middle of the entrance his mother re
ceived her. In her hands she held a plate, on
which were a glass tumbler fiUed with water and
some sugar. She presented the water and sugar
to the bride's mouth, then threw and broke the
glass at her feet as she entered the house, in
token that thereafter she was to be the sole mis
tress of her husband's good wUl and pleasure.
The Rabbis then placed the bride upon an ele
vated seat or throne in the centre of the best
room in the house, where she remained a few
minutes, after which she was led by married
females to a curtained recess at one end of the
room. There they re-adjusted her heavy head dress
and weighty ornaments, which had become dis
arranged by her removal from one house to the

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 213
other. She Avas then returned to her seat of
honor, on Avhich she remained until one or tAvo
o'clock, A. M. AU this time the music, feasting
and dancing continued, but she saw nothing of
them, as her eyes were closed all the time, and her
hands remained unmovingly in the same position.
The next morning at about seven o'clock, we
found her sitting in the same spot, and in the
same position, with her hands stiU crossed and
eyes closed.
The guests and spectators at that hour
thronged around her to Avitness the bestowal of
the Avedding ring. The bridegroom and a Rabbi
then entered the room side by side. The bride
groom placed himself near her on her right hand
side, and the Rabbi stood before her, while he
repeated a long prayer in Hebrew.
He then read aloud in Hebrew the marriage
contract which he held in his hand; it was writ
ten on a scroll of parchment. Having read it
through, he rolled it up and handed it to the
bridegroom, who gave it to the bride, she re
ceived it Avith her left hand, and retained it dur
ing the remainder of the ceremony. The bride
groom then took hold of her right hand and
placed on its fourth finger a heavy gold ring,
and said in Hebrew : 18

214 coos-coo-soo, or letters
" I take this maiden, Estara B., to be my
wedded wife, according to the law of Israel,
Moses and Nathan, as they received it from God,
whereof this ring is the token."
Prayer was then again offered by the Rabbi,
and he closed it by pronouncing the benediction.
The bridegroom's father then handed the
Rabbi a large glass tumbler full of wine. He
held it solemnly in one hand, elevated the other
over it and invoked a blessing upon it, he then
drank some and handed it to the bridegroom,
who drank a small portion, then held the tum
bler to the lips of the bride who tasted it. The
bridegroom then returned the wine to his father,
who drank of it ; then with the tumbler in one
hand and a large glass bottle in the other, he
handed it around the room to the guests, until
they were all served. It was not offered to the
Moors and Europeans, who were there as spec
tators, but to the Jews only.
The young couple were then married man and
wife. She remained in the same seat, in the
same dress and position, during all that and seve
ral other days, and all that time, the music,
feasting and dancing ceased not, except during
a few hours at night.
After having Avitnessed the ceremony of giv-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 215
ing the ring and drinking the wedding Avine, we
resolved to seek relief from the heat of the
crowded " house of feasting," by taking a morn
ing walk out of town. As we passed the inner
market place or the main street, we saAv a row of
day laborers, Avith their hoes in their hands, on
which they were indolently leaning. They were
standing there " waiting to be hired." As this is
one of the many old scriptural customs of the
land, they reminded us very forcibly that we Avere
in the old world of the Eastern Hemisphere, and
far, far away from our home in the Western.
Having passed through the town gates, and
the larger market place, we ascended the hill
beyond it and stood there a few moments to view
the scene around us. The Bay was as smooth
as glass, and shining brightly beneath the rays
of the unclouded sun. The sea breeze had not
yet reached the shore, but we could see it com
ing on apace over the face of the distant waters,
which were moved by it into gently rising waves.
The whole aspect of nature around us seemed
very soothing and very lovely.
Near us stood a large drove of donkeys, and
mixed with them a few mules, waiting to be dri
ven to pasture. The donkeys and mules of the
toAvn people, when not hired out or needed for

216 coos-coo-soo, or letters
the day in the labor of their owners, are taken
by them, to this hill beyond the market place,
and committed to the care of a herdsman, who,
at a certain hour, drives them all out to a graz*
ing field.
He is usually accompanied by one or two boys
and several dogs. At about four o'clock in the
afternoon they return to this hill, where the
owners meet and pay the herdsman a few cop
pers for his trouble and drive their animals home.
So that if you want to hire a donkey or mule in
these regions, you must secure him early in the
morning or wait until late in the afternoon.
The donkeys are very fond of a coarse, low
weed, which is here very abundant, its leaf is
mixed white and green. I have seen some of
the same kind growing in the flower gardens of
Pennsylvania, as an exotic, under the common
name of Virgin Mary's nettle, or milk-weed.
When we passed the drove of donkeys, we
saw a numerous train of camels beginning their
wearisome journey to the Interior.
They moved along slowly beneath their highly
piled burdens, as if they were very unwUling to
leave the place where they had enjoyed a long
rest and the luxury of drinking as much water
as they could.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 217
They were all the one humped camels. I
have never seen any other kind here. They are
gaunt and uncouth looking creatures, awkward
and ungraceful in their movements, yet withal,
they are so gentle, so kind and so patient in their
disposition, that one cannot help loving them.
A useful lesson is the one they would teach
us human beings, if we would but attend to and
learn it.
Then we passed the sanctuary of Seedy
Mekhfee, who is said to be the patron-saint ofthe
market place. His memory is held very sacred.
Probably during his lifetime he was very much
such a looking person as now is our neighbor
Seedy Sharkey.
We then walked about a mUe and a half and
saw the ViUage Swanny, which contains about
a hundred huts, surrounded by hedges of prickly
pears or cactus opuntia, the fruit of which is now
ripe and very delicious. We thenreturnedhome,
past the American, Danish and Swedish Con
suls' gardens.
We were so much refreshed by our rural ram
ble, that we were able to begin with renewed
interest, the labors and studies of the day.
Adieu, Yours truly, &c, &c.
18*

218 COOS-COO-SOO, OR LETTERS

LETTER XXXIII.
A MOOR'S CHANGE OF SANK. CATTLE PRISON. THE CULTI
VATED FIELDS. THE CASTLE.
Tangier, July 29th, 18—.
My Dear Friend :
To-day as we were returning from our
walk we passed by the pretty little garden of
Alkaid Asoosey. Alkaid means a mflitary com
mander, it may be over a hundred, or more or less.
This same Alkaid Asoosey has been for many
years the favorite extra guard of the Consuls
upOn their excursions into the country, or occa
sional visits to some of the towns in the Interior,
or on the coast of this empire; during which
time he was in the highest favor of the Emperor,
and of the Governor of Tangier.
The horse he rode was the best and fleetest
of all the good and fleet horses of the land.
His wardrobe was in beauty and quality equal
to any worn by men in the highest rank. His
turban was invariably the highest and whitest
that could be seen in all this town of turbans,
and — in short he was as perfect a petit maiire in

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 219
his manners and attire, as ever the shores of
Barbary produced.
Many times when riding or walking past his
garden, we would see him in it amusing himself
by weeding it during the cool hours of the early
evening, but even then, and there, his garments
and head gear were patterns of perfect neatness
and good style.
During a month or tAvo past we saAv nothing
of him, but did not pay that subject any atten
tion, as we supposed he had been sent aAvay on
some mission of honor or of trust by the Governor.
How great then was our surprise this afternoon
to see as we passed his garden gate walk out
from it a little dark figure, meanly attired in a
soiled and faded old gelab, (gelab is the outer
garment worn by poor and laboring men,) with
out any turban or any other covering on his bald
head, and to hear the same unrecognizable fig
ure say in the voice of our much esteemed and
admired Alkaid Asoosey, first my own Christian
name, and then the friendly words of salutation,
"keefkoontsy?" The voice was the familiar one of our dear
old, favorite guard, Alkaid Asoosey, but poor fel
low — the figure, face, and garments, were those
of a man who by some act of caprice, avarice or

220 coos-coo- soo, or letters
injustice of those in authority over him had
been disgraced by faUing into disfavor.
His fine horses and houses have been taken
from him by his Government, and this httle gar
den is all that is left to aid him in earning a
support for himself and family.
We then entered the gate which leads to the
enclosure surrounding the castle. Here we saw
a man in the garb of a poor villager, led forcibly
along by two soldiers ; they held him by the
neck of his gelab, and if he offered to make any
resistance, or effort to escape from them, they
twisted it tightly around his throat in a manner
which at once brought him to a state of perfect
passiveness. They had arrested him for having aUowed his
horses to eat some of his neighbor's wheat.
The fields of this land are all unprotected by
any kind of fence, or hedge, so that domestic
animals have to be closely watched by their
owners, or persons employed by them for that
purpose, to prevent their straying into other
people's cultivated fields.
It is a common practice here on these occa
sions to seize the trespassing animals when their
owners, or employed watchers are not con
veniently found, and then the animals are taken

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 221
to " the pound," as it is called in England, Avhere
they are detained until their owners call for
them, and pay for the damage they have done.
When they caU to get their property they are
punished by paying a fine, or by being impris
oned, or bastinadoed.
Should the owners not come forward in a rea
sonable space of time, the animals are sold or
turned over to the possession of the government.
These laws make owners of cattle and horses
very careful in general to have them well
watched. The bastinado is I believe a very painful op
eration, not ever having witnessed its infliction,
I must be satisfied to give you a second-hand
description of it.
They say the person who is condemned to
this punishment, is made to he flat on the
ground with his arms and lower limbs fastened
to stakes, and then the bastinado is given by
striking very heavily on the soles of his feet
with a bunch of leather straps.
A few dollars will generaUy suffice to buy off
the culprit from enduring it, but if he or his
friends are too poor to pay the fine, then his
feet have to suffer for the lankness of his purse.
We sometimes see mules, horses, donkeys and

222 coos-coo-soo, or letters
horned cattle in the Tangier pound, (which is a
smaU enclosure adjoining the wall of the castle,)
all huddled most uncomfortably together in the
small place, poor beasts suffering from hunger,
thirst and imprisonment, because their owners
are too improvident to make fences around their
fields !
Gardens and vineyards are always enclosed
by durable and strong hedges, but the no less
valuable fields of wheat and other farm produce
are left open, and unprotected by any sort of
fence or hedge.
It is a very pretty sight to see the hill-sides
and plains covered with a diversity of the rich
gifts of the liberal soil, and to view the edge of
a crop of wheat, meet lovingly the leaves of a
bean field, or the long graceful leaves of dra
boughing affectionately over a cluster of neigh
boring barley-heads ; but around and above all
this beautiful union there ever avUI creep into
my mind the cooling reflection, that there is a
want of thrift in the owners of them all, or they
would be better and more safely protected from
the feet of intruding animals.
If we would talk of field fences to a Moor, he
would scorn the idea, and say that the labor of
making them would be unendurable, that his

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 223
father lived Avithout field-fences, and what was
good enough for the sire, must of necessity be
good enough for the son.
The Tangier Castle is noAV unoccupied, as the
present Governor prefers residing in his own
private house, the Emperor allowing him to do so.
It is divided from the town by a lofty wall on the
brow of a high and steep hill. This wall bears
evidence of having been in former times heavily
mounted Avith cannons, which have long since
been removed to other places. This castle is the
union of several buUdings erected at various times,
different ages and in as many styles of architec
ture ; they are now a cluster of walls and
masonry in se\reral states of preservation ; there
are two high towers overlooking them all, one
of which is the minaret of a mosque. Some of
these AvaUs and gateways are ornamented with
arabesque designs, which no doubt were hand
some decorations when fresh from the hands of
the artists who put them there, but now they
are sadly marred and tarnished by the lapse of
time. The continuation of the castle's sketch
must be postponed for the present.
Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

224 coos-coo-soo, or letters

LETTER XXXIV.
TANGIER CASTLE. CONTINUED.
Tangier, July 31st, 18 —
My Dear Friend :
Tangier Castle is a vast pile of ancient
buildings containing over two hundred different
apartments and about fifty stair-cases. Many
of the rooms are as dark as dungeons, and not
more than three feet wide and four or five feet
long; from this size they Arary to that of twelve
wide and about twenty or twenty-five feet in
length. The ceilings generaUy are very high,
and in some of the larger rooms they are hand
somely decorated with arabesque designs, cupo
las and arches. In one part there is a large,
open, square court ; it is surrounded on each of
its four sides by three handsome large rooms; we
presume it is in these rooms that the Emperor
makes his temporary abode when he visits Tan
gier. They are handsomely finished, but en
tirely unfurnished except by numerous lamps
which are suspended on hooks in the ceilings;
some of these lamps are half fiUed with olive oil
and seem to be ready for lighting. This court

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 225
is paved with marble, and has in the centre a
large marble fountain similar to the ones usually
found in mosques. Around the court are several
white marble pillars with caps of the Corinthian
order ; they support arches and roofs which form
a piazza around the court, and over the en
trances of the surrounding twelve rooms.
Over the walls of this piazza, there are rows
of arabesque designs about twelve inches wide
worked in on glazed china tiles, and apparently
these rows of tiles have been as broad as three
feet, but they have fallen down, and to ruin, by
the insatiable destructiveness of time. From
one of these rooms we found a stair-case leading to
upper rooms ; it was about eight feet wide, and
was paved in brightly glazed tUes of various
colors and sizes.
From a corner of one of these rooms we
passed through a door that led into a passage
about four feet wide, which ended in a kitchen
that had in one end of it the usual cooking fur
nace for the use of charcoal ; from this furnace
proceeded a curiously formed, wide chimney to
the top of the building ; it looked as if it was
strong enough to last another century. There
were two other smaller kitchens connected with
these twelve rooms. The upper parts of the
19

226 coos-coo-soo, or letters
walls of some of these rooms were curiously
worked in plaster with ornamental cornices,
which looked hke lace and were very beautiful.
The floors were principaUy paved with slabs
of black and white marble ; some few were paved
with Tetuan tiles.
After winding through long narrow passages,
and several suites of middle sized rooms, which
were paved with common red and green tiles,
we suddenly and unexpectedly found ourselves
at the entrance of a handsome, large garden. In
it were growing many very superior fruit-trees
and grape-vines ; over one of the room doors
Avhich opened into it, we saw a natural curiosity
in the form of a fig tree about six feet high, and
in " fuU bearing." This tree grew from the side of
the wall, about midway between the top of the
door, and the flat roof of the buUding. On it
were growing some ripe figs, one of which we
ate. The fruit trees in this garden were larger
and finer than any we have seen in the neigh
borhood. The vines were treUised luxuriantly
over neatly made arches and bowers of native
cane. Roses were very abundant, and blooming
in almost endless variety. They were there of
aU colors, sizes and qualities. Into this garden
there opened several windows of the apartments

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 227
above it ; they were glazed and evidently have
been made comparatively, quite recently in imi
tation of the Consular dweUings. The rooms to
which these windows belonged, we were told,
had been used as the harem of the former Ba
shaw of Tangier, who at one time occupied the
castle with his families of four wives. The
larger rooms of this part of the castle were
painted in modern European style, and from
the centre of the ceihng of one of them, was
hanging a very handsome, large chandelier,
which no doubt had been presented to the Ba
shaw by one of the present Consuls. It was a
costly and beautiful affair, but in a sad state of
neglect, as it was covered with dust and cob
webs. The room of the large chandelier opened
into a balcony, apparently suspended in the air
overlooking a steep precipice which seemed to
be at least two hundred feet deep, at the base of
which were dashed, in foamy waves, the waters
of the Atlantic, as they were entering the boun
daries of the Straits of Gibraltar. From this
airy perch we enjoyed an extensive view of this,
the opposite shore of the Straits, and the ocean.
From these beautiful and neatly finished apart
ments we proceeded for some distance along
narrow, dark, winding passages, up and down

228 coos-coo-soo, or letters
various narrow stair-cases. At one time we
would enter a large room which we supposed
would open into a suite of handsome apartments,
but would find it to be only a solitary one. At
another the room would open into a long, nar
row, winding passage, which would either end
in a little closet, a stair-case, an open-aired ter
race, or a large room.
Sometimes these long, narrow passages would
lead to bath-rooms in Avhich were large tanks of
water. These baths were lighted from small apertures
in the lofty ceUings aboA-e them and covered with
thick glass.
In one place we saw a very long passage,
(about forty feet long,) it was so low that we
had to walk through it bare headed, and in a
stooping posture.
We walked along its narrow limits very hope
fully, expecting it would conduct us to some
thing very odd, but were disappointed at finding
it end in a plain, simple, small recess. There
were in many of the walls marks of places
where doors had been binlt up and enclosed.
Where or to what they may have led, will be a
secret as long as the castle remains in the hands
of its present OAvners.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 229
In some places we were obhged to jump over
yawning crevices in the floors, at others to
chmb up stairs where two or three steps in one
place were crumbled to ruins, and the green
grass on the ground far below them would be
visible. Then again we would clamber over a heap of
an old waU, fallen into a chaos of broken stones,
mortar and lime. Often a flock of wild pigeons
would start from their nests almost beneath our
very feet. The wild pigeons and storks are
without number in and about the old Castle.
We did not see any owls, and wondered why,
as the town is full of them.
At one time we clambered up a wall, Avhich
probably had once been a side of a stair-case ; it
was very tottering and seemed ready to crumble
beneath our feet. From it we entered a long,
broad room lighted only by a few apertures in
the walls ; the floor was a common brick pave
ment, and the walls were of plain mortar. This
plain, large room was surrounded by vaults or
arches simUar to those made to keep wine in.
Over the door of one room we saw some hand
some ornamental work in plaster, and beyond it
there were several small panes of glass of various
colors. This was a beautiful Avork of art, and
19*

230 coos-coo-soo, or letters
had a fine effect, surrounded as it was by so
much ruin and rubbish. We saw also another
garden, at one end of which were several raised
terraces that were surrounded by seats. This
was a quiet, cool and pleasant retreat; no doubt
there have been many hours of social and do
mestic happiness enjoyed within its narrow lim
its, by those who have been many years within
the stiU narrower homes, which are waiting for
us all, and alas we know not how short that
waiting may be for some of us, who are now
dreaming of hving for many future years, in
peace and prosperity !
But time has floAvn very swiftly whole I and
my pen have been travelling with you through
the old castle, and the midnight hour reminds
me that it is wiser to sleep, than to write away
the whole night. Yours, affectionately, &c., &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 231

LETTER XXXV.
TANGIER CASTLE CONTINUED.
Tangier, August 1st, 1 8 — .
Mi' Dear Friend :
We Avere conducted by our guide from
the interior parts of the castle to an outer apart
ment, which proved to be the ante-room to the
prison, and in it I was astonished to see an
Alkaid, who a few months ago was in high favor
with the Emperor, and appeared to be a man of
wealth and distinction. But he has fallen — and
is noAV — without being guilty of any crime, the
inmate of a prison and in heavy irons.
Seeing that I was greatly shocked at finding
him in such a miserable condition, he told me to
say "Inshaa AUah," which I did say most
heartily. Then to console him I said, that he
was not as badly off as were the hundreds who
were enclosed in the dungeons. He answered,
" Oh, I go there too, and have only been
brought out here for an hour to get a little fresh
air ; but oh, I wish you Avould Avrite to the
Governor, and beg him to order that I may not

232 coos-coo-soo, or letters
have the chain put around my neck at night ; it
is so very painful."
As the manacles were much larger than his
thin, bony hands, for he is an old man, I asked
him why he did not slip his hands out of them.
To my question he answered,
"God will take them off when he sees proper !"
We then proceeded to the part which was
allotted to the use of the Governor's or Empe
ror's horses. There were not more than six or
eight horses in the stables at the time ; they
were fat and in good order
The entrance to this part of the castle was
guarded by a ragged sentinel, who sat cross-leg
ged on a goat skin. The stable is a large open
space, surrounded by arches on all sides, which
are supported by handsome white marble pillars.
The horses were all fettered Avith palmetto straw
rope. Around the open space and beneath the
arches were small apartments which were the
stalls. In them the horses were sheltered during the
rainy season. They were fed on grain, dra or
barley, Avhich they ate from nose-bags. The
Moorish horses are never fed from a manger or
rack or littered.
In one corner stood the favorite horse of the

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 233
imprisoned Alkaid, feeding on dry straw. It
was very affecting to see the poor animal sharing
the fate of his master. In the centre of the open
space there were two walls surrounding a very
large cistern, which is of vast dimensions, and
consists of several apartments. The water of
this cistern is good and cold. On the right hand
side of the open space was a very large and
heavy door; Ave walked through it into a large
room Avhich may be considered the Emperor's
armory. In one part of it Ave saAv piled up in
one great heap, the many gun-carriages, which
were presented to a former Emperor of Morocco
by Mr. Simpson, our first Consul to this country.
They were in a state of great neglect — the Avood-
en parts were rotten and worm-eaten — the iron
covered with rust. About the room were scat
tered many pieces of ancient Saracen armor,
similar to that which was worn by the Saracens
in the times of the crusades. This armor is very
curious and enough to make the eyes of any an
tiquary twinkle with delight. In many parts
rust and old father time had made sad havoc of
the sturdy, hard iron, for there were many holes
in them that were not put there in battle, but
by the slow, sure decay of many by-gone years.
Iu this room were the instruments which have

234 coos-coo-soo, or letters
been used in manufacturing his majesty's gun
powder. The mortars used for grinding the
charcoal were handsome, large, marble Corinth
ian caps of pillars, the shafts of which are lying
scattered about in another part of the castle.
These pillars are said to have been a present
from the government of Spain to this country.
This room also had in it four A'ery thick, heavy
wooden boxes; they were iron-bound and about
four feet high. In the open space near the heavy
door there was a steep, narrow stair-case, which
opened into an old unmounted fort, from which
we had an exceUent view of the new Tangier
battery, on which we saw seventeen guns and
three mortars. From this fort we clambered up
an old waU about six feet high and found our
selves in a long gaUery, the end of which turned
into another. At one end of this second gallery
there was a smaU room, and at the other a long,
very long narrow stair-case. We ran down the
steep, narrow steps in great glee, hoping it would
lead us to some subterranean apartments, where
we should meet with unheard of wonders of curi
osity or of wealth, but on a sudden turn at the
foot of the stairs, we found ourselves in the pre
sence of the nose-bagged horses, and the ragged
guard of the stable sitting on his old goat skin !

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 235
We then took our departure from the Imperial
stables, and observed as we passed from them
that their heavy doors were fastened open by a
rusty swivel on one side and a bombshell on the
other. Most heartily do we wish that all the
swivels and bombshells in the whole world might
never be used in any other manner than to set
an open door before us in as quiet and inoffen
sive a way as these were doing.
WhUe we were in the castle we asked the
soldier who accompanied us if he knew who
built it.
He said it was built by Seedy Ally, two hun
dred years ago. At another time another Moor
told me that it was built by & great Bashaw,
named Seedy Ilamet, that he was a relative of
the prophet Mohammed, and had five thousand
horsemen in Tangier, and that his body-guard
consisted of a thousand soldiers. He was im
mensely rich, and took the customs or duties on
the merchandise of Tangier as his own, and
never paid a copper to the Emperor. That the
Sultan at last became jealous of his power and
declared war against him ; he was kiUed in bat
tle and buried with his ancestors at Mistercoch,
one hundred and fifty years ago. This castle is,
of course, said to be inhabited by evil spirits and

236 coos-coo-soo, or letters
to contain many miUions of hidden treasures.
In many places are to be seen in the walls and
on the ground, the marks of persons who have
searched for hidden money.
At one time, as we jumped from one terrace to
another, we heard beneath our feet a loud crash
ing sound ; it was caused by the inside ceilmg
having faUen doAvn. The castle is generally
supposed to be partly built by the ancient Ro
mans. There were in many places this word in Ara
bic characters, "Allah" — but I could not see any
thing that looked like the word Mohammed.
We spent about six hours exploring the castle.
Yours affectionately, &c, &c.

LETTER XXXVI.
JEWISH TOLL. MOORISH FESTIVAL.
« Tangier, August 8th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
Hoping that by this time you have re-
coArered from the- fatigue of our long ramble
through the venerable old castle of Tangier, I

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 237
again venture to address you with my wearisome
coos-coo-soo dottings.
This afternoon we went to enjoy the pleasure
of a horseback ride on the beach. WhUe we
were there we saw eight Jews and four Moors
starting on a journey to Tetuan. The Jews
never travel anywhere in the empire of Morocco
except under the escort of Moors.
When they depart from one town for another
they are obliged to pay toll to the gate-keeper of
the town they are leaving. They never live in
the country or villages, but always in the larger,
walled towns, where they earn their hving by
speculation, commerce, or as artisans and me
chanics. They never become tiUers of the soil,
because they feel and realize that it is not their
own. But I must return from this Jewish digression
and inform you what we saw happen to one of
the unfortunate Jews who were beginning their
journey to Tetuan. This party of travellers,
Moors and Jews, although so diverse in their
races, habits and attire, were stiU more so in the
ways and means by which they Avere to perform
their wearisome journey. Two of the Moors
were stout and able-bodied soldiers, they were
mounted on handsome horses, the other Moors
20

238 coos-coo-soo, or letters
were seated on strong, weU-kept mules, and were
furnished with palmetto straw panniers, probably
destined to bring from Tetuan the beautiful tiles
which are made there. Four of the Jews were
riding miserable looking little donkeys, and the
other four were aided only by long wooden
staves, and were even without shoes on their
feet. When they had proceeded a few rods down
ihe beach towards the Tetuan road, which turns
from it to the south-east, they were pursued and
overtaken by an athletic and strongly-built Moor,
who was one of the Tangier gate-keepers. He
Avas in a towering passion and fiercely excited,
saliva poured from around his chattering teeth,
was spattered here and there upon his trembling
beard, " his eyes wildly with phrenzy rolled,"
words of hatred and abuse flew in a vociferous
torrent from between his ire-bequivered lips.
As soon as he reached the Jews, he ran to a
slightly-built and feeble looking youth, and with
a long staff he carried he gave the trembling
stripling an unmerciful drubbing for having dared
to pass the gate without paying the customary
toll. Poor felloAv, he suffered severely for the few
coppers he saved. The toU was one blankeel, in

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 239
Aralue not quite two cents. A blankeel is exact
ly the sixth part of a dime. When the Moor
had beaten the unresisting Jew to his heart's
content, he turned and hurried back to his post,
as if he had performed an act that was soothingly
satisfactory. The poor Jew rubbed his limbs, back and
head, and in his agony groaned aloud ; but still,
in spite of his pain, he took an opportunity Avhile
his Moorish companions were looking in another
direction, to wink to his feUow Jews, and to
make gestures to them expressive of the joy he
felt at having cheated a Moor out of a blankeel,
and better yet — had the superb satisfaction of
knowing he had given him a great deal of
trouble. Nothing can trouble a Moor so much as to be
forced into a hurry. Should a Jew, under any
circumstances, raise his hand to strike a Moor,
or to offer him any resistance, the immediate
loss of his hand would be the consequence. Thus
ever live the Moors and the Jews, in the same
country, under the same government, yet in con
stant and never ceasing antagonism. The iron
and the clay of their two distinct natures will
never mix in concord or peace.
When we had ridden as far as to the river,

240 coos-coo-soo, or letters
we enjoyed a fine and exhUerating gallop on our
homeward bound course.
On approaching the town we discovered there
was something more than common going to be
the order of the day for some time to come — we
were to have a public festival in the town ; there
would be feasting, dancing, singing, music and
warwalloAvs beyond all computation.
Do you wish to know how we were enabled
to dive into futurity and foresee all these fine
things, and what were the signs by which they
were revealed to our knowledge? There were
crowds of women and children standing on the
highest part of the hill behind the town. They
were all dressed as for an event of especial pub
lic interest, and they were aU intently gazing
upon the western sky, in which were lingering
the fading rays of the already set sun.
They were anxiously watching for the appear
ance of the new moon. The Moors reckon their
time by moons, and not having any almanacs in
common use, they never consider a month begun
until the new moon is visible in the sky. There
fore, when the time of its appearance draws
near, women dressed in their best attire, repair
to the hill behind the town walls, where they
can enjoy an unintercepted vieAv of the western

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 241
sky. As soon as one of the women sees it, she
utters a loud warwallow, in which she is joined
by the others around her, then it is repeated by
those who are standing on the house-tops in the
town until the sound reaches the guards in the
batteries on the front part of the town facing the
Bay. As soon as they hear it, they fire off a
salute of several cannons.
Thus the event of the festival moon being
visible, is loudly announced by the roar of can
nons to the distant inhabitants of the surround
ing villages.
Then begin the feasting and making merry.
Heaps of hot coos-coo-soo are devoured until the
partakers, wearied with their prowess in this par
ticular pleasure, are forced to seek repose in
sleep. This public announcement of the appearance
of the new moon being made by women, is proof
positive that the Moors believe in the immortal
ity of their souls.
If they were soulless, certainly they could not
be allowed to take such an active part in the re
ligious festivals of their nation.
The present moon is the mouloud, and the one
in which is celebrated the anniversary of the
birth of Mohammed. The Moors have three
20*

242 coos-coo-soo, or letters
great national festivals, the birth of Mohammed,
the week after the end of the fast rammadan,
and the sheep holiday. A few days previous to
each one of these festivals, their houses are
thoroughly cleansed and whitewashed, inside
and out, in imitation of the Jews' preparation for
the celebration of the passover.
The houses being thus frequently well cleaned
are always in a neat condition.
As they never \vear their shoes in the house,
and never spit anyAvhere, their floors are pat
terns of tidiness which might well cast in the
shade the much vaunted cleanly habits of our
own country — which, alas, cannot be clean or
decent, while its inhabitants are the slaves of
tobacco and its many polluting consequences —
but a truce to this juicy subject — I dare not
trust myself to dwell upon it so near the lower
edge of the last page of this letter, or I shall be
compelled to prolong its lines into the midst of
another sheet of paper, which, in mercy to your
eyes and patience, I will not presume to do at
present. Yours affectionately,
&c, &c

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 243

LETTER XXXVII.
FESTIVAL OF THE MOULOUD. A FLIGHT OF STORKS.
Tangier, September 6th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
This being the twelfth day of the moon
mouloud the birth day festival of Mohammed
began this morning; it is to last eight days.
Last night the devout followers of the prophet
spent the night in prayer, either at their own
houses, or at the mosque, according to the dic
tates of their own wishes.
At about half past three or four o'clock this
morning a salute was fired from the battery. I
counted ten discharges of cannon, I may have
missed hearing some, as not being one of the
faithful followers of his prophetship, I was not
very wide awake at the time, and there is no use
in asking questions of those who were, for they
will not satisfy infidel curiosity upon such sub
jects, and therefore I am unable to say with cer
tainty how many were fired.
From the moment the first report of the can
non on the battery broke the solemn silence of
the early hour, a general firing of muskets by

244 coos-coo-soo, or letters
men, and of warwallows by women commenced
in every part of the town, and this deafening
clamor and uproar was continued without ceas
ing for two hours. At about sunrise Moorish
musicians began to play on their instruments in
different parts of the town. This is the festival
during which boys from the age of one year to
that of five or six, are made to undergo the
ceremony of circumcision ; it is celebrated with
great pomp and magnificence by those Moors
who can afford to indulge in displays of gay and
gaudy grandeur.
The child to be circumcised is dressed in
great splendor, and carried either on horseback,
or in the arms of his father to the great saint
Seedy Mohammed el Hadg; the child is followed
on his way to the saint house by a band of
musicians who play a lively and joyous air ; the
musicians are sometimes accompanied by hand
somely dressed boys from eight to twelve years
of age, who wave on high, gay silk flags of bril
liant colors ; then the relatives and friends of
the child's parents follow in an irregular proces
sion from the dwelling to the saint house, and
then they return to the child's home, where
there is held a feast that is enlivened during the

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 245
whole day with music, dancing, warwallows and
hand-clappings. We at one time saw a child borne along the
streets in the arms of his father, who was seated
on a handsome horse. The child was dressed in
very rich embroidered crimson satin, and the
blood was faUing in large drops over his feet.
The operation is performed by a Moorish bar
ber, with the common scissors and an applica
tion of balsam is used.
In Tangier the dwelling places of the Moors,
Jews and foreigners are all mixed together ; the
town is not divided into different quarters. To
day one of our Jewish neighbors had an eight days
old heir, who according to the law of Moses was
set apart in the rite of circumcision. It seemed
odd enough that he a Jew, should be thus set
apart at the same time in which the mocking
ceremony is performed by the imitative Moham
medans around him.
At seven o'clock, A. m., the beginning of the
Jewish ceremony was announced by the loud
warwallows of several Jewish women. The
Moorish and Jewish warwalloAvs, although per
formed in the same manner, and by the same
means are as easily distinguished by their dif
ferent sounds, as are any other traits of charac-

246 coos-coo-soo, or letters
ter, possessed by either one of the two so curious
ly mixed up, and yet so distinctly kept apart
people. Thus it happened that although the Moorish
Avarwallows were resounding from every part of
the town, the moment the daughters of scattered
Israel sent out upon the morning air the sound
of their voices in prolonged wanvaUows of their
own, we knew that there Avas to be a Jewish
merry-making somewhere in the neighborhood,
to add its jarring noises to the aheady clamorous
hilarity by Avhich we were surrounded.
Presently we heard the long draAvn and nasal
chanting of a psalm in Hebrew, by which we
were at once reminded that we had in our vicini
ty a newly arrived son of Judaism.
The singing was performed by Rabbis, or Jew
ish Priests, and joined by the voices of aU the
male adult members of the family, and a few in
vited male guests. The male and female guests
at a feast of circumcision, meet in different
apartments untU the ceremony is performed ; on
all other occasions they mix promiscuously to
gether. The child was carried on a silk cushion from
its mother's side in the arms of its god-mother
to the door of the apartment, in which were as-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 247
sembled the Rabbis and male visitors, where it
was received by the god-father, and by him
given to the operating Rabbi ; he performed the
rite with a knife, and then returned the chfld
stiU lying on the sUk cushion to the god-father,
who bore it to the room door, and to its god
mother. Then the music, feasting, dancing and
singing continued all day and untU a late hour in
the night.
In the room in which the male guests were at
first asembled, there was hanging on the waU in
a conspicuous place opposite to the entrance, a
gaily decorated large wooden tablet, on which
were painted in Hebrew the words of the ten
commandments. Around this tablet were burn
ing several large wax candles, and over it was
hanging in graceful folds a very richly em
broidered sUk scarf. The ten commandments
written, or painted on tablets, or parchment, are
held in very high estimation by these Jews ;
but their spirit and obedience are httle regarded
in the actions of their hearts and lives.
The ground of the surrounding country is now
very dry and parched for want of rain ; field
vegetation is entirely dried away to stubble by
the heat of the unclouded sun. The orianders
which grow to a great size, very abundantly

248 coos-coo-soo, or letters
along the beds of the water-courses and streams,
are in bloom, and their beautiful red flowers are
the only vestige of existence that is left to the
forlorn looking landscape. In many places the
earth is cracked open in fissures several feet
deep, and three or four inches wide on the sur
face. About two weeks ago we walked one after
noon by the broad, sandy road to the garden.
By going on this road our walk was more than
doubled in distance; we entered the Western
gate of our garden at about sunset, and as our
shoes were full of sand, we sat on the well-Avail
to ridv them of their uncomfortable burdens of
African sand. While we were thus engaged we
heard over our heads a sound that seemed like
the roaring of a stormy sea ; on looking up we
espied an immense flock of storks ; they were so
far from us that they did not look larger than
crows, and yet the sounds of their wings were so
loud ! They were flying very rapidly towards
the South-west ; on a sudden they stopped flying
and soared slowly round and round in the air,
then there appeared in sight another still larger
flock, flying from an opposite direction, the first
flock then flew towards them; then again sared

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 249
and appeared to be waiting the approach of the
latter. When the two flocks met they mixed together,
then for a few moments soared in circuit still
higher and higher, and then aU flew away in a
South-west direction. They are taking refuge
from the long rains, which will soon visit us.
We will miss them sadly from the walls of Tan
gier. Yours truly,
&c, &c.

LETTER XXXVIII.
A DAY AT THE LAKES.
Tangier, September 1 2th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
The other day some Enghsh gentlemen
came from Gibraltar to visit for a few days at
Tangier. As their company was a rare treat to
us exiles from all civilized society, far, far away
from dear ones at home, their arrival was hailed
by us with real good wiU, and to celebrate the
joyful event, Mr. H., the British Consul, resolved
21

250 coos-coo-soo, or letters
to make up a pic-nic party to go to a place
about twelve miles distant, that is known by the
name of the Lakes.
The visitors, some of the inmates of the Brit
ish Consulate, all the gentlemen and aU the male
servants of our house, went there in the after
noon, with the tents and baggage to be used on
the occasion, to spend the night in a Avild boar
hunt, and to have our breakfast ready for us on
our arrival the next morning, which we expected
would take place at about eight o'clock. I was
therefore left entirely alone at home with the
female servants, and as they were Jewesses,
they of course were to spend the night as usual
at their oAvn homes. I did not feel at all afraid
as I had two sagacious watch-dogs in the house,
but the kind Mr. H. made such an ado about my
being alone, that to appease him I was obhged
to agree to have a guard sent for.
Unfortunately for me, I was more afraid of
the guard than I was of being alone, but — my
fears were not consulted and my word was given
that a guard should be placed in the house before
bed time. We had an old Moorish soldier,
named Gayaty, an Eisawy, who was in the habit
of being hired about the house on extra occasions,
engaged to saddle my horse the next morning,

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 251
and to attend me to the Lakes. To save the
trouble of sending to the Governor for another
extra guard, and also to keep my promise to Mr.
H., Gayaty was sent for to come and guard the
house during the night. Mr. H. was not aware
that I had employed an Eisawy for this purpose
or he would have been, as I was, rather suspi
cious about the propriety of doing so.
However, I was accustomed to his character,
(which moraUy Avas very good, notwithstanding
his sect,) and could understand his language, in
short, I was acquainted with him and felt that
since I must have a guard, I would rather have
him, though an Eisawy, than a stranger from the
Governor. As he was used to the ways of the
house, as soon as he came the Jewesses departed,
then Gayaty the Eisawy and the two dogs were
the sole inhabitants of the house for the night.
What the Eisawys are I will inform you here
after, and wiU now proceed with the account of
our excursion to the Lakes.
I remained sitting in the parlor engaged in
writing until a late hour, then started to go to
rest; when I came within sight of my room
door I was startled to find the old Eisawy
stretched at full length on the bare floor across
the threshold fast asleep. But though sleeping,

252 coos-coo-soo, or letters
he heard sharply, for he instantly jumped to his
feet, drew his long, bright cimeter from his side
and exclaimed "skoon?" in a deep, low, guttural
tone that echoed and re-echoed through the
lonely house with fearfully sounding earnestness.
I said to him,
" Gayaty, why don't you go and sleep in
Hamet's bed, and not lie here in the passage, on
the cold floor ? "
He answered, " I came here to guard you, I
Avill sleep at your door and no where else ! "
I saw that commands and arguments would
be in vain, so I passed him and allowed him to
have his hard choice of a sleeping place.
He was a fearful looking old object, when as
he then was without a turban, and in his savage
looking night gear, fearful looking enough I
thought, to scare even the dogs, but they seem
ed to treat him with kind regard, in spite of his
bald head, shaggy, long beard, and ferocious,
nightly aspect; still as he was an Eisawy, which
they could not know, I knew there was no tell
ing what he might take it into his head to do, if
he should be visited by one of his fanatical
phrensies. Still I believed his natural disposi
tion to be very humane, and trusting that I Avas
protected by an all-wise Heavenly Father, even

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 253
from the power of the Eisawy's fancies, I was
soon in a sound and refreshing sleep.
At half-past three o'clock the next morning,
Seedy Gayaty knocked at my door and told me
the hour. As it had been arranged that we were
to start at four o'clock, my preparations for the
early morning's ride were soon begun.
Whfle they were progressing I heard the sav
age looking Eisawy talking very vehemently in
another part of the house. I called to him and
asked to whom he was talking, but he continued
his harsh, guttural strains, without deigning to
answer my question; at last he said, with a queer
kind of a chuckle or smothered laugh,
" Fire, yes, fire, fire, that wUl do ! "
I then concluded that the old creature was
getting one of his speUs on him, and as it was
stiU almost as dark as night, I felt uneasy, and
resolved not to unlock my own door whUe he
was in the house, and if he should attempt to
break it open, I would jump out of the window,
which fortunately, was not very high from the
open street.
I then requested him to go and prepare our
horses for our departure. By the time he had
them ready at the door, the family of the Brit-

21*

254 coos-coo-soo, or letters
ish Consul called to meet me, and we started off
on our ride to the Lakes.
Amid the charms of the pure, bracing, morn
ing air, the faint streak of light which so deli
cately tinted the sky above the eastern horizon,
and the still bright morning-star, my mind was
speedily restored to its accustomed calm. AU
these objects were so lovely, cheering and de
lightful, that they soon made me forget my fears
of Eisawyism and every thing else in this world
that was disagreeable or painful. Love to and
adoration of the beneficent Creator of all these
beauties, swallowed up every earthly sensation.
The ride to the Lakes was very fine and we
enjoyed it exceedingly; arrived there, we found
the over-night party had things very comfort
ably arranged for our breakfast.
There were two tents on the border of the
Lakes. On the ground beneath one of them was
spread out a new and very thick Moorish carpet ;
on the carpet was extended a fine, linen table
cloth ; spread around the table-cloth were twenty-
four plates, beside each of which were a spoon,
knife, fork and napkin ; at one end were three
sets of cups and saucers, for tea, coffee and
chocolate. The breakfast was very nicely served, and

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 255
consisted of many delicacies, which had been
brought from Tangier, and of some Avild game,
that had been procured in the chase by the
hunters, and cooked according to their epicurean
directions. But good as the whole affair was, we con
cluded that the very best part of it Avas the keen
appetite we had obtained by our long ride.
Our dinner was still more luxurious than our
breakfast. The following is a sketch of what
was spread before us in the tent for our second
meal at the Lakes :

13 S

FIRST COURSE. SECOND COURSE.
Roast Beef. Chicken Pie.

'Boiled Beef. Boiled Ham. «
m g
Two Boiled Fowls. Two 3 p§
Boiled Fish. f <3
o 2
E-t
Two Boiled Tongues. p£

Fried Brains and
Tripe.
Two Roasted Fowls.

THIRD COURSE.
Plum Pudding. Rice Pudding. Custards. Pancakes.
FOURTH COURSE.
Raisins. Almonds. Walnuts. Pears. Figs. Oranges.
FIFTH COURSE.
Coffee, Cordials and Tea.
Cakes and Jellies.
During the interval between the two meals,
we sat under the shade of the cork trees, and

256 coos-coo-soo, or letters
had a very pleasant chat with some three or four
gentlemen of the party; the others all left us,
the tents, and the lakes^s soon as they were
done eating their breakfast. They went on
another hunt ; they had been disappointed the
night before, by not having seen any wUd boar,
and they seemed quite unwilling to give up their
search after that fierce and savage animal.
At about half-past two o'clock one of the rov
ing hunters came to our sitting party with the
report that a vessel had run ashore at Cape
Spartel, and was firing guns of distress. Then,
on listening, we distinctly heard the guns, but
the greater part of us could not believe that a
vessel would, or even could if she tried, run
ashore in such good Aveather, and with the wind
blowing off the land.
Presently the other gentlemen of the party,
who had been away with their guns and their
dogs made their appearance. They were covered
with a thick coat of mud, where or how they
could have managed to procure so much wet mud
at this dry season and in this parched land, was
as great a mystery as always are some other
things about other people's habits, which we
could never comprehend.
Then there was among them a good deal of

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 257
commotion about how they should manage to
put themselves in presentable condition in pre
paration for taking their seats at the table-cloth,
for which they inwardly were quite ready.
Some of them had had forethought enough to
have brought with them changes of raiment, and
as the majority of these prudent ones did not
need them, they loaned them to the ones Avho
did. Two of the mud-be-covered hunters were
so hardly driven by force of circumstances, that
they were under the necessity of borrowing ge-
labs from two of our Moorish attendants. We
did not envy them their obligation to put on
such garments, but the laughter and merriment
it produced were worth being envied by any
dyspeptic who has not an appetite for his dinner.
But ah — the bell rings for ours, and I must
therefore conclude in haste.Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

258 coos-coo-soo, or letters

LETTER XXXIX.
A DAY AT THE LAKES CONTINUED.
Tangier, September 14th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
As soon as we arose from our dinner in
the tent on the border of the lakes, one of the
Consuls said that he felt troubled in his mind
about those guns which we had heard firing.
They had ceased for some time, but he stiU
felt anxious to know why they had been fired.
He also said he had a great mind to take our
head guard with him and ride over to Cape
Spartel to see if there was a vessel there in dis
tress. We were aU in an agony of fear at the mere
idea of being left there, in the wUd African
woods, Avithout the protection of the head guard,
upon whom rested aU the responsibility of our
safety from the half-savage robbers, who were
said to inhabit the neighborhood, and we tried
very hard to persuade him not to leave us, or if
he did so, not to deprive us of the head guard.
But the more we persuaded, the fuUer and

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 259
more earnestly he became impressed with the
idea that there were perhaps some of his fellow
countrymen at Cape Spartel who needed the
protection of himself and our head guard, to save
them from being drowned or from the worse fate
of being taken into captivity by some wandering
tribe of Arabian robbers, who would take them
into the Interior, where they would be sold into
hfe-long slavery. He declared that his feehngs
for their condition were so strongly apprehensive,
that he was imperatively called by duty to go
forward and prevent by his presence and good
management, a vast amount of suffering. At
last he started off, and left with us only the sub
ordinate men of the guard, that had been pro
vided for our safety by the Governor of Tan
gier. Like a great many other conscientious people,
the good Consul ran away from his real duties,
in the pursuit of others which were imaginary,
and existed only in his vivid and over-active
fancy, or else he wished to have the pleasure of
a solitary ride, free from the restraint of any
company, except that of a safe and reliable
guard. When the gentlemen of our party found that
he and the main guard were really gone, they

260 coos-coo-soo, or letters
concluded to give up any more hunting for the
present, and while the servants were striking the
tents and packing up the innumerable amount of
baggage, they all joined us under the shade of
the cork trees. While we were sitting there,
talking very quietly, and feeling rather unpleas
antly unprotected, for although there were many
of us in number, we knew that we lacked official
authority, which would be requisite to our safety
in case of an attack from robbers or other
enemies of the Governor.
As we were sitting there and looking upon the
smooth water of the lake before us, we saw the
reeds which bordered it on the farthest side from
us moving to and fro, as if something that was
both broad and long, was swimming or wading
among them. We began to fear that an enter
prising and traveUed crocodile had some hoAv
found his way here from the rivers of South
Africa, and we began to question whether or not
the law of the land, in which we Avere dwelling,
would allow us to fight it in self-defence, Avhich
it certainly would not permit us to do with some
of its favorite animals. But while these thoughts
and questions were passing through our minds,
the something, whatever it was, kept moving on
through the water towards us, and after a little

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 261
while it came out from the shelter of the reeds,
and then proceeded rapidly through the smooth
Avater towards the spot on Avhich Ave were sitting.
It was about seven feet long, and about two feet
and a half wide, of a light, pale green color.
There was something at one end of it that looked
hke a great bulky head, and on the other end
there was another article about ten feet long that
looked as if it might be a tail to wind around its
victims and draw them into the water. We had
never seen anything of the kind before, and did
not know what to make of it, but as it came on
apace, nearer and nearer, we soon saw that it
resembled a huge cradle more than it did a croc
odile. But there — my sheet of letter paper is
full, and I wiU not write another word to-night
more than Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

22

262 coos-coo-soo, or letters

LETTER XL.
A SNAIL VENDER.
Tangier, September 28th, 18—.
My Dear Friend :
While we were sitting on the border of
the lake watching the something — we could not
tell what, we felt greatly relieved when we found
that it was not a crocodile, but so much like a
a cradle that our fears of it were all lost in won
dering what it could be.
When it came quite near the shore of the lake,
the long article at one end which looked like a
tail was drawn up out of the water, and we saw
that the end of it was forked and pronged like a
rake, then we saw emerging — slowly and lazily
from the middle of the huge cradle, the form of
a savage looking man, a wUd man of the water
he looked like with his bare bald head and
couple of tattered rags, which were pinned to
gether over his shoulders with aloe thorns, and
bound around his waist Avith a cord of palmetto
straw. He carried something in his hand which
proved to be a small satchel-basket, very rudely

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 263
made of palmetto straw. In the basket Avere a
great many snail and muscle shells, Avith the
snafls and muscles all alive and moving in them.
The poor man had spent the whole day in gath
ering them, and he wanted us to buy them for
our supper, that he might be able to procure
some bread for him and his little ones, in his
rough home in a hovel somewhere in the neigh
borhood. But unfortunately for him our fancy did not
coincide Avith his, and we did not wish to pur
chase the fruits of his day's labor. However to
make amends for his disappointment one of the
gentlemen gave him some money, which sent
him on his way rejoicing, and perhaps he felt
rich enough to eat his snails and muscles with
his brown bread for his own supper.
These smaU, very smaU snails live upon some
of the plants of this country in immense numbers.
They are eaten by the Moors and considered
very nice. I have never had curiosity enough
to taste either them or their muscles ; their coos-
coo-soo is good enough for me, their snails and
muscles and some other things they eat are be
yond my ambition.
We examined the snail-vender's boat and
found it to be very ingeniously made of palmetto

264 coos-coo-soo, or letters
straw and water reeds, pitched with something
that looked like tar, or pitch and mud combined.
Bv the time we were through with our ex
amination of this rare and curious boat, our ser
vants had our baggage and saddles in travelling
order, and we took our departure in safety from
the Cork Wood Lakes. When we had gone half
way home, we met the Consul who had gone to
Cape Spartel to find that there was no ship
there in distress, and that the guns we had
heard were fired by some villagers in honor of
the mouloud.
When we arrived at Tangier it was ten o'clock
at night, and the town gates were shut, barred,
bolted and locked, and we had to wait outside of
them upon the weary backs of our weary horses,
the wearisome and worrisome space of a whole
hour, before they were opened by the vrrathful
and indignant gate-keepers, who devoutly wished
our race might be scattered.
This is the last day of the mouloud festival,
and it is being celebrated Avith much enthusiasm.
The streets have been crowded aU day with
shoAvy and noisy processions going to and from
the saint house, outside of the town walls.
To-morrow the tewn will fall back into its
dead silence, and we wiU return to our ¦'•' still

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 265
life," that makes us so much like the inhabitants
of a city of the dead, so dull and quiet Avill all
things be untU the next Jewish or Moorish fes
tival will awaken the numerous sounds of hilari
ty and shrUlness, which ahvays accompany
their feasts and celebrations.
This death-like silence perhaps may be broken
when we least expect it, by the startling and
frightful waU of the friends of some poor mortal
Jew or Moor, who wUl have ceased to breathe
the air of this transitory world.
Yours affectionately,
&c, &c.

LETTER XLI.
THE EISAWYS.
Tangier, September 30th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
The Eisawy sect, or order, or society, are
a set of fanatics who meet together and have
secret proceedings among themselves, which
they will not reveal to any person who does not
join them, on which account they are sometimes
caUed by our famUy the "Barbary free-masons." 22*

266 coos-coo-soo, or letters
They have other peculiarities which they take
care to make publicly known, to the dread and
dismay of their neighbors, particularly to the
poor Jews, who run away and hide from them
as they would from savage beasts of prey.
After holding one of their meetings, they will
sometimes parade through the streets, either in
parties, pairs or singly, and wUl be seen to be in
a high state of wild and ungovernable frenzy.
This frenzy always takes the voracious form,
and they will sometimes kill and devour on the
spot Avhatever they can lay hold of. They are
peculiarly fond of drinking blood and eating raw
flesh. It is related that one day a party of them
who Avere passing through the market place,
seized a living donkey, tore him into pieces with
their hands and ate him all up, skin and every
other part included. This is probably an exag
geration, but I do knoAv upon very respectable
and reliable authority, that one of them once en
tered the shop of a Jew who dealt in edibles,
and ate up the contents, Avhich were worth about
sixty dollars. Soaps and candles, a feAv of
which Avere among the articles, did not escape
him, but Avere as greedily devoured as were the
dates, butter, honey, figs, cakes and other good
things of the small stock. He did not stop eat-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 267
ing until the shelves, boxes and drawers of the
whole shop were entirely empty. The owner
meanwhUe had escaped to his distant dwelling,
and hidden himself, greatly fearing that he might
share the fate of his merchandise.
The next day the Jew made complaint to the
Governor of Tangier, and wanted to be paid for
his loss. As there were many eye-Avitnesses,
Jews and Moors, to prove the truth of the poor
man's story, the trespassing Eisawy was brought
into the Governor's presence.
His Excellency decided that if he had done
the feat in malice or UI will to the JeAV, he should
be made to pay him for the loss of his goods.
But if he did it under the influence of a spirit,
who had bestowed on him the power of eating
by the ton, he was unaccountable for his actions,
and must not be subject to any punishment for
them, no matter what they might be. The Gov
ernor, moreover said, that he would prove the
man's state by giving him a tub full of coos-coo-
soo and a whole sheep, which he ordered to be
prepared and brought before him as quickly as
possible. In due course of time the savory dish
in its gigantic dimensions was, in the presence of
the assembled spectators, placed before the vora
cious eater, and in an incredibly short space of

268 coos-coo-soo, or letters
time, all SAvallowed. Instead of seeming to be sat
isfied with his bountiful meal, he turned from the
empty tub, and began to eat the grass that was
growing in the corners of the Court of Justice.
The Eisawy was then pronounced by the Gov
ernor to be supernaturaUy governed by a spirit,
over which he had no control, and was left to
depart in peace.
The Jew had to submit to the loss ; for him
there was no appeal from the Governor's deci
sion. It was therefore no wonder that the Eisawys
were feared and much dreaded. But faithful old
Gayaty never did us any harm. He was after
wards hired by the month in our house, and a
better or more useful servant we never had ;
thus he proved that even among the Eisawys
there may be good and honest men.
Another remarkable peculiarity of these peo
ple among whom my lot is cast, is that they
never build either barns or stables. For the
latter when required, some room which was
originally buUt for the use of the human famUy
is appropriated to that of the domestic animals.
Barns for the storing of grain they never erect.
They never make hay but feed their cattle on
pasture until it is all parched up by the dry

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 269
Summer, but even then, Avhen it is parched up,
they still daily send their animals out to the
fields, and in the evening they give them a mess
of some kind of grain in a nose-bag. The dra is
the grain most commonly used for cattle when
pasture fails. Yours affectionately,
&c, &c.

LETTER XLII.
MOORISH GRANARIES. MUIEY ABDRAHAMAN.
Tangier, October 4th, 1 8 — .
My Dear Friend :
Dra is a very cheap grain, and is not
much esteemed as bread stuff; the very poor
people grind and make bread of it, which is for
sale in the market ; it is very dark and looks
hke bran bread. The dra when growing looks
more like our broom corn than anything else I
can think of comparing it to, but it is lower than
the broom corn, and the grain or seeds groAv in
shorter and thicker clusters. Instead of build
ing barns for the storage of their grain, the

270 coos-coo-soo, or letters
Moors dig in the ground and form pits or exca
vations, which they caU matamores.
There are about a dozen of these "grain-pits
outside of the Tangier walls, and I have often
noticed that the JeAvs and Moors carefuUy avoid
walking over the mounds of earth which mark
their entrance.
The pits are thickly lined with straw and
matting before the grain is poured into them,
and after it is in it is covered with thick
layers of straw, over which is tightly placed a
thin stone slab, large enough to coArer the whole
aperture of the pit. Over this stone the earth
is piled in a mound to prevent the rain from
washing its way into the pit.
These subterranean granaries are always on a
place where the ground is sloping, for the pur
pose of being better protected from dampness.
All kinds of grain it is said will be well pre
served in these pits several years, free from in
jury by mould or dampness.
It is also stated that some of these pits in
other parts of the Empire are large enough to
hold a hundred bushels.
Wheat or any kind of bread-stuff is held in
high estimation by both Moors and Jews in this
land. Bread is never throAvn away. If by ac-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 271
cident a piece should fall upon the ground or in
any way become "unclean," it is picked up,
reverently kissed, and put on the fire in a solemn
and devout manner; whfle doing so the person if
of a devotional disposition, Avill pray that he or
she may never knoAv the want of bread.
The present Emperor of Morocco is called
Muley Abdrahaman Ben Hishcom ; Muley means
Prince, Royal Prince or Sovereign. He ascended
the throne in the year 1822 ; his reign has been
unusuaUy long. During the greater part of it,
he has been busily employed by keeping in sub
jection the inhabitants of some of his provinces,
but upon the Avhole his government has been
comparatively quiet. He has several times had
difficulties with divers European powers, but
eventually, by good management, has made out
to live until the present year 1856, Avithout hav
ing come to actual rupture with any one of them.
He is in great awe of the English and the French,
and it is to be feared that sooner or later his peo
ple will fall into the hands of one or the other of
these two nations.
He is an absolute despot. All the land and
houses of the whole Empire are his, and he can
demand possession of them for his own use
whenever he sees fit to do so.

272 coos-coo-soo, or letters
The dog is in great demand by all classes of
the community as a safe-guard, but he is seldom
if ever petted and loved as the horse is ; the
horse and camel are the pet animals of the land.
There are some few domestic cats, but their num
ber compared to that of the dogs is very small.
In the villages the dogs are reared in incredi
bly large numbers, and besides them they are
thickly filled with flocks of chickens and storks.
The dogs, chickens and horses in bad weather
share the shelter of the one room of the hut in
common with its master and his famUy. During
the dry seasons the storks peacefuUy lodge in
their nests on the tops of the low huts, only a
few feet in elevation above the level of the nume
rous dogs and chUdren, yet they are unmolested
and undisturbed by either dog or chUd. Often
while riding along past these villages and seeing
these immense hordes of bipeds and quadrupeds,
all so lovingly and so thickly herding together
in such large numbers, we haATe wondered in
amazement where their simple and ignorant
owners could procure for them the food they
must get some how, or they would not be there
to prove it. Yours affectionately,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 273

LETTER XLIII.
MOORISH SNUFF TAKING.
Tangier, October 8 th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
The storks are highly venerated by the
Moors, and are never aUowed to be incommoded
in any way, because they destroy many reptiles
and insects, which but for them would increase
to a troublesome extent, and then the Moors
would have to go to Avork and devise some plan
by which to be rid of them, so that the Moors
may be said to love the storks because they are
labor-saving machines — they heartily detest any
kind of labor. Fowls are abundant and very
cheap. They are generaUy hatched as in Egypt,
by artificial heat; eggs are also very plentifully
supplied at low prices, so that if you wish to
live cheap on luxuries, you must come to Tan
gier. One commendable habit the Moors have in
which they show better taste than the inhabi
tants of other lands do — they never smoke or
chew tobacco ! 23

274 coos-coo-soo, or letters

Some few of them, so few that they must be
considered the exceptions, chew the leaves of a
native plant caUed keef, it very much resembles
hemp. It grows wild here and I believe is never
cultivated by the Moors. The leaves of this
plant are sometimes dried and pulverized, then
taken in doses of two or three spoonsful in
sweetened water. In this form it is caUed
hassesha, and is very injurious to the human
system; its effects are similar to intoxication
from strong drink.
Its use is disreputable among the better class
of the inhabitants, and its victims are much des
pised. But the Moors make very free use of
tobacco in the form of snuff, and in this way
consume immense quantities. There is a large
snuff mUl at Tetuan, and from there it is carried
to Tangier and the other towns of the Empire.
The taking of a heap of snuff, is by them
made quite an affair of time and ceremony — a
pinch it cannot be called, and therefore being at
a loss for a proper term, it must be named a heap
— they do not snuff, snuff, snuff aU the time as
the snuffers with us do, but when they conclude
to indulge their nasal organs with this treat of a
heap, they go regularly to work about it, with

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 275
almost as much pomp and parade as they would
to eat a meal !
They first sit down, then roU up their sleeves,
adjust their turbans, gird up their flowing man
tles more closely beneath their waist-bands, and
put them into unfall-off-able order, then they
take their snuff boxes from their pockets, and
slowly pour from them as much snuff as they
can heap up on the back part of the hand which
is between the joint of the wrist and the inner
joint of the thumb.
Then with much effort they draw it up, and
pack it away, in first one nostril, then in the
other, until the whole heap is conveyed from
the hand to the nose, and as they wind up the
whole ceremony by bringing it to a conclusion,
they very reverently say,
" Besm Allah wu Mohammed razul Allah."
" In the name of God, and of Mohammed the
Prophet of God."
This is unquestionably a broad and flagrant
violation of the third commandment, yet many
of them do it with the most scrupulous and con
scientious feelings of devotion to their Maker as
far as their knowledge of him wUl alloAV them to
possess !
This morning we were treated with a refresh-

276 coos-coo-soo, or letters
ing novelty in the shape of a heaAry rain, which
is the first we have had for several long months.
How reanimating it was ! The very sight of
a cloud seemed to be a blessing ! At noon the
Avind changed, the sky cleared and the sun re
sumed for a few days more his reign over us.
After dinner we walked to the garden ; how re
vived all nature seemed.
Beneath the shelter of the orange trees, were
stiU lingering in dew-like moisture the remains
of the morning shower. The soU of the roads
was beaten doAvn to a smooth level, and the
dust was nicely settled ; our walk was the most
pleasant one we have had for some time.
In several gardens which we passed on our
way out, we saw many busy groups of Jewish
men and boys, engaged in cutting doAvn cane
stalks. When we were on our way home, we
saw the marks on the sand of the road which
were left by bundles of fresh cane stalks, having
been draAvn over it towards the town. When
we afterwards went to our house-top, to enjoy
for a few moments a twilight promenade, we
saw in aU directions around us thick, high
bunches of green cane-leaves peeping gracefully
over the walls of the Jews' houses.
To-morrow avUI be Friday, and at sunset will

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 277
commence their feast of Tabernacles, and they
whT live in those cane built arbors for eight days
in commemoration of their having spent forty
years in the wilderness. Yours, affectionately,
&c, &c.

LETTER XLIV.
JEWISH FESTIVAL. LADY JOHN FRANKLIN. A MOORISH
CHILD'S FUNERAL. Tangier, October 9 th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
Last Saturday the Jews fasted aU day
and went barefoot. Not a Jew in the whole
town that we saw had a shoe on his or her foot,
except one who is rich and wears the European
costume ; he wore a pair of thin cloth slippers.
We saw some rich, delicate and superbly dressed
Jewesses going about the streets with their bare
feet. That fast was the most solemn one of their
year, and was kept in commemoration of the
destruction of the temple at Jerusalem.
To-night at sun-set every Jewish household 23*

278 coos-coo-soo, or letters
killed a chicken. In those families who could
afford it, there was a chicken killed for each
male member. At about seven o'clock we cafled
on one of our JeAvish neighbors to take a near
view of his booth of canes. We found the whole
famUy standing around their supper table, which
was placed in the centre of the booth. It was
covered with a white table cloth, in the middle
stood a deep, large dish of fricassee chickens,
around it were scattered some round, hard biscuits.
The male members were chanting a psalm
and waving their bodies to and fro, from side to
side, as some chUdren will do when they are
learning their lessons. The females did not join
in the chanting, although they did in the wav
ing of their bodies, in a manner which proved
their hearts to be in union if their tongues were
not with the passing ceremony. When they
were through Avith the psalm, the father of the
famUy poured out a large glass tumbler fuU of
wine, and placed it before him on the table, then
raisin e his hands he chanted a lon°: benediction.

c

The chanting was aU in the Hebrew lan-juaffe.
After the benediction he drank a Uttle of the
wine and handed it to his wife, she partook of
it and passed it to the oldest chUd, after which
it was handed round the table, until aU the

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 279
family had partaken of it. They then remained
standing and ate the chickens and biscuits.
During the eight days of the feast of taber
nacles the Jews will not work any more than is
positively necessary. These Jewish festivals,
occurring as they do so frequently, are very in
convenient to the Europeans who reside at Tan
gier, as, with few exceptions, their house ser
vants are Jews and Jewesses.
During their festivals they indulge very freely
in feasting on dainties, for which it would puzzle
our most experienced confectioners to find names,
but their flavor and taste prevent the existence
of any difficulty in the way of finding ready con
sumers for them. On these joyous occasions the
Jews are exceedingly liberal in their habit of
sending portions and donations of these delica
cies to each other, and sometimes this liberahty
will be extended to their European friends and
neighbors. Sometime ago, while a long, westerly wind
Avas prevailing, and our two small courier boats,
Avhich attempt and sometimes succeed in making
Aveekly trips between this port and Gibraltar,
were prevented coming across on account of the
head wind, we were one morning very much
surprised to see a wee little thing of a boat that

250 coos-coo-soo, oe letters
was even smaUer than the smaUest sized fishing
boat, row into our Bay. Seeing the boat itself
was not so very strange, but by examining it
with our spy-glass, we were exceedingly surprised
to find sitting in her, two gentlemen and two
ladies, whom we knew at first sight, were either
English or American. After thev landed we
found they were Dr. and Mrs. G, of Boston, who
were recently married, and were travelling about
among different nations on their bridal tour. If
their honeymoon was as long as their journey,
they must be as they appeared to us — a very
happy couple. The other lady was Lady John
Franklin, and the gentleman was a relative,
whose name I have forgotten. We had a very
pleasant walk to our garden in their company,
after which Lady Franklin accompanied us home
to see our coUection of Moorish curiosities, in
which she manifested a very pleased interest.
We met her again in the evening at the British
Consulate, where we aU spent the evening. She
is a very interesting and amiable lady, of very
gentle and prepossessing manners. Her complex
ion is fair and countenance pleasant ; she seemed
to be very warmly kind and social in her feelings.
Travelling to her was apparently as easy, if
not more so, than staying at home is to some

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 281
ladies that we know of. On the next day she
started for Tetuan by land, and was, I presume,
the first Enghsh lady who ever ventured to go
through the dangers and fatigues of the incon
venient trip. She intended to travel along the
African shore of the Mediterranean sea.
This afternoon as we were walking along the
road that runs through the Moorish cemetery,
we met two Moors walking very fast ; of course
their unusual speed excited our curiosity, and
we, looking at them inquiringly, found that one
of them was carrying on his arms a large white
bundle, which seemed as if it might contain a goat
or sheep. Wondering what it could be, we stop
ped and asked them what they were carrying
with so much haste. They answered,
"A dead child which we are going to bury."
We then examined the bundle more closely,
and found that the flesh of the chUd was stiU
quite warm and so Umber that it bent down
between the man's arms, just as a living one
Avould do. It was carefully and neatly wrapped
in new white muslin, with a handsome new silk
handkerchief, of bright red and white stripes,
tied on its head, then a white haik, enveloped in
massy folds, the whole body, face and head. It
was buried without a coffin, except a loose board

282 coos-coo-soo, or letters
under and another above it. The grave was
very shaUow, and soon filled by the two men,
without any ceremony and without the presence
of any other person. It was apparently about
five or six years old. If you want a Moor to
hurry send him to bury the dead, it is the only
occupation at which he will hurry.
We continued our walk and returned to the
town through the castle-gate ; when we passed
the court in which the Governor daUy sits to
administer justice, we saw lying on the ground
seven panniers ready for a journey. In each
pannier were two large boxes fiUed with money,
ready to be sent to the Emperor. They were
guarded by six Moorish soldiers sitting near
them, and ten others were loUing on mats within
sight. Near by stood several fine looking horses,
already saddled and bridled; the largest, a beau
tiful grey, was pointed out to us as the one that
belonged to "the man who makes the Sultan's
bed." This honored official had been sent to
convey in safety the boxes of money to his mas
ter; but did he hasten to begin his journey ? No,
not even seven mules' burden of gold and silver
treasure Avould induce him to hurry; nothing
but death could have that effect on a Moor.
Yours affectionately, &c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 283

LETTER XLV.
CANES AND PALMETTOS. THE DATE SELLER. PLOUGHING.
PRAYING FOR RAIN.
Tangier, October 28th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
Canes and palmetto bushes ! what would
the people of this land do without them ? I
verily believe I could spend a week writing of
the different uses that are made of these two
beautiful plants. Of the canes they build ar
bors, make hedges, snuff boxes, pens, (the only
kind they use for writing,) pen cases, broom
handles, basket frames, musical instruments,
walking staves and many, many other useful
things. Of the palmetto bushes they make
cords, ropes, all kinds and sizes of bags, baskets
and satchels, belts, girdles, mule and donkey
bridles, panniers, mats for beds, seats and floor
covers, brooms for sAveeping, scrubbing and
vjhitewashing — they never use any other for any
purpose, and many other things. They Avould
miss either one of these useful plants, as much as
the Laplander Avould his reindeer, the Arab his
camel, or the Yankee his newspaper or printing

284 coos-coo-soo, or letters
press. The cane grows about twelve or fifteen
feet high, and when once planted it spreads very
fast. To walk between two of these hedges
with their long graceful leaves rustling and
meeting in a green arch over one's head is very
pleasant and beautiful.
To-day we had within our house a genuine
Arab from the Interior. It is seldom that one
of his race wUl enter a Consular house. The
love of gain induced him to enter our contami
nating infidel presence ; he came to sell dates.
He brought his weights ands cales with him ; the
pans of his scales were two flat baskets made of
palmetto straw ; the strings on which they hung
were made of the same material, and the beam
was a stick of olive wood ; his weights were com
mon rough stones.
The fields in this country are never manured,
and when prepared for cultiATation are simply
scraped over on the surface by a Umb of a tree,
with a point of iron fixed at one end, and this
rude instrument they call a plough ! It is
pushed by a man, and drawn by almost any
kind of domestic animal Avhich its owner may
happen to be master of. The ground is cul
tivated in very small patches, and Avhen by over
usage they begin to yield scantily, they are

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 285
abandoned for a few years, while others are
used, and this no doubt is the reason Avhy they
are not fenced.
During the last two Aveeks the weather has
been beautifully fine and clear; the showers
Avhich fell early in the month have " replenished
the earth" most wonderfully, and it has yielded
forth a burst of fresh, new, delightful vegetation,
that makes it look as if it has come fresh from
the hand of the Creater ! I do not wonder at
the Moor's ardor and devotion in his love and
praise of the God that made him. With such a
flower-besprinkled earth, such a food-teeming
soil beneath his feet, such a pure, invigorating
air around, and such a bright sky above him,
how can he, in spite of his national and intellec
tual debasement, be any other than a sincere and
devout worshipper of the one true God. 0 that
his mind could be illuminated by reading the
Scriptures !
But this weather, though so beautiful, does not
satisfy the people here ; the burden of their
wishes is continually more rain, more rain ! This
voracious thirsting after more rain, will be in
vogue until next Spring. This afternoon, while
walking on the house-top, we saw a flock of Moor
ish little boys beyond the town walls, capering
24

286 coos-coo-soo, or letters
and jumping up, and throwing their arms over
their heads, while their faces were turned up
wards, in a way which made them look as if
they had suddenly become a set of juvenile Eis-
aAvys, and still as they capered and danced, and
jumped with their faces upward, they sang,
shouted and screamed at the top of their voices,
in a most wonderful manner a chorus of unearth
ly sounds ; the only word of which we could un
derstand was rain !
We could not imagine what they Avere at, for
we plainly saw they were too much in earnest to
be playing, but then our dinner beU rang, and
amid the more interesting duties of the table, Ave
soon forgot their strange behaviour. Dinner
being over we started on our ride, and it hap
pened that we were attended by old Gayaty,
Avho is more communicable about his people's
customs than the other soldiers are. When we
approached the town-gates Ave again heard the
childrens' voices ring out on the air their strange
chorus, but as soon as Ave went out beyond the
walls they ceased, then again when sheltered
from their sight by the walls of the Swedish
garden, they began to repeat their song; we
asked our guard what they were doing ; he said,
" They are praying for rain, and they AviU do so

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 287
every afternoon until it rains ; they are hired
by the inhabitants, who believe that the prayers
of innocent cbildren will be more effectual than
their own. They always stop if a Jew or Chris
tian appears in sight." Yours sincerely,
&c, &c.

LETTER XLVI
JLAR CEMETERY. <
Tangier, November 24th, 18-

CONSULAR CEMETERY. <J^

My Dear Friend :
In spite of the daily prayers of the " in
nocent children," who "cry aloud and spare not"
their besieging clamor, the clouds are heedless of
their petitions, and the sun is left to beam his
unveiled beauties over us as if he were shining
in May instead of November.
Our rides and walks are very delightful, and
surrounded by an air so completely filled with
the perfume of flowers, and the earth is so richly
carpeted with their variegated hues, that we
almost feel as if we must be living in a modern
paradise, instead of on the northern shore of
Africa — that land so dreaded by those who
know it not — so little known and so much mis-

288 coos-coo-soo, or letters
represented. This morning we took a walk to
the Swedish Consul's garden ; it is a beautiful
spot and cultivated with the most elaborate and
expensive care by its owner, who superintends
it Avith his own personal attention. It costs him
as much as his family does.
The arbors and grape vine frames, which are
very numerous, are made of green iron rods, and
are brought from Sweden. The ornaments and
plan of the whole affair, are in a similarly ex
pensive and costly style.
Adjoining one side of this beautiful garden is
the Consular burying ground. It is in very neat
and good order, which is, I believe, owing to the
care and attention bestowed on it mainly by the
Swedish Consul. Some of the graves are
mounded up very high with earth, and then firmly
covered with strong, durable and very pretty
sea shells. We saw the grave of Miss A. 0.;
there is erected over it a handsome marble
monument, very white and very neat, on which
are inscribed the foUowing words :
A. O.
Elle etait de oe monde
Ou toutes les belles choses
Ont le pire destin,
Et, Rose elle a vecu ce que vivent
Les Roses, 1'espace d'un matin.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 289
Alas for poor humanity ! How often do we
see dearly loved ones, crushed in their hopes,
driven, broken-hearted, to the silent guardianship
of the grave; and then, over their insensible re
mains are placed the beauty of sentiment, which
had it been shown them Avhile living, those
graves might be still undug. Yours truly,
&c, &c.

LETTER XLVII.
A CHRISTMAS IN AFRICA.
Tangier, December 28th, 18 — .
My Dear Friend :
From the first day of December untU
three days ago, the rain poured down in torrents,
but Christmas morning was ushered in with a
cloudless sky and we have had good weather
ever since, which we cannot expect to last very
long. We took a walk to the garden on Christmas
day and picked some ripe blackberries we found
growing in the hedge on the road-side. The
geranium hedges inside of the garden were in
24*

290 coos-coo-soo, or letters
full bloom; the bright colors of their gay
flowers contrasted beautifully with the green of
their leaves, ; the jessamine and orange blossoms
scented the air with their lovely fragrance ; the
ever busy, ever buzzing Avings of the honey bees
murmured a soft and gentle melody that was
decidedly in union with the feehngs of our
grateful hearts as Ave looked upon the rich
beauties of nature, so abundantly flourishing
around us. These happy sentiments were in
creased a hundred fold when we remembered that
this harmony of fair sights and pleasant sounds
was only a faint reflection of the mercy and
goodness of the great I AM, who so loved the
Avorld as to bestow on it, not only these fair
blessings of the material creation, but hesitated
not to crown the towering heights of his love to
us by giving us the incomprehensibly valuable
gift of his well beloved Son.
On Christmas-eve we were invited to a soiree
at the house of one of the Consuls from the
south of Europe ; as his wife is a Spanish lady,
the entertainment was conducted d la Espanola.
These consular soirees are in general very dull,
so dull that fortunately they are not oft repeated;
but at this one there were several visitors from
Europe who made it lively enough. It did not

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 291
vary much from other Christmas-eve parties,
except that being composed as it Avas of persons
from so many different nations, it formed a kind
of a museum of human curiosities. There were
the members of the English Consul's family of
whom Ave feel we dare not write, because we love
them all too dearly. There was a Danish gen
tleman who was as fair as a lilly and almost as
beautiful in his quiet and gentle manners. There
was a Swedish gentleman who was so ardent in
character and feeling that I could never see him
without thinking of an enraged turkey ; his hair
turned gray before he was twenty-two. Let this
be a caution to others to keep calm, unless they
admire gray hair and furroAved brows. There
Avas a Mr. F., a Frenchman, who was eighty-six
years of age ; he was very deaf, but he was as
gay as the youngest person present. There Avas
a Sr. P., from Naples, who was as dignified as
an iceberg ; if he and the Swede had changed
natures or nations, I would not have wondered
at them as I did. There was a Sardinian who
was sprightly, gay and witty. There Avas a
Spaniard who was grave and sedate, but very
attentive to the ladies. There was a Swiss lady
who was surprised to find that Americans could
have Avhite skins. She said, as she laughed gaily

292 coos-coo-soo, or letters
at her ignorance and the confession she made of
it, that she always thought the Americans had
red skins.
There were two French ladies who were a
contrast to each other. One was as lively as a
flash of lightning, and the other as dignified as
a fair Bostonian. There was a pretty httle
Spanish brunette, who seemed only to know
how to laugh and sing. There was a fair East
Indian Creole, who looked as much Uke an angel
as human nature would let her ; she was mar
ried to an Irish gentleman, who was as far from
the angelic as she was near it. There were two
fat Spanish friars, with their cowls, crucifixes
and rosaries, who enjoyed the festivities as much
as any one. And so on to the end of my paper,
which being full I must stop. Yours truly,
&c, &c.

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 293

LETTER XLVIII.
NEW YEAR'S DAY. DEPARTURE FROM TANGIER.
Tangier, January 8th, I ?— .
My Dear Friend :
Soon after breakfast on New Year's day
we heard the strangest kind of music and sing
ing. It was neither wedding, festival nor funer
al noise, wliich then assailed our ears ; it was
something entirely new, and therefore a treat
because new. The instrumental part Avas Moor
ish, but the vocal Avas Spanish. We hurried to
the front Avindows to see what it could be, and
found on the street before the house about
twenty stout Jewish Porters dancing in a circle,
loudly singing as they danced to the sound of
several Moorish instruments of music :
" Buenos anos nuevos, anos mejorados al se-
nor Consul Americano anos mejorados."
This jargon was, in plain English,
" Good new years and better years to the
American Consul."
They danced with an activity that must have
tired them more than a day's hard work could do.

294 coos-coo-soo, or letters
When completely out of breath from their ex
traordinary exertions, and we were nearly deaf
ened by their noise, they stopped to rest, the
Consul threw to them a handful of small silver
coins, which probably amounted in value to the
sum of two or three dollars. They gathered
the money up, then went shouting down the
street, their loud wishes for good years to the
American Consul. If the amount of the sum
given had not satisfied them, they would at once
have turned their good wishes to very frightful
ly bad ones ; as they will do if they are not well
paid for their laborious congratulations.
They were not gone long before another set
came, and then another, so that the novelty of
the affair was worn to weariness, but at last they
all came and went, and we Avere left in peace —
many dollars poorer than we were when we arose.
Then the cards of the different Consuls, with
the compliments of the season began to be hand
ed in. The receiving and sending out these
civil little messengers, occupied all the morn
ing very pleasantly.
The evening we spent at the British Consul
ate, where we were entertained with some very
good music on the piano, violin and guitar, be-

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 295
sides some very pleasant conversation with our
friendly neighbors, and a few visitors from Eu
rope. The next morning we went to the beach to
witness the embarkation of some of our friends
for Gibraltar. The act of departing from this
African port is about as curious as many other
things that are to be wondered at in it. The
lady passengers generally sit on chairs, and are
carried on board between two porters ; the gen
tlemen generally ride on the shoulders of one
without the chair. These porters are a noisy
and avaricious set of men. They go in bands of
about twenty men in each band, one of whom is
the leader and director of their movements. But
on the occasion of carrying passengers on board,
every man is at liberty to make all the noise he
can, and to enforce his offered services as loudly
as he pleases.
The stranger who does not understand their
language, looks on the hub-bub in amazement,
and Avonders the whUe what it can be about.
In addition to the porters who are striving to
secure the job of carrying him, there will be, very
likely, a dozen more who claim having rendered
him some service, if not on that day, on some

296 coos-coo-soo, or letters
other one, all about which he has long since for
gotten, and they will be as clamorously demand
ing rewards for those forgotten services, as wiU
be their fellows in their offers to render him
fresh ones.
Added to the porters there wUl probably be a
flock of Moorish boys crowding around him on
all sides anxious to have a near vieAv of the for
eign infidel, to have the pleasure of counting his
buttons — and coppers too, if he wiU have the
goodness to cast some into their ever ready
hands, to receive a parting gift. Then when he
is almost in despair, and begins to think that
between the hordes of overgrown Jews, and
undergrown Moors, he will surely be trampled
or smothered to death ; the upper gate-keeper,
the captain of the port, or some one of the Cus
tom house officers wUl take compassion on him,
and with his long wooden staff with many wild
looking gestures, and as many frantic-like grim
aces, in loud angry tones he will vociferate a
volley of commands to the boys, while he attacks
them savagely Avith blows from his staff until
they scamper in all directions. At last some-
hoAV — the frightened stranger cannot tell how —
the noise, uproar and confusion preA7ent his

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 297
knowinghow— but somehow he is raised to the top
of a great tall Jew's shoulders, and borne through
the water, mid-thigh deep, and the next moment
he feels himself pitched into the boat, with about
as much- ceremony as if he might be a bale of
cotton, or a box of nails, and then, in the twink
ling of an eye, some three or four Jews, all
dressed and looking exactly alike, will be peer
ing over the side of the boat — all vociferously
demanding to be paid for having carried him, so
nicely and so drily, to his new quarters — he
looks at them aU, but cannot tell which one did
carry him, and to be rid of them he pays them all,
and they go away rejoicing in having cheated a
Christian. He sees them depart with a thank
ful feehng, for having escaped from them with
his life, and resolves never again to visit Tan
gier, if he can help it. But he is not yet done
with these fierce looking barbarians ; they mean
to give him one more fright before they will
allow him to depart in peace. He and the pa
trone of the vessel in which his journey up the
Straits is to be made, are no sooner on board
than he sees two smaU boats row out from the
shore towards him. They are filled with many
ferocious looking Moors, who are noisily haran
guing each other with loud words, and a multi-
25

298 coos-coo-soo, or letters
tude of violent gestures. The stranger becomes
fearfully alarmed, and thinks there must be some
thing terrible going to occur ; but after awhile
he sees that the angry looking men raise the
anchors, and deposit them on board the sailing
vessel, then their labor being done, they quietly
return to the shore.
As soon as our friends Avere afloat, the flags
of several Consuls were raised in compliment to
them, and to cheer them on their way home
ward bound. Ordinarily Avhen the Consular
flags are raised on similar occasions, they are
kept flying until sunset. But this afternoon at
about four o'clock they were all loAvered to half-
mast, on account of the death of Mr. 0., who
has never been Avell since the loss of his daugh
ter. A ,skilful physician from England, who is
here on a visit, attended him, and has said he
died from ossification of the heart.
Is not his case a sad warning to us all, not to
grieve unreasonably over the sorroAvs which
may be thrown in our way, as we pass along
through our mortal life to the higher one which
is eternal, and which Ave all hope will be passed
in heaven ? Ah, if one half the time, thought
and attention Avere spent in striving to reach
heaven, which are fruitlessly squandered upon

FROM TANGIER IN AFRICA. 299
the petty griefs of earth, and their corroding,
often fatally destructive cares, feAv of us would
be disappointed, in our hopes of reaching that
blessed haven of never ending rest and happi
ness. Yours, truly,
&c, &c.

THE END.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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