There seems to be no other reason for those frequent
obstinate hostilities on both sides, except the nature of the country.
It is lamentable to think, because "a narrow frith" divides two people,
or because one lives in the mountains and the other in the plains, that
therefore they should be enemies for ever! Strange infatuation of poor
human nature.
Here the feud legend babbles of revenge, and says that, in the time of
Muley Suleiman, one day when the Hhaha people were at prayers at
Mogador, during broad day light, the Shedma people came down upon them
and slaughtered them, and, whilst in the sacred and inviolable act of
devotion, entered the mosques and pillaged their houses. This produced
implacable hatred between them, which is likely to survive many
generations; but the story was told me by a Hhaha man, and not
improbably the people of Shedma had some plausible reason for making
this barbarous attack.
Even before this piece of treachery of one Mussulman towards another at
the hour of prayer, the feuds seemed to have existed. It is a remarkable
circumstance in the history of Islamism, that many of the most
treacherous and sanguinary actions of Mahometans have been committed
within the sacred enclosures of the mosques, and at the hour of prayer.
One of the caliphs having been assassinated in a mosque, seems to have
been the precedent for all the murders of the kind which have followed,
and indelibly disgrace the Mussulman annals.
These Hhaha and Shedma people are also borderers, and fight with the
accustomed ferocity of border tribes.
Their conflicts are very desultory, being carried on by twos and threes,
or sixes and sevens, and with sticks, and stones, and other weapons, if
they cannot get knives, or matchlocks. Meanwhile, the Emperor folds his
arms, and looks on superbly and serenely. When the two parties are
exhausted, or have had enough of it for the present; his Imperial
Highness then interferes, and punishes both by fine. Indeed, it pays him
better to pursue this course; for, instead of spending money in the
suppression of factious insurrections, he gains by mulcting both
parties. The Sultan, in fact, not only aggrandizes himself by the
quarrels of his own subjects, but he profits by the disputes between the
foreign consuls and his governors.
The imbroglio which took place some years since, between the Governor of
Mogador and the French Consul, M. Delaporte, is sufficiently
characteristic. An Algerine Mussulman, who was of course a French
subject, behaved himself very indecent, by setting all the usual rules
of Mahometan worship at defiance. This was a great scandal to the
Faithful. The Governor of Mogador, in defiance of religion, took upon
himself to punish a French Mussulman. The French Consul remonstrated
strongly in presence of the Governor, almost insulting him before his
people. The Sultan approved the conduct of his governor. The Consul
General decided that both parties ought to be removed, and the French
Government recalled their vice-consul. The Sultan, promised, but did not
dismiss his Governor, or rather the Governor himself would not be
dismissed. The French reiterated their complaints, which were supported
by a small squadron sent down to Mogador. The Governor was now
cashiered, and was besides obliged to pay the Emperor a fine of thirteen
thousand dollars, upon the pretext of appeasing the offended Majesty of
his royal master. So the Sultan always makes money by the misadventures
of his subjects. To indemnify the poor Governor for his fine, he
received soon after another appointment. On his return from Morocco,
having waited upon Mr Wiltshire regarding the presentation of the
Petition of the Anti-Slavery Society, the Vice-Consul explained the
great difficulty the Emperor had in receiving a petition which called
for an organic change in the social condition of the country, and that,
indeed, the abolition of slavery was "contrary to his religion." I then
represented to Mr. Willshire the propriety at least of waiting for the
arrival of the Governor of Mogador from Morocco, in order to have a
personal interview with him, to which the Vice-Consul acceded.
The difficulties of travelling through Morocco; and of residing in the
inland towns have been already mentioned.
In further proof, Mr. Elton related that, whilst the merchants visited
the Emperor in the, southern capital, a watch-maker, a European and a
Christian, asked permission of the Minister to dwell in the quarter of
the Moors, instead of that of the Jews, in which latter the Europeans
usually reside.
The Minister replied, "you may live there if you like, but you must have
ten soldiers to guard you." Such a reply from the Minister, and whilst
the merchants were protected by the presence of the Emperor himself, is
all conclusive as to the insecurity attached to Europeans in the
interior towns.
Morocco itself is a city of profound gloom, where the Moor indulges to
the utmost his taciturn disposition, and melancholy fatalism. It is,
therefore, not an enchanting abode for Europeans, who, whilst there
waiting on the Emperor, are obliged constantly to ride about to preserve
their health, or they would die of the suffocating stench in the Jew's
millah, or quarter. But, in taking this equestrian exercise, they are
not unfrequently insulted. An ungallant cavalier deliberately stopped
Mrs. Elton by riding up against her.
The lady spurred her horse and caught with her feet a portion of his
light burnouse, dragging it away. He was only prevented riding after and
cutting her down, by one of the Emperor's secretaries, who was passing
by at the time.
Mr. Elton had a fine black horse to ride upon. The populace were so
savage at seeing an infidel mounted upon so splendid an animal, that
they hooted:
