Coos-coo-soo

Front matter

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Gt coos-coo-soo oil

BY G. FORT.

LETTER I. Across THE Ocean.,.. .„. , 9

LETTER IL

QUAKANTINE , 13

LETTER IIL A Christmas Day on the Bay 15

LETTER IV.

LETTER V.

Ok Shore , 26

LETTER VI.

A First Walk in Europe.. ,. ,..,. 31

LETTER VIL A Walk ON the Rock , 38

LETTER VIII.

Departure from the Rock 46

LETTER IX.

A Surprise 53

6 CONTENTS. .

Page.

LETTER X.

Arrival at Tangier. Outer and inner view of the Town... 63

LETTER XI.

A First Walk in Africa 70

LETTER XIL An African Fountain and Grave-yard 76

LETTER Xin.

A Walk to an African Garden 85

LETTER XIV.

Fruit Trees. An African Wat to Milk the Cow 90

LETTER XV.

Seedy Sharkey 95

LETTER XVI.

Consular Etiquette 98

LETTER XVII.

An African Rain. A Famine and its Victims 101

LETTER XVIII.

The Flowers. Beggars' Bread. Grave Robber 110

LETTER XIX.

Tangier Muedden. Walk on the House-top 116

LETTER XX.

A Moorish Betrothal. Coos-coo-soo, and how to make it... 123

LETTER XXI.

A Moorish Wedding and the Bride 133

LETTER XXIL Moorish Masonry. Ranks of Society 142

LETTER XXIII.

Moorish Houses = ... 147

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 op Rank. Cattle Prison. The Cultivated 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 Stokks 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 Taking 273

LETTER XLIV.

Jewish Festival. Lady John Franklin. A Moorish

Child's Funeral , „.., 277

LETTER XLV.

Canes AND Palmettos. The Date Selier. Ploughing 283

LETTER XLVL Consular Cemetery „ ,„ 287

LETTER XLVIL A Christmas in Africa .., , 289

LETTER XLVIII.

A New Year's Day, Departure fr)m Tangier 293

LETTER I.

ACROSS THE OCEAN.

Bay of Gibraltar, Dec. 23 d, 18 — .

According to the promise, made at tlie time of my departure from America, I now write to you, on my arrival in Europe, without waiting, 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 sunshine and darkness — the light of prosperity and the shadow of adversity — now a few days of peace, quietness and bodily good healththen through long nights of sorrow, harassing cares, or of suffering sickness.

That thus it is, we believe to be, as beneficial, 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 circumstance, which will never be forgotten — we had a skilful mtisician on board ; he was a common 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-rigging, and sent to us on the quarter deck, those never-to-be-forgotten strains of harmony !

Oh, how delightfully its low and soothing tones^ floated upon our ears, and seemed to waft our enraptured senses into a calm haven of perfect bliss ! 'No, his music will never he forgotten !

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 promulgated. And let us be thankful that in our favored land, the press is free, unfettered, and imtaxed.

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 miles in circumference, and about two and a half long, it looks now, as we see it in the darkness of a moonless night, like some huge animal, crouched in repose but having its side full of open and gla&ing red eye-balls. The apparent eye-balls, are the town lamps and hghts 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 careful of our actions, or we might find ourselves shot into, instead of being as we were then, only shot over.

We will sleep but little this night— anxiety about the decision of the health ofiicers, 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.

Letter II. Qttakantine

Gibraltar Bay, Dec. 24th, 1 8 — .

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 ?

^ 1*

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 anywhere 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, like all other evils, it had to be borne. The (to us) interesting 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 afternoon 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.

FEOM TANGIEE IN AFEIOA. 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 authority to enforce his commands over us. He seemed to be a very good humored, and welldisposed person, yet his presence was unpleasant, because it was forced and unwelcome. We could not resist feeling that he was a spy on our movements.

How we treated, him must be deferred for the present. Adieu until my next letter.