t, then lifted his
hand up to his nose.

Near the door hung his rosary of ninety-nine beads, reminding the pious
Mussulman of the ninety-nine attributes of God. Each of the ninety-nine
beads corresponds to the name of some holy man, and as the bead is passed
along with the hand the saint's name is murmured. Curious that the use of
rosaries in the Spanish Church is said to have been borrowed first of all
from the Spanish Moors.

The eldest son of our host was, his father told us, looking forward to
beginning the Fast of Ramadhan this year--fasting, as he was only a
novice, for half the day instead of the whole of it: evidently as much
importance and excitement were attached to the prospect as later on would
attend the boy's marriage. This same boy of fourteen is learning to
write in Latin characters, for a Moor a most unusual and advanced step:
at present he was only wearing a little red fez cap, not having reached
the age of turbans, with all their dignified symmetry. The Kor[=a]n was
all the literature the boy would ever know. Strange that a strong and
sober people should have for ages confined their studies to the Kor[=a]n,
an occasional Arab poet, and a sacred treatise or two. There is, as I
have already said, no literature, no art, no science, in Morocco, and no
architecture--the Kor[=a]n forbidding, it is said, research or study in
any line except that of religion. Geography is entirely unknown. Like
Moors in general, Hadj Mukhtar may have heard of London and Paris, and
might know the names Germany and Russia, besides Mecca; but none of the
former would have any connection or "place" in his mind, and Morocco must
be, he is confident, the finest country under the sun. If it were brought
home to him that his country is in a decadent condition, he would reply
that at least it is good enough for him as it is; and that if Europeans
were allowed to exploit it and to settle therein, the end would be
prosperity for the Western civilization, and a knuckling-under on the
part of the Moorish--which is true.

We talked on upon one and another subject till it grew late, but before
we left our host took R. and myself to see his wife, downstairs, in a
smaller room. Five wives are allowed by Mohammed, but few Moors in Tetuan
were rich enough to afford as many, and contented themselves with slaves.
We were not impressed by the very plain, sallow-faced lady, with a black
fringe and hard brown eyes, who shook hands with us, and fro