356 MOROCCO. 



scale of 1 : l.OOO.OOO. for whu^li he had a reliable hasis to work upon 

 in the map of P. Schnell, on a scale of 1 : 1,750,000, and also in the 

 book by Schnell, Avhich gives evidence of remarkable industry and 

 insight. 



On the southeast the boundaries of Morocco are quite indefinite; 

 therefore its exact size can not be determined. On a rough estimate 

 I ascribe to this group of countries a surface measure of 000,000 km-. 

 Of course I exclude Tuat and include Tafilalet, the whole district of 

 the Draa, the province of Tekna, and all the country southward to 

 ihe Sakiet-el-Hamra. For, as a matter of fact, the sultan at this 

 day exerts a certain influence as far south as Cape Juby, since he 

 bought the English trading colony there for a great deal of money, 

 garrisoned it Avith about sixty men, and by means of yearly gifts pre- 

 vailed on the real sovereign of the land, the Sheik El Maleynin, to 

 place himself, to all external appearances, under the overlordship of 

 the sultan. 



So far as population is concerned, I will content myself Avitli the 

 statement that it amounts to about 8,000,000. 



Thus Morocco is important, if only from its size and population; 

 and its significance is increased b}' its situation and by its posi- 

 tion relative to other countries, as well as by its extraordinary 

 internal resources. Morocco is by far the most important of the 

 three Atlas countries. Its situation enables it to maintain relations 

 with the Mediterranean as well as with tlie ocean, and to share in 

 the domination of the Strait of Gibraltar, the most important strait 

 to the entire trading world. Its towns on the ocean, whose harbors 

 could he nuide excellent without great cost, might be turned into sta- 

 tions for the world's commerce to West Africa, as well as to South 

 and Central America, and even for the Mediterranean traffic. The 

 relation of Larash to the Strait of (Til)raltar is just as favorable as 

 that of Cadiz. At the other extreme of Morocco, oases and springs 

 make possible a conumuiication with Nigeria through the great desert 

 so active that until the most recent times, when the French tied up 

 the routes, products of the Sudan were carried in great (juantities to 

 and through Morocco. Negroes formed a large percentage of its pop- 

 ulation, and Timbiictoo for a century acknowledged the authority of 

 the Sultan. As late as 1887 the inhabitants of Timbuctoo de(;lared 

 to Naval Ijieutenant Caron that they were a dependency of Morocco, 

 though they said so, it is true, to Avard off the French. The advan- 

 tages of Morocco's climate, soil, and mineral products can not easily 

 be overestimated. The provinces along the ocean coast, on account of 

 their black soil, rank among the richest agricultural districts on the 

 earth. 



It is not yet possible to gi^'e a scientific exposition of the evolu- 

 tion of the main mountain ranges that divide the country latitudi- 



