334 



DISCOVERY 



Agricultural Pursuits 



The Berbers exhibit every stage of pastoral hfe, 

 nomad, semi-nomad, and sedentary. They own enor- 

 mous flocks and herds (sheep, cattle, camels, and in 

 the south, ostriches), and vast palm-groves in the 

 Tafilelt. Many of the coast tribes are fishermen. 

 Most of the Shluh tribes lead sedentary lives, and are 

 great culti\"ators. their land being very fertile. The 

 rich black soil (tirs) of the western districts bordering 

 on the Atlantic produces, even with primitive agricul- 

 tural methods, three, or as many as four, crops a year, 

 while the grains of corn on each spike have been known 

 to average eighty or more. The cattle of the Zaer 

 and Zayan tribes of this region are famous. When 

 scientific methods of farming and cattle-breeding have 

 been more widely spread by colonists, there seems 

 no limit to the results that may ensue ; the true wealth 

 of Morocco may probably turn out to be here rather 

 than in its alleged mineral resources. 



In this same district (western Morocco, south of the 

 River Tensift), and peculiar to it, is found the argan- 

 tree, or " Barbary almond " (Argania sideroxylon) ; 

 and the tribesmen extract an inferior oil from the 

 kernels of its fruit. Olives and walnuts, vines, figs, 

 and other fruit-trees are cultivated along the river- 

 banks ; the mountain villages are pink with almond 

 in spring, almonds being one of Morocco's chief exports, 

 and olive-oil one of the few manufactures of the 

 Berbers.' The magnificent cedars of the Atlas have, 

 unhappily, suffered greatly from unskilful hacking 

 by the natives. Patches of beans, peas, onions, and 

 other vegetables are grown wherever possible, vegetables, 

 with maize, forming the staple article of food. Meat 

 is rarely eaten, and eggs, for some reason, are shunned ! 

 Seasonings, such as pepper and spices, are beloved, 

 and the favourite drink is weak tea overfiavoured 

 wdth mint or sugar. 



The men wear the jellaha, or loose, hooded wrap, 

 with the toga-like haik ; women also wear the latter, 

 under a simple length of cotton wound round and 

 round them, known as lizar. Red or yellow leather 

 slippers are usual. In the western Atlas, a short, dark 

 woollen wrap, ornamented with orange or scarlet, is 

 worn. Blue cotton clothing [khent) is universally 

 worn in the south. The dye from this comes off on 

 unwashed bodies, hence the name, " the blue men of 

 Mauretania," given to a band of religious agitators, 

 who for some years created disturbance in western 

 Morocco from south to north. Berber women arc 

 addicted to wearing heavy earrings, and in many tribes 

 both they and the men are tattooed. 



The nomads live in tents grouped in villages, the 

 settled villagers either in houses of stone or pise, 



' Others are rough pottery and leather-work. 



or in huts of earth and branches. The tent village 

 is called diiar, the ordinary village deshra, or, if fortified, 

 ksar. Each village usually has a fortified depot 

 [tighremt) for arms and grain ; except among the 

 Shluh, where such depots are tribal, and are known 

 as agadir (plural igudar). Such is the origin of the 

 world-famous port, storm-centre of the 191 1 crisis ! 

 (Its full name is Agadir Ighir, i.e. the fortified place 

 on the hill.) Many of the villages are called after 

 the weekly market (stik) held in them — a most im- 

 portant feature in tribal or sub-tribal life, inasmuch as 

 they offer occasions for spreading news, fostering risings, 

 or the like. These markets are held on different days 

 of the week. Thus, to take one instance, an important 

 centre in one tribe is known simply as Jemaa Entifa, 

 i.e. the Friday market of the Entifa. There are also 

 several weU-known annual fairs, attended by aU the 

 tribes round ; these have sometimes a semi-religious 

 character. 



To these villages and these clusters of tents the 

 French administration, inspired by Lyautley, is gradu- 

 ally bringing order and civilisation. Native schools 

 are established and medical succour afforded by travel- 

 ling doctors and dispensaries. Tribal customs are, where 

 possible, respected, and tribal administration preserved, 

 under supervision. The happy results of this " peace- 

 ful penetration " are already so evident that it may 

 be hoped the system will be copied by Spain in her 

 zones of occupation. Without losing any of their 

 fine qualities, but rather developing them to the full, 

 the Berbers must be taught to live at peace among 

 themselves ; on them hangs the well-being of 

 Morocco. 



REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING 



A. Bernard, Les Confins Algero-Marocains (1911) ; Le Maroc 

 (4th edition, 1917) ; La France an Maroc {igiy). 



Budgett Meakin, The Moors (1902). 



E. Doutte, Merrakech (1905) ; En Tribti (1914)- 



Foucauld, Ch. de. Reconnaissance an Maroc (1888). Tribal 

 studies and statistics in periodicals, such as L'Afrique 

 Franfaise ; Francc-Maroc (splendid illustrations) ; the 

 Bulletins of geographical societies, such as Madrid, 

 Algiers, and Oran ; the A rchives Marocaines, and publica- 

 tions of the Protectorate, such as Villes et Tribus (1915, 

 etc.). 



E. Laoust, Mots et Glioses Berberes (1920). 



Susanne Nouvel, Nomades et Sedentaires au Maroc (1919). 



\'. Piquet, Le Maroc (1917). 



Segonzac, Marquis de. Voyages an Maroc (1903) ; Au Ccsur de 

 I' Atlas (1910) ; both with interesting illustrations. 



R. Donoso Cortes, Estudio Geogr. Polit. Milit. sohre las Zonas 

 Espanolas (19 13). 



A. Garcia y Perez, Ifni y el Sahara Espahol ; and Zona 

 Espanola del Norte (both 1913). 



O. C. .-Xrtbauer, Die Rifpiraten und Hire Heiniat (191 1)- 



