THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, 
Geo 
Photo by rge EB. Holt 
A MERCHANT EN ROUTE 
the sun, while in and out among them 
moved the picturesque figures of our 
Arabs. The pale smoke curling lazily 
upward indicated that Hamed, our chef, 
was scolding away among the pots and 
pans of his kitchen tent. Near our camp 
a caravan of some twenty camels was 
being relieved of their loads. In the dis- 
tance sparkled the Atlantic, to which we 
must now bid farewell. 
Close to us an Arab lad, reclining mo- 
tionless on a ledge of rock, was regarding 
us fixedly. So still was he that we had 
not been aware of his presence. Farther 
down the hill on a projecting rock the 
tall, white figure of our soldier could be 
seen. At one moment he would stand 
erect, with his face toward Mecca; at the 
next he would sink slowly upon his knees 
and kiss the bare rock, all with inde- 
scribable grace of movement. He was 
praying, for the sun was sinking to rest. 
The distant range of hills to the north 
hid from view the last outpost of civiliza- 
tion, Tangier by the sea. Above all 
played the glorious colors of that African 
sunset, transforming the whole into a 
fairy scene. 
THE FIRST NIGHT’S CAMP 
Returning to our camp, we found din- 
ner awaiting us, consisting, as it always 
did afterward, of seven courses—a soup, 
two meats, a vegetable, salad, dessert, 
fruits, and nuts. When near a river we 
usually had a fish, which increased our 
menu by one course. Our evenings were 
usually spent lounging in comfortable 
camp chairs, sipping our coffee and dis- 
cussing the events of the day. Some- 
times we would call Jelalli in and have 
him entertain us with descriptions of life 
in Algeria and Morocco... Near, or in, 
the important towns the “kaids,” with a 
number of their chief men, would visit 
us, and many a pleasant hour was passed 
in conversing with them, with Jelalli as 
interpreter. 
