A JOURNEY 
constantly busied with the arranging of 
the strings of pearls and with spreading 
out her silken robes. 
The principal guests wore costumes 
similar to that of the bride. Their faces 
were painted scarlet, while eyes, under 
lip, palms of the hands, and fingers up 
to the first joint were all stained brown. 
Rings were worn on the thumbs and 
anklets as well as bracelets. Their feet, 
dyed the color of fresh iodine, were in- 
cased in gaudy slippers. Around their 
huge waists (a sign of great beauty) 
they wore heavy-colored belts a foot 
wide, in some cases studded with jewels. 
Each was followed by two slaves bearing 
cushions, upon which they would assist 
her to place her unwieldly bulk. 
On the seventh day the bride is borne 
in a sort of box to the home of her future 
husband amid the firing of guns and 
Arab music. If not pleased with her, the 
groom has the right to return her to her 
father within three months, paying again 
the price originally paid for her. 
The residence portion of the city 
is strikingly unattractive. We could 
scarcely believe that we were being taken 
to call on one of the wealthiest Moors 
of the city, when we stopped one after- 
noon in a narrow street, barely five feet 
wide, inclosed by high, prison-like, win- 
dowless walls. And yet these walls were 
the houses themselves. A massive, iron- 
studded door was opened, and in semi- 
darkness we were conducted along a tor- 
tuous, dingy passage, through several 
doors, when suddenly we emerged into 
one of those inner courts which are the 
masterpieces of oriental architecture, 
with its mosaics, tiles, fountains, colon- 
nades of light Saracenic arches support- 
ing a second gallery above, all covered 
with a profusion of colored and gilded 
arabesques and pendentives. 
There is a twofold explanation for the 
marked contrast between the exterior 
and interior of Moorish houses. The 
first is that this court, upon which all the 
apartments of the house open, is the cen- 
ter of oriental home life and is the only 
part that is really ever “viewed”; the 
other is that, in lands where “might 
IN MOROCCO 771 
makes right” and property is insecure, no 
man cares to advertise his wealth to any 
but his most intimate friends. 
THE SOCIAL LADDER 
Almost rivaling these inner courts in 
popularity, especially with the women, 
the flat roofs of the houses must be men- 
tioned. Here, however, during certain 
hours the men are never expected to ap- 
pear, for they are then sacred to the 
women of the families, who resort to 
them unveiled to enjoy the cooling 
breezes from the Atlas Mountains. This 
is the popular hour for female visiting. 
The process, however, is not a simple 
one, since to insure privacy many of the 
roofs are shut in by a wall from four to 
six feet high. 
In order, therefore, literally to “drop 
in” on a neighbor, the Moorish lady calls 
for her ladder instead of her carriage. 
This mode of calling presents insuper- 
able difficulties to the most “attractive” 
ladies of Fez, for it must be remembered 
that the fame for beauty of a Moroccan 
lady increases in direct proportion to her 
increase in avoirdupois. 
The journey from Fez to Mequinez 
through the valley of the Sebou can 
easily be made in two stages. Owing to 
the proximity of the Berber fastnesses, it 
is considered quite dangerous, but we 
were enabied to reach this second capital 
of the country without mishap. A letter 
from the Pasha of Tangier procured for 
us a camping ground in an outer court of 
the Sultan’s palace, completely — sur- 
rounded by its great crenelated walls and 
somber gates. A detachment of sixteen 
men was sent by the Pasha of the city to 
guard our camp. 
It was a fine, clear night, that first 
night in the once brilliant capital of 
Mouley Ismael, “the Cruel.” The can- 
vas of our tents gleamed white as snow 
against the dark background of the em- 
battled walls. The dark forms of our 
tethered horses and mules cut clear in 
the moonlight. Around our camp sat or 
reclined the white-robed figures of our 
guards, the mountings of their long rifles 
glittering -as by day. Now and again 
