CH. XIII. DOWNFALL OF THE K.UD OF HAHA. 331 



stirred up the spirit of resistance amongst his own people. 

 Vengeance, however atrocious, for acts of revolt is so fully 

 an admitted right of men in authority in Marocco that it 

 did not seem to count for much in the indictment against 

 him that on one occasion he inflicted on several hundred 

 — some said a thousand — insurgent prisoners the horrible 

 punishment of the ' leather glove.' A lump of quicklime 

 is placed in the victim's open palm, the hand is closed over 

 it, and bound fast with a piece of raw hide. The other hand 

 is fastened with a chain behind the back, while the bound 

 fist is plunged into water. When, on the ninth day, the 

 wretched man has the remaining hand set free, it is to 

 find himself a mutilated object for life, unless mortification 

 has set in, and death relieves him from further suffering. 

 But, in addition to such acts as these, the Kaid of Haha 

 was accused of capricious deeds of ferocity that revolted 

 the consciences of his people. Among other stories of the 

 kind, we were told that on some occasion when he was 

 having a wall made round his garden, he happened to see 

 a young man jump over the low unfinished fence. Feel- 

 ing in some way annoyed at this, he had the unfortunate 

 boy's right foot struck off, as a lesson not to repeat the ex- 

 periment. 



In such a country, where the danger of revolt is so 

 terrible, the discontent among the people of Haha might 

 long have slumbered, but for the occasion given by the war 

 with the neighbouring province of Mtouga. The spirit of 

 resistance spread rapidly, and it soon become apparent 

 that the position of the old Kaid was becoming untenable. 

 At last he resolved upon flight, after previously securing 

 the aid and protection of his neighbour, the Grovernor of 

 Shedma. Departing at night, with a train of women and 

 slaves, and with twenty-two mules laden with treasure, he 

 reached by daylight the borders of Shedma, just in time to 

 forestall pui'suit from his outraged subjects. He escaped 

 unharmed — although a bullet intended for him by the 

 pursuers struck in the hand his protector, the Grovernor of 



