ADVENTURES IN MOROCCO.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 16, 13 July 1911, Page 7

ADVENTURES IN MOROCCO.

WAITING TO BE ATTACKED BY TRIBESMEN. RAID THAT FAILED. . Alcazar, May 13. Last night (writes Alan Ostler) we sat up awaiting the attack of sixteen hundred mountain tribesmen from beyond Wftzzan. The townspeople of Alcazar shook their yellow slippers. The handful of Europeans here filled the magazines of their rifles and looked as unconcerned as possible.

Tli.e native sojdiers left in the charge of two French officers here by Captain Moreaux piled stores, Tifles, and ammunition on their mules in such haste that half the baggage fell off when the mule train started on its way from the outlying barrack to the centre of the town. And then Alcazar passed about twenty' hours of apprehension. '

The town has been raided twice within the last ten years, and lias no desire to repeat the experience. Beyond a doubt, the danger loomed ominously near last night. In fact, there is no doubt at all that twelve (not sixteen) hundred mountaineers did start out to laid the town. The stores and ammunition which Captain Moreaux's mehalia left behind it here when it started for the Gharb has only about twenty men to'guard it; and 1 naturally, rich booty thus Hnprotecteu was a strong temptation to the tribesmen. So the mountaineers assembled and decided to swoop down on Alcazar and carry oft all they coald lay hands on. Hfcid they come swiftly and silently they must have succeeded completely But as it was the report of their coming preceded tliein. Even then, if they had liked to make a fight for it, the raiders must have come off best, for the town is quite defenceless. But, having failed in their object of a surprise" attack, they wJieeled about this afternoon, and have ridden north into the Shcrada country, to join in the war on Fez. TALES OF TORTURE.

While it lasted the scare was interesting. Tales of the horrid cruelty of the mountaineers they blinded two couriers last week with red-hot ramrods —were related in the fondaks with a kinu of terrified gusto. Animals and tents were hurriedly brought within the Willis of the town. It was not until we saw the lights of the improvised French barracks suddenly extinguished thut the reality of the danger occurred to most of us. I was in the house of Mr. "Bibi" Carleton, the British Consular Agent here. His garden adjoins the barracks, and we watched the frantic haste of the tiny remnant of the mehalla to find a safe hiding-place. Mr. Carleton, however, refused to leave his house.

There are two English visitors here besides myself, and as they were camped outside the walls of the town Mr. Carleton sent a note to them asking them to come to his house for the night, as it was expected that the town won Til be attacked. The house is a strongly fortified one, and there is a good store of ammunition in it, so that ill case of an attack it would be even safer than a house in the centre of the town.

However, no attack was made, and by about .11 o'clock it was pretty clear that if the tribesmen meant to deliver, an attack at all they would not do so till daylight. Therefore everyone went to sleep.

11l the nio-rning there was still no sign of the tribesmen, ami this somewhat relieved the townsfolk, who had expected to see them encamped outside the walls. On other occasions the hillmen have done this, and. instead of attacking, have allowed the town to ransom itself. But they did not ever try to do this to-day. Until about 2 o'clock this afternoon the tension still continued. People tried to reassure themselves by looking at the solitary machine gun mounted in tha fondak, whither the soldiers had gathered their precious stores; but the usually busy market was dispirited and almost empty. Then came the news that the tribesmen had ehunged their minds, and had gone to swell the ranks of the besiegers of Fez, preaching a holy war as they, went. "Alcazar recovered, her spirits at once. The business of the town is in full swing once mote, and the volatile Moors will think no more of tJlieir scare until it is repeated —which may be toniglit.