THE PIRATES OF THE RIFF.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 178, 16 February 1860, Page 4

THE PIRATES OF THE RIFF.

The expedition which the Spanish Government is preparing against Morocco has directed public attention to the pirates of the Riff, who first drew upon them the attention of Europe by their audacious attack, three years since, on a Prussian squadron commanded by Prince Adalbert of Prussia. Most people then, for the first time learnt, and not without astonishment, that-there existed at the gates of Spain, and not far from the French establishment in Algeria,. Moorish tribes exclusively occupied in acts of piracy. The Riff is a province of Morocco, situate at the extreme north east of that empire on the Mediterranean, and separated from Algeria by the desert of Angad and of Lalla .Maghunia. Protected by steep rocks, which jut out into the sea, the inhabitants of the Riff conceal themselves in the little creeks on.the coast, to surprise merchant ships on their passage, and at the moment of danger they take refuge in the mountains, where it is difficult to follow them, as Prince Adalbert discovered when he made his attempt to punish them. Attention has been called to this nest of pirates by their late attacks on the Spanish settlements. M. Richard, a French officer of engineers, says, in a history he wrote of the insurrection in Dahara in the year 1845 and 1846, that wished to make the province of the Riff the base of his operations in a general insurrection to dethrone the Ahnpercr of Morrocco, and set himself up in his place. According to M. Richards, the Ztouera of the Emir was to be the nuclus of a new State, which, from the mountains of the Riff was simultaneously to fight against the Emperor Muley-Abdel-Kha-mau and the French in Algeria. The Riff constitutes a province almost independent, and which is connected with Morocco by the sole tie of religious fanaticism. It extends from Tetnau to Moulonin, and is divided into 16 large villages or tribes, each governed by a iS'heik. All the inhabitants are pirates. The village of Azanon particularly, situate at the bottom of a small bay, of that name, is renowned for the ferocity of its inhabitants. The.Azaneens belong to the savage tribe of Guelaia. They are well supplied with firearms and with rudely constructed barks. Several English and French merchant vessels have fallen into their hands, and have been pitlessly pillaged. A part of the population [of the Riff live in caverns and among the rocks on the seashore. One point alone of the [coast is accessible for landing troops. This is in a small bay not. far from Cape-Tres-forcas, ! but a • surprise even at this place is difficult.

The French might send an expedition which, setting out from Nemours,. Theneen, Lalla Maghunia, Sebosa, and Geronville, would take the mountain districts of the Eiff in the rear, and would exterminate the pirates or drive them into , the sea. But such an,expedition would rise the entire empire of. Morocco, and the successor of Abdel-Ehanmiij himself would, if he wished to consent to such a proceeding, be prevented by the fanaticism of his people, who are now agitating against, the French on the other side of the Moulonia. Persons well acquainted with Africa regard the late attack of the Moorish tribes against the French advanced] posts as the prelude-to a more serious invasion on the western frontier of Algeria.

[From the European Times, Nov. 18.]

The quantity of raw spiritts consumed in Scotland, as compared with the other portions of the United Kingdom, has again formed a subject of controversy, commenced in this instance by the indomitable Duncan MacLaren, who is anxious to rescue his conntrymen from the imputation of being the most intemperate portion of the nation, " Mr. MacLaren basis his deductions on the new Parliamentary re-' turn, whieli shows the quantity of spirits consumed during the last ten years, as distinquished from the quantity on which the duty was. paid in each country; and lie contends that a large decrease, amounting, according to his figures, to no less than thirty-four per cent., has been the result. The increased , duty of 3s. 4d. per gallon, which took -place a few years back, has mainly contributed to this result, but the operation of the Forbes Mackenzie Act has not been without its influence in effecting the change. But nothing beyond a distant approximation can be arrived at from these figures and this reasoning. Whiskey is the national drink of Scotiand, while beer and malt liquors are mainly consumed, by the labouring classes in England, Mr. MacLaren’s deductions have been assailed, with considerable foree, in quarters where the charge of greater drunkenness against the population of the northern portion of the island originated, and something like national feeling has been imported into the disputation.

The subject of the national defenc.es of England is urged in the press day by-day, until the iteration becomes tiresome ; and the , Irish journals, which have hitherto been all but silent with reference to it, are now modestly inquiring whether some provision ought not to be made for a; like, end in that country. The Dublin Evening, Mail says-—“ There are many the social state of this country, as well as in the exposed and undefended condition of our sea coast, to invito the attention of an enemy. In many parts of our island an invader would expect to find himself in the midst of a friendly population, anxious to minister to his physical wants, and to furnish him with information and every aid which an active and intelligent race could supply. It would be the contrary in England. There the foreigner would know, himself to be in an enemy’s country, and every step he attempted, to advance would be retarded by the most steclfast opposition, both moral and material, which a resolute and united people could raise against him.” It is then shewn that if the French succeeded in landing and keeping Ireland, the prestige of Ebglaud would bo serionsly shaken, and precautions in time are strongly, advocated. While this is the tone of the leading ultra paper-mi the Conservative side, a Roman Catholic journal, the Cork Reporter, gives simultaneous expression to nearly the same views, except that the last-named organ argues the case from a point of view which will not be very palatable to many of its co-religiouists. It says—- “ England stands alone among the great European Powers as the champion of liberty, and with her downfall would be involved its prostration for centuries to come. On thi* point there can be no mistake. There is not a National schoolboy who can be ignorant of the fact that the British islands alone, in Europe, possess among the first-class Powerseven the forms of free institutions. Russia, Prussia, Austria, France, are pure despotic monarchies, with some slight differences of form. Free individual action, free expression of opinion, exist in none of them. Political rights on the part of the governed are utterly ignored. Some few of the. minor Continental States possess the external indications of liberty, it is true, but, almost without exception, they are so overshadowed by the great military despotisms that they have to exercise such privi'eges as they enjoy! ‘ with bated breath,’ and can hardly be said to have a real independence. In such circumstances it might be supposed that Irishmen, whose love of liberty has been the theme of self-laudation almost ad nauseum, might feel deeply interested in sustaining Great Britain in any struggle in which she might bo involved with the Powers of continental Europe. True, Ireland lias sustained many wrongs at the hands of England, and not a few of them at too recent date. But a nation has a higher duty to perform than revenge. fVeve it otherwise, farewell to human progress!” The article, which goes on in this strain at considerable length, is ably written and admirably argued.