File:In Morocco (1920) (14782242755).jpg

Identifier: inmorocco00wharuoft (find matches)
Title: In Morocco
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937
Subjects: Morocco -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York Scribner
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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nment no longerallows its offices to be built within the walls ofMoroccan towns, and this house goes back to theepic days of the Caid Sir Harry Maclean, to whomit was presented by the fantastic Abd-el-Aziz whenthe Caid was his favourite companion as well as hismilitary adviser. At the suggestion of the municipal officials wemounted the stairs and looked down on the packedsquare. There can be no more Oriental sight thisside of the Atlas and the Sahara. The square issurrounded by low mud-houses, fondaks, cafes, andthe like. In one corner, near the archway leadinginto the souJcs, is the fruit-market, where the red-gold branches of unripe dates* for animal fodderare piled up in great stacks, and dozens of donkeysare coming and going, their panniers laden withfruits and vegetables which are being heaped onthe ground in gorgeous pyramids: purple egg-plants,melons, cucumbers, bright orange pumpkins, mauveand pink and violet onions, rusty crimson pome- * Dates do not ripen in Morocco. ( 144 )
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MARRAKECH granates and the gold grapes of Sefrou and Sale,all mingled with fresh green sheaves of mint andwormwood. In the middle of the square sit the story-tellersturbaned audiences. Beyond these are the hum))lercrowds about the wild-ringleted snake-charmerswith their epileptic gestures and hissing incanta-tions, and farther off, in the densest circle of all, wecould just discern the shaved heads and wavingsurpliced arms of the dancing-boys. Under anarchway near by an important personage in whitemuslin, mounted on a handsome mule and sur-rounded by his attendants, sat with motionless faceand narrowed eyes gravely following the movementsof the dancers. Suddenly, as we stood watching the extraordinaryanimation of the scene, a reddish light overspreadit, and one of our companions exclaimed: Ah—adust-storm! In that very moment it was upon us: a red cloudrushing across the square out of nowhere, whirlingthe date-branches over the heads of the squattingthrongs, tumbling down the stacks

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