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9 April 1874 — Tangier | |
Thursday. 9th April [1874]. At 10 we went off to the new mole & went on board the “Escort” & at ½ past we started for Tangiers. There went with us the 2 de Winton children & others who were going over for 2 days change of air. We had a very good passage & saw the wreck of the Queen Elisabeth as we passed not far from the Pearl rock. At half past one we found ourselves at Tangiers & the tide being high we were able to land without being carried in a chair or on Moor’s shoulders. We were met by a secretary of Sir John Drummond Hay’s & were preceeded by his Moorish soldier—a man in a white flowing garment called a jilbab naked legs & morocco leather slippers—a turban & a small gun. The streets were narrow & ill paved but one came now & then on picturesque bits of moorish work & passing the mosques one got glimpses of men all of heap on the floor at their devotions but the Mosques here have wooden screens to keep off the gaze of the curious. We found the Drummond Hays’ house was a very comfortable European one tho’ with a flat roof like all the others—& we lunched as soon as we arrived & were waited on by Moorish servants dressed in a kind of dark red cloth with bare legs—slippers & fez on their heads. Sir John took Henry out for a ride while I sat & talked to Lady & Miss Hays, after 5 o’cl tea we went for a walk with Sir J. & Miss Hay & went up to the Castle. The Govr died last Sunday & his successor has not yet been named. But we were shown the castle wh was in confusion as the Govr had been on the point of starting on a journey & all his things saddles &c were all lying about ½ packed. We were shown the interior the patio & harem which he never had used prefering to live in his own house in the town. The work & ornamentations were all like those of the Alhambra but not coloured. We came home thro’ the town the main street & market full of people women with their faces covered boys with their little kind of shirt & shaven heads & some being of a peculiar tribe with their one long plated tuft. Young Mr & Mrs Hay dined at the Legation. He is the Secretary– She was a Miss Fleming of Hampshire—rather a curious manner & a stutter. After dinner I & Miss Hay went for a walk on the roof of the house & had great fun there watching an uproarious drunken European being taken to the lock up by Sir J D Hay’s moorish soldiers. He made a tremendous row bellowing to be let out to the great amusement of the Moors– There was also great firing & shouting in the town wh Miss Hay said was a wedding procession the bridegroom being accompanied by teux de joie & the bride being carried in a cage set on a mule. We descended to the drawing room to tea & singing & Mrs Hay played– | |
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