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ASHMEAD-BARTLETT, E. - The Passing of The Shereefian Empire PDF
ASHMEAD-BARTLETT, E. - The Passing of The Shereefian Empire PDF
OF THE
SHEREEFIAN
EMPIRE
e. ASHMEADBARTUETT
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
RIVERSIDE
Ex Libris
C. K. OGDEN
The Passing of
BY
El ASHiMEAD-BARTLETT
AUTHOR OF 'PORT ARTHUR; THE SIEGE AND CAPITULATION'
E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT.
London, 1910.
CONTENTS.
CHAP.
VII.
VIU.
THE SORTIE ....
CAPTDRE OF THE CAMP AT TADDERT
85
101
....
.
APPENDIX II.
BY A
WORKING OP THE MINES
SULTAN
529
ILLUSTRATIONS.
56
....
. . . . .
......
THE TOMBS OF THE SULTANS AT RABAT
THE PORT OF LARACHE
.....
CROSSING THE WARGA AT DAWN
. . . 160
208
......
........
THE ARRIVAL IN CAMP
VIEW OF FEZ
225
226
256
....
GATEWAY LEADING TO THE MAGHZEN 258
....
A SANDY STRETCH .......
CAMP OF THE MAHALLA OUTSIDE FEZ
........
288
310
IN MID-STREAM
......
......
THE PERRY IN MID-STREAM
316
336
342
GROUND ........
AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF THE SULTAN ON THE PARADE-
350
GENERAL MARINA
A SPANISH BLOCKHOUSE
.......
...... 372
400
.....
......
INFANTRY AWAITING AN ATTACK 420
458
MOUNTAIN-GUNS IN ACTION
CAMP OF THE PRINCESSA HUSSARS AT NADOR 464
....
. .
MAPS
MAP OF MAROCCO
MAP OF THE GUELAIA
..... To face p.
PENINSULA TO ILLUSTRATE
1
Marzhen should be Maghzen on pp. 14, 24, 148, 255 (3), 256, 258, 263,
265 (2), 266, 267, 286, 288, 291, 297, 332.
LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFC^
RIVERSIDf^
-CkNi
THIE PASSING OF
THE SHEEEEFIAN EMPIEE.
CHAPTEE I.
i
THE ACT OF ALGECIRAS. 15
CHAPTER 11.
CHAPTER III.
punished ;
you can take this course :send an
ultimatum to Moulai el Amin, telling him that
unless some of the murderers are handed over
by a certain time, you will land a party and
seize them yourself." OUivier, however, kept
calm, and refused to accede to this request. He
reassured Maigret, and the latter left the ship
amid the muttered curses and imprecations of the
officers and men. On his arrival at the Consulate
he found a letter from Moulai el Amin couched in
the following terms "I am willing, now that
:
Peerage '
and it was not until I saw this record
;
I
A TERRIBLE NIGHT. 61
^d
AN ASH-HEAP. 53
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTEE V.
by modern weapons.
equalise the advantage gained
The Arabs ride down on the French infantry and
present a target such as gunners pray for but
seldom get —
namely, a mass of cavalry over a
thousand strong charging in close formation only
1500 yards away. Every gun on land and sea
expresses its approval by opening up on the
•charging throng, and the ground over which
they pass resembles a volcano in active eruption.
But the Arabs come straight on, hardly losing a
horse or a man. Some of the shells burst short,
some too far, others just to one side, and a
malignant fatality seems to misguide the gunner's
steady hand. The soldiers in the camp are very
disappointed, and so are the Jews, who have come
out on the roof of the Mella, and they express
their disapproval with loud lamentations. Suddenly
a great shell from the Gloire bursts right in their
centre, and many horsemen fell. Some rise and
stagger away, leaving their horses on the ground
but many men and horses rise no more. But this
disaster does not check the Arab charge. They
press on until they come within 400 yards of
the infantry, who pour in steady volleys, assisted
by the fire of the mitrailleuses. But the horsemen
can go no farther. They have ridden for over a
mile under a heavy fire, and their horses are
spent. The mass of white wavers, and then
breaks like spray on the sea-shore as the riders
disperse to avoid the bursting shells. Again the
Bed Caid came on alone as if courting death
but again he escaped without so much as a scratch.
He watched his followers ride slowly back down
"this stupid game." 75
—
the valley, and then he himself follows them the
last to leave the field. The artillery continued to
ply the flying horsemen with shrapnel until the
last them had vanished.
of The fight on this
side of thetown was over. Towards the west
the Moors made another attack on the ruined
houses and gardens, and tried to enter the town.
The guns were turned in this direction, the
trenches blazed with rifle-fire, and the same tale
of reckless heroism thrown away against modern
weapons was repeated. "When will they tire
of this stupid game ? " I hear a French ofiicer
remark and I think the same thought was
;
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VIL
THE SORTIE.
Arabs.
After a brief halt the square again moved
forward, but still without meeting with any
opposition. We began to feel afraid we were
to draw blank, and that our march was to be
—
devoid of incident a mere fatiguing prelude to
an ignominious return to camp. Suddenly, just
when our spirits were at their lowest ebb, a
single shot rang out to our right, and an Arab
horseman showed himself boldly on the sky-line.
The Goumiers hurried forward, but he was gone
as mysteriously as he had come. But he had
merely retired to warn his companions, for soon
half a dozen began to exchange shots with the
Goumiers, who returned the fire, keeping the
enemy and allowing the square to
at a distance,
continue its stately measured advance without
molestation. We now began to climb the last
rise to the "marabouts" at Sidi Moumein, our
destination. On the top we halted, and the
men lay down in the ranks, the square keeping
its formation with the guns, out of range of
snipers, justbelow the crest-line. But the hills
around us were still deserted, and again we
thought our morning wasted. We searched
everywhere, not seeing any enemy, and attempted
to console ourselves by admiring the scenery.
A mile to the right of the ridge we were —
halted about 600 feet above the sea -level —
THE FIRST SHOT. 91
I
CRITICISMS. 99
CHAPTEE yill.
CHAPTER IX.
H
114 THE FRENCH ARMY ON CAMPAIGN.
who is known
have been convicted of a crime,
to
either in France or in the land of his birth, can
be admitted into the Legion and although there
;
promotion.
How would the French army of to-day fare in
a war with Germany ? That is a question every
Frenchman asks himself; and that is the problem
he is anxious, yet half fears, to put to the test.
The army will enter on the encounter in a very
different and more healthy spirit than in 1870 :
CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER XL
THE COMING OF MOULAI EL HAFID.
>>
A VANISHING COURT. 153
CHAPTER XII.
he exclaims. Now
the position of Abdul Aziz
was every whit bad as that of Richard II.
as ;
I
favourites, chosen, not for their ability to govern,
ibut
ments
*
for their capacity to tickle
the capricious levity of
with fresh allure-
their sovereign.
Thus the Sultan was incapable of carrying out
: his cherished reforms, for he has neither the moral
courage nor the physical energy all his abilities
:
CHAPTER XIIL
CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER Xy.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTEE XYII.
You may turn them away from your door day after
day, declaring that you have no need for the par-
ticular article they desire to sell you may threaten
;
CHAPTER XYIIL
'
Morning Post was enabled to make the Sultan's
' I
intentions known to the Powers, and to contradict
the reports so carefully circulated about him by
the French and Azizist agents. Had the Powers
but acknowledged Moulai el Hafid immediately it
became known he would acknowledge the Act of
Algeciras, a great deal of money and a number
of lives might have been saved ; but France ob-
stinately refused to admit the Pretender's right,
and resolutely continued to urge on Abdul Aziz
to make his useless attempt to reach Morocco city
and to regain his lost throne.
254
CHAPTEE XIX.
CHAPTER XX.
HAFIDS DIFFICULTIES.
CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXII.
J
ABSALAM. 317
once outside, off the coast, the wind died down and
we were left to roll about in the oily heat, and
actually drifted backwards. We were all worn
out by the fatigue of the journey and from lack of
proper food, and fell easy victims to sea-sickness.
I have never seen a more miserable company, and
we one and all swore that nothing would ever
induce us to visit Morocco again, or to ever leave
our native land. We took twenty-eight hours
to go the forty-eight miles, and did not reach
Tangier until the Saturday evening at six o'clock.
321
CHAPTER XXIII.
CHAPTER XXIY.
MOROCCO AT PEACE.
*'
Where are you going ? " " What is your coun-
try ? " " What is your business ? " Once these
are answered to his satisfaction, the stranger will
become a friend and often accompany you for some
distance on the road. Then your servants, horses,
and mules, with their many vagaries, are a con-
stant source of study. Mules are amongst the
most intelligent of animals, and they regulate
their lives and their conduct in a manner that is
almost human. The mule never grumbles or pro-
tests. If asked to do a journey of twenty miles it
will do it if asked to go fifty, the mule will go
;
iu i If. ^?a3
TANGIER. 341
recovery.
346
CHAPTER XXy.
"
Hafid above the din of " The Cock o' the North
and " The British Grenadiers," he at once sends
an attendant to inquire the crier's cause. The
attendant returns with the answer, and redress is
given either by Hafid himself or the case is re-
ferred to one of the Ministers. Thus you wile
away many a morning waiting for the Sultan to
appear in person. His hours are varied, his will
is capricious, and he only attends to business
z
354 MOULAI EL HAFID AS SULTAN.
of it.
Grenadiers," " The Cock o' the North," and " The
Marseillaise." Thus you see at one and the same
time, the Monarch on his throne (or rather sofa),
the Supreme Court administering justice, the
executioners carrying out sentence, the army
being drilled and flogged, the Prime Minister,
the Foreign Minister, and the Mhiister for War,
with their officers, either asleep or at work,
and the Diplomatic Corps awaiting the Imperial
pleasure.
362
CHAPTER XXVI.
A LAST AUDIENCE.
I
sultan's life a burden. 363
CHAPTER XXVII.
—
Cavalry 2 squadrons Maria Christina Regiment.
Field-Artillery —
3 Batteries (75-mm. Schneider Q.FF.)
1st Brigade. General Aguilera.
1. Del Rey Regiment.
38. Leon „
2nd Brigade. General San Martin.
6 Saboya Regiment.
50 Wadras „
Engineers. Telegraph. 1 Field Company.
1
With Medical and Administrative services.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
—
day was bright and clear, the sky of that pale
turquoise blue which the North African coast
alone can show. Gurugu towered above us, and
as we left Melilla behind, the little old-time
fortress, with its roof and towers of many colours
blended by the distance, shone out an opal set in
a sapphire sea. Then we passed Atalayon, farther
off, and Sidi Hamed el Haj, which fired as we
CHAPTER XXIX.
tended, we turned
in and went to sleep again,
devoutly trusting a stray bullet would not come
our way whilst asleep. On the following morning,
August Lewis and myself started for
30, Colonel
Melilla, leaving Fortescue at Zoco del Arbaa to
report on any events of interest. We spent two
days in the town, and heard on the evening of
September 1, when the General's aide-de-camp
came and dined with us, that the Moors had
attacked the camp at Zoco del Arbaa, but had been
driven off. The next morning, having replenished
our supplies, we again started for Zoco del Arbaa.
Colonel Lewis and myself reached the camp at
4.30, but our heavily-laden waggon —
full of all
2 D
418
CHAPTEK XXX.
'
hope you haven't had many hit.' There were
I
none. It was the lieutenant's Baptism of Fire."
Once in the village the Spanish soldiers had a
splendid time, for good water was found there
prickly pears, olives, and figs grew in abundance,
and it was alive with chickens. The advance was
not pressed home any further, and the troops pre-
pared to occupy suitable positions for the night,
and set to work to burn the village, which was
a big task, for it is one of the largest in the
neighbourhood. Again I noticed the wild firing
at impossible ranges of the Spanish infantry, and
also of their Maxim guns. The amount of ammu-
nition expended must have been enormous, one —
company of the Del Key Regiment alone firing
15,000 cartridges. The men were well handled
by their company officers, but there was little
enterprise displayed in the attack, and a purely
frontal movement was made, whereas a flanking
movement would have led to far better results.
The cavalry were made no use of whatsoever,
although the ground was ideal for their employ-
ment. Colonel Lewis and myself decided to return
to Restinga, and after watering our horses, set out
on our lonely ride. We skirted the shore of the
Mar Chica, and happily struck a good road, which
enabled us to get over the ground quickly, for we
were rather afraid we might encounter some lurk-
ing bodies of the enemy. But our fears were not
realised the country was deserted, and we reached
:
CHAPTER XXXI.
I
THE UNREALITIES OF WAR. 435
CHAPTEE XXXIL
CONTINUATION OF THE OPERATIONS.
not the case, for the only road open to the Moors,
who had opposed us in the morning, lay across the
plain towards the south-west, right at our feet.
Small groups of the enemy soon made their appear-
ance, mostly on foot, widely scattered to avoid the
shell -fire which was immediately opened up on
them. Unfortunately, Tovar had none of the
quick-firing Schneider guns with him, but he got
his three mounted batteries into and position,
plastered the retiring enemy with a tremendous
shrapnel-fire, which lasted over half an hour, and
was by far and away the heaviest seen during
—
the campaign. It was a fine sight, eighteen guns
in action, blazing away for all they were worth,
until the ground in front was hidden by a great
cloud of smoke and sand and the retreating enemy
rendered invisible. But this made no difference :
CHAPTEE XXXIII.
1
2,
THE SOMBRE GORGE. 467
\ .
I.
475
CHAPTER XXXIV.
—
At Zeluan Tovar's Division, but reduced by
one battalion and a mountain battery at Tauima,
and with two or three battalions at Melilla re-
couping after their losses of September 30th and ;
—
Melilla The bulk of the cavahy, the Melilla
and African Regiments, and battalions refitting.
—
Zoco el Had Sotomayor's Division. The posi-
tion the division held was admirably chosen and
occupied. It was on a detached eminence between
the valley of the Rio de Oro and a deep gorge
under Gurugu, along which passes the road to
the river Quert and thence to Taza. The posi-
tion was quite two miles long, held by camps,
one at each end, a brigade to each, with minor
camps commanding masked ground. The trenches
were sensibly made, often well below the crest
of the hill on the reverse slope — commanding
completely the Zoco and neighbouring farms (the
principal centre of the Beni-Sicar), and searching
every approach.
Marina's projected plan of campaign at the
beginning of October was a concentric move-
ment of two divisions from Zoco el Had and
Zeluan to turn Beni-bu-Ifrur, while the Orosko
Division marched straight up the Rio el Caballo
towards Atlaten.
Two hundred thousand rations had first to be
collected at Zeluan, and these were accumulated
by about the 15th, but still no move was made.
The Riffs kept very quiet all this time, and the
victualling was done in peace. Now there were
two reasons for this quiet. One which appealed
to all the Riffs in arms was that Ramadan (their
thirty-day fast) was drawing to a close the other
;
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE SPANISH ARMY ON CAMPAIGN.
2 I
498 THE SPANISH ARMY ON CAMPAIGN.
CHAPTEE XXXVL
THE FUTURE OF MOROCCO.
L
GERMAN POLICY. 513
lA PENINSULA
LIBRAKY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
UNIV
JJIVFRSIDP
SUnfirVi Ceog' £iUt*,lof>^
525
APPENDIX I.
With the aid of God, who alone orders all things, who
alone can solve all earthly problems, and who ordaineth
that all things shall come to pass in their appointed time,
I, MouLAi EL Hafid, have been chosen by all my people
APPENDIX 11.
( Captain Cavanillas.
—
Special Service Officer a la suite Colonel Prima de Vera.
—
Chief of the Staif Colonel Jordana.
Divisional Troops.
Melilla Brigade —
General Real.
—
59th Regiment Melilla 3 Battalions.
68th Regiment African „
— —
3rd Brigade Cazadores General Imaz.
3rd Barcelona Cazadores.
8th Alba de Tormes Cazadores.
13th Merida
14th Estella
16th Reus „
19th Alfonso XIII.
1 Squadron Cavalry.
1 Mountain Artillery.
1st Division.
General Orosko.
f) A Ti A ^
' General San Martin (promoted).
2ncl ±3rigaae
| q^^^^.^^ Diaz-Vicaris (killed Sept. 30).
6th Regiment Saboya.
50th Regiment Vad-Ras.
Cavalry —
2 Squadrons (Reina Christina, Cazadores).
Artillery —
2 Brigades Field Artillery (75-mm. Schneider
Q.FF.).
—
Engineers 1 Field Company. 1 Telegraph Company.
APPENDIX II. 531
—
2nd Brigade General Alfau.
2nd Madrid Battalion.
4th Barbastro Battalion.
6th Figueras „
9th Arapiles „
10th Las Navas „
11th Llerena „
—
Cavalry 2 Squadrons.
Artillery —
2 Brigades Mountain Artillery.
2 Mixed Companies Engineers.
3rd Division.
General Sotomayor.
—
2nd Brigade General Ayala.
27th Regiment Cuenia.
36th Regiment Burgos.
Cavalry Division.
General Huerta.
THE END.
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