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Download Guiding Childrens Social Development and Learning 8th Edition Kostelnik Test Bank all chapters
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1. Why do childhood professionals need to understand the nature and function of play?
a. Play is a common ground for social exchange in childhood.
b. Play is the predominant activity of early childhood.
c. Play offers opportunities to practice skills needed for social competence.
d. Play is the expressive outlet for thought and feeling.
e. All of the above
ANSWER: e
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
4. When a child calls a stick “spoon,” why is that considered an important indicator of ability?
a. The child perceives the difference between sticks and spoons.
b. The child is able to separate the word from the object it represents through pretense.
c. The child knows what the words mean.
d. A stick can do the same work as a spoon.
ANSWER: b
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
5. Rita is regularly an onlooker while other children are pretending something. She comes close to them, and says nothing.
What would be the MOST effective strategy in helping her to engage in the play?
a. Wait and do nothing.
b. Tell Rita to say, "Can I play?”
c. Tell Rita to say, " I clean houses. Can I clean your house?"
d. Tell the other children that Rita wants to play even though her behavior makes this obvious.
e. Assign all of the children roles in pretend, including Rita.
ANSWER: c
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
7. What aspect(s) of the environment do (does) NOT influence sex role differences in play?
a. differential treatment by parents
b. selection of toys and furnishings
c. peer pressure in a group
d. demographic characteristics of the neighborhood
e. All of the above
ANSWER: d
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
8. What competencies do play activities generate for boys more than for girls?
a. rules learning
b. creative problem-solving
c. imitations
d. task persistence
e. compliance
ANSWER: b
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
9. Which of the following strategies would likely be effective to help a child experiencing developmental delays?
a. Direct the child to engage in a teacher-lead activity.
b. Get an aide who will help the child during play.
c. Use only the general support strategies.
d. Simplify the ongoing activities so that this child can participate with classmates.
e. Play with toys is wasted time in a learning setting for children having special needs.
ANSWER: d
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
10. What type of social participation is the following? Claude is mixing soil and water near the area in which Todd and
Justin have constructed a roadway and town in the dirt. Occasionally he delivers “cement” to them, but his activity is
focused on the mixing process.
a. onlooker
b. solitary
c. parallel
d. associative
e. cooperative
ANSWER: d
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
11. Which question do children ask themselves in object play that they don’t ask in exploration?
a. What can I do with this?
b. How does it smell or taste?
c. What happens if the lever moves?
d. Does this piece come off?
ANSWER: a
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
12. Which question do children ask themselves in construction play that they don’t ask themselves in object play?
a. What will happen if I shake this?
b. How can I make this look like something I’ve seen?
c. What happens if I move this lever?
d. Does this piece come off?
ANSWER: b
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
13. Several children are in the block area, experimenting with various stacking strategies. Their aim is to get as many
blocks as they can to stand upright without falling over. This is an example of what kind of play?
a. object play b. pretend play
c. movement play d. construction play
ANSWER: a
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
14. Which of the following children is most definitely involved in practice play?
a. Jenny is playing dominoes with her best friend Sarah.
b. Larry is playing basketball on the playground.
c. Carrie is learning to knit.
d. Tony goes up and down the slide 20 times.
ANSWER: d
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
18. Don and Bryan are playing a board game. Each child has played this game at home with family members. Bryan
insists that the first person who plays is the one with the red playing piece, and Don demands that they roll a die to
determine who starts. They engage in this discussion with much vigor for several minutes. What is their approximate age?
a. under three b. three to four
c. four to five d. over five
ANSWER: d
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
19. Which of the following statements is most appropriate to say to Phillip, who is attempting to engage George in rough-
and-tumble play when George is either unwilling or uncertain?
a. “Go away and leave him alone.”
b. “That’s not nice.”
c. “There are no superheroes here.”
d. “Ask George if he wants to play.”
e. “Instead of running around chasing each other, why don’t you dig in the sand?”
ANSWER: d
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
20. Mr. Ramirez is stationed at the game table and notices that the children playing Candy Land are arguing about how to
use the playing pieces. He chooses a playing piece. Next, he asks the children if it is his turn to spin the spinner. He has
decided to help the children in what way?
a. from inside the playframe b. from outside the playframe
c. through metacognitive coaching d. through direct instruction
ANSWER: a
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
21. Barbara entered the play area after Geraldine and Rachel were already playing house and asked if she could play. She
listened to their dialogue, made role-appropriate comments as the neighbor, and contributed to the storyline the others
suggested. She smiled and gestured as others also played out their roles, accepting and modifying and responding in her
own play to coordinate with theirs. How would you describe this child’s level of play?
a. a beginner of simple pretend play
b. a friendly easy player
c. a master player who knows the implicit rules
d. a player who has not grasped how to initiate and maintain play
ANSWER: c
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
22. Lalita, age four, has tried unsuccessfully to be the director of house play on several occasions. Ms. Kurzhals usually
dismissed children to free choice activities for the story time by name. She has noticed Lalita’s attempts and is
considering what might be effective in supporting her. What do you think she should try first?
a. Change the materials that are available for free play.
b. Explain the importance of taking turns to the children during the story time.
c. Dismiss Lalita ahead of her usual playmates for a few days so that she can arrive at the pretend play area first.
d. Direct the players to allow Lalita to determine the narrative of the play from outside the play frame.
ANSWER: c
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
23. What skills that children learn through play contribute to self-regulation?
a. follows game rules appropriately for age
b. shares or takes turns
c. maintains role in pretend play
d. All of the above
ANSWER: d
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
24. Cun Liu and Hui Li I pretending to bury a stuffed toy dog. They put him in a box, gather dandelions, and appear to
have a ceremony for it. What social competence are they demonstrating?
a. emotional intelligence
b. positive self identity
c. social values
d. cultural competence
ANSWER: d
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
25. Which of the following behaviors contribute to positive self-identity during play?
a. reads and sends nonverbal cues
b. contributes to the plans of others
c. establishes social status in the play group
d. negotiates roles and rules
ANSWER: c
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
26. What is the difference between the play of four-year-olds and children of eight or nine?
a. Older children are no longer interested in pretend play.
b. Older children make great effort to maintain the illusion that the pretend is real.
c. Older children use more explicit strategies.
d. There are no differences between these age groups.
ANSWER: b
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
29. Demonstrating how to construct a bridge is an effective strategy for children who have never seen it done.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
30. Based on your understanding of the definition of play, the game of Ping-Pong could represent play for some people,
but not for everyone.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
32. Play with objects is less socially demanding than playing with a group of children.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
37. A child's cultural context including characteristics of the community have little impact on the content of pretend play.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
38. Children who engage in a lot of fantasy play have poor mental health.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
39. The feedback to children from playthings and playmates provides a sense of competence.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
40. Pretend play usually focuses the child’s attention on salient features of social situations.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
41. Children are likely to learn about cooperation and competition through play.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
42. Young boys and girls play in about the same way.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
43. Activities that have little structure force the players to create their own structure and make their own rules.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
44. Boys tend to play family roles more often than girls.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
49. Play with movable outdoor equipment is more likely to be pretend play than play with immobile equipment.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
50. The term “play transformation” refers to children’s tendency to substitute one object or situation for another.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
51. Children whose style is that of a patterner communicate meaning by the special location of objects and their
perceptual attributes.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
52. It’s easier for children to play with an adult than with a peer.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
53. Boys are usually as willing to play mother roles as father roles.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
55. Rough-and-tumble play is similar to aggression except for the laughter and other nonverbal acts.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
56. The difference in children’s humor and adult humor is mostly in subject matter.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
57. Children who laugh when others use inappropriate words for bladder and bowel movements should be sharply
reprimanded.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
58. Roger, Mary, and Carl have been playing chase for the past several minutes, laughing and calling to each other as they
run from one corner of the playground to another. Mrs. Sanchez, who has been watching from the sidelines, runs toward
them calling, “Chase me, chase me instead.” This is an example of responding from within the playframe.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
59. Peter offers Celeste a block saying, “Here, have a cookie before you leave on your trip.” Celeste pretends to eat the
“cookie.” This is an example of object invention.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
60. Vanessa is singing quietly and playing house by herself. Carl is playing with the computer nearby. This is an example
of associative play.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
61. Master players operate within explicit and implicit social rules during pretend play.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
62. Rough-and-tumble play helps children to establish and maintain dominance within the group.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
63. Older school age children tend to use implicit signals to regulate the play drama rather than straight forward proposals
for adjustments.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
65. Why do adults sometimes think preschool children cheat when they play games?
ANSWER: Children treat rules as simple examples of how to play, not as obligations.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.04 - Identify pitfalls to avoid in facilitating children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
70. Where does the violent content sometimes seen in play come from?
ANSWER: Imitation of adults; portrayal of media scenes; acting out of inner emotional needs to cope
with feelings of helplessness or aggression; imitation of scripts from electronic games; real
aggression masked as play
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
71. Describe the sequence through which children proceed in each of the following play types:
a. play with objects
b. dramatic play
c. constructive play
d. play with movement
e. games
f. humor
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
72. Why should childhood professionals know the developmental sequences of play?
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
73. How can adults help children to play at increasingly complex levels?
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.03 - Articulate how adults guide and facilitate children’s play.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
74. Explain the role of play in relation to other aspects of development: language, social development, emotional
development, cognition, learning.
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
75. Describe the characteristics of play and give examples of playful and unplayful behavior.
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
77. Which of the following is NOT a significant feature of cultural influences on play behavior?
a. content of play is universal
b. timing and skill development of pretend play
c. the choice of games and the rules used to govern informal games
d. children use what they know regardless of culture
ANSWER: a
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
78. Which of the following behaviors is a hallmark of rough-and-tumble play that is different than movement
play?
a. Children run a lot and make noise.
b. Intimidation and staring down are common.
c. Children tackle, wrestle and laugh.
d. Children may challenge one another.
ANSWER: c
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Remembering
80. Explain the differences between a master player and a child who plays with basic skills only.
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.02 - Explain how various types of play develop over time.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
81. Using what you know about play and development, justify incorporating play into the daily program.
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: GCSDAL.KOSTELNIK.08.07.01 - Describe the nature of play and how it relates to social
competence.
KEYWORDS: Bloom’s: Understanding
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At last the signal was given and the party entered another room,
where a table had been laid in European style.
The menu was as follows:—
Roast pigeons, stuffed chickens, stewed lamb, turkey with
almonds, and highly flavoured siksu[47]; olives in oil; oranges cut in
sections and spiced, served as a vegetable; salad of olives and mint;
eggs poached with olives and oil; chicken fricassée, with a rich egg
sauce; chickens with red butter—a piquante sauce; stewed mutton
with fried eggs; chickens stewed with almonds and sweetened.
Dry siksu; rice made up in a sort of porridge; bowls of new milk;
almond tart, flavoured with musk; pastry dipped in honey.
Dessert: oranges, almonds, raisins, nuts, and fourteen dishes of
confectionery, including ‘kab ghazal,’ or gazelle hoofs, little cakes of
that form, from which they take their name, made of pastry thickly
iced and filled with a concoction of almonds.
A pleasant preparation of unripe figs, much resembling chutney,
was served with the stewed lamb.
The only beverage was water, slightly flavoured with musk and
essence of citron flowers.
Of this menu the turkey, the fricassées of chicken and the dry
siksu, were pronounced excellent, but some of the other dishes were
horrible concoctions.
The servants reported afterwards that as many dishes as had
been served remained outside untasted; but that the steward,
observing how little was eaten, promptly brought the banquet to a
close and produced coffee, well made, but curiously flavoured. After
dinner the ladies were invited to visit the harem, whither Sid Musa
proceeded to conduct them. Through the horseshoe arch of the
entrance showed a large court planted with orange-trees, illuminated
by the full moon and by numerous lanterns held by black slave girls.
Here, picturesquely grouped, the gorgeously apparelled ladies of the
harem awaited them. A stream of dazzling light from a room on one
side of the court played on the glittering jewels with which they were
loaded, producing altogether quite a theatrical effect.
The courteous, gentle manners of these Moorish ladies and their
soft voices were very attractive. The coloured women were even
more remarkable on this score than the white, who were probably
wives of inferior caste married to Sid Musa before he rose to his
present position of rank and importance, for the ‘Hajib’ was a mulatto
—one of the Bokhári, previously alluded to.
In connection with these Bokhári, their rise and fall, the following
tale was often related by Sir John:—
‘In the days of Mulai Sliman one of the Bokhári had risen, through
his merits and by the favour of his lord, to be Master of the Horse, a
much coveted post at the Court, as it conferred great dignity and
ample emoluments on the holder. Accordingly, in the course of time,
he amassed great wealth and possessed much property and many
wives and slaves.
‘Unfortunately, in an evil hour, he one day gave cause of offence
to his Royal Master, traduced possibly by others who were jealous of
his influence and the favour hitherto shown him; or, perhaps,
forgetful of his rôle as a courtier, he spoke his mind too freely at an
inopportune moment. Whatever the cause, the angry Sultan roundly
abused him, dismissed him from his post as Master of the Horse,
and ordered him to be gone from his presence.
‘Bending low, the Bokhári replied, “Your will, my Lord. May God
preserve the life of the Sultan,” and retired.
‘The following Friday, as the Sultan rode back to the palace from
the chief mosque, whither he had gone in state to take part in the
public prayers at midday, he observed a tall Bokhári sweeping the
courtyard and steps leading to the palace. Struck by his appearance,
the Sultan ordered the man to approach, inquiring who he was;
when, to his Majesty’s surprise, he discovered in the humble
sweeper his late Master of the Horse.
‘“What do you here?” asked the Sultan.
‘Prostrating himself in the dust, the Bokhári exclaimed, “I am my
Lord’s slave! Since the Sultan—whose life may God prolong!—has
dismissed me from my post of honour about his person, I am only fit
to undertake the duties of the lowest of my fellows.”
‘Needless to add, the wily courtier recovered the favour of the
Sultan and was reinstated in his post.’
· · · · · ·
‘The day after this conversation with the Sultan,’ writes Sir John, ‘I
left Marákesh. The camp was to be pitched about twelve miles from
the city, and we started early in the morning. About an hour later, one
of the escort, looking back, exclaimed, ‘I see a horseman coming
along the plain at full gallop. I should think he is a messenger from
the Court.’ And thus it proved.
‘I have been dispatched,’ said the breathless horseman, ‘by the
Uzir, Sid Mohammed Ben Nis (the Minister of Finance) and the
Sheríf Bakáli, who have been ordered by the Sultan to convey to
Your Excellency a message from our Lord; and they wish to know
whether they are to continue their journey to the camp or whether
you might be disposed to await their arrival on the road?’
‘See,’ I replied, ‘there is a fig-tree near the road, I will sit beneath it
and await the Uzir and the Sheríf: go back and tell them so.’
Sending on the rest of the party, I, with one of my daughters and
two of the escort, awaited the functionaries, who arrived about a
quarter of an hour after I was seated.
Ben Nis began the conversation as follows:—
‘This morning I was sent for by the Sultan, who ordered me to
convey to you the following message:—His Majesty said he had not
slept all night, but lay awake pondering over all you had said to him;
that he feels more convinced than ever that you are a true friend of
himself and his people, and, I am desired to add, His Majesty thanks
you.’
I replied, ‘Convey to His Majesty the expression of my gratitude
for having deigned to dispatch such high functionaries with the very
flattering message you have now delivered. It is a great consolation,
for I learn thereby that His Majesty is satisfied that what I have said
was solely prompted by feelings of good-will and friendship.’
Ben Nis remarked, ‘The Sultan was in such a hurry to dispatch us
that he had not time to tell us the language you had held to His
Majesty, and which had prevented him from sleeping, so I shall feel
obliged if you will communicate it to me.’
‘It would not,’ I replied, ‘be regular or proper that I should make
known to any one, without the Sultan’s consent, the confidential
communication I have had the honour of making to His Majesty. Go
back, and say such was my reply to your request, and you can then
ask His Majesty, if you please, the purport of our conversation.’
Ben Nis looked sullen and angry, but the Sheríf smiled and said,
‘The Bashador is right. It is for the Sultan to tell us, if he will.’
Ben Nis then observed, ‘The reason why I am very anxious to
know what passed yesterday is, that after your long private
audience, the Sultan gave orders that all the Wazára and chief
officers of the Court, as also the Bashas of provinces who happen to
be at Marákesh, should assemble in the Meshwa (Court of
Audience).
‘When we were all assembled, His Majesty appeared and
addressed us thus:—
‘“You are all a set of thieves and robbers, who live by peculation,
bribery, corruption and plunder. Go away!”
‘All present at the Meshwa therefore drew the conclusion that the
language you may have held had caused His Majesty to thus
harangue us.’
To this I replied, ‘Go, as I said before, and ask His Majesty to tell
you of the language I held to him. I cannot and shall not do so.’
After his return from the Mission to Marákesh, which has been
described in the previous chapter, Sir John, writing to Sir Henry
Layard on May 24, 1873, gives an epitome of his labours at the
Court, and refers to the expeditions undertaken to the Atlas
Mountains during his travels.
‘We returned,’ he says, ‘from our travels on the 8th inst. in better health than
when we started. The weather was cool, and no rain fell to stop our march except
on one day.
‘I had no instructions from the Foreign Office except to deliver my new
credentials; but I took advantage, of course, of my visit to the Court to place our
relations on a better footing, and I flatter myself I have succeeded, as I have
settled, or put in the proper groove for settlement, a host of pending claims and
grievances.
‘Tissot was at the Court at the same time as myself, and we marched hand in
hand in all questions affecting common interests, or, as Tissot described the
position of the Moorish Government, like that of a wild boar with a hound hanging
on each ear. The Moors were astonished to find the French and British
Representatives in perfect union and showing no signs of petty jealousy about
etiquette in forms; in fact, we took our precautions of warning Moorish and our own
officials that we insisted upon no attention being shown or form observed to one or
the other which differed.
‘The Sultan and his Ministers were most courteous and hospitable. Nothing
could be more pleasing than His Majesty’s manner and language to myself in a
private audience. He conversed with great good sense, but he declared his policy
to be conservative in the strictest sense of the word.
‘In reply to the proposals made by Tissot and myself for various reforms and
improvements, His Majesty said to me, “We and thou understand very well that all
you suggest is very excellent, and might be most beneficial in developing the
resources of our dominions; but the eminent men (Ulama, &c.) do not desire that
we should introduce the innovations of Europe into this land, nor conform
ourselves with Christian usages. We made certain promises on our accession to
the throne, and unless my councillors alter their views, we cannot, without
endangering our position.” When I alluded to Turkey and Egypt, he intimated that
those Governments had no doubt increased in power and wealth, but that their
independence was shaken.
‘Tissot received a telegram from his Government regarding some frontier
conflict near Taza, stating that a large force had been sent by the Governor of
Algeria to enter Morocco and chastise the predatory tribes. Thiers stopped the
march of the force, until Tissot could be referred to. He has arranged all matters
satisfactorily with the Sultan, to whom he brought the “Grand Cordon of the Legion
of Honour.” . . .
‘Whilst the Sultan was digesting my memoranda on various affairs, we made an
expedition to the slopes of the Atlas. My son reached the snow, but was obliged to
beat a rapid retreat, as the mountaineers were in revolt against the Sultan. The
Shloh tribes of the Atlas, who were submissive to the Sultan, were most kind and
hospitable to us. They gave us all a hearty welcome, and I was delighted on
finding that I was known to all these wild fellows as being a friend to the Moors and
“a just man.” The valleys of the Atlas are very beautiful and fertile. The inhabitants
live in two-storied houses, something like the Swiss, only very rude in form. They
are a far superior race to their conquerors, the Arabs.’
As this letter shows, the hope which Sir John had entertained of
returning with the Mission through the Atlas mountains and thence to
Mogador was not completely fulfilled, as a rising of the tribes in that
district rendered the expedition unsafe. Sid Musa however
suggested that before leaving Marákesh, an expedition of a few days
might be organised to visit ‘Uríka,’ on the slope of the Atlas nearest
to the city. This was arranged, and on the morning of April 17 the
party left Marákesh by the beautiful Bab el Mahsen, or Government
gate, the fine old arch of which, built of red stone engraved with
Arabic inscriptions, is said to have been brought by the Moors from
Spain,—an improbable legend founded on the fact that Jeber was
the architect. The narrative is given from Miss Hay’s Diary.
‘As we passed the Sultan’s palace, which, by the way, is said to
contain a female population amounting to a thousand women (of all
colours!), the standard-bearer lowered the banner as a mark of
respect. This salute was also accorded when passing the tombs of
“saléhin,” or holy men.
‘On this trip, as also on the subsequent return journey to Mogador,
the usual red banner that precedes an envoy was replaced by a
green one. This latter is the emblem of the Sultan’s spiritual
authority, and there was a peculiar significance and compliment in its
being sent to precede the Representative of Great Britain and of a
Christian Sovereign. The Sultan also sent his own stirrup-holder, a
fine old Bokhári, to attend Sir John, as he would his Royal Master, an
office which the noble old man punctiliously fulfilled. He was always
near Sir John’s person, prepared to alight and hold his stirrup when
required, as he was wont to do for the Sultan. The old man had
many a quaint tale to relate, and Sir John would sometimes summon
him to his side and encourage him to talk of his recollections and
experiences.
‘The valley of the Atlas, whither we were bound, was in sight due
South. Our way at first lay across the plain and along the line of deep
and dangerous pits that mark the track of the aqueduct which
supplies Marákesh with water, said to come from the hills thirty miles
distant. These pits are about twenty feet in diameter and of equal
depth, and one of our party had a narrow escape one day, during a
wild and general race across the plain, riding nearly directly into one
of these chasms concealed by long grass. Fortunately the clever
little Barb swerved, and, jumping, cleared the pit to one side.
‘Tradition states that formerly, in remote times, an aqueduct
brought water underground direct from the Atlas to the city. This
became blocked and damaged, but could not be repaired or cleared
owing to its great depth below the surface. Therefore one of the
ancient rulers, to collect the water it supplied, made great wells or
reservoirs some fifteen miles from Marákesh, and closed all the
fountains and springs in their vicinity. From these the present water
supply was brought to the city, and originally flowed in through four
hundred canals or aqueducts. These, Arabian historians relate, were
the work of 20,000 Christian captives.