Excerpt from Morocco: Its People and Places

The emotion, however, which one naturally feels on first setting foot on that immense and mysterious continent, which has moved the imagination Since one's childhood, is disturbed by the manner of dis embarkation. Just as we began to see distinctly from the vessel the first white houses Of Tangiers, a Spanish lady behind us cried out, in a voice of alarm, What can all those people want? I looked, and beheld behind the boats that were coming to take Off the passengers, a crowd of half-naked, ragged Arabs, standing up to their hips in the water, and pointing out the Ship with eager gestures, like a band Of brigands rejoicing over their approaching prey. Not knowing who they were, or what they wanted, I descended with an anxious mind into the boat with the other passengers. When we had come to within twenty paces of the Shore all this brick colored crew swarmed into our boat and laid hands upon us, vociferating in Spanish and Arabic, and making us understand that the water being too low for us to land from the boats, we were to be transported upon their Shoulders which information dissipated our fears of robbery, and imposed in their stead the dread of vermin. The ladies were borne Off in triumph upon stools, and I made my entrance into Africa upon the back of an old mulatto, with my chin resting upon his bare skull, and the tips of my toes in the water.

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