were quite undistinguishable one from the other, and only looked like so many large bundles of flannel.

A Moorish band was in attendance, and continually discoursed sweet music of the nature I have before described. On two occasions the scene was honoured by the presence of the Bashaw and his staff, and the great man even ran a course or two himself in the powder-play; an of condescension which was received with much enthusiasm by his assembled subjects. Most of the European consuls were present too, with their families; and of course all the tourists and visitors from the hotels, many of whom regarded the scene with surprise and astonishment. Morocco is a country so little visited by the ordinary tourist tribe, that very little seems really to be known about it; and people are not prepared to see, in a place such a very short distance out of the beaten tracks of travellers as Tangier is, scenes so foreign in their aspect as the Moorish lab-el-barode.

So ended the Feast of Rams; at least in its actual celebration. But besides the disagreeables resulting from turning every street in the town into a butcher's shambles -not the least of which was an odour combining the perfumes of a stale slaughter-house and a bone-grinding establishment, which lasted until the next rains had washed the thoroughfares-we were unpleasantly reminded of the Feast of Rams for some weeks afterwards, by beholding, floating on the breeze from the

roof of every Moorish house, long pennons of illsmelling meat. These were the overplus of the flesh of the sacrificed animals, cut into long narrow strips, and being dried in the sun for after-consumption!

CHAPTER XV.

SUPERSTITIONS IN MOROCCO AND ELSEWHERE.

BUT before altogether leaving the subject, I wish to record a somewhat sensational anecdote in connection with the Feast of Rams, which was going the round of Tangier circles for some days. Selam entertained

the breakfast table of the United National Hotel with it one morning. He gave the tale a most unhesitating credence, which I don't feel quite sure that all who read it here will be ready to bestow.

The day before the commencement of the Feast of Rams, a dishonest Moor, who had stolen an animal from one of his neighbours, brought it into the town to sell. It was a very fine ram, and he expected to get a large sum for it; which expectation heightened on the way, as the ram, while he carried it on his shoulders, seemed to grow heavier and heavier; so heavy indeed, that he almost sank beneath the burden. He took it first to a coffee-shop, where a number of Moors were as usual assembled; but, behold! no sooner had he lifted it from his back, than instead of the fine fat sheep he had carried, there was a lean and skinny wretch, which nobody would think of purchasing; and which he was in fact laughed at and derided for thinking of offering for sale. Much astonished, but still

But

more mortified and disappointed, he threw the stolen ram on his shoulders again, and left the shop. no sooner was he in the street, than all the animal's size and weight returned; and his hopes reviving also, he staggered on with it to another coffee-shop. But here the wonder was repeated. No sooner had he disburdened himself of the ram than he found it to be again a miserable attenuated animal, that nobody would so much as look at, much less buy. There was nothing for it, but to take it up on his back again, and sally forth. Great however was his amazement, to find, when he left the shop, that the ram as before began to grow heavy, and in fact so increased in weight as he went on, that he could scarcely move under it. Determined not to be foiled this time, he took it next to the house of a friend who lived near, instead of a coffee-shop, partly because he was resolved to get rid of it now, before it grew thin again, and partly because it was becoming so heavy, that he really felt he could carry it no further.

"Ah, Hamed!" he cried, as he entered his friend's house; "do you want a fine ram for the feast? If you do, here's one, the largest and heaviest I ever carried on my back."

Hamed as it happened, did want a ram, and perceiving how fine a one this was (Abdullah still carried it on his shoulders), he was willing to become the purchaser.

"But why do you keep it still on your back?" he said. "Put it down and rest yourself, and then, too, I shall be able to feel it, and find out whether it is in truth so fat as it looks."

"No," said his cunning friend; "there's no need that I should do that. I'm not very tired; and any one can know by looking at him, that this is the finest ram that has been brought into Tangier for the feast. I brought him to you first as you are a friend, but it's getting late, and I can't waste my time; so if you won't put down the price for him at once," naming a sum that was moderate for so very fat a ram as this seemed, "I'll just carry him off to Ali's coffee-shop, where there are plenty who will be ready to have him at the first word."

This specious talk had its due effect on Hamed. Dreading to lose so excellent a bargain by delay, he counted down the money to the wily Abdullah, who instantly took the ram off his shoulders, preparing with all speed to pocket the money; which he would much have liked to have done first, only that both his hands being engaged holding the ram on his shoulders, he was unable to take it up.

But great was Hamed's amazement, and violent his indignation, when instead of the fine animal he believed himself to have purchased; there stood before him a shrunk and wasted creature, a mere skeleton of a ram, not worth half a peseta, and such as no well-to-do