Most travellers are satisfied with a visit to Tangier, an excursion to Tetuán, and the interesting coasting voyage (best in April-Sept.) to Rabât or Mogador. Europeans rarely travel in the interior, except perhaps in Blad el-Makhzen, while in N. Morocco they should avoid the rainy winter season. As roads, bridges, and inns are lacking, a costly equipment for such expeditions is required, including tents, camp-beds, cooking utensils, provisions, drinking-water, candles, medicines, insect-powder, etc. A guide or mule-driver, a cook, an interpreter, and a soldier as an escort (mekhazni) also are usually engaged. Lastly a mule (incl. attendant and fodder, 4–5 pesetas per day) is preferable to a horse (5 p. or upwards), being more sure-footed and enduring. Before starting, the traveller should apply for information and assistance to a consul or other experienced resident, and obtain from them introductions to the local authorities (caid, pasha, or amel) or to so-called protégés (semsar, mokhâlat). Persons of distinction have a right to a formal reception by the authorities and to the mûna (free provisions, like the ancient ‘purveyance’), for which, as also for hospitality, a return is made either in kind (as firearms, telescopes, watches, trinkets) or in money. In the country it is advisable to put up at the village caravanserais (nzalas), where a night-watchman is provided (fee) and where offerings by the peasants (milk, oranges, etc.; small fee) should not be declined. At towns early arrival is essential, as all the gates are closed at sunset. As to dealings with Mohammedans, comp. p. xxv. Travellers are specially warned against photographing or even entering their mosques, saints’ tombs, or burial-grounds.
In the seaport-towns Spanish silver (p. [52]) and English or French gold are current, but in the interior Spanish and Morocco money only (silver coins of 5, 2½, 1¼, ½, and ¼ p.). In the interior letters of credit addressed to Jewish or other firms are convenient.
Books. R. L. Playfair and R. Brown, Bibliography of Morocco (London, 1892); Budgett Meakin, The Moorish Empire (London, 1899), The Land of the Moors (London, 1901), The Moors (London, 1902), and Life in Morocco and Glimpses Beyond (London, 1905); J. Thomson, Travels in the Atlas and Southern Morocco (London, 1889); W. B. Harris, Tafilet (London, 1895); A. S. Forrest and S. L. Bensusan, Morocco (London, 1904, illus.); D. Mackenzie, The Khalifate of the West (London, 1910; illus.; 10 s. 6 d.); E. Ashmead-Bartlett, The Passing of the Shereefian Empire (Edinburgh, 1910; illus.; 15 s.); H. J. B. Ward, Mysterious Morocco and how to appreciate it (London, 1910; 2 s. 6 d.); A. Brives, Voyages au Maroc, 1901–7 (Algiers, 1909; illus.) and Aperçu géologique et agricole sur le Maroc occidental; Ch. de Foucauld, Reconnaissance au Maroc, 1883–4 (Paris, 1888); Marq. de Segonzac, Voyages au Maroc (Paris, 1903; 27 fr.); Eug. Aubin, Le Maroc d’Aujourd’hui (Paris, 1904; 5 fr.; also Engl, trans., ‘Morocco of To-day’, London, 1906); H. Lorin, L’Afrique du Nord (Paris, 1908).
The best Map of Morocco (1:500,000) is that published by the Service Géographique de l’Armée (Paris; 1 fr. each sheet).
12. Tangier.
Arrival. The steamers (see below) anchor in the open roads, and passengers are conveyed to the pier in small boats. The German companies furnish landing-tickets (1 s. for landing or embarking), otherwise the tariff is 1 peseta (from the larger steamers 1¼ p.) each person; trunk ½, hand-luggage ¼ p. When the sea is rough a blue flag is hoisted on the pier and fares are doubled; in stormy weather (yellow flag) a bargain must be made, provided landing be at all possible. It is advisable to stipulate for the landing of luggage and its transport to the hotel for an inclusive sum (¾–1 p.) and to disregard the noisy importunities of the boatmen and porters. If need be, the help of the hotel-agents may be invoked. The traveller should be on his guard against pilfering also. Guides, who represent themselves as agents for the hotels, also proffer their services, even during the crossing from Gibraltar, but their attendance generally makes everything dearer. Besides the fares mentioned, pier-dues are levied (25 c.; for each package 5 c.).—The custom-house examination at the town-gate is lenient. A passport is unnecessary.
Hotels. Hôt. Continental (Pl. a; D, 1), in a quiet site, not far from the pier, with a fine sea-view, patronized by Americans, pens. from 10s.; *Hôt. Cecil (Pl. b; E, 4, 5), on the Playa Grande, with a terrace and sea-view, pens. 10–12s.; *Hot. Villa Valentina (Pl. c; C, 5), on the Fez road, pens. 8–10s., 8 min. from the Outer Market; Hôt. Villa de France (Pl. d; B, 4), on a height behind the Outer Market, with fine view, 12 min. from the quay, an old-established French house, pens. from 10s.—Hôt. Bristol (Pl. e; D, 2), in the Inner Market (p. [100]), pens. 8–10s., good; Hôt. Cavilla, pens. 8–10 p., well spoken of, and Hôt. Maclean, pens. 6–8 p., both in the Outer Market; Hôt. Oriental (Pl. f; D, 2), pens. from 8½ fr., near the Great Mosque.—Wine is usually an extra.
Cafés. Café-Restaurant Central, Inner Market, déj. 2½, D. 3 p.; Lion d’Or and Café du Commerce near the French post-office. The Arab Cafés, mostly conducted by the guides, are a kind of Moorish cafés-chantants (cup of ‘Arab coffee’ in the evening 1 p.).
Post Offices. British, German, and Spanish (Pl. 3, 1, 2; D, 2), all in the Inner Market; French (Pl. 4; D, 2, 3), behind the Great Mosque. Postage on letters to Great Britain, France, Germany, or Spain 10 c., if posted at the respective office, otherwise 25 c.; post-cards 10 c.—British Telegraph (Pl. 6; B, 2), on the old road from the outer market to the Marshan; French, to Oran, at the French post-office; Spanish (Pl. 5; D, 3), not far from the inner market.
Steamers. Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. (E. Chappory), from London fortnightly for Tangier, Mogador, the Canaries, and Madeira (RR. 14, 4, 3); Bland Line (M. Pariente), for Gibraltar (R. 6 b), Tetuán (R. 13), and Larash (R. 14); N. Paguet & Co., for Marseilles, and for Rabât and Mogador (R. 14); Trasatlántica (Ortenbach), Canary Line to Casablanca, Mazagan, etc. (R. 14); Vapores Correos de Africa (Romany y Miquel), for Cadiz and Algeciras (R. 6 b), Ceuta (R. 13), Larash, Rabât, etc. (R. 14); Navigation Mixte (C. Touache; R. Buzenet), for Melilla, Málaga, and Oran (R. 18); Oldenburg-Portuguese (Renschhausen & Co.), for Mogador, etc. (R. 14); Rotterdam Lloyd (Lalaurie & de Testa), from Southampton fortnightly for Lisbon, Tangier, Marseilles, etc.; Nederland Royal Mail, from Southampton fortnightly for Tangier, Algiers, etc.; German East African Line (Jahn & Toledano), from Southampton every three weeks for Tangier, Marseilles, etc.; also excursion-steamers of the Peninsular & Oriental Co., etc. (see p. [2]).