e the Moorish cavalry "playing at powder,"
(Lab Elbaroud) being a stirring and novel scene. A troop of these
haughty cavaliers assembled with their chiefs almost daily on the playa,
or parade. Then they divided themselves into parties of twenty or
thirty; proceeding with their manoeuvres, the cavaliers at first advance
slowly in a single line, then canter, and then gallop, spurring on the
horse to its last gasp, meantime standing up erect on their
shovel-stirrups, and turning from one side to the other; looking round
with an air of defiance, they fire off their matchlocks, throw
themselves into various dexterous attitudes, sometimes letting fall the
bridle. The pieces being discharged, the horses instantaneously stop.
The most difficult lesson a barb learns, is to halt suddenly in mid
career of a full gallop. To discharge his matchlock, standing on the
stirrups while the horse is in full gallop, is the great lesson of
perfection of the Maroquine soldiery. The cavaliers now wheel out of the
way for the next file, returning reloading, and taking their places to
gallop off and fire again. Crowds of people attend these equestrian
exhibitions, of which they are passionately fond. They squat round the
parade in double or treble rows, muffled up within their bournouses, in
mute admiration. Occasionally women are present, but females here join
in very few out-door amusements. When a whole troop of cavaliers are
thus manoeuvering, galloping at the utmost stretch of the horses'
muscles, the men screaming and hallowing "hah! hah! hah!" the dust and
sand rising in clouds before the foaming fiery barb, with the deafening
noise and confusion of a simultaneous discharge of firelocks, the
picture represents in vivid colours what might be conceived of the wild
Nubian cavalry of ancient Africa. [16] Today there was a mishap; several
cavaliers did not keep up the line. The chief leading the troops, cried
out in a rage, and with the voice of a senator, "Fools! madmen! are you
children, or are ye men?" Christians or Jews standing too near, are
frequently pushed back with violence; and we were told "not to stand in
the way of Mussulmen."

These cavaliers are sometimes called _spahis_; they are composed of
Moors, Arabs, Berbers, and all the native races in Morocco. They are
usually plainly dressed, but, beneath the bournouse, many of them wear
the Moorish dress, embroidered in the richest style. Some of the horses
are magnificently caparisone