Travels in the Atlas and Southern Morocco, a narrative of exploration . But a far more impor-tant factor in effecting this specialisation • was the oldstate of things—now only existent in remote cornersof the Atlas—which prevented Jews from leaving theplaces where they were brought up as semi-serfs. Athird was their prevailing habit of marrying amongrelations in order to keep their hard-won money fromgoing outside the family. Child-marriages we found to be the rule in Amsmiz—not, be it remembered, between a boy and a girl,but between a man of mature years, frequently oldeven, and a child of fr
Travels in the Atlas and Southern Morocco, a narrative of exploration . But a far more impor-tant factor in effecting this specialisation • was the oldstate of things—now only existent in remote cornersof the Atlas—which prevented Jews from leaving theplaces where they were brought up as semi-serfs. Athird was their prevailing habit of marrying amongrelations in order to keep their hard-won money fromgoing outside the family. Child-marriages we found to be the rule in Amsmiz—not, be it remembered, between a boy and a girl,but between a man of mature years, frequently oldeven, and a child of from seven to ten. These child-wives live with their husbands, though, as may beunderstood, only for protection till they attain a cer-tain development. Mothers at ten are not, however,unheard of, and are not rare at thirteen or fifteen. The surprising thing about these early marriages isthat they do not appear to react upon the physiqueof the population. As far as Amsmiz was concerned,the custom seemed to result in the production of finehealthy men and ( 285 ) CHAPTER XX. GLEN OF THE WAD AMSMIZ. On the 23 rd June, the mules being sufficiently re-covered, we resolved to broach our plans to the far not a breath of our intentions, as far as weknew, had got out. In addition to keeping every-thinof secret, we had called the worst of our men beforeus, and given them a frightful blowing up. We toldthem that we knew all about their evil machinations atGlauwa, and said that if such practices were continuedwe would take a terrible revenge. We left them toimagine for themselves what that revenge would be,giving them a wide margin of speculation betweendeath by shooting or flogging, or by torture or starva-tion in a dungeon. In any case, we gave them tounderstand it would be something unusually severe,and failed not to emphasise our threats with demoniacfaces, tones, and gestures, till, in shaky undertones,they could be heard muttering, God help me ! Godhelp me ! N
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