Page:Ossendowski - The Fire of Desert Folk.djvu/102

86 as to why, instead of the traditional fez of the country, he wore a black velvet skull-cap, the same as the Jews wear in Poland, he smiled and gave me the interesting response that this fashion has probably existed since the sixteenth century and had a quite adventitious origin.

"It was in this wise," he continued. "An Algerian pirate captured a boat that was loaded with these little caps, which we call 'berretta,' and his masters, not knowing how to profit by such spoil, secured an order through the Moslem authorities that all Jews were to wear berrettas. From that day to this the custom has persisted so that this cap has become known as the distinctive mark of a Jew. It is possible that this custom was carried into Europe from here, as it spread from Algeria in both directions into Tunisia and Morocco."

The Jewish women very often wear, as their favorite decoration, necklaces of silver and gold coins counting pieces from all countries with a predominance of the louis d'or of Napoleon III, though one can also find among them many Spanish and Russian coins.

After luncheon we took leave of pretty Tlemsen with a little tinge of sadness and entrained for Ujda. We were sorry to say good-bye to Mahomet ben M'Hammed, with whom we had become very friendly and whom we had found to be a most intelligent and agreeable guide.

As the train swung round a curve, the minarets of Tlemsen, the picturesque settlement of El-Eubbad and the ravine of the Safsaf appeared for the last time as our final, fleeting picture of the town of holy Walis and of vicious djinns, only to be blotted out a moment later by a curve in the road.