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A Mathematical
Companion to
Quantum Mechanics
 Copyright
Copyright © 2019 by Shlomo Sternberg
All rights reserved.

Bibliographical Note
A Mathematical Companion to Quantum Mechanics is a new work, first
published by Dover Publications, Inc., in 2019.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sternberg, Shlomo, author.
Title: A mathematical companion to quantum mechanics / Shlomo Sternberg
(professor of mathematics emeritus, Harvard University).
Description: Mineola, New York : Dover Publications, Inc., 2019.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018044258 | ISBN 9780486826899 | ISBN 0486826899
Subjects: LCSH: Quantum theory. | Mathematical physics.
Classification: LCC QC174.12 .S8445 2019 | DDC 530.12—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018044258

Manufactured in the United States by LSC Communications

82689901 2019
www.doverpublications.com
 To
Aviva Green
Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 The Fourier Transform

2.0.1 Conventions
2.1 Basic Facts about the Fourier Transform Acting on S
2.1.1 The Fourier Transform on L2
2.2 Tempered Distributions
2.3 The Laplace Transform
2.3.1 The Mellin Inversion Formula

3 The Spectral Theorem, I

3.1 The Exponential Series for a Bounded Operator
3.2 The Functional Calculus A → f (A)
3.3 Gelfand’s Formula for the Spectral Radius
3.3.1Normal Operators
3.3.2The Spectrum of an Element in an Algebra
3.3.3The Spectral Radius
3.3.4Gelfand’s Proof of the Spectral Theorem for Bounded
Self-adjoint Operators
3.4 Non-negative Operators

4 Unbounded Operators
4.1 Unbounded Operators
4.1.1 Linear Operators and Their Graphs
4.1.2 The Resolvent and the Resolvent Set
 4.1.3 The Adjoint of a Densely Defined Linear Operator

5 Semi-groups, I
5.1 The Bounded Case
5.1.1 The Resolvent from the Semi-group
5.1.2 The Semi-group from the Resolvent
5.1.3 The Two Resolvent Identities
5.2 Sectorial Operators
5.2.1 Definition of et A When A Is Sectorial
5.2.2 The Integral Converges and Is Independent of r
5.2.3 The Semi-group Property
5.2.4 Bounds on et A
5.2.5 The Derivatives of et A, Its Holomorphic Character
5.2.6 The Limit of et A as t → 0+
5.2.7 The Resolvent as the Laplace Transform of the Semi-
group

6 Self-adjoint Operators
6.1 Recall about Unbounded Operators and Their Spectra
6.2 The Spectrum of a Self-adjoint Operator Is Real

7 Semi-groups, II
7.1 Equibounded Continuous Semi-groups
7.1.1 The Infinitesimal Generator

8 Semi-groups, III
8.1 Using the Mellin Inversion Formula
8.2 The Hille-Yosida Theorem
8.2.1 Contraction Semi-groups
8.3 The Spectral Theorem, Functional Calculus Form
 8.3.1 The Functional Calculus for Functions in S
8.4 The Dynkin-Helffer-Sjöstrand Formula
8.4.1 Symbols
8.4.2 Slowly Decreasing Functions
8.4.3 Stokes’ Formula in the Plane
8.4.4 Almost Holomorphic Extensions
8.4.5 The Dynkin-Helffer-Sjöstrand Formula
8.4.6 The Dynkin-Helffer-Sjöstrand Formula for the
Resolvent
8.4.7 Davies’ Proof of the Spectral Theorem
8.5 Monotonicity
8.6 Dissipative Operators, the Lumer-Phillips Theorem
8.7 The Key Points of the Preceding Chapters

9 Weyl’s Theorem on the Essential Spectrum

9.1 An Example, the Square Well in One Dimension
9.2 The Kato-Rellich Theorem, the Notion of a Core
9.3 The Spectrum as “Approximate Eigenvalues”
9.3.1 An Alternative Approach Using the Born
Approximation
9.3.2 There Is No Spectrum of the Square Well
Hamiltonian below −K
9.4 The Discrete Spectrum and the Essential Spectrum
9.4.1 Characterizing the Essential Spectrum
9.4.2 A Slightly Different Characterization of the Essential
Spectrum
9.5 The Stability of the Essential Spectrum
9.5.1 Preview: How We Will Use Weyl’s Theorem
9.5.2 Proof That A + B Is Self-adjoint
 9.5.3 Proof That the Essential Spectrum of A Is Contained
in the Essential Spectrum of A + B
9.5.4 Proof That the Essential Spectrum of A Contains the
Essential Spectrum of A + B
9.6 The Domain of H0 in One Dimension
9.7 Back to the Square Well (in One Dimension)
9.7.1 The Eigenvalues for the Square Well Hamiltonian
9.7.2 Tunneling

10 More from Weyl’s Theorem

10.1 Finite Rank Operators
10.1.1 A Compact Operator Is the Norm Limit of Finite Rank
Operators
10.2 Compact Operators
10.3 Hilbert Schmidt Operators
10.3.1 Hilbert Schmidt Integral Operators
10.3.2 A More General Definition of Hilbert Schmidt
Operator
10.3.3 An Important Example
10.4 Using Weyl’s Theorem for H0 + V
10.4.1 Applications to Schrödinger Operators
10.5 The Harmonic Oscillator
10.5.1 Weyl’s Law
10.5.2 Verifying Weyl’s Law for the Harmonic Oscillator
10.6 Potentials in L2 ⊕ L∞ in R3
10.6.1 The Hydrogen Atom

11 Extending the Functional Analysis via Riesz

11.1 Integration According to Daniel
11.2 A Riesz Representation Theorem for Measures
 11.3 Verifying That f ↦ O(f) Is a Functional Calculus

12 Wintner’s Proof of the Spectral Theorem

12.1 Self-adjoint Operators and Herglotz Functions
12.1.1 Herglotz Functions
12.1.2 The Borel Transform or the Stieltjes Transform
12.2 The Measure μx.x
12.2.1 The Measure μx.y
12.3 The Spectral Theorem via Wintner
12.4 Partitions of Unity or Resolutions of the Identity
12.5 Stone’s Formula and the Stieltjes Inversion Formula

13 The L2 Version of a Spectral Theorem

13.1 The Cyclic Case
13.1.1 Cyclic Vectors
13.1.2 The Isometry U in the Cyclic Case
13.1.3 The General Case
13.2 Fractional Powers of a Non-negative Operator
13.2.1 Non-negative Operators
13.2.2 The Case 0 < λ < 1
13.2.3 The Case λ = , the Quadratic Form Associated with a
Non-negative Self-adjoint Operator
13.3 The Lax-Milgram Theorems
13.3.1 Gelfand’s Rigged Hilbert Spaces
13.3.2 The Hermitian Case—Lax-Milgram-III
13.4 Semi-bounded Operators and the So-called Friedrichs
Extension
13.4.1 Semi-bounded Operators
13.4.2 The Friedrichs Extension
 13.5 Hardy’s Inequality and the Hydrogen Atom
13.5.1 Hardy’s Inequality

14 Rayleigh-Ritz
14.1 The Rayleigh-Ritz Method
14.1.1 The Hydrogen Molecule
14.1.2 The Heitler-London “Theory” (1927)
14.1.3 Variations on the Variational Formula
14.1.4 The Secular Equation
14.2 Back to Chemistry: Valence
14.2.1 Two-dimensional Examples
14.2.2 The Hückel Theory of Hydrocarbons

15 Some One-dimensional Quantum Mechanics

15.1 Introduction
15.2 The Sturm Comparison Theorem and Its Consequences
15.2.1 The Sturm Oscillation Theorem
15.2.2 A Dichotomy
15.2.3 Comparison of Two Equations
15.2.4 Application to Eigenvectors
15.3 Using the Quadratic Form H (f, g) and Rayleigh-Ritz
15.3.1 The Quadratic Form H(f, g)
15.4 Perron-Frobenius-Krein-Rutman
15.5 Variational Principles, Glazman’s Lemma
15.6 The Zeros of Eigenvectors in Higher Dimensions

16 More One-dimensional Quantum Mechanics

16.1 Introduction
16.2 Some Computations in One Dimension
 16.2.1 Motion under the Free Hamiltonian, Spreading of the
Wave Packet
16.2.2 The Resolvent of the Free Hamiltonian in One
Dimension
16.3 Some Elementary Scattering Theory in One Dimension
16.3.1 On the Far Field Behavior of Solutions of the Wave
Equation in One Dimension
16.3.2 The Free Problem
16.3.3 The Jost Solutions
16.3.4 A Brief Excursion about Wronskians

17 Some Three-dimensional Computations

17.1 The Yukawa Potential in Three Dimensions
17.1.1 The Yukawa Potential and the Resolvent
17.1.2 The Time Evolution of the Free Hamiltonian

18 Bound States and Scattering States

18.1 Introduction
18.2 The Mean Ergodic Theorem
18.3 Recall: The Kato-Rellich Theorem
18.4 Characterizing Operators with Purely Continuous Spectrum
18.5 The RAGE Theorem
18.5.1 The Spaces M0 and M∞
18.5.2 Using the Mean Ergodic Theorem
18.5.3 The Amrein-Georgescu Theorem
18.6 Kato Potentials
18.7 Ruelle’s Theorem

19 The Exponential Decay of Eigenstates

19.1 Introduction
19.2 The Agmon Metric
 19.2.1 The Agmon Distance
19.3 Agmon’s Theorem
19.3.1 Conjugation and Commutation of H0 by a
Multiplication Operator
19.4 Some Inequalities
19.5 Completion of the Proof

20 Lorch’s Proof of the Spectral Theorem

20.1 The Riesz-Dunford Calculus
20.1.1 The Riemann Integral over a Curve
20.1.2 Lorch’s Proof of Gelfand’s Formula for the Spectral
Radius
20.1.3 Stone’s Formula
20.2 Lorch’s Proof of the Spectral Theorem
20.2.1 The Point Spectrum
20.2.2 Operators with Pure Point Spectrum
20.2.3 Partition into Pure Types
20.2.4 Completion of Lorch’s Proof

21 Scattering Theory via Lax and Phillips

21.1 Notation
21.1.1 Examples
21.2 Incoming and Outgoing Subspaces
21.3 Breit-Wigner
21.4 Strongly Contractive Semi-groups
21.5 The Sinai Representation Theorem
21.5.1 The Sinai Representation Theorem
21.5.2 The Stone-von Neumann Theorem
21.6 The Stone-von Neumann Theorem
21.6.1 The Heisenberg Algebra and Group
 21.6.2 The Stone-von Neumann Theorem

22 Huygens’ Principle
22.1 Introduction
22.2 d’Alembert and Duhamel
22.3 Fourier Analysis
22.3.1 Using the Fourier Transform to Solve the Wave
Equation
22.3.2 Conservation of Energy at Each Frequency
22.3.3 Distributional Solutions
22.4 The Radon Transform
22.4.1 Definition of the Radon Transform
22.4.2 Using the Fourier Inversion Formula for the Wave
Equation
22.4.3 Huygens’ Principle in Odd Dimensions > 1

23 Some Quantum Mechanical Scattering Theory

23.1 Introduction
23.1.1 Notation
23.1.2 The Spaces M+ and M−
23.1.3 Scattering States and the Scattering Operator
23.2 The Scattering Operator
23.3 Properties of the Wave and Scattering Operators
23.3.1 Invariance Properties of M± and R±
23.3.2 Cook’s Lemma
23.3.3 The Chain Rule
23.4 “Time Independent Scattering Theory”
23.4.1 Expressing the Wave Operators in Terms of the
Resolvents
23.4.2 A Perturbation Series for the Wave Operators
 23.5 Meromorphic Continuation of the Resolvents
23.6 The Lippmann-Schwinger Equation—A Reference

24 The Groenewold-van Hove Theorem

24.1 Poisson Algebra, Notation
24.1.1 The Polynomials of Degree ≤ 2 Form a Maximal
Poisson Sub-algebra of the Algebra of All Polynomials
24.1.2 The Action of sp(2) on Homogeneous Polynomials
24.1.3 Maximality of the Polynomials of Degree ≤ 2
24.1.4 Expressing q2 p2 in Two Different Ways as Poisson
Brackets
24.2 A Change in Notation to Self-adjoint Operators
24.3 Proof of the Groenewold-van Hove Theorem

25 Chernoff’s Theorem
25.1 Convergence of Semi-groups
25.1.1 Resolvent Convergence
25.2 Chernoff’s Theorem
25.2.1 Lie’s Formula
25.2.2 Statement of Chernoff’s Theorem
25.2.3 Proof of Chernoff’s Theorem
25.3 The Trotter Product Formula
25.3.1 Commutators
25.3.2 Feynman “Path Integrals” from Trotter
25.3.3 The Feynman-Kac Formula

26 Some Background Material

26.1 Borel Functions and Borel Measures
26.2 The Basics of the Geometry of Hilbert Space
26.2.1 Scalar and Semi-scalar Products
 26.2.2 The Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality
26.2.3 The Triangle Inequality
26.2.4 Pre-Hilbert Spaces
26.2.5 Normed Spaces
26.2.6 Completion
26.2.7 The Pythagorean Theorem
26.2.8 The Theorem of Apollonius
26.2.9 Orthogonal Complements
26.2.10 The Problem of Orthogonal Projection
26.2.11 Orthogonal Projection
26.3 The Riesz Representation Theorem for Hilbert Spaces
26.3.1 Linear and Antilinear Maps
26.3.2 Linear Functions
26.3.3 The Riesz Representation Theorem
26.3.4 Proof of the Riesz Representation Theorem
26.4 The Riemann-Lebesgue Lemma
26.4.1 The Setup
26.4.2 The Averaging Condition
26.4.3 The Riemann-Lebesgue Lemma
26.5 The Riesz Representation Theorem for Measures
26.5.1 Partitions of Unity (in the Topological Sense) and
Urysohn’s Lemma
26.5.2 Urysohn Implies Uniqueness
26.5.3 Tentatively Defining the Appropriate σ-Algebra
26.5.4 Countable Sub-additivity of μ in General
26.5.5 Countable Additivity for Elements of ΩB
26.5.6 Proof That ΩB Is a σ-algebra
26.5.7 A Decomposition Theorem
Bibliography
Index
A Mathematical
Companion to
Quantum Mechanics
Chapter 1

Introduction

Over the years, I taught “Theory of Functions of a Real Variable” at

Harvard many times. In addition to standard material such as
functional analysis, measure, and integration theory, I included
elementary mathematics for quantum mechanics. I thought it would
be useful to extract this material and gather it together.
There are many books on this subject. The closest competitor is
the excellent book Mathematical Methods in Quantum Mechanics by
Teschl [25], but my approach to many topics is sufficiently different
to warrant the effort of organizing this book.
Of course, the multivolume book by Reed and Simon [17] is the
classic text on the subject, which goes far beyond anything I cover,
and is absolutely necessary for any serious student.
I don’t deal with the philosophical and mathematical foundations
of quantum mechanics for which I refer to Mackey’s classic [16].
This book presents mathematical methods.
As this book is assembled from many lectures, it is not in linear
order. It should be regarded as a potpourri of various topics.
Nevertheless, here is a rough outline:
A key ingredient is the spectral theorem for self-adjoint
operators. For example, the first proof for possibly unbounded self-
adjoint operators occurs in Wintner’s book of 1929 [27], and the
subtitle of the book is “Introduction to the Analytical Apparatus of
Quantum Theory.” I reproduce the frontispiece to his book at the
end of Chapter 12. I know at least eight different proofs of this
theorem. I derive the spectral theorem from the Fourier inversion
formula, which says that (for nice functions) f,

where denotes the Fourier transform of f. If we replace x by A and

write U (t) instead of eitA, this suggests that we define

This defines a “functional calculus” which has nice properties,

as we check in Chapter 3. The problem with this approach is how to
make sense of eitA. For bounded operators A, we can use the power
series for the exponential. But quantum mechanics requires
unbounded operators for which the power series makes no sense. In
Chapter 4, I explain unbounded operators, and define their
resolvents and spectra. In Chapter 6, I give the rather subtle
definition of a (possibly unbounded) self-adjoint operator. Chapters
5, 7, and 8 are devoted to the study of semi-groups and their
generators, culminating with the celebrated Hille-Yosida theorem. We
derive Stone’s theorem on the nature of unitary one parameter
groups on a Hilbert space as a special case of the Hille-Yosida
theorem. From Stone’s theorem we get the spectral theorem in
functional calculus form, at least for continuous functions f vanishing
at infinity. In this chapter I also present the important Dynkin-
Helffer-Sjöstrand formula for the functional calculus. The main points
of these first eight chapters are summarized at the end of Chapter 8.
The next big ticket item is Weyl’s 1909 theorem [26] on the
stability of the “essential spectrum.” This general theorem is proved
in Chapter 9 and worked out in detail for the square well
Hamiltonian of elementary quantum mechanics. Chapter 10 involves
more discussion on the details of Weyl’s theorem. One important
consequence is to a Schrödinger operator of the form H = H0 + V,
where H0 is the “free Hamiltonian” and V is a potential. Weyl’s
theorem implies that if V (x) → ∞ as x → ∞ then there is no
essential spectrum so the spectrum of H consists entirely of
eigenvalues of finite multiplicity, while if V (x) → 0 as x → ∞ then
the essential spectrum of H is the same as that of H0.
In Chapters 11 and 12, I return to the spectral theorem. In the
version given in the first eight chapters, the functional calculus
is limited to continuous functions vanishing at infinity. We
need to extend it to bounded Borel functions. (For those who don’t
know what these are, see section 26.1 below.) In Chapter 11, I use
the Riesz representation theorem [19] to get the needed extension.
In Chapter 12, I present Wintner’s proof, which gives the
functional calculus directly for bounded Borel functions. I did not do
the Wintner approach from the start because it depends on the Borel
transformand the Stieltjes inversion formula, which are not as well
known (or as standard) as the Fourier transform and its inversion
formula.
Chapter 13 is devoted to the L2 version of the spectral theorem,
which says that any self-adjoint operator is unitarily equivalent to
multiplication by a real function on a measure space. In contrast to
the functional calculus versions, this isomorphism is highly non-
canonical, but it allows us to discuss fractional powers of a non-
negative self-adjoint operator.
Chapter 14 is devoted to the celebrated Rayleigh-Ritz
approximation method for eigenvalues, with applications to
“chemical theories.”
Chapters 15 and 16 are devoted to quantum mechanics in one
dimension, with some results going back to the work of Sturm circa
1850.
Chapter 17 does some three-dimensional computations.
Chapter 18 is devoted to Ruelle’s theorem: It is a truism in
atomic physics or quantum chemistry courses that the eigenstates of
the Schrödinger operator for atomic electrons are the bound states—
the ones that remain bound to the nucleus—and that the “scattering
states” which fly off in large positive or negative times correspond to
the continuous spectrum. Ruelle’s theorem gives a mathematical
justification for this truism.
At the other extreme, Agmon’s theorem says that under
appropriate conditions the eigenvectors (which correspond to “bound
states”) die off exponentially at infinity. Chapter 19 gives a watered
down version of Agmon’s theorem.
In Chapter 20 I return once more to the spectral theorem, this
time giving Lorch’s proof which makes use of a beautifully “complex
variable style” calculus due Riesz and Dunford.
Chapters 21 to 23 give a smattering of quantum mechanical
scattering theory, including a chapter on Hughens’ principle of wave
mechanics.
Chapter 24 gives the Groenewold-van Hove Theorem, which
shows that Dirac’s proposal that “quantization” gives a
correspondence between the Poisson bracket of classical mechanics
and the commutator bracket of quantum mechanics does not work
beyond quadratic polynomials.
Chapter 25 returns to the subject of semigroups and presents an
important theorem of Chernoff and some of its consequences.
Chapter 26 gives some background material.
The first two chapters of [21] provide enough background in real
variable theory for this book. In fact, I assume much less and
provide a lot of the background, including a “primer” on Hilbert
spaces in Chapter 26. I suggest [25] as a good source for
background material. Both [21] and [25] are available gratis on the
web. I use the “uniform boundedness principle” (also known as the
“Banach-Steinhaus Theorem”) several times. A good treatment can
be found on page 39 of [25] and on page 98 of [21]. I use the
Stone-Weierstrass theorem (see [25] pp. 59–61) several times.
I use the Cauchy integral formula and Cauchy’s theorem (which
can be found near the opening of any text on complex variable
theory) throughout the book.
I thank Chen He and Rob Lowry for proofreading the text.
Chapter 2

The Fourier Transform

I will start with standard facts about the Fourier transform from
which I will derive the spectral theorem for bounded self-adjoint
operators in Chapter 3.

2.0.1 Conventions

The space S consists of all complex valued functions on ℝ that are

infinitely differentiable and vanish at infinity rapidly with all their
derivatives in the sense that

The ∥·∥m,n give a family of semi-norms on S making S into a Fréchet

space—that is, a vector space whose topology is determined by a
countable family of semi-norms.
We use the measure

on ℝ and so define the Fourier transform of an element of S by

and the convolution of two elements of S by

2.1 Basic Facts about the Fourier Transform Acting on S

We are allowed to differentiate with respect to ξ under

the integral sign since f (x) vanishes so rapidly at∞. We get

So the Fourier transform of

Integration by parts (with vanishing values at the end points)
gives

So the Fourier transform of Putting these two facts

together gives

Theorem 2.1.1. The Fourier transform is well defined on S and

This follows by differentiation under the integral sign and by

integration by parts, showing that the Fourier transform maps S
to S.

Convolution goes to multiplication.

so

Scaling.
For any f ∈ S and a > 0 define Sa f by (Sa) f (x) ≔ f (ax). Then
setting u = ax so dx = (1/a)du we have

so

The Fourier transform of a Gaussian is a Gaussian. The polar

coordinate trick evaluates

The integral

converges for all complex values of η, uniformly in any compact

region. Hence it defines an analytic function of η that can be
evaluated by taking η to be real and then using analytic
continuation.
For real η we complete the square and make a change of
variables:

Setting η = i ξ gives

We will make much use of this equation in what follows.

Scaling the unit Gaussian.

If we set a = ∈ in our scaling equation and define ρ∈ ≔ S∈n so

then

Notice that for any g ∈ S we have (by a change of variables)

so setting a = ∈ we conclude that

for all ∈.
Let

and

Then

so

An approximation. Since g ∈ S it is uniformly continuous on ℝ, for

any δ > 0 we can find ∈0 so that the above integral is less than δ in
absolute value for all 0 < ∈ < ∈0. In short,

The multiplication formula. This says that

for any f, g ∈ S. Indeed the left-hand side equals

We can write this integral as a double integral and then interchange
the order of integration, which gives the right-hand side.

The inversion formula. This says that for any f ∈ S

Proof. First observe that for any h ∈ S the Fourier transform of

is just as follows directly from the definition.
Taking g(x) = in the multiplication formula gives

We know that the right-hand side approaches

for each fixed t, and in fact uniformly on any bounded t interval.
Furthermore, for all t. So choosing the interval of
integration large enough, we can take the left-hand side as close as
we like to by then choosing ∈ sufficiently small.

Plancherel’s theorem. This says that

Proof. Let

Then the Fourier transform of is given by

so

Thus

The inversion formula applied to and evaluated at 0 gives

The left-hand side of this equation is

Thus we have proved Plancherel’s formula

The Poisson summation formula. This says that for any g ∈ S

we have

Proof. Let so h is a smooth function, periodic of

period 2π and

Expand h into a Fourier series where

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had cunningly given these vague assurances to induce him to depart
with his ships from their coast, and that I apprehended the Sultan
would express his surprise that we should have been led to suppose
that the piratical and rebellious inhabitants of the Rif coast would pay
compensation or give other satisfaction, in pursuance of any orders
which H.S.M. might issue.
In this sense, as I had expected, the Sultan replied to my note;
holding out, however, a hope, which had been expressed in past
years, that he would seek at a more favourable moment to make the
Rif population, who had been from time immemorial in a semi-
independent state, more subservient to his control.
Some months after the squadron had returned to England, a
British vessel, becalmed off the village of Benibugaffer, was taken by
a Rifian piratical craft, and the English crew were made captives.
 Tidings having reached Gibraltar of the capture of the British ship,
a gunboat was sent to Melilla to endeavour to obtain, through the
intervention of the Spanish authorities and an offer of a ransom, the
release of the British sailors, but this step was not attended with
success. Having heard that the Englishmen who had been captured
had been presented by the pirates to a Rif Marábet (or holy man)
named Alhádari, who resided on the coast, and as I had in past
years been in friendly communication with this person regarding
some Rifians who had proceeded in a British vessel to the East on a
pilgrimage to Mecca, and had been provided by me with letters of
recommendation to British Consular officers, I wrote him a friendly
letter, expressing the indignation I felt at the outrages which had
been committed by his piratical brethren on British vessels; that I had
been informed the authorities at Gibraltar had endeavoured, when
they heard British sailors were in the hands of the pirates, to pay a
ransom for their freedom, but had failed, as exorbitant demands had
been put forward; and that since I had learnt my countrymen were in
his hands, I felt satisfied they would be well treated, and that he
would facilitate at once their release and return to Gibraltar; that I
entertained too high an opinion of him to suppose he would not
consent to their release except on the payment of a ransom, and
therefore I would make no offer to purchase the liberty of my
countrymen, but renewed those assurances of friendship and
goodwill, of which I said I had already given proof in the past
treatment of his brethren.
Alhádari replied that the sailors were under his care, had been
well treated, and would be embarked in the first vessel which might
be sent to receive them.
This engagement was faithfully executed, and at my suggestion
the authorities at Gibraltar sent a suitable present to the worthy
Marábet. I wrote also to thank Alhádari, and to beg that he would use
his influence to put a stop to the disgraceful outrages committed in
past years by his brethren on the lives and property of British
subjects, and to say that I should probably take an opportunity of
seeking to have a parley with the chiefs, in the hope of coming to an
understanding with them to bring about a cessation of these
outrages; adding, that if my friendly intervention did not put a stop to
the piracy of his brethren, the British Government would be
compelled, in concert with the Sultan, to resort to hostile measures
on a large scale, and send forces by sea and land to chastise these
rebellious subjects of His Sherifian Majesty.
In the spring of 1856 H.M. frigate Miranda, Captain Hall, arrived at
Tangier with directions to convey me to the coast of Rif, and I
embarked on April 21, taking with me a Rifian friend, Hadj Abdallah
Lamarti, who was Sheikh of a village near Tangier called Suanni,
whose inhabitants are Rifians, or of Rif extraction.
Hadj Abdallah had left the Rif in consequence of a blood feud. He
was the chief of the boar-hunters at Tangier, and was looked up to
with respect, not only by the rural population in the neighbourhood of
that town, who are chiefly of Rif extraction, but also by the local
authorities, who frequently employed him in the settlement of
disputes with the refractory tribes in the mountainous districts of the
Tangier province.
We steamed along the rocky coast of Rif and touched at the
Spanish garrisons of Peñon and Alhucema. The former is a curious
little rock, separated from the mainland by a very narrow channel. A
colonel and a few soldiers garrisoned the fortress, which is
apparently of no possible use, though the authorities at that time
might have aided in checking piracy by stopping the passage of the
Rif galleys. The rock is so small that there was not a walk fifty yards
long on any part of it.
On the island of Alhucema, so called from the wild lavender that
grows there, we also landed. The Spanish authorities were civil, but
held out no hopes of being able to take steps to put a stop to piracy.
This island is also an insignificant possession, about half a mile
distant from the mainland. The inhabitants had occasional
communication with the Rifians, hoisting a flag of truce whenever a
boat was dispatched to the shore; but Spaniards were not at that
time allowed to make excursions on the mainland, nor were they
permitted to obtain provisions except a few fowls, eggs, and honey.

On our arrival at Melilla, the Governor, Colonel Buceta[26],

received us courteously. I made known to him that the British
Government had directed me to proceed to the coast of Rif, to
endeavour to come to an understanding with the chiefs with the view
of putting a stop to piracy on that coast, the Sultan of Morocco
having declared he had no power of control over his lawless
subjects, who had shown an utter disregard of the peremptory orders
which had been issued to restore British property captured by their
piratical galleys; that in order to carry out this object I was anxious to
have an interview with some of the chiefs, not only of the villages on
the coast where the owners of the piratical galleys dwelt, but more
especially with the chiefs of the neighbouring inland villages, as the
latter derived no immediate benefit from the plunder of shipping.
Colonel Buceta endeavoured to dissuade me from this purpose,
reminding me that Sir Charles Napier had failed in obtaining any
beneficial result from his parley with the Rifians who had an interview
with him in Melilla.
 Perceiving from the Governor’s language that he entertained
those feelings of jealousy which prevail with Spaniards regarding the
intervention of any foreign Government in the affairs of Morocco, I let
him understand that, should no beneficial result be obtained by my
visit in putting a stop to the outrages committed on merchant vessels
approaching the Rif coast, it would become a serious matter for the
consideration of our Government whether steps should not be taken
to inflict a chastisement on the Rifians by landing a force, and in
conjunction with the Sultan’s troops which might be dispatched, at
our instigation, for that purpose, to destroy the hamlets and boats on
the coast. The question might also arise, perhaps, of erecting a
fortress in some sheltered spot where a gunboat could be placed to
guard the coast against pirates, which I observed the authorities at
Spanish fortresses had hitherto been unable to effect.
This language sufficed to decide Colonel Buceta to accede to my
wishes; but he informed me that, in consequence of late acts of
aggression on the part of the natives, all communication with the
garrison had been cut off, and that no Rifians were allowed to enter;
it was therefore out of the question that he could admit any chieftains
into Spanish territory. Neither did he think the latter would be
disposed to venture into the gates of the fortress.
I then proposed to be allowed to dispatch my Rifian friend Hadj
Abdallah Lamarti with an invitation to some of the neighbouring
chiefs, both on the seaboard and inland, to meet me on the neutral
ground.
Colonel Buceta assented, but he repeated that he could not admit
any Rifians into the garrison, nor send an escort to accompany me,
should I pass the gates to go into the Rif country, adding that he
thought I should be incurring a serious risk of being carried off a
prisoner by the Rifians, if in the parley I should happen to express
myself in language such as I had used to him regarding the outrages
committed by these lawless people.
His predecessor, he informed me, in consequence of the frequent
hostilities which had taken place between the natives and the
garrison, had proposed to have a meeting with some chieftains
within the garrison. This they declined, fearing, as they alleged,
some act of treachery; but it was finally agreed that they should meet
the Governor on the neutral ground; that he could bring an escort of
twenty-five armed men, and that the chiefs would also be
accompanied by an equal number of followers; that the Governor
and one chief, both unarmed, were to advance to a central spot that
was selected about 150 yards distant from where their followers
assembled, and that the Spanish Governor could also bring with him
an interpreter.
This arrangement was carried out, and a Rifian chief, a man of
gigantic stature and herculean frame, advanced to meet the Spanish
Governor.
The parley commenced in a friendly manner; propositions were
made by each party regarding the conditions upon which peaceful
relations were to be re-established; but without bringing about any
result.
The Spanish Governor, finding the demands put forward by the
chieftain to be of an unacceptable character, expressed himself
strongly on the subject. A warm dispute ensued, and on the
Governor using some offensive expression, the Rifian seized in his
brawny arms the Governor, who was a little man, and chucking him
over his shoulders like a sack of grain, called out to the Spanish
detachment of soldiers to blaze away, and at the same time to his
own men to fire if the Spanish soldiers fired or attempted to advance,
whilst the chieftain ran off with the Governor, who was like a shield
on his back, to his followers.
The officer in command of the Spanish detachment, fearing that
the Governor might be killed, did not venture to let his men fire or
advance, and the Governor was carried off prisoner to a village
about three miles off on the hills, and notice was then sent to the
fortress that he would not be released until a ransom of 3000 dollars
was sent.
The Rifians kept the Governor prisoner until a reference was
made to Madrid, and orders were sent for the ransom to be paid.
‘Now,’ said Colonel Buceta, ‘your fate if you trust yourself to these
treacherous people will probably be the same, and I shall be quite
unable to obtain your release.’
I thanked the Governor for the advice, but declared that I must
fulfil my mission and was prepared to run all risks, having been
accustomed for many years to deal with Rifians at Tangier.
Buceta then consented that I should be allowed to pass the gates
of the garrison and invite the chiefs of the neighbouring Rif villages
to a parley on the neutral ground.
Colonel Buceta, a distinguished officer well known for his great
courage and decision, was I believe, on the whole, pleased that I
held to my purpose, though he warned me again and again that I
was incurring a great risk, and that in no manner could he intervene,
if I and the English officer who might accompany me were taken
prisoners.
My messenger returned and informed me that the neighbouring
chiefs, both of the inland and of the piratical villages of Benibugaffer,
would meet me on the neutral ground as had been proposed to
them.
Accompanied by Capt. Hall, who commanded H.M.’s frigate
Miranda, my friend Hadj Abdallah, and a ‘kavass,’ we proceeded to
the rendezvous.
Five or six chiefs awaited our advent, attended by some hundred
followers, stalwart fellows, many of them more than six feet high.
The chiefs wore brown hooded dresses, not unlike the costume of
a Franciscan friar; but part of the shirt-sleeves and front were
embroidered with coloured silks. Handsome leather-belts girded their
loins. A few of the elders wore white woollen ‘haiks,’ like unto the
Roman toga or mantle without seam, such as our Saviour is said to
have worn.
Some of the wild fellows had doffed their outer garments, carrying
them on their shoulders as they are wont to do when going to battle.
Their inner costume was a white cotton tunic, coming down to the
knees, with long wide sleeves fastened behind the back by a cord.
Around their loins each wore a leathern girdle embroidered in
coloured silk, from which on the one side hung a dagger and a small
pouch for bullets; while on the other was suspended a larger
leathern pouch or bag prettily embroidered and having a deep fringe
of leather, in which powder is carried; containing also a pocket to
carry the palmetto fibre, curiously enough called ‘lif,’ used instead of
wads over powder and ball. Their heads were closely shaved, except
that on the right side hung a long lock of braided hair, carefully
combed and oiled. Several of them were fair men with brown or red
beards, descendants perhaps of those Goths who crossed over into
Africa.
 The wild fellows reclined in groups on a bank, immediately behind
where the chiefs were standing to receive us. After mutual greetings
I addressed them in Arabic, which though not the common language,
for Berber is spoken in the Rif, yet is understood by the better
classes, who learn to read the Koran and to write in the ‘jama’ or
mosque school. The Berber is not a written language.
‘Oh, men! I come amongst you as a friend; an old friend of the
Mussulmans. I have been warned that Rifians are not to be trusted,
and that I and those who accompany me are in danger of treachery;
but I take no heed of such warnings, for Rifians are renowned for
bravery, and brave men never act in a dastardly manner. My best
friends at Tangier are Rifians, or those whose sires came from the
Rif, such as my friend here, Hadj Abdallah Lamarti. They are my
hunters, and I pass days and nights with them out hunting, and am
treated by them and look upon them as my brethren; so here I have
come to meet you, with the Captain of the frigate, unarmed, as you
see, and without even an escort of my countrymen from the ship-of-
war lying there, or from the Spanish garrison, for I felt sure I should
never require protection in the Rif against any man.’
‘You are welcome,’ exclaimed the chiefs. ‘The English have
always been our friends,’ and a murmur of approval ran through the
groups of armed men seated on the bank.
‘Yes!’ I continued, ‘the English have always been the friends of the
Sultan, the ‘Kaliph Allah,’ and of his people.
‘You are all Mussulmans, and as followers of the Prophet every
year a number of your brethren, who have the means, go to the
shrine of the Prophet at Mecca, as required by your religion. How do
they go? In English vessels from Tangier, as you know, and they are
therefore, when on board, under the English flag and protection.
They are well treated and their lives and property are safe. They
return to Tangier in the same manner, and many of them have come
to me to express their gratitude for the recommendations I have
given them to English officers in the East, and the kindness they
have received at their hands.
‘These facts, I think, are known to you; but let us now consider
what is the conduct of certain Rifians,—not all, I am happy to add,
but those who dwell on the coast and possess ‘karebs,’ for the
alleged purpose of trade with Tangier and Tetuan, and for fishing.
‘The inhabitants of these coast villages, especially of the
neighbouring village of Benibugaffer, when they espy a peaceful
merchant vessel becalmed off their coast, launch a ‘kareb’ with forty
or fifty armed men, and set out in pursuit. The crews of these
merchant vessels are unarmed, and generally consist of not more
than eight or nine men. When they observe a ‘kareb’ approaching
with a hostile appearance, they escape in their little boats to the
open sea, trusting to Providence to be picked up by some passing
vessel before bad weather sets in, which might cause their small
craft to founder. The merchant vessel is then towed to the beach,
where she is stranded, pillaged of cargo and rigging, and burnt.
‘I now appeal to all true Mussulmans whether such iniquitous acts
are not against the laws of God and of the Prophet. These pirates
are not waging war against enemies or infidels, they are mere sea
robbers, who set aside the laws of the Prophet to pillage the
peaceful ships of their friends the English, to whom they are
indebted for conveying their brethren in safety to worship at the Holy
‘Kaaba’ of their Prophet.
‘To these English whom they rob, and also murder if they attempt
to resist, they are indebted for much of the clothing they wear, for the
iron and steel of which their arms are made, and for other
commodities. I now appeal to those Rifians who dwell in inland
villages, and who take no part in and have no profit from these
lawless acts, and I ask whether they will continue to tolerate such
infractions of Allah’s laws? Can these men of Benibugaffer who have
been guilty of frequent acts of piracy, can they be Mussulmans? No,
they must be “kaffers” (rebels against God).’ As I said this, I heard
from the mound behind me, where the Benibugaffer people were
seated, the sound of the cocking of guns, and a murmur, ‘He calls us
kaffers.’ Looking round, I perceived guns levelled at my back.
One of the elder Chiefs rose and cried out, ‘Let the English Chief
speak! What he says is true! Those who rob and murder on the seas
innocent people are not Mussulmans, for they do not obey the law of
God.’
I continued: ‘Hear what your wise Chief says. I fancied I heard a
sound like the click of a gun being cocked. Some foolish boys must
be sitting amongst the assembly, for no brave Rifians, Benibugaffers
included, would ever commit a cowardly murder on an unarmed man
who has come amongst you trusting to the honour and friendship
between the Rifians and English from ancient times.
‘You have, I think, heard that the English Government has
frequently complained to the Sultan Mulai Abderahman, the Kaliph
Allah and Emir El Mumenin (Prince of Believers), of the commission
of these outrages, and has put forward a demand for reparation and
compensation for damages.
‘The Sultan, who is the friend of the powerful Queen of England,
my Sovereign, under whose sway there are fifty million of
Mussulmans whom she governs with justice and kindness, issued
his Sherifian commands to you Rifians to cease from these outrages;
but you paid no attention to the orders of the Kaliph of the Prophet.
‘The Queen then sent a squadron to chastise the pirates and
obtain redress; but the Admiral took pity on the villages, where
innocent women and children dwelt, and did not fire a gun or burn a
‘kareb,’ as he might have done. He had a parley with the
Benibugaffer people and other inhabitants of villages where boats
are kept.
‘They made false promises and pretended they would cease to
commit outrages, but, as was to be expected, they have broken faith,
and since that parley have been guilty of further acts of piracy. So
now I have come to see you and hear whether the Rifians in the
inland villages will continue to suffer these outrages to be committed
by those who dwell on the coast, which may expose all the honest
and innocent inhabitants of the Rif to the horrors of war.
‘I have begged that no steps should be taken by my countrymen,
lest the innocent should suffer, until I make this final attempt to come
to an understanding with you; but I have to warn you, as a true
friend, if another outrage be committed, my great and powerful
Sovereign, in conjunction with the Sultan, will send large forces by
sea and by land to carry fire and sword into your villages, and bring
the whole population under subjection. H.S.M. may then think fit to
compel the Rif tribes dwelling on the coast to migrate to the interior
of his realms, or, at any rate, they will no longer be allowed to
possess a single boat for trade, or even for fishing.
‘I now ask—Will you inland inhabitants tolerate the continuance of
piracy on the part of your brethren on the coast?—Will you brave
inhabitants of the coast continue to set Allah’s laws at defiance, and
thus expose your lives and property, and those of your inland
brethren, to destruction?’
The old Chief again spoke, and others stood up and joined him,
saying: ‘He is right. We shall not allow these robberies to be
committed on our friends the English; such outrages must cease,
and if continued, we shall be prepared to chastise the guilty.’
The Benibugaffer Chiefs said, ‘We approve.’
‘I know,’ I continued, ‘you Rifians do not sign treaties or like
documents; but the words of brave men are more worthy of trust
than treaties, which are too often broken. Give me your hands.’ I
held out mine. As the pledge of good faith I shook the hands of the
chiefs, including the Benibugaffer.
‘Remember,’ I said, ‘it is not English vessels, but all vessels
without exception must be respected on approaching your shores.’
‘We agree,’ they cried.
Upon which I exclaimed, ‘I have faith in your words. May God’s
mercy and blessing be on you all and grant you prosperity and
happiness! The Rifians and English shall remain true friends for ever.
I bid you farewell.’
‘Stay,’ said the chief of a neighbouring village, ‘come with us and
be our guest. We shall kill an ox to feast you and our brethren here,
and bid you welcome. You are a hunter; we shall show you sport,
and become better acquainted with each other. Upon our heads shall
be your life and those of your friends.’
Pointing to the frigate, I said: ‘That vessel has to return
immediately, and I have to report what has been done, in order to
stop all preparations for seeking through other means to obtain the
satisfaction you have so readily offered. I should have been
delighted to have gone with you and should have felt as safe as if
amongst my own countrymen. You are a brave race, incapable of
doing a wrong to a true friend. I shall never forget the manner in
which you have received me.
‘I bid you all farewell. I believe in your promises, even those made
by the Benibugaffer. Send messengers at once to the villages on the
coast and let them know the promises you have made, which they
also must be required to carry out strictly.’
The Chiefs and their followers tried all they could to persuade me
to accompany them but finally consented that I should depart, on
promising that I would some day revisit them.
Colonel Buceta was surprised to learn the result of my visit, but
said the Rifians would never keep faith, and that we should soon
hear of fresh acts of piracy. ‘In such case,’ I replied, ‘we shall have to
land a force and burn every hamlet and boat on the coast; but I have
every hope the Rifians will keep faith.’
They have kept faith, and since that parley near Melilla no
vessels, either British or of other nationality, have been captured or
molested by the Rifians[27]

It was amongst these wild and lawless Rifians that Mr. Hay found
the most thorough sportsmen, and also men capable of great
attachment and devotion. Always much interested in the history of
this race, in their customs and mode of life, he wrote an interesting
account of the tribes which inhabit the north of Morocco and of his
personal intercourse with them.

The Rif province extends along the Mediterranean coast to the

eastward from a site called Borj Ustrak, in the province of Tetuan, for
about a hundred and fifty miles to the stream marked in maps as
‘Fum Ajrud’ (mouth of Ajrud), the northern boundary between
Morocco and Algiers.
The Rif country to the southward, inland from the Mediterranean
coast, extends about thirty-five miles and on the westward is
bordered by the Tetuan province and the mountains of Khamás and
Ghamára.
The population of Rif amounts, as far as can be calculated, to
about 150,000 souls. The Rifians are a Berber race, and have never
been conquered by the various nations—Phœnicians, Romans,
Goths, and Arabs—who have invaded Mauritania: they have always
maintained their independence; but on the conquest of Morocco by
the Arabs, the Rifians accepted the Mohammedan faith, and
acknowledged the Sovereigns of Morocco as the Kaliphs of the
Prophet.
The country is mountainous, the soil in most parts poor, and
though the Rif is rich in iron, copper, and other minerals, there are no
roads or means of conveyance to the seaboard. There are large
forests of ‘el aris[28],’ which the Rifians convey in their ‘karebs’
(sailing boats) to Tetuan and Tangier. They have no saws, so when a
tree is felled it is cut away with a hatchet until a beam or plank is
shaped, generally about ten feet long by a foot wide. This timber has
a strong aromatic odour, and when not exposed to damp is more
durable than oak. It was used for the woodwork of the Alhambra at
Granada and other Moorish palaces in Spain, and though many of
the Arabesque ornaments in plaster or stucco have fallen into decay
and walls have crumbled, this woodwork remains sound.
The Rifians are an industrious race; but their barren hills do not
produce sufficient grain to provide food for the population. Large
numbers migrate every year to different parts of Morocco, especially
to the northern provinces, and are employed to cultivate orchards
and gardens round Tangier and Tetuan. The majority of the
inhabitants of the town and neighbouring districts of Tangier are of
Rif extraction.
In the Rif the natives do not submit to any authority except upon
religious or legal questions, such as marriage, inheritance, and title
deeds. The ‘f’ki,’ or chief priest in a village mosque, draws up, with
the aid of ‘tolba’ or public notaries, all legal documents regarding
marriage or property. In other matters the Rifian does not submit to
legislation; his gun, pistol, and dagger are his judge and jury—yet
crimes such as robbery, theft, or outrages on women are rarely
known, but murder from feud is rife throughout the country to a
frightful extent. No man’s life is secure, even though he be a distant
relative, such as the great-grandson, of some one who may have
taken a life thirty years before in a blood feud. The widow of a
murdered man will teach her son, as soon as he can carry a gun or
pistol, how to use those arms, and daily remind him that his father
must be avenged lest the son be looked upon as despicable.
The men always go armed even in their own villages. Cursing,
swearing, or abusive language, so common amongst the Moors, are
rarely heard in Rif; for the man who ventures to use an opprobrious
epithet knows that he incurs the risk of being stabbed or shot. A
Rifian never forgives or forgets an insult.
They are distinguished for their courage. During the war between
Spain and Morocco in 1859, they did not obey the appeal of the
Sultan for assistance; but the inhabitants of the district of Zarhon
near Fas, who are of Rif extraction, sent a contingent of 1,500 men
to Tetuan. They arrived a few days before the battle of ‘Agraz’—the
last which took place between the Moors and Spaniards before the
peace of 1860—and fought so determinedly that two-thirds of their
number fell during that battle.
Polygamy is extremely rare in Rif. Few men venture to take a
second wife lest offence be given thereby to the father or brother of
either of the women they have married. Even in Tangier, where there
is a population of over 9,000 Mohammedans, chiefly Rifians by
descent, I never heard of more than four or five Moors who had two
wives. When an exception occurs, it has generally been at the
request of the wife, who, having had no child, begs her husband to
marry some cousin or friend, selected perhaps by herself.
Immoral conduct on the part of married women or maidens is
unknown; for, should they be suspected of leading an irregular life by
father, husband, or other male relative, such disgrace is wiped out by
death.
Rifian women do not cover their faces. If a man sees a young
woman fetching water from a well or walking alone, he will avoid
meeting her, and even turn back rather than run the risk of being
seen by some relative of the female and be suspected of having
communicated with her by word or gesture. He will shun the woman
who may be alone, as a modest girl in Europe might try to avoid a
man whom she should happen to meet when walking in some lonely
spot.
Some years ago an old Rifian, one of my boar-hunters, who dwelt
at a village near Tangier, presented himself before me looking very
miserable and haggard. ‘I take refuge under the hem of your
garment,’ he exclaimed, ‘and deliver into your hands these title-
deeds of my hut and garden, also a document regarding a mare;
these are all my possessions. I am about to deliver myself up to the
Basha of Tangier, Kaid Abbas Emkashéd, and to ask that I be sent to
prison.’
On inquiring of the old hunter why he thought of taking such an
extraordinary step, and also what he expected me to do with his
papers and property, he replied, whilst trembling from head to foot,
with tears running down his rugged cheeks and his teeth chattering
as he spoke, ‘My youngest daughter, whom I loved so dearly’—here
he gasped for breath—‘is no more. I have buried her. She was put to
death with my consent.’ Poor Hadj Kassim then covered his face and
sobbed violently, paused to recover himself, and continued, ‘The
authorities have heard that my daughter, who was very beautiful, has
disappeared, and have given orders that some innocent persons
who are suspected should be arrested, as it is supposed she has
been carried off or murdered. I cannot remain a passive spectator
whilst innocent men suffer, feeling that the whole blame of the
disappearance of my child rests on me alone. My daughter was of a
joyous character, and, like a silly girl, thought only of amusement.
Both her mother and I had repeatedly punished her for going to
weddings or other festivities without our permission. She had been
warned that misconduct on her part, as a Rifian maiden, would never
be forgiven; but she took no heed. Some neighbours reported that
she had been seen going to Tangier to dance in the “mesriahs.” Her
shameless conduct became a source of great scandal in the village,
and as it was supposed that I countenanced her misconduct, I was
shunned by my friends. They no longer returned my salams, and
when I joined the elders, who are wont to assemble of an afternoon
on our village green, they turned their backs on me.
‘Life had become a burden, and my son, who was also taunted by
young men for having a sister of bad repute, came to me yesterday,
when he heard that she had again gone off to the town, and declared
that as Rifians we could not allow a daughter and sister who did not
obey her parents, and brought disgrace on her family, to live.
‘Though I loved dearly my foolish child,’ continued the old hunter,
‘I gave way to the passionate language of my son, and consented
that, should we discover she danced at the “mesriah,” she should
die.
‘We went to Tangier and concealed ourselves near the entrance
of a “mesriah” we were told she frequented. We saw her enter,
followed by some young Moors. A little before sunset she came out,
enveloped in her “haik,” and walked hurriedly towards our village.
She did not see us, and we followed her until we reached a path in
the brushwood not far from our village, and then we stopped her. My
son accused her of leading a disgraceful life, and then struck her
heavily with a bill-hook on the head. She fell, never to speak again.
We buried her in a secluded spot. My son killed her, but I am really
her murderer—I alone am responsible for her death; but my
wretched child could not have lived to be a curse and a disgrace.’
Then the poor Hadj trembled in his acute misery, and shook as if he
had the palsy.
‘I shall,’ he continued, ‘present myself to the Basha. I shall not say
I am the murderer, as the Basha is a Rifian, and will understand all
when I declare I wish no man to be arrested on account of the
disappearance of my child, and that I alone am responsible for
whatever may have happened to her.
‘Now,’ he added, ‘you know, according to Moorish law, no man
can be punished for murder unless he acknowledges his crime, and
that after twelve months’ imprisonment, should no witnesses appear,
the accused can claim to be liberated from prison. If I live, therefore,
I shall be released; but I care no longer for life, except it be to work