The Innocents Abroad

The next stop is Tangier in Morocco, the second-oldest city in the world and a mélange of cultural influences, including Arab-Muslim, which is especially evident in the picturesque marketplace with its tiny stalls selling many kinds of goods. Twain visits the Cave of Hercules and explains that Hercules may have been a real historical person. He reflects on the “soulless” despotism of the Emperor of Morocco, whose practices include levying heavy fines on the rich to pay for his expenses. 

Twain continues his account of Tangier, describing how Islam strongly shaped its social and religious character. The confluence of three “sabbaths” a week—of the Muslims, Jews, and Christians—strikes him, as well as the practice of polygamy both among the Muslims and the Jews. The harsh bigotry of the Muslims toward Christians is emphasized. Overall, Twain is astonished at the boredom, sameness, and changelessness of life in this country. At the end of the visit, he is well ready to bid goodbye to Tangier.

The company celebrates the Fourth of July on board the Quaker City with dinner, champagne, and dancing. The Oracle, a pretentious passenger, exasperates Twain and the others, as the Oracle constantly bores them with his pseudo-learned discourses about the places they are visiting.