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MELILLA

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Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 94 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MELILLA , a See also:

Spanish fortified station and penal See also:settlement on the See also:north See also:coast of See also:Morocco, See also:south of Cape Tres Forcas and 135 M. E.S.E. of See also:Ceuta. Pop. about 9000. The See also:town is built on a huge See also:rock connected with the mainland by a rocky See also:isthmus. There is a See also:harbour, only accessible to small vessels; the roadstead outside is safe and has deep See also:water a mile to the See also:east of the fortress. From the landing-See also:place, where a See also:mole is cut out of the rock, there is a steep ascent to the upper town, characteristically Spanish in See also:appearance. The town is walled, and the isthmus protected by a See also:chain of small forts. A Moorish See also:custom-See also:house is placed on the Spanish border beyond the fort of See also:Santa See also:Isabel, and is the only authorized centre of See also:trade on the Riff coast between See also:Tetuan and the Algerian frontier. It thus forms the entrepet for the See also:commerce of the Riff See also:district and its See also:hinterland. See also:Goat skins, eggs and beeswax are the See also:principal exports, See also:cotton goods, See also:tea, See also:sugar and candles being the See also:chief imports. For the See also:period 1900–1905 the See also:annual value of the trade was about £200,000. Melilla, the first place captured by See also:Spain on the See also:African mainland, was seized from the See also:Moors in 1490.

The Spaniards have had much trouble with the neighbouring tribes—turbulent See also:

Riffians, hardly subject to the See also:sultan of Morocco. The limits of the Spanish territory See also:round the fortress were fixed by See also:treaties with Morocco in 1859, 1860, 1861 and 1894. In 1893 the Riffians besieged Melilla and 25,000 men had to be despatched against them. In 1908 two companies, under the See also:protection of El Roghi, a chieftain then ruling the Riff region, started See also:mining See also:lead and See also:iron some 15 M. from Melilla and a railway to the mines was begun. In See also:October of that See also:year the Riffians revolted from the Roghi and raided the mines, which remained closed until See also:June 1909. On the 9th of See also:July the workmen were again attacked and several of them killed. Severe fighting between the Spaniards and the tribesmen followed. The Riffians having submitted, the Spaniards, in 1910, restarted the mines and undertook harbour See also:works at See also:Mar Chica. See Budgett Meakin, The See also:Land of the Moors (See also:London, 1 01), ch. xix., and the authorities there cited; P. See also:Barre, " Melilla et See also:les presides espagnols," Rev. frangaise (1908).

End of Article: MELILLA

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MELINE, FELIX JULES (1838– )

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