Travels in Morocco, Volume 1.

ul.-Institut d'Afrique.-Conveyance of Eunuchs in vessels under the French Flag.-Franco-Moorish Politics.-Corn

e between the Moorish Emperor and the Foreign Consuls.-Cockney sportsmen,-The degrading of high Moorish

and then, our boat being a small transport for cattle, and the Government contractors wanting beef for the garrison-for an Englishman or an English soldier cannot live in any part of the world without beef-we were compelled to leave with the wind in our te

he black bushy kharoub, and all denned sharply and clearly in the goodly prospect. But these Barbary towns had lost much of their freshness or novelty to me, and novelty is the greatest ingredient of our pleasure in foreign travel. I had also just travelled through Spain, and the south of thi

l. Where are you goin

their own mother-tongue in the land of their pil

o you think of the

s is the land o

t then? Are you going

Of what coun

er.-"En

aniard, or a Frenchman. Now we'll tell you all; we don't fear. God will give us this country a

d the Spaniards. Have you s

is knife; it is rusty;

ller.

our books and comment

rust, and that not

the hundred pillars of your mosque

h a deep sigh; "and the pillars will st

of their fathers, and worshipping at the threshold of the noble remains of

amongst my old friends, the Moors, and coming from Spain, could eas

ad received me, when I had charge of a memorial from the inhabitants of Malta, to congratulate his Highness on his great work on philanthropy, induced the Co

ion from the Shereefian Court; but, at the same time, we

estion in the empire of Morocco, amongst its various tribes, was a thing not to be neglected; for the agitation of public opinion in a despotic country like Morocco, as well as in a constitutional state li

his assistance. The English Government had instructed the Consul to address the Emperor on this interesting subject, not lo

prejudices of ages and generally sanctioned in his conduct by his religion, the emancipation of a degraded and enslaved portion of the human race. [7] However, Mr. Hay was polite, and set about arranging matters for proceeding with a confessedly disagreeable subject for any consul to handle under like circumstances. He made a copy of the address of the Anti-Slavery Society, and sent it to the English Government, requestin

s about putting down the slave-trade, and allow it to be carried on under your own flag." Even the foreign consuls here reprobated the inconsistency of the British Government, in aiding the slave-trade of the Mediterranean by their own flag. However, Government ordered a strict inquiry into this case, and took means for preventing the occurrence of a like abuse. Nevertheless, since then the Emperor has actually applied to the British Consul to allow eunuchs to be brought down the Mediterranean in English steamers, in

icer had ordered a great many things of this man, promising to pay on his return to Tangier. He deposited an old hatbox as a security, which, on being o

put the backs of his hands together, and locking together his fingers to represent the back of a hedgehog, he observed emphatically; "Impossible! No Christians can invade us. Our country

e Jew refuses to buy leeches except at his own price, whilst every unfortunate trader is obliged to sell to him and to him only. In fact, the monopolist fixes the price, and e

e mosques. About 9 A.M. the governor, the commandant of the troops, and other Tangier authorities, proceeded to the open space of the market, attended with flags and music, and some hundred individuals all dressed in their holiday clothes. The white flag, typical of the sanctity of religion, floated ove

g a muscle, then it will bring them bad luck, and the Christians are likely to come and take away their country from them. The drollest part of the ceremony is, that the boys should scamper after the butcher, pelting the sheep, and trying to kill it outright, thus endeavouring to bring ill-luck upon their city and themselves. But how many of us really and knowingly seek our misfortunes? On the occasion of this annual feast, every Moor, or head of a family, kills a sheep. The rich give to the poor, but the poor usually save up their earnings to be able to purchase a sheep to kill on this day. The streets are in different parts covered with

ssion; but I have nothing very particular to record. I had many Moorish visitors, some of whom were officer

can I do to impress Muley

li.-"M

e Emir of the Shereefs

stia

li.-"M

give the minister Ben D

li.-"M

I travel in sa

li.-"M

f shopkeepers." The Emperor himself sets the example, for he is wholly occupied in amass

d to me, every time I call here you give me tea with ple

w to get on in my miss

ahm

hman loves money, and money he must have. And the minister loves money, and the minister must not be forgotten. The minister is the door to the Emperor. You cannot get into

of hospitality, I found all the world alike in its determination to make the most of strangers, if not to devour them. But the Emperor was not

l strength; little children intermixed, but without prattle or merriment-all fixed and fascinated with the charm of vocal song. The vocalist himself was a picturesque object; his face was burnt black with Afric's sun, his bare head was wildly covered with long, black matted, and curly hair, but his eye was soft and sere

h all pure minds delight to combine. When he stopped a moment to take breath, a murmur of applause vibrated through the still air of the evening, not indeed for the youth, but f

d not be barbarians, or even a jealous or vindictive race, who were charmed wit

b youth

none but t

ey over th

ve the faires

n loudly to ca

d fleeter than the

none but t

the Desert w

? death is

me! I can

y to the abo

her with al

k thence, and res

none but t

rayers, this crowd of the worshippers of song and vocal harmony was dispersed to meet again, and forthwith chant a more solemn strain. The poor lad of the streets and highways went into

ced on the eastern slope of a hill, which terminates in the west with its port and bay, having some analogy to the site of Algiers. It has almost a square form, and its ramparts are a wall, flanked here and there with towers. This place, likewise, is most advantageously situate in the narrowest part of the Straits of Gibraltar, at a few miles east of Cape Spartel, and thirty miles W.S.W. of Gibraltar, and has, therefore, been coveted by all the conquerors of North Africa. The Phoenicians, Romans, Goths, and Arabs successively effected its conquest; and it was long a bone of eager contention between the Moors and Portuguese. In 1471, Alonzo, King of Portugal, took it from the Moors; and in 1662 it came into the hands of th

ed to the government of Spain. Tangier had a population of from four to six thousand. Grabert estimates the population at 10,000, including 2,500 Jews, who live intermixed with the Moors; 1,400 negroes, 300 Berbers of Rif, and about 100 Christians. The Consuls-General of the European Powers reside here; and most of them have commodious houses. The Swedish Consul has a splendid garden, which is thrown open to the European resid

celebrated Giralda of Seville. The Christians have here a convent, and a church within it, to which are attached half-a-dozen monks. There is no Protestant church; Mr. Hay reads service in the British Consulate, and invites the Pr

led up with sand. The shipping is exposed to strong westerly winds. The safest anchorage, however, is on the the eastern part, about half a mile off the shore, in a line with the round tower. With a few thousand pounds, one of the finest-at least, one of the most convenient-ports of the Mediterranea

their abode in Tangie

erican, Danish, Swedish

Each consular house g

ion, the groun

ribute abolished. The Americans led the way in getting rid of this subservience to the Shereefian Court, and refused from the first all presents and annual donations. Generally, however, when new consuls are appointed, they bring with them presents, and visit the Emperor in person. On the occasion of fêtes, they sometimes make presents to the governors of districts. Whenever the Emperor condescends to come down to Tangier

articular consular family. The family of the Portuguese Consul were great favorites. During the war of succession in Portugal, the Portuguese Consul contracted debts in Tangier, not being able to get his salary amidst the strife of parties. The Moors complained to the Emperor of the consul's debts. Muley Abd Errahman, though a thorough miser himself, paid the consul's debts, alleging as a reason, "the consul was a friend of my ancestors, and he shall be my friend." The Portuguese government wished to remove

e of the party. This affair was passed over, the consul very properly taking no notice of a mad saint. But I will cite another instance, as showing the intimate perception which the Moors have of the peculiar precepts of our religion, as we

ful. There is no power or force exc

ere justice, God willing. If you were not Christians, having a feeling heart, and bearing patiently injuries, after the example of your prophet, whom God has in glory, Jesus the son of Mary, who, in the Book which he brought you in the name of God, commands you, that if any person strike you on one cheek turn to him the other also; and who (always blessed of God!) also did not defend himself when the Jews sought to kill him, from whom God took him. And, in our Book, it is said, by the mouth of our Prophet, there is no people among whom there are so many disposed to good works as those who call themselves Christians; and certainly among you there ar

d mixed with dirt. With great alacrity, the Neapolitan government sent another load of finer and better quality. This was delivered; and the Consul asked the Moorish functionaries to allow the coarse sulphur to be conveyed back. These worthies replied, "Oh dear, no! it is of no consequence,

an residents go out to shoot, as one is wont in other countries to talk a walk. The principal game is the partridge and hare, and the grand sport, the wild boar. Our officers of the Gibraltar garrison come over for shooting. But quackery and humbug exist in everything. A young gentleman has just arrived from Gibraltar, who had been previously six weeks on his passage from Holland to that place, with his legs infixed in a pair of three-league boots. He says he has come from Holland on purpose to

f this district. He was in prison one year with his two sons. The object of the Emperor was to extort the last filse of his money; and he entirely succeeded. The oppressor, however, relented a little on the death of one of his victim's sons; released him from confinement, and gave the ex-bashaw two houses, one for himself and the other f

overnment of that place are only allowed to export, at a low duty per annum, a certain number of bullocks. The contracto

ntractor.-"

wo, three, &c. Thirty, forty

.-"No, you fool, th

ort.-"You lie! t

ty, I tell you," (putting three

.-"Well, well, ther

n anecdote recurs to me of old Youssef, Bashaw of Tripoli, illustrative of the phlebotomizing system now under consideration. Colonel Warrington one day seriously represented to the bashaw how his functionaries robbed him,

consideration than those of the interior cities, the former being more in contact with