Travels in Morocco, Volume 1.

administering affairs.-Statue of a Negress at the bottom of a well.-Spanish Renegades.-Various Wedding Festivals of Jews.-Frequent Fetes and Feastings amongs

ans consuls are "consuls des jusifs, et pour la protection des jusifs," the French

ng escort. Not long ago, the Sultan himself had a narrow escape from falling into the hands of a band of insurgents; their object was to make their lord-paramount a

ed. The late governor was confined in his house, instead of in the common prison. It was said he was worth 30,000 dollars, but that he was afraid to make too prompt a payment of the demand of the Empe

but the Moor, nevertheless, can clearly discern that wealth is a crime in the eyes of their sovereign. I am not surprised at the pr

Excellency a present during his absence from home, was immedi

how dare you leave a

nors before your Excellenc

or of no presents! How much do

-don't know," (hesit

ing, bring me a present, and take this away, and make kn

m-duties. Sidi-El-Arby is also a thorough diplomatist, so far as report goes; he promises anybody anything; he keeps all on the tiptoe of most blessed expectation, and so makes friends of everybody. "To his friend, Cohen," he says, "I'll take you back to my country with me, and make you rich; we are of the same

ow, about two day's journey from Mogador, there is also a well, containing within its dank and dark hollow a perpetual apparition. At its bottom is seen the motionless statue of a negress, with a variety of wearing materials placed beside her, all made of fine burnished gold, and so bright, that the dreary cavern of the deep wel

there is a sad want of it on this

oquines, and generally pass the rest of their days tranquilly among the Moors. I imagine the better sort of them remain Christians at heart, notwithstanding their public assumption of Islamism. This renegade was a stonemason,

ow long have

More than t

u like this count

ter is Marruéc

you ever attempt t

stretch my neck for sending a fellow out of the world withou

e-stricken? having committed such

h, conscience!

indeed lost their corazor, or

eror presumed lately to call the Spaniards "the vilest of nations," and yet at various times, the Maroquines have shown great sympathy for the Spaniards. Some of these

roils as the following, of which I was a witness. Two fellows quarrelled violently, and were on the point of sticking one another with their knives, when up stepped a third party and cried out, "What! do you intend to act like Christians and kill

insults and oppressions inflicted on them by both the government and the people; I was present at several of these weddings, and shall give the readers a glimpse of them. I had read and heard a great deal ab

me I was at Mogador there was an unusual number of weddings, and then followed the feast of the Passover. I think, whilst I was at Tangier, weddings or celebration of weddings were going on every night. It may be safely asserted, that no people in Barbary enjoy themselves more than the Jews, or more pamper and gratif

bride's friends. Here the bridegroom, in true oriental style, mounted upon a couch of damask and gold. The bride, laden with bridal ornaments of gold and jewels, and covered with a gauze veil, was led out by the women and placed by his side. She was then left alone to sit in state as queen of the feast, whilst the company regaled themselves with every imaginable luxury of eating and drinking. Her future h

ked, touching this mavellous circumstance. The greater part of the jewels, worn on these occasions, are borrowed from friends and neighbours; they

the family of the feather merchants, a rich and powerful firm

radiant throne of gold and crimson cushions amidst a group of women, her hired flatterers, who kept singing and bawling out her praises. "As beautiful as the moon is Rachel!" said one. "Fairer than the jessamine!" exclaimed ano

lashes blackened with antimony; and on the forehead and tips of the chin little blue stars. The palms of the hands and nails were stained with henna, or brown-red, and her feet were naked, with the toe-nails and soles henna-stained. She was very young, perhaps not more than thirteen, and hugely corpulent, having bee

ere literally covered from head to foot with gold and precious stones. As each lady has but ten fingers, it was necessary to tie some scores of rings on their hair. The

they are pledged, or turned into money to relieve immediate necessity. The upper tiers of ladies were the youngest, and least adorned, and consequently the prettiest. The ancient dowagers s

or such fashionable Jews, and honoured by the presence of Europeans. Not much pleased with this spectacle, I looked out of the window into the patio, or court-yard, where I saw a couple of butchers' boys slaughtering a bullock for the evening carousal. A nu

n to the ladies, the officers of justice informing them that, if no one stepped forward to rescue them, it was the sultan's orders that they should be imprisoned. Several young Jewesses now clamourously demanded their release. It is understood that these compassiona

to gluttonous satiety. Several rabbis were hired to chant, over the supper

g, with the surfeit of the feast, laid me up for two days afterwards.

ies whilst they were supping. Unlike us men, who sat up round a table, because there wer

. But this was a native wedding, and, of course, when we consider the education of these Barbary women, we must expect, when they have drink like the men, white spirits for protracted hours unt

e élite of the society of Mogador; this was the marriage of M. Bittern, of Gibraltar, with Miss Amram Melek. The bridegroom was the Portuguese Consul, the bride, the dau

y reduced to the hard necessity of making use of a drum and whistling, both to keep up our spirits and serve up the quadrilles. We had, however, some good singing to make up for the disappointment. His Exce

e choicest and most select, graced by the presence of the bride; then the native aristocrats, and he

e number of guests was not more than two hundred. Plenty of European Jewesses shone as bewitching stars at this wedding; but all param to us poor Christians. Indeed, there is as l

rs. Once, whilst at Nabal, in Tunis, I was roused from my sleep at the dead of the night by wild cries, and the discharging of fire-arms, attended with a blaze of torches. The bridegroom was conveying his bri

hey contribute to the support of the festivities. I was somewhat taken by surprise to hear my name called out, Bashador Inglez (English ambassador) when I attended one of the weddings. But the fellow, making the announcement, at

eart is always with his brethren, and the authorities good-naturedly allow him to be master of the ceremonies at

other nations; for whilst they obtain converts from both Jews and Christians, and make proselytes of scores of Blacks, they never hear of apostates from Islamism.

actuated by the most rational and proper feeling, remarked to the boy, "You are a child, you have not arrived at years of discretion, you have

correcting them, "I will turn Mussulman!" A respectable Jew, who related this to me, observed, "were I to hear any of my sons cry out in th

out the matter; they replied, "We don't care, if we have no souls." A Rabbi observed, "If women bear children, make good wives, and liv

onversation with the Rabbi, retorted with spirit: "Whether I bear children or not, if my

male Jews and Mussulmen hold on their mutual career with the greatest tenacity. I made inquir

he Moors are habitually a grave, dreamy and melancholy people. No doubt the light, buoyant at

n saying "I am going in search of the murdered Davidson." A man took the liberty of telling Mr. Elton. "A very mysterious Christian has arrived from the Sultan of the English. The Governor hearing t

and they are frightened of any Christian who does not come to their country on