[Illustration: Map of the Empire of MOROCCO for Dr. BUFFA'S TRAVELS]
TRAVELS
THROUGH THE
EMPIRE OF MOROCCO.
BY
JOHN BUFFA, M.D.
PHYSICIAN TO THE FORCES.
ILLUSTRATED WITH A MAP.
LONDON:
1810.
PREFACE.
My motives for publishing this volume of Travels, will be best
explained by a detail of the circumstances which gave rise to my
journey to Morocco. In 1805, I was serving in the capacity of
Physician to His Majesty's Forces, at the Depot Hospital in the Isle
of Wight; whence, by dexterous management of the Army Medical
Board[*], I was removed, and placed upon half-pay, in June of that
year. At this period, it occurred to Mr. Turnbull, Chairman of the
Committee of Merchants trading to the Levant, that it would be of
advantage to the public, were the offices of Garrison Surgeon of
Gibraltar, and Inspecting Medical Officer of the ships doing
quarantine, which were then united in the person of Mr. Pym, separated
and made distinct appointments; and he was pleased to think that, from
my local knowledge, and other circumstances, I should be a proper
person to fill the latter of these offices. This was also the opinion
of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, Governor of the garrison.
Representations were accordingly made on the subject, to the then
Secretary of State for the War and Colonial Department, Lord
Castlereagh; and it was so fully understood that the proposition had
been assented to on his part, that an order was issued from the
Transport Board, to provide a passage for myself and family to
Gibraltar. There I waited some months, in the expectation that the
commission would be sent after me, but in vain. In the mean time, I
received a communication from Mr. Mattra, British Consul General at
Tangiers, requesting that I would cross over to Barbary, and attend
His Excellency the Governor of Larache, First Minister of the Emperor
of Morocco, then labouring under a dangerous illness. It was on my
return from this journey, that I found a letter from Mr. Turnbull (See
Appendix, No. III. p. 227), stating that my old friends of the Medical
Board had been at their usual work of persecution, and by their
scandalous misrepresentations to the new Secretary of State for War
and the Colonies, Mr. Windham, had succeeded in preventing the
appointment which His Royal Highness the Governor of Gibraltar had
been graciously pleased to design for me.
During my residence in Barbary it was my good fortune to gain the
approbation and friendship of the Emperor of Morocco, and of the
principal Officers of his Court, by which I was enabled to give
facilities to the procuring of fresh provisions for our Navy, and
render to my country other services, not strictly in the line of my
profession. (See the various documents at the end of Appendix.)
Having succeeded in restoring the Governor of Larache to health, and
performed some other cures, acceptable to the Emperor of Morocco, I
considered the objects for which I had crossed over to Barbary
accomplished, and returned to Gibraltar, after having received the
most flattering marks of distinction, both from the Imperial Court,
and from Lord Collingwood, Commander of the British fleet in the
Mediterranean. The letter of the Emperor of Morocco to His Majesty
(Appendix, No. X. p. 239) is an ample proof of the disposition of
that prince in my favour.
Finding the principal aim of my voyage to Gibraltar frustrated by the
machinations of the Medical Junta, whom I have already stated as ever
active in mischief, I determined to return to England. The letter of
the Emperor of Morocco to His Majesty, and a general certificate,
couched in the strongest terms of approbation, and signed by all the
principal merchants of Gibraltar, I thought were documents, which,
added to my correspondence with Lord Collingwood, and the officers of
his fleet, would not fail to have procured me a favourable reception,
and some attention to my claims.
But the letter of the Emperor of Morocco, as it still remains
unanswered, I cannot but believe has never been presented to His
Majesty. Nay, the pressing solicitations, with which I have since
been honoured on the part of the Emperor of Morocco, through his
principal Minister, to return to that country, I have hitherto been
obliged to delay answering, that I might not, on the one hand, insult,
by evasive or false replies, a government from which I had experienced
such friendship and respect; or, on the other hand, be compelled, by a
true statement, to compromise my own.
The principal design of publishing this account of my journey to the
Barbary States, is to shew the good policy, on the part of this
country, of keeping upon terms of strict amity with the government of
Morocco. The neglect, which, on this occasion, has been evinced of the
Emperor's letter, I cannot but consider, in a public point of view, as
extremely reprehensible, independently of the private injury it has
occasioned to myself. Whether this neglect arose from the
misrepresentations of the Army Medical Board, or from those of any
other persons, I will not pretend to determine; but in any case, a
most censurable disregard, even of the forms of civility, towards a
Prince, who, however we may affect to despise his influence in the
great political scale, has it always in his power materially to
promote or to impede the interests of this country in the Levant, must
attach to some quarter or other.
[*] As the members of that body are expected shortly to be dismissed
from their situations, I think it right, lest at any future period
injustice should be done to innocent individuals, by confounding
them with the guilty, here to state that Sir Lucas Pepys,
Bart. Mr. Thomas Keate, and Mr. Francis Knight, Apothecaries, at
present compose the body illegally calling themselves the Army
Medical Board, whose conduct for a great many years has brought
disgrace and disaster on that important department. For a detail of
their conduct, see "An Analytical View of the Medical Department of
the British Army, by Charles Maclean, M.D." 8vo. published by
Stockdale, Pall Mall.
CONTENTS.
LETTER I.
Inducement for the Journey--Arrive at Tangiers--Its History--
Situation--Inhabitants--Military--Governor--Fortifications--
Subterraneous Passage--Socco, or Market--Adjacent Villas--Invited to
Larache.
LETTER II.
Sketch of the History of Morocco--Road from Tangiers--Simplicity of
the Peasants--Moors hospitable--Arrive at a Village--The ancient
Zelis--Public Accommodations--Much infested with Vermin--Arzilla, a
ruinous walled Town--Arrive at Larache.
LETTER III.
Conducted to the Governor--Medical Hint from his Secretary--Governor
recovers--Larache--Its Harbour, Shipping, and Inhabitants.
LETTER IV.
Excursion to Mamora, and thence lo Salee--Friendly Reception by the
Governor of the latter--Rabat--Tower of Hassen--Shella--Mansooria--
Alcasser--Quiber--Its Socco, or Market-place.
LETTER V.
Leave Larache with an Escort--Curious Custom on returning from
Mecca--Arrive at Tetuan.
LETTER VI.
Ill Usage of a Lieutenant of the Swiftsure--Disaffection of the
Moorish Governor towards Great Britain.
LETTER VII.
Sail for Tetuan--Appearance of the Coast--Enter the Boosega
River--Curious Towers of Defence--Custom-house--Female Dress--Enter
Tetuan over a Road of unlevelled Rock--Disagreeable Streets--Well
received by the Governor--Public Markets--Socco--An Auction Market.
LETTER VIII.
Tetuan--The Jews much oppressed there--particularly the
Females--Costume--Singularity of the Streets in the Jewish
Town--Ceuta--Would be invaluable to England--Melilla--Summoned to
visit the Emperor.
LETTER IX.
Journey to Larache--Annual Socco of St. Martin--No Christian permitted
to witness it--Express Order for that Purpose in the Author's
Favour--Specimen of native medical Skill--Reception at
Larache--Complain of the Impositions of Governor Ash-Ash--Comparative
Tariff--Effect the Renewal of the old Tariff with increasing
Advantages.
LETTER X.
Depart from Larache with a little Army--Moorish military
Salute--Numerous Villages--Customary Procession of the
Inhabitants--Judicial Arrangements--River Beth resembles the Po--Herds
of Camels--Arrive at Mequinez--French Falsehood again put
down--Excellent Road from Mequinez--Fertility and Luxuriance of the
adjacent Country--Procession to the Sanctuary of Sidy
Edris--Multiplicity of Saints--Ceremony demonstrative of the Emperor's
Favour--Take possession of my new Residence.
LETTER XI.
Imperial Review of eighty thousand Cavalry--The Palace--Introduction
to the Emperor--Visit the Seraglio--Beauty of the Sultana--Her
Indisposition--Her Influence over the Emperor--His Person described.
LETTER XII.
Succession of the Sovereigns from their Founder to the present
Emperor.
LETTER XIII.
Responsibility of the Governors--Empire beautiful and
productive--Humane Efforts of the Emperor--Blind Submission to his
Will--Great Number of Negroes naturalized--The Moors might be truly
formidable--Emperor's Brother--Fez divided into two
Parts--Magnificent Mosques--Commercial Privileges--Indignities which
Christians undergo--Singular Supply of Water--The Imperial
Gardens--Propensity to
defraud--Factories--Exports--Costume--Character---Manner of
Living--Domestic Vermin.
LETTER XIV.
Fez--Debility of the Moors--Mosques--Antiquities, Roman, Carthaginian,
and Saracen--Storks held in great Veneration--Baths--Bazars--
Inhabitants--Residence--Menagerie--Marvellous Preservation of a
Jew--Lions-- Tigers--Leopards--Hyenas.
LETTER XV.
Sudden Departure from Fez--Arrive at Mequinez--Attend the
Emperor--Melancholy Catastrophe--Expedition against wild
Beasts--Extensive Palaces--Seraglio--Visit a Haram--Founders of the
City--A fortified Town--Inhabitants--Jewish Town--Rich Attire of the
higher Orders--Numerous Market-places--Furniture--Saints
Houses--Imperial Field Sports--Pack of Greyhounds--Abundance of Game.
LETTER XVI.
Courtship--Marriage--Funerals--Sabbath.
LETTER XVII.
Depart from Morocco--Roads dreadfully infested by Robbers--A Tribe of
aboriginal Freebooters--Description of Morocco--Filth of the common
People--Tobacco disallowed--Justice of the Emperor.
LETTER XVIII.
Moorish Character--Form of Devotion--Meals--Revenue--Poll-tax on the
Jews--Royal Carriages--Ostrich-riding--Public Schools--Watch-dogs.
LETTER XIX.
Face and Produce of the Empire, natural and artificial.
LETTER XX.
Practice of Physic--Astrology--Poetry--Entertainment given by the
Author to the Moors--Their Astonishment at the Effects of Electricity.
LETTER XXI.
Prevalent Diseases--Abuse of Stimulants--Medicinal
Well--Sorcery--Hydrophobia.
LETTER XXII.
Depart for Gibraltar--Oppressive Heat--Robbers--Arrive at
Larache--Affray of some English Sailors--Letter from the Governor to
Lord Collingwood.
LETTER XXIII.
Embark for Gibraltar--Precautionary Hints.
APPENDIX.
No. I.--Letter from J. Turnbull, Esq. General Chairman of the
Merchants trading to the Mediterranean, recommending Dr. Buffa for a
civil medical Appointment at Gibraltar.--Dated 5th August 1805.
No. II.--Letter from the Secretary of the Transport Board, informing
Dr. Buffa that a Passage in one of His Majesty's Transports to
Gibraltar was ordered for him and his Family.
No. III.--Extract of a Letter from John Turnbull, Esq. Chairman of the
Committee of Merchants trading to the Levant, &c. to Dr. Buffa.
No. IV.--Extract of a Letter from John Ross, Esq. Acting Consul
General at Tangiers, to Dr. Buffa.
No V.--Letter sent by a Courier from the Court of Morocco to J. Ross,
Esq. by Permission of His Imperial Majesty's First Minister, after
Dr. Buffa's having finally settled the Difference excited at that Time
by the French Party in Barbary, between that Country and Great
Britain.
No. VI.--Letter from Captain Stewart, of His Majesty's Ship Seahorse,
to the Government of Morocco, for Supplies; which Dr. Buffa was
directed to answer, after having procured the said Supplies without
any Charge.
No. VII.--Letter from Admiral the Right Hon. Lord Collingwood, to the
Government of Morocco, in answer to Dr. Buffa's Official Letter to
Captain Stewart, touching on various public Matters.
No. VIII.--An Official Letter written by Dr. Buffa, by particular
Direction of the Emperor of Morocco, in answer to a Letter of Lord
Collingwood of the 8th July 1806, giving his Lordship Information of
the happy Termination of the Negotiations which Dr. Buffa carried on,
and which all the Representations of Mr. Ross to that Court were
unable to effect; which gave rise to a very long and expensive
Correspondence between Mr. Ross and Dr. Buffa, Long carried on by
constant Couriers.
No. IX.--Letter written by Command of the Emperor of Morocco, to Lord
Collingwood, in favour of Dr. Buffa.
No. X.--Translation of a Letter from the Emperor of Morocco to the
King. Referred to in the Petition.
Nos. XI. and XII.--Copies of two Letters received from the Government
bf Morocco, to which Dr. Buffa has hitherto been unable to reply.
TRAVELS,
&c.
LETTER I.
Inducement for the Journey--Arrive at Tangiers--Its History--
Situation--Inhabitants--Military--Governor--Fortifications--
Subterraneous Passage--Socco, or Market--Adjacent Villas--Invited to
Larache.
Tangiers, January 12th, 1806.
I have long felt very desirous to visit a country, which,
notwithstanding the many revolutions it has undergone, and the
enlightened characters of its conquerors, is regarded as still
immersed in a degree of barbarism almost unparalleled. It appeared to
me next to impossible that a nation so contiguous to Europe, with
which it has for centuries maintained a constant intercourse, could
have remained in a state of such profound ignorance.
Impressed with these ideas, I readily embraced the offer of a friend
to accompany him from Gibraltar to this place, intending to travel
further up the country, should I meet with sufficient inducement from
the result of my observations here. We landed on the first of this
month, and the intermediate time I have employed in obtaining
information relative to the town of Tangiers from the earliest
tradition to the present time. As the particulars I have collected do
not appear devoid of Interest, I flatter myself, you will be gratified
that I should have made them the subject of a letter.
This town, which by the ancients was called _Tingis_, or Tingir, and
appears to have been the metropolis of the _Western Mauritania_, or
Tingitania, as it was named, to distinguish it from _Mauritania
Cæsariensis_; according to Pliny and others, was first founded
ed fay _Antæus_ (about a thousand years before Christ), the
same who was afterwards conquered and slain by _Hercules_. The giant
is supposed to have been buried here: and the report of Plutarch, that
his tomb was opened by Sertorius, and a corpse sixty cubits or more in
length, taken out of it, confirms the idea. But according to others,
_Tingis_, or the present _Tangiers_, lays claim to a more ancient
founder than _Antæus_. Procopius mentions, that in his time
were standing two pillars of white stone, upon which were inscribed in
the Phoenician characters the following words: _"We are the Canaanites
who fed from Joshua, the son of Nun."_
A colony of Carthaginians settled here, and it is most probable that a
flourishing trade was carried on by them, as the situation of Tangiers
is extremely well adapted for that purpose. Indeed the name _Tingis_,
in the language of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, signifies an
_emporium_. When the Mauritaniæ became subject to the Romans,
in the reign of Julius Cæsar, Bocchus, the son-in-law of
Jugurtha, having defeated Bogud, the king of _Mauritania Tingitania_,
he became possessed of that country, and Augustus, or, as some say,
Octavius, confirmed this acquisition to him; and the inhabitants of
_Tingis_ were allowed the privileges of Roman citizens.
I cannot discover any thing further remarkable of Tangiers from the
time it became a Roman colony, and during the period it was possessed
by the Saracens, till the latter end of the fourteenth century, when
it was taken by the Portuguese, who erected fortifications and other
public works. It continued in their possession for nearly two
centuries; and was at length given to our King, Charles the Second, as
part of the dowry of his consort Catharine, We did not keep it long;
for, owing to the little harmony that subsisted between that Monarch
and his Parliament, it was ceded to the Moors in 1684, after we had
blown up all the fortifications, and utterly destroyed the
harbour. Since that event, it seems to have been gradually dwindling
into its present insignificance.
I have before observed, that the situation of Tangiers is well adapted
to the purposes of commerce, being about two miles within the Straits
of Gibraltar (or Hercules); but the ruins of the fortifications and
harbour have rendered the anchorage in the bay of Tangiers very
unsafe. This is a great obstacle to trade; very little is carried on
there at present, and that little is by a few Jews, and lately, by a
Spanish merchant of the name of Don Pedro.
The town being built on the declivity of that high tract of land
called Cape Spartel (the Cape _Cottes_ or _Ampelusian_ of the
ancients), it is seen at a great distance; but on entering the bay, it
appears to the best advantage. It is defended by two martello towers,
a castle, and a large battery; but I am confident that it could not
withstand the attack of a few English frigates, and that such a force
from the bay might destroy the town in the space of a few
hours. Notwithstanding the vicissitudes to which this place has been
exposed, it still possesses a superiority over the other towns in the
empire of Morocco; it is the capital of the kingdom, and the residence
of the Consuls General of the powers in amity with his Imperial
Majesty. The houses of these foreign residents are constructed with
great taste in the European style; the habitations of the Moors are
neat; the air is pure and salubrious; the supply of excellent water,
abundant; and the market cheap and plentiful. This combination of
advantages renders Tangiers, in many points of view, an eligible
residence. The European society, which consists almost solely of the
families of the foreign consuls, is pleasant and agreable, The
adjacent country is beautifully romantic; and the opposite coast and
bay present a most delightful prospect. The Moorish inhabitants are
all soldiers, very poor, and entirely subject to the arbitrary will of
the Emperor. It is capable of furnishing, at a moment's warning,
three thousand cavalry, and two thousand infantry and artillery-men;
but these troops are badly trained, and without order or discipline: I
attended their evening parade yesterday, and was truly diverted with
the sorry appearance of their best militia-men, who were to mount
guard for the night. These Moorish soldiers are remarkably addicted
to cheating. It is probably owing to their excessive indolence, which
prevents them from making the usual exertions for obtaining a
livelihood, and induces them to adopt the more expeditious mode of
extorting from strangers the means of subsistence; but as they are not
often presented with an object of prey, they continually labour
against the pressure of extreme poverty. Tangiers is under the
government of Sidy Ash-Ash; who resides at Tetuan. He is by no means
partial to the English, but devoted to France; influenced by French
principles, and French interest. Excepting a few small armed vessels,
fitted out for piracy, there is no shipping in the harbour. I have
observed none for the purpose of commerce; all their goods are
exported in foreign bottoms; and when they bring in a prize, the
vessel remains unsold for a considerable length of time, and it is
always disposed of to a foreign merchant.
Several remains of the European fortifications are yet visible; the
Moors have repaired some, among which the western bastions still form
a principal part of the strength of the place. The castle, which
appears to have been built before the time of the Portuguese, stands
in a commanding position upon one of the most prominent rocks of this
coast. By an order of the Emperor, all the civil and military officers
of this town are obliged to reside in it.
From this castle is a subterraneous passage containing many curious
remnants of antiquity. On each side of the passage are ruinous
apartments, which we may readily suppose to have been designed as
places for the concealment of treasures, or receptacles for the
dead. From the fragments of some urns I have collected, upon which are
to be traced parts of inscriptions in the Punic character, I imagine
this subterraneous place to have been built by the Carthaginians, for
one or both of those purposes. It extends from the castle to several
miles without the gates of the town; whence we may likewise infer,
that it served as a means of escape in case of a sudden insurrection,
or siege. Here are several superb mosques and commodious public baths.
The _Socco_, or market, is held twice a week (on Sunday and
Wednesday), in a spacious sandy square, outside of the western gate,
whereto the peasants bring all kinds of provisions, and other
necessaries, which are sold at very low rates. Fish and every sort of
wild fowl are brought in daily, and sold very cheap. Among the
Consuls' villas, some of which are built near the spot where the
_Socco_ is held, that of the Swedish Consul is the most worthy of
notice. The pleasure-ground is laid out with great taste in orange
groves; the gardens abound in fruit-trees, and the Consul has made a
curious botanical collection.
I have just been interrupted by Mr. Matra, our Consul. He called to
request me to go up to Larache, to attend the Governor, who is
dangerously ill, and has sent here for an English physician. I
intended to have continued a brief account of this empire, from the
time it became a Roman province to the introduction of Mahometanism;
also by what means the Moors became mixed with Arabs: but I must
reserve this for the next opportunity.
LETTER II.
_Sketch of the History of Morocco--Road from Tangiers--Simplicity of
the Peasants--Moors hospitable--Arrive at a Village--The ancient
Zelis--Public Accommodations--Much infested with Vermin--Arzilla, a
ruinous walled Town--Arrive at Larache_.
Larache, January 1806.
Before I proceed to give you the particulars of my journey to this
place, I shall fulfil tho promise I made you in my last.
The present empire of Morocco is properly the _Mauritania Tingitania_
of the Romans, as the _Mauritania Cæsariensis_ comprised
Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis; and was so called from the Emperor
Claudius. _Tingitania_ was not decidedly reduced to a Roman province
till after the death of _Bocchus_. Augustus afterwards gave the two
Mauritanias, and a part of _Getulia_, to the younger _Juba_, as a
remuneration for the loss of his father's kingdom
(_Numidia_). _Ptolemy_, his son, by _Cleopatra_ (daughter of _Antony_
and _Cleopatra_), succeeded him. In his reign, the Moors of this
country were induced to revolt by a Numidian named _Tacfarinas_, who
had served in the Roman army, and who, at the head of a set of
barbarians accustomed to every species of robbery, assisted the revolt
he had excited.
After a variety of successes and defeats, they were completely routed
by _Dolabella_, the Roman General, and a body of Mauritanians sent to
his assistance by _Ptolemy_, This conquest contributed to establish
peace for a short time in these provinces; but at the death of
_Ptolemy_ (who was treacherously cut off by _Caius_), they again
revolted, when _Claudius_ first fixed a Roman army in _Mauritania_.
His generals, though not without difficulty, succeeded in restoring
tranquillity, which scarcely met with any interruption till the latter
end of the fifth century, when the declining state of the Roman power
favoured another revolt, in which the Moors entirely shook off the
yoke of the Romans, assisted by the Vandals, under _Genseric_, who
overran Africa, and obtained possession of most of the maritime
towns. The Vandals were expelled in the seventh century by the
Saracens, under the Caliphs of Bagdad, a ferocious and warlike race of
Arabs, who, from conquest to conquest, had extended and removed their
seat of government from Medina to the city of Damascus; thence to
_Cufa_, and from the latter place to _Bagdad_; where they established
their Caliphate authority.
Flushed with their success, and burning with the hopes of plunder, in
the conquest of countries more fertile and richer, but less warlike
than their own, they extended their arms as far as the western
_Mauritania_. This country then remained for some time subject to the
Caliphs of Bagdad, and was governed by their lieutenants, a set of
cruel, arbitrary, and rapacious men.
The distance from the seat of government, and the oppressive manner in
which the Caliphs ruled, excited universal commotion in this part, and
considerably diminished their authority. Their generals, far from
suppressing, openly encouraged these tumults, and severally aspired to
the sovereignty. In the midst of these intestine broils, _Edris_, a
descendant of Mahomet, fled into Mauritania, to avoid the persecutions
of the Caliph _Abdallah_, who, to ensure the succession to his own
family, had caused the kinsmen of _Edris_ to be put to death. _Edris_
first settled in a mountain, between Fez and Mequinez, called
_Zaaron_, where he soon gained the confidence of the Moors. He
preached the doctrine of Mahomet, and, by degrees, succeeded in
establishing it throughout the country. These people, fond of
novelty, and extremely susceptible of fanaticism, readily embraced a
faith so well suited to their manners and inclinations. They elected
him their chief, and invested him with supreme power; which he
employed in reducing the Arab generals. From that time, the
characters of the Moors and Arabs gradually blended, so that in
after-ages, among the generality of them, scarcely any distinction can
be traced.
As it is foreign to my present purpose to carry you farther into the
ancient history of this country, I shall proceed to give you tho
particulars of my journey to this town. I left Tangiers, escorted by a
guard, consisting of a serjeant and six horsemen, accompanied by an
interpreter, and my few servants. We rode for several hours,
alternately through gardens and woods: the former full of fruit-trees;
such as orange, lemon, fig, pomegranate, apple, pear, and cherry
trees. The scene became every moment more interesting. As we
advanced, the country assumed a variety almost indescribable. The
contrast was every where infinitely striking. At one instant the eye
was presented with fine corn-fields, meadows, and high hills; nay,
mountains, cultivated to the very summits, are covered with immense
flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle; while the vallies conveyed to
the imagination an idea of the fertile plains of Arcadia; the simple
manners of the Moors, who tend these flocks and herds, still further
inducing one to believe them the happy, peaceful people, the poets
feign the Arcadian swains to have been. On the other hand are huge
mountains, bleak and barren, inaccessible to man, and scarcely
affording food to the straggling wild goats that venture to browse on
them.
There is a degree of simplicity in the behaviour of the peasants, so
widely different from these who inhabit the towns, that it is
impossible to suppose them the same race of men. From the great
affinity between the manners and customs of these country Moors, and
the _Scenite Arabs_, the inhabitants of _Arabia Deserta_, we may
naturally infer that they must have derived those habits from the
latter.
They reside in villages composed of tents to the number of forty or
fifty, which they remove at pleasure; when the pasture fails in one
valley, they strike their tents, and seek another, where they remain
till the same necessity impels them to quit that in its turn. This
was precisely the custom of the _Arabes Scenitæ_. The vast
plains of sand with which _Arabia Deserta_ abounds, were occasionally
interspersed with fertile spots, which appeared like little
islands. These we're rendered extremely delightful by fountains,
rivulets, palm-trees, and most excellent fruit. The Arabs, with their
flocks, encamped on some of them, and when they had consumed every
thing there, they retired to others. Their descendants, the present
_Bedoweens_, continue the practice to this day. The name given to this
kind of village is the same as that of the Arabs just mentioned, which
is _Dow-war, or Hbyma_.
The families of the Moorish peasants appear to be very numerous, as I
observed that each tent was quite full. They flocked out as I passed,
to gratify their curiosity in seeing a _Massarane_ (for so they
denominate a Christian). Yet, notwithstanding their antipathy to all
Christians, I was received with the greatest hospitality by these
followers of Mahomet. They seemed to vie with each other in presenting
the bowl of butter-milk, which they consider as a great delicacy, and.
indeed, an offering of peace.
In the centre of a plain, about eight hours journey from Tangiers, we
halted, and refreshed ourselves. After allowing my serjeant and guard
to perform their ablutions, and say their prayers, we proceeded on our
journey, and arrived, very late in the evening, at a village on the
banks of a large river, which, from its situation, I imagine to be the
_Zelis_, or _Zelia_, of the ancients, and which, by its annual
inundation, fertilizes and enriches the country to such a degree,
that, with very little labour, it produces abundant crops of all kinds
of grain, particularly of wheat and barley.
A number of rivulets have their source in those mountains, which,
joining others in their course, at length form pretty considerable
rivers; and these, meeting with obstacles from the projecting rocks
over which they pass, produce most beautiful natural cascades, which,
precipitating themselves into the plains, preserve so great a moisture
in the soil, that it is covered with a continual verdure.
There are no public inns for the accommodation of travellers on the
road; but the Emperor has caused stone buildings to be erected, at
certain distances, as substitutes. These buildings are not so good as
many of the stables in England; they resemble the sheds, made, by
farmers, to-give shelter to their cattle in tempestuous weather: yet,
miserable as they were, I was glad to accept the offer of a night's
lodging in one of them, not having provided myself with a tent.
The Cadi of the village conducted us to this delectable abode, which
we found already occupied by six Moorish wanderers, who, in the
Emperor's name, were ordered to turn out, and make room for me and my
suite. Supper was brought me by the Cadi; it consisted, of boiled rice
and milk, and some fresh-water fish, tolerably well dressed. When I
had partaken of this homely repast, I prepared myself for rest, of
which I stood in great need from the fatigues of the day; but, alas!
my evil genius had determined otherwise; it seemed as if all the fleas
and bugs in His Imperial Majesty's dominions had been collected, to
prevent my closing my eyes; or it was, possibly, a legacy bequeathed,
me by my predecessors. Be that as it may, I found them such very
troublesome companions, that I preferred the night air to the prospect
of being devoured before morning; I therefore wrapped myself up in a
thick blanket, and slept, unmolested, in the open air, till after
daybreak, when I found myself sufficiently refreshed to pursue my
journey. Crossing the river, we passed through a ruinous walled town,
called _Arzilla_, commanded by an Alcaid, under the Governor of
Larache. This, which is a maritime town, lies at the mouth of the
above river, and was, according to Strabo, Pliny, and others, a
_Phoenician colony_; it was afterwards successively in the hands of
the Romans, Vandals, Arabs, and occupied by _Aphonso_, King of
Portugal, surnamed the _African_. It was abandoned by the Portuguese
in 1471, when it fell under the power of the kings of Morocco.
I observed several ruins in this town and its vicinity, but could not
stay to inspect them, It is inhabited by Moors and Jews, and is
surrounded by gardens abounding with lemon, orange, and grape
trees. On the evening of the same day we reached this place. I shall
defer the account of my reception here, and the state in which I found
the Governor, till my next.
LETTER III.
Conducted to the Governor--Medical Hint from his Secretary--Governor
recovers--Larache--Its Harbour, Shipping, and Inhabitants.
Larache, February 1806.
On our arrival at this place, we were met, at the gates of the
garrison, by the Governor's public Secretary, who conducted us to a
house belonging to Mr. Matra, and afterwards accompanied me to the
castle to visit my patient. On our way thither I requested the
Secretary to give me his opinion concerning the present state of the
Governor's health; I also asked how he had been accustomed to live,
and how long he had been confined to his bed. "What do you mean," said
he, "by asking such foolish questions? you are not a _tweeb_" (the
name for a physician). I told him that I was. He continued: "That must
be determined by your success or failure; if you succeed, you will for
ever establish your fame in Barbary; you will be esteemed and
respected by all the Moors; but, if you fail, and His Excellency
should die under your hands, I would then advise you to make your
escape as quickly and as privately as possible, and never to attempt
to revisit this country." I confessed the weight of the encouragement
and threats which he held out; and inquiring whether he meant to
insinuate, that if the Governor died I should suffer death? and
whether they always punished their tweebs thus when they dispatched
any of their patients to the other world? he rejoined, "Not exactly;
but consider, you are a Massarene, which makes a great difference." I
then intimated that I would decline having any thing to do with his
master, and would return to Gibraltar. "You do not think of such a
thing!" he exclaimed; "it would be unworthy of your character and
situation. But come; I will give you a few salutary hints, which may
be of service to you; the rest you will discover at the bed-side, and
on feeling the pulse of your patient, I wish you may succeed in
recovering him; but I am afraid he is going, and that no tweeb on
earth can save him."
He then informed me that His Excellency had been attended, for some
days past, by a celebrated tweeb, who stood high in the public
estimation; that he had pronounced the Governor's disease incurable,
and he had, bled him so copiously, and so repeatedly, that "I verily
believe," added the Secretary, "he has not a single drop of blood left
in his veins; I would therefore advise you to administer some good
cordials, and also some nourishment, to restore his lost vigour." By
this time we had reached the castle. I found the Governor in a
situation truly deplorable. He had been bled, as the Secretary
described, _ad deliquium_, and reduced so low, that it was with great
difficulty I could hear what he was desirous of explaining to me.
His body was covered all over with purple spots, and had every
concomitant symptom of the blood approaching to a putrescent
dissolution, I afforded him all the assistance in my power the same
evening; and early the next morning, when I visited him, I found him
somewhat easier; the next day better; and thus progressively mending;
till yesterday he was sufficiently recovered to venture on horseback,
and I trust he will, ultimately, be perfectly restored to health and
spirits. He is about forty years of age, of a genteel appearance,
exceedingly well informed, and reputed to be the most sensible officer
in His Imperial Majesty's service, perfectly, _au fait_ in the
intrigues and politics of the Cabinet of St. Cloud, and other nations,
He has always been, and is still, a very steady friend to the English,
During my stay here so many poor wretches applied for advice and
medical assistance, that I have completely exhausted my stock of
medicines, and I am, in consequence of this, obliged to decline the
Emperor's invitation to his court. I shall return to Gibraltar for a
supply, and shall then pay him a visit at Fez.
Larache is supposed to be the famous _Lixus_, or _Lixos_, of the
ancients, and, consequently, was in great reputation in the earliest
ages, Pliny asserts, that the giant _Antæus_ occasionally
resided here; and further adds, that Hercules vanquished him in this
neighbourhood, as he supposes the gardens of the Hesperides to have
been not far off. This I think very probable, as the Arabic name of
this town is _El Arais_, signifying a place abounding in gardens;
which is still the case. The vicinity of it is, indeed, rendered
extremely delightful by the number of gardens. Pliny also makes the
river Lixos (upon the banks of which the town stood), by its winding
course, to resemble a serpent, or dragon, from which he intimates that
this river gave rise to the fable of the Dragon guarding the golden
apples of the _Hesperides_. Be that as it may, the situation of the
present Larache gives great probability to the supposition of its
being the reputed _Lixus_ of the ancients. The learned Aldrete affirms
the word _Lixos_ be derived from לחישו, _Lachisu_, or נה־אלחישו,
_Nahara Lachisu_, signifying _enchantment_, or the _enchanted
river_. He observes, that the town of Lixos was situated near the
banks of a river of the same name; and that the inhabitants of this
country were supposed to possess uncommon skill in sorcery and magic.
Many wonderful things have been related of _Antæus_, by various
authors, in his two residences of _Tingis_ and _Lixos_. Pliny mentions
a Roman colony having been settled here by _Claudius_; and I should
judge this statement to be perfectly correct, from the number of Roman
ruins observable in and near the town. It was in the possession of the
Spaniards in 1610, but was retaken by the Moors before the
commencement of the eighteenth century.
It is surrounded by good bastions and other works; some of which were
constructed by the Spaniards, and the rest by the Moors. It is
encompassed by deep trenches, with sluices to fill them with water
from the river, The streets of this town are narrow and dirty, paved
with large irregular stones, and consisting of abrupt ascents and
descents, which render them unsafe to pass through on horseback.
Near the castle, at the extremity of the cape, facing the Atlantic, is
an oblong square, surrounded by a piazza, supported by colonnades,
where the shops of the merchants are situated, and where the market
also is held. The cattle-market is kept in an extensive plain, to
which you pass through a crooked way, out of the western
gate. Thursday is the market-day.
Fresh water is extremely scarce, and the inhabitants are sometimes
greatly distressed for want of it. Larache is a seat of government,
and contains a spacious inland harbour; but the entrance is dangerous
from the badness of its bar, which might, however, be removed with
little trouble and expense, so as to render the harbour very
commodious for shipping,
The harbour contains a portion of the Emperor's maritime force, which
consists of four frigates, a brig, and a sloop of war, in very
tolerable condition. This little fleet is commanded by an admiral, and
sails every year in the month of May; when it cruizes about during the
summer, picking up a few straggling vessels, and returns here to
winter; in which time the sailors are twice a week exercised at the
great guns. This town is now entirely occupied by soldiers and
sailors, and their respective families. It did contain about two
thousand Jews, whose business it was to purchase hides, wool, and wax,
for several commercial houses established at Tetuan; but these poor
people were obliged to leave this garrison, and take refuge in the
neighbouring mountains, from a sudden and irrevocable decree of the
Emperor, on account of their having sold some _aguardiente_ to the
sailors, which occasioned a great fight, that was attended with the
loss of three Moors.
I have just received intelligence of the death of Mr. Matra; I am
extremely sorry for this event, as, in him, we have lost a very
powerful advocate at the court of Morocco: but it is no more than I
expected, from the state in which I left him at Tangiers.
LETTER IV.
Excursion to Mamora, and thence to Salee--Friendly Reception by the
Governor of the latter--Rabat--Tower of Hassen--Shella--
Mansooria--Alcasser-- Quiber--Its Socco, or Marketplace.
Larache, 1805.
To escape from the importunities of those poor creatures who continued
to pester me for medicines with which I could not supply them, I
availed myself of the convalescent state of the Governor, and obtained
his permission to make a short excursion to the nearest seaport towns
on the western coast. Escorted as before, I directed my way towards
Mamora, a fortress about sixty miles off.
I halted frequently to observe the face of, the country, and could not
forbear lamenting the little knowledge I possess in the art of
drawing; indeed, I never had more reason to regret having neglected it
than now, as it would have enabled me to present you with some very
interesting views, to which my pen cannot do justice.
The beautiful intermixture of lakes, forests, and green vallies,
forming most delightful landscapes, brought to my recollection those
scenes I have so often contemplated, in my youthful days, on the
borders of Switzerland. The lakes abound with all kinds of
water-fowls, and fine eels; and are surrounded by villages,
sanctuaries, and holy houses; the latter occupied by the descendants
of the ancient _Maraboots_, who are held in the highest veneration by
the Moors, and whose habitations are considered as sacred asylums,
which are never violated, either by the civil or military power.
We ascended an eminence, upon which stands one of their most
celebrated sanctuaries, built in the form of a pavilion, with four
arched folding-doors, in the Gothic style, covered with varnished
tiles of various colours, and embellished with curious Arabic
characters. I was eagerly approaching, at the head of my little party,
to gratify my curiosity, when a shower of stones, from the holy
inhabitants of the neighbouring huts and tents, compelled me to
desist; and after a retreat of one hundred yards, I sat down to
refresh myself undisturbed.
From this hill, however, I had a better opportunity of surveying the
beauties of the adjacent lands, which are very productive; and also to
observe the windings of the river _Seboo_, which, taking its source in
the neighbourhood of Fez, forms a junction with the river _Beth_, and
falls into the Atlantic Ocean.
After journeying about a league, we crossed this river in a
ferry-boat, and in a short time reached the fort of _Mamora_, which
lies about two miles to the south of the river. This fort, after
having been demolished by the Moors, was rebuilt by the Spaniards in
1604, and taken by Muley Ishmael in 1681. It is commanded by an
Alcaid, and inhabited by about forty or fifty families, who gain a
livelihood by fishing for shads and eels; with which they supply the
adjoining country during the winter season.
We rested at this place, and feasted upon fried eels, which I found
equal to those caught in the Thames. From _Mamora_ we proceeded to
_Salee_ another maritime town, situated in the province of
_Ben-hassen_, and at the mouth of the river _Salee_, which is formed
by the junction of two small rivers. The Governor of that place being
an intimate friend of my patient, I was most kindly and hospitably
received by him; and elegantly entertained in one of his gardens,
which are well laid out, and ornamented with several fountains playing
into marble basins, as well as by several delightful streams of water.
Salee is a walled town, strongly defended by a large battery, mounting
twenty-four pieces of heavy ordnance, and a redoubt which protects the
mouth of the river. It contains about five hundred regular troops,
three thousand militia-men, five hundred sailors, and a number of
Moorish merchants and Jews. To the north of this garrison is a small
town, in a ruinous state, inhabited by a few negro families. I was
told it was built by Muley Ishmael for the accommodation of his
favourite black troops. To the south, and on the opposite side of the
river _Salee_, is the maritime city of _Rabat_, commanded by a black
chief, and garrisoned with black soldiers.
It is defended by a fort and strong batteries, adequate to prevent a
hostile landing. It contains several ruins of importance; among the
most conspicuous of which are those of a large mosque, and the famous
castle built by _Almansor_ the _Invincible_, together with a superb
square tower; which latter is still in a tolerable state of
preservation, and is called the tower of _Hassen_. This tower is about
two hundred feet in height, strongly built with cut stone, and most
curiously decorated with Arabic characters. It contains a staircase of
easy ascent to the top, whence I had a most extensive prospect of the
Atlantic Ocean, where vessels are descried sailing at an immense
distance.
The walls of Rabat are nearly two miles in circumference, and
fortified by several square towers. Exclusive of its regular garrison,
it contains four thousand militia-men, and about fifteen hundred
sailors, besides several Moorish merchants and Jews; which latter live
in a separate quarter.
This town, as well as Salee, is admirably calculated for trade,
capable of furnishing foreign markets with large quantities of wool,
leather, wax, and other important commodities. These contiguous
cities are surrounded by gardens, watered by plentiful streams, which
are artificially conveyed from a neighbouring spring, that takes its
rise in a valley called _Tamura_, to the south of Rabat, and which
also supplies all the houses of the two towns with fresh water.
Both places contain docks for building vessels, and several small
corvettes in the Emperor's service winter in these harbours: but the
roads, like those of Larache, are only to be frequented from the
beginning of April to the end of September, on account of the shifting
of the sand, which accumulates on the wind blowing from the
south-west, when the bar is rendered unsafe for vessels to pass. Too
great attention cannot be paid by commanders or masters of ships, on
anchoring there, as a great number of anchors have been lately lost,
and many vessels stranded.
Curiosity prompted me to inspect a small ruinous town to the east of
_Rabat_, named _Shella_, supposed to have been built by the
_Carthaginians_: but my approach was rudely prevented by the
inhabitants; no Christian, nor even Jew, being suffered to enter, on
account of its containing several tombs of their most celebrated
saints, while in fact it is only a sacred asylum for malefactors, and
all the rogues of the country.
To the south, and about eight leagues from _Rabat_, in a sandy and
almost desert place, is a castle, in a most dilapidated state, called
_Mensooria_, which was erected by _Jacob Al__mansor_, for the
accommodation of travellers, and is still resorted to by the trading
Moors and Jews, as a refuge at night from the attacks of robbers.