BARBARY 



263 



Barbary. pelled from Portugal and Spain, are diffused over the 

 * ""V ' whole country ; and are found even in the mountains 

 of Atlas, exerc ; sing mechanical trades among the 

 Berebbers. They are subjected to every conceivable 

 species of oppression, and are frequently treated even 

 more harshly than the beasts of burden. They are 

 not permitted to possess lands, to wear a sword, to 

 ride a horse, or to leave the country without special 

 ' permission. They are obliged to wear such a habit, 

 as may distinguish them at first sight; to address 

 every Mussulman by the title of seedy or signor; and 

 to pull off their sandals, whenever they approach any 

 religious structure or consecrated place. They are 

 no where more severely and more undeservedly op- 

 pressed ; for the whole country may be said to de- 

 pend upon their ingenuity and industry, and could 

 scarcely subsist without their aid. They are the only 

 good artificers, and have a share in all pecuniary and 

 commercial transactions. They are employed even 

 in coining the money of the different states, some- 

 times also in collecting the taxes ; and seldom does a 

 Moor attempt to carry on trade, without the assist- 

 ance of a Jewish agent. They are tolerated in the 

 observance of their religious worship ; and, in towns, 

 there is generally a particular quarter allotted for 

 their residence, under the jurisdiction of an alcaide 

 appointed by the government. They follow, in other 

 respects, the customs of the Moors; and, under all 

 their oppressions, they find abundant resources in 

 their own superior sagacity and information. 

 Christians. The few Christians, who reside in Barbary, are 

 temporary visitants for purposes of trade, the consuls 

 of European states, the slaves of Moorish corsairs, 

 the inhabitants of the Spanish settlements, and de- 

 serters from the Spanish garrisons. From a regard 

 to their respective nations, they may sometimes ex- 

 perience the protection of the constituted authorities ; 

 but, by the Moors in general, they are held in as 

 great contempt as the Jews ; and are exposed to every 

 species of insult, that bigotry and brutality can devise. 

 Renega- The renegadoes, or foreigners, who have adopted 



does. the religion of the country, may be considered as 



forming a distinct class among the inhabitants of 

 Barbary. The greater part of them are Jews, who 

 have sought, in apostacy, a refuge from their oppres- 

 sions ; others are fugitive criminals, or men of despe- 

 rate fortunes, from Spain ; and a few are the younger 

 part of European crew6, who have been shipwrecked 

 on the coast. A renegado, upon his conversion, is 

 circumcised, clothed in a Moorish habit, and con- 

 ducted through the streets on horseback accompa- 

 nied with music, and a great concourse of people. 

 He then chooses a Mahommedan name, and fixes 

 upon some person, who adopts him as a child, and 

 who is afterwards called Ins father ; but who is not 

 considered as bound to take any farther notice of 

 him. There may be a few instances of persons of 

 this description having risen, by their abilities and 

 knowledge, to situations of wealth and power ; bur, 

 in general, their condition is exceedingly abject and 

 despicable. The native Moon avoid their society, 

 and seldom allow them to intermarry with their fa- 

 milies. They are at liberty only to connect them- 

 selves with a negro, or the daughter of a renegado ; 

 and their descendants are not acknowledged as genuine 



Mahommedans till the fourth generation. They fre- Barbary. 

 quently find their situation so very deplorable, that " 

 they are ready to expose their lives to the greatest 

 hazards, in order to make their escape from the 

 country. 



In all the states of Barbary, the government is of Civil go- 

 the most despotic description ; and the inhabitants vernment. 

 are subject to the most degrading oppressions. The 

 supreme power is entirely without controul ; and the t 

 lives and property of the natives are wholly at the 

 disposal of their rulers. Every kind of cruelty and 

 injustice is systematically practised ; and it is even 

 said to be a maxim of government in this unhappy 

 country, that, " in order to rule the people effec- 

 tually, there should always be a stream of blood 

 flowing from the throne." The same principle of 

 tyranny descends through the inferior classes of go- 

 vernors ; and, provided they regularly remit to their 

 superiors the required tribute, they are seldom called 

 to account for their conduct. To be rich, is the 

 greatest of all crimes in the eye of the Barbary 

 princes; and such of their subjects, as have acquired 

 property to any considerable amount, are very rarely 

 permitted to enjoy it in peace. Their wealth is either 

 openly extorted by the hand of power, or unjustly 

 confiscated under the colour of law. The efforts of 

 industry are thus completely paralysed ; and the la- 

 bours of the people are almost entirely confined to 

 the supply of their immediate wants. Those, who 

 are affluent, assume the appearance of indigence ; and 

 often, for still greatear security, deposit their riches 

 in the bosom of the earth. The secret of this con- 

 cealment, if not extracted by torture, frequently dies 

 with the possessor ; and the amount of hidden trea- 

 sures in Barbary is supposed to be much greater than 

 the quantity of coin which is in actual circulation. 

 According to the laws of the Koran, indeed, the 

 forms of order and justice are generally observed, but 

 very little of the substance exists ; and, in most cases, 

 judgment may easily be purchased by money. Trials 

 are very expeditiously conducted ; and the person ac- 

 cused is not always heard in his own defence. Sen- 

 tence is as expeditiously executed, as it is pronoun- 

 ced ; and the condemned are not unfrequently hurried 

 out of existence, without properly knowing for what 

 offence they are made to suffer. 



The punishments employed in this country are as punish- 

 severe, as they are summary; and are continually ment. 

 varying according to the fancy of the inhuman des- 

 pots, by whom they are inflicted. Less heinous of- 

 fences are punished by imprisonment and the basti- 

 nado, by cutting off the hands or feet, by tossing in 

 the air so as to bruise the criminal by the fall : There 

 are persons, who have learned by practice to inflict 

 the last mentioned punishment so dexterously, as to be 

 able, according to their instructions, to dash out the 

 offender's brains, to dislocate his neck, to fracture 

 his leg or arm, or to make him reach the ground 

 without sustaining any material injury. In the case 

 of capital offences, there are many barbarous methods 

 of inflicting death upon the wretched criminal. He 

 is knocked down with clubs, stabbed, or beheaded 

 with 6words, and sometimes literally cut to pieces ; 

 thrown in a bag into the sea, impaled on a stake, 

 burned alive, suspended from iron hooks, tossed upon 



