MOROCCO. 



723 



freh- water fish of the country is theshebbel, similar to 

 the salmon, a rich and delicate fish, which is dried and 

 baked in great quantities for the use of those countries 

 where the inhabitants live much on dates. Land-tor- 

 toise* are very abundant, and of a great size. For a 

 fuller description of the animals of the country, see 

 BAR BAR v. 



The principal towns of Morocco, are Morocco, Me- 

 quinez, Mogadore, and Fez, (for an account of which 

 tee the respective articles under those heads,) Tero- 

 dant, the old metropolis of the kingdom of Suse, an 

 ancient and extensive town, in which there is a mag- 

 nificent palace, adorned with delightful gardens, but 

 now decreasing in population, and noted only for the 

 manufacture of leather, saddles, dyeing of cloths, and 

 the production of a superior kind of saltpetre. Santa 

 Cruz, or Agadeer, the most southerly sea-port of the 

 empire, strongly fortified by its elevated situation and 

 numerous batteries, possessing one of the best roads 

 for shipping, and formerly the centre of a very exten- 

 sive commerce, but dismantled in the year 1773, in 

 consequence of an attempt on the part of its governor 

 to remt the power of the Emperor Seedy Mahomet ; 

 SaJjr, an ancient town between two hills, which ex- 

 pose it to the torrents of winter, and increase the heat 

 of the summer, surrounded by thick and lofty walls, 

 possessing a road for shipping, safe in summer, but 

 in winter exposed to violent gales, and carrying 

 on a considerable trade in corn ; EI-YValadia, a small 

 square town, situated on an extensive plain, with 

 a very spacious harbour, capable of containing 500 

 sail of the line, but having its entrance obstructed 

 by rocks ; Mazagan, remarkable for its salubrious 

 a:r and excellent water, which is drawn by buckets 

 from wells 100 feet deep, and possessing also a cu- 

 rious subterranean cistern, constructed by the Portu- 

 guese, for collecting the rain water for the supply of 

 the garrison ; Azamore, in the province of Duquella, 

 remarkable for the immense number of storks by which 

 it is occupied, and which are said to exceed the num- 

 ber of the inhabitants ; Fedala, in a delightful fruit- 

 ful district, and furnished with a safe road for shipping 

 at all seasons ; Rabat, walled town, with docks for 

 ship-building, and a manufactory of cotton cloth, but 

 chiefly remarkable for the ruins of a magnificent mosque, 

 of which the roof was supported by S60 marble co- 

 lumns, and for a subterranean cistern, the tower of 

 which, above ISO feet high, has so gradual an ascent 

 to the top, made of a mixture of lime and sand, that a 

 man on horseback may ride to the summit ; Sallee, on 

 the opposite side of the river to Rabat, which is also a 

 walled town defended by batteries, and formerly had a 

 harbour capable of admitting large vessels, but is now 

 greatly obstructed by the accumulation of sand at the 

 entrance of the river ; Mamora, or Maheduma, now a 

 deserted place, partly on account of the swarms of an- 

 noying insectsby which it is infested, and chiefly occupied 

 by fishermen, who take incredible quantities of a species 

 of salmon, called shebbel, for the supply of the interior ; 

 Larache, or El Araiche, in a rich and beautiful tract, 

 where the gardens of the Hesperides are supposed to 

 have been situated, and formerly a place of consider- 

 able commerce, but since 1780 almost totally evacuated 

 bjr the orders of the Emperor ; Tangier, or Tinjiah, 

 which was given by the crown of Portugal in I (Jo2 as 

 marriage portion with the Princess Catherine, to 

 Charles II. of England, but abandoned by the English 

 in 1 6*4, after they had demolished the fortifications, a 

 place which has few productions in its vicinity for the 



purposes of commerce, but is still a favourable station Morocco.^ 

 tor Moorish pirates ; Ceuta, or Cibta, supposed to be """"V"" * 

 of Carthaginian origin, and formerly the metropolis of 

 the countries held by the Goths in Hispania Transfre- 

 tana, now possessed by the Spaniards, though often 

 besieged by the Mahommedans ; Tetuan, or Tetawan, 

 situated in a country which produces the finest fruits, 

 particularly oranges, and which carries on a consider- 

 able trade in provisions with Gibraltar, but in which no 

 Europeans are allowed to settle since the year 1770, in 

 consequence of a Moor having been shot by an English- 

 man ; Velis, or Bedis, situated between two mountains, 

 and surrounded with excellent timber ; and Melilla, a 

 place celebrated for the best wax and honey, and which 

 has been in the possession of the Spaniards since the 

 beginning of the 15th century. 



The government of Morocco, is the most unlimited Govern- 

 despotism, both in theory and practice. There are ment. 

 really no other laws than the will of the emperor, whose 

 mandates must be obeyed, even though they should de- 

 viate from the principles enjoined by the Koran. He 

 administers justice in person, where he resides, and 

 hears all complaints in the hall of audience generally 

 twice, and some times four times a week. Every in- 

 dividual, of whatever country, sex, or station, has free 

 access to his presence, and full permission to state his 

 cause. Every applicant brings a present suited to his 

 condition ; and the smallest matter, even a few eggs, 

 will be accepted. Judgment between the parties is al- 

 ways prompt, and considered as generally correct, un- 

 less where wealth has interposed to bribe the judge. 

 In other places, remote from the court, the vice-regent 

 or bashaw administers justice in like manner, accord- 

 ing to the laws of the Koran, or as his own caprice 

 may direct. All subaltern magistrates proceed in the 

 same despotic manner, often using the authority of the 

 emperor to enforce their exactions ; and all of them 

 having no other object than to extort money from any 

 individual who is known to possess property to a 

 considerable amount. Emissaries and spies are conti- 

 nually at work to discover the persons who have any 

 treasures in their possession, and to find out grounds of 

 accusation against them. These very extortioners are 

 in their turn exposed to the same treatment from the 

 emperor, who sends some unexpected order, accusing 

 them of crimes and misdemeanours, and demanding 

 their accumulated wealth for the imperial treasury. In 

 every province is a governor, named a bashaw, who is 

 appointed and removed at the will of the emperor ; in 

 every douar, or arab encampment, a similar officer of 

 government, called a sheik ; and in every town, ano- 

 ther called alcaid ; each possessing in their respective 

 districts equally unlimited power with the sovereign, 

 except that their decision may be carried by appeal be- 

 fore the emperor. Under the alcaid is an officer named 

 el-haikum, or deputy governor, and another denomi- 

 nated cadi, who acts both as a priest and a civil judge, 

 and in whose absence any of the talbs or common priests 

 is authorised to discharge the office. 



Trifling offences are usually punished by the basti- Punish. 

 nado, or beating the back and legs with leather straps, menu, 

 which is sometimes executed with great severity. In 

 greater crimes, particularly theft, the hands are cut 

 off, or a leg or a hand. Persons capitally punished, 

 are sometimes shot, run through the body with swords, 

 knocked down with clubs, or beheaded. A peculiar 

 mode of punishing offenders is tossing, which is so 

 managed that the sufferer falls immediately upon his 

 head; and there are executioners so expert at this 



