VOL. XXI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 40/ 



Account of the Moorish JVay of dressing their Meat, tvith other Remarks, in 

 West Barbary, from Cape Spartel to Cape de Geer. By Mr. Jezreel Jones. 

 N° 254, p. 248. 



The Mauritanian or Barbarian Moor, when he rises in the morning, washes 

 himself all over, and dresses; then goes to their jiama, or church, says his 

 prayers, and returns home, where his wife, concubine, or slave, has his break- 

 fast provided for him, which is usually made of barley or wheat-gruel. It is 

 made somewhat thicker than ours, till it be ropy ; they put origan and other 

 herbs powdered into it, which for such uses they keep dried all the year ; some 

 put a little pepper and other spices to it. I have often been treated with warm 

 bread, fresh butter and honey, in a morning, which is often used among them- 

 selves an hour or two after they have had gruel; also hasty-pudding with butter, 

 and sometimes butter and honey. Some again give cuscusoo, with milk, others 

 with flesh, others again with roots. When any one has a guest in his house, 

 the neighbours bring their dish to welcome him, on account of the respect and 

 love they bear to their neighbour, as well as to show their readiness to entertain 

 the stranger. This practice is found constantly used throughout the whole 

 country amongst the Moors reciprocally, one towards another. And I have as 

 often found the like civility, as I had occasion to take up my lodging at any 

 place, where I was acquainted with any of the inhabitants. iThe Jews likewise 

 show great civility to any Christian, and treat him with what they have, as 

 stewed or baked hens, capons, hard eggs boiled or roasted, which they press 

 flat, with pepper and salt, wine, brandy, &c. They have generally the best 

 bread, and every thing else of the kind that they can get. They put anise, and 

 two or three other sorts of seeds in their bread ; one is black and angled, tastes 

 almost like carrot-seeds, and I think I have seen these sometimes used in bread 

 in Spain. They esteem honey as a wholesome breakfast, and the most delicious 

 that which is in the comb, with the young bees in it, before they come out of 

 their cases, and while they still look n)ilk-white. These I have often eat of, 

 but they seemed insipid to my palate, and sometimes I found they gave me the 

 heart-burn. 



Cuscus, or cuscusoo, is the principal dish among them, as the olla is in Spain: 

 this is made of flour of wheat, and when that is scarce, of barley, millet,^ 

 Indian corn, &c. They shake some flour into an unglazed earthen pan made 

 on purpose, after first sprinkling a little water on the bottom of the pan, and 

 then working it with both their open hands flat, turning them backwards and 

 forwards to grain it, till they make it resemble Indian sago. They stew their 

 flesh in earthen pots close covered, and put the cuscusoo into an earthen co- 



