£52 STATES OF BARBARY. 



Constantina was the ancient Cirta, and one of the strongest cities of 

 Numidia, being inaccessible on all sides excepting the south-west. 



Besides the above towns and cities, many others, formerly of great 

 renown, lie scattered up and down this immense tract of country. 

 The city of Fez, at present the capital of the kingdom so called, is 

 said to contain near 300,000 inhabitants, besides merchants and fo- 

 reigners. Its mosques amount to 500 ; one of them is magnificent 

 beyond description, and about a mile and a half in circumference. 

 Mequinez is esteemed the great emporium of all Barbary. Sallee 

 was formerly famous for the piracies of its inhabitants. Tangier, 

 situated about two miles within the straits oi Gibraltar, was given by 

 the crown of Portugal as part of the dowry of queen Catharine, con- 

 sort to Charles II, of England. It was intended to be to the English 

 what Gibraltar is now ; and it must have been a most noble acquisi- 

 tion, had not the misunderstanding between the king and his parlia- 

 ment occasioned him to blow up its fortifications and demolish its 

 harbour; so that, from being one of the finest cities in Africa, it is 

 now little better than a fishing-tov/n. Ceuta, upon the same strait? 

 almost opposite to Gibraltar, is still in the hands of the Spaniards, but 

 often, if not always, besieged or blocked up by the Moors. Tetuan, 

 which lies within twenty miles of Ceuta, is now but an ordinary town, 

 containing about S00 houses : but the inhabitants are said to be rich, 

 and tolerably civilized in their manners. 



The provinces of Suz, Tafilet, and Gesula, form no part of the 

 states of Barbary, though the king of Morocco pretends to be their 

 sovereign ; nor do they contain any thing that is particularly curious. 

 Caara is a desert country, thinly peopled, and almost destitute both 

 of water and provisions. 



Manufactures and commerce. ...The lower subjects of these 

 slates know very few imaginary wants, and depend partly upon their 

 piracies to be supplied with necessary utensils and manufactures ; so 

 that their exports consist chiefly of leather, fine mats, embroidered 

 handkerchiefs, sword-knots, and carpets, which are cheaper and softer 

 than those of Turkey, though not so good in other respects. As they 

 leave almost all their commercial affairs to the Jews and Christians 

 settled among them, the latter have established silk and linen works, 

 which supply the higher ranks of their own subjects. They have no 

 ships, that, properly speaking, are employed in commerce ; so that 

 the French and English carry on the greatest part of their trade. 

 Their exports, besides those already mentioned, consist in elephants- 

 teeth, ostrich feathers, copper, tin, wool, hides, honey, wax, dates, 

 raisins, olives, almonds, gum arabic, and sandarach. The inhabitants 

 of Morocco are likewise said to carry on a considerable trade by 

 caravans to Mecca and Medina, and to the inland parts of Africa, 

 whence they bring back great numbers of negroes, who serve in their 

 armies, and are slaves in their houses and fields. 



In return for their exports, the Europeans furnish them with tim- 

 ber, artillery of all kinds, gunpowder, and whatever they want, either 

 in their public or private capacities. The duties paid by the English 

 in the ports of Morocco, are but half of those paid by other Europeans. 

 It is a general observation, that no nation is fond of trading with these 

 states, not only on account of their capricious despotism, but the 

 villany of their individuals, both natives and Jews, many of whom 

 take all opportunities of cheating, and, when detected, are seldom 

 punished. 



