STATES OF BARBARY. 153 



Constitution and government. ...In Morocco, government cannot 

 be said to exist. The emperors have for some ages been parties, 

 judges, and even executioners with their own hands, in all criminal 

 matters : nor is their brutality more incredible than the submission 

 with which their subjects bear it. In the absence of the emperor, 

 every military officer has the power of life and death in his hands, 

 and it is seldom that they regard the form of a judicial proceeding. 

 Some vestiges, however, of the caliphate government still continue ; 

 for, in places where no military officer resides, the mufti, or high-priest, 

 is the fountain of all justice, and under him the cadis, or civil officers, 

 who act as our justices of the peace. Though the emperor of Moroc- 

 co is not immediately subject to the Porte, yet he acknowledges the 

 grand-seignor to be his superior, and he pays him a distant allegiance 

 as the chief representative of Mahommed. What has been said of 

 Morocco is applicable to Fez, both kingdoms being now under one 

 emperor. 



Though Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, have each of them a Turkish 

 pasha or dey, who governs in the name of the grand-seignor, yet very 

 little regard is paid by his ferocious subjects to his authority. He 

 cannot even be said to be nominated by the Porte. When a vacancy 

 of the government happens, which it commonly does by murder, 

 every soldier in the army has a vote in choosing the succeeding dey; 

 and though the election is often attended with bloodshed, yet it is no 

 sooner fixed than he is cheerfully recognized and obeyed. It is true, 

 he must be confirmed by the Porte ; but that is seldom refused, as the 

 divan is no stranger to the dispositions of the people. This power 

 of the dey is despotic ; and the income of the dey of Algiers amounts 

 to about 150,000/. a year, without greatly oppressing his subjects, who 

 are very tenacious of their property. These deys pay slight annual 

 tributes to the Porte. When the grand-seignor is at war with a 

 Christian power, he requires their assistance, as he does that of the 

 king of Morocco ; but he is obeyed only as they think proper. Subor- 

 dinate to the deys are officers, both military and civil ; and in all mat- 

 ters of importance the dey is expected to take the advice of a common 

 council, which consists of thirty pashas. These pashas seldom fail of 

 forming parties amongst the soldier?, against the reigning dey, whom 

 they make no scruple of assassinating, even in council ; and the 

 strongest candidate then fills the place. Sometimes he is deposed ; 

 sometimes, though but very seldom, he resigns his authority to save 

 his life, and it is seldom he dies a natural death upon the throne. 

 The authority of the dey is unlimited : but an unsuccessful expedi- 

 tion, or too pacific a conduct, seldom fails to put an end to his life 

 and government. 



Revenues. ...Those of Algiers have been already mentioned, but 

 they are now said to be exceeded by those of Tunis. They consist of 

 a certain proportion of the prizes taken from Christians, a small capi- 

 tation tax, and the customs paid by the English, French, and other 

 nations who are suffered to trade with those states. As to the king 

 of Morocco, we can form no idea of his revenues, because none of his 

 subjects can be said to possess any property. From the manner 1 of 

 his living, his attendants, and appearance, we may conclude he does 

 not abound in riches. The ransoms of Christian slaves are his per- 

 quisites. He sometimes shares in the vessels of the other states, 



Vol. IT. ' X 



