23 
then pours water upon them; the guest washes his own 
hands, and with his right hand takes some water to wash 
the inside of his mouth and his beard; they then dry 
themselves with the napkin. Rich people employ two 
servants for this ceremony, one to present the water, and 
the other the napkin. Few Mussulmen use table cloths 
at their meals; it is their invariable custom to close their 
dinner with a cup of coffee. 
Coffee, was formerly very much used at Morocco; 
they drank it at all hours of the day, as in the east; but 
when the English made presents of tea to the sultans, 
they offered it to the persons at that court, and soon the 
use of this liquid spread by degrees to the lowest ranks 
of society, so that at this time more tea is drank in pro- 
portion at Morocco than even in England; and there is 
no Mussulman in any tolerable circumstances who has 
not at all hours of the day tea ready to offer to every one 
who may visit him. It is taken very strong, seldom 
with milk, and -sugar is put into the tea-pot. The En- 
glish provide them with both the sugar and tea, of which 
article great quantities are imported from Gibraltar. 
The law allows every Mussulman to have four wives, 
and as many concubines as he can maintain; these latter 
ought to be bought, or taken in war, or received as 
presents; some, indeed, are engaged by a contract made 
between the suitor or his parents, and the parents of the 
intended bride, before the cadi and witnesses. The 
marriage is performed without any religious ceremony, 
so that it is merely a civil act. But we must remark, 
that notwithstanding this deficiency of that religious 
sanction which other nations give to the connubial 
union, the laws of chastity and domestic peace are bet- 
ter preserved in Mussulman fam lies than elsewhere. 
The laws in favour of divorce are a great constraint on 
