87 
into this country, he could not understand a word of 
their Arabic, but was obliged to make use of an inter, 
preter. 
This imperfection in the language and in writing, for- 
ces the inhabitants to read it as if singing; it makes 
them confound the meaning of the phrases, which, be- 
sides, are not distinguished by any orthographical punc- 
tuation, but only by quiverings and cadences, which 
give the reader the time necessary for him to comprehend 
the meaning of the writing, which he would not be able 
to do if it were read to him rapidly. If any one is 
found to read the Koran with facility, or any other book, 
it is because they have learnt them by heart. I speak 
from repeated experience. I have often stopped the rea- 
der in the midst of his reading; but though he has the 
book before him, as if reading it, he could never, if in- 
terrupted, continue his reading, nor find again in the 
page of the book the place at which he had been stopt. 
Hence they read like parrots, and the book which is 
before them serves for nothing but to make them ap- 
pear learned. Such is the state of knowledge at Fez, 
a town which may be considered, if the comparison 
could be allowed, as the Athens of Africa, from the 
great number of doctors and pretended men of learning, 
and from the schools, which are generally frequented 
by two thousand scholars at a time. 
This town contains about two thousand Jewish fami- 
lies, whose quarter is in the suburbs of New Fez, 
They live in the most abject state: the contempt of the 
Moorish inhabitants is so great for them, that they are 
not permitted to come into the town, whether male or 
female, without walking bare-foot. When they meet 
even the most common soldier, or the most miserable 
negro belonging to the king's house, whether in town 
