88 
or country, they are obliged to take off their slippers. 
Notwithstanding this degrading state, and the continual 
vexations they every day receive, I have seen at Fez a 
great nuriiber of handsome Jewesses, elegantly dressed, 
and also some Jews who had a very prosperous appear- 
ance, which I never remarked at Tangier: this is a proof 
that they are not so poor and miserable here as they 
appear to be in the other city. They have several syna- 
gogues in their quarter, a market-place which is well 
provided, and are almost all either artisans or mer- 
chants. 
The manufactures of Fez are woollen hha'iks, sash- 
es, and silk handkerchiefs, slippers of very good leath- 
er, which they possess the art of tanning in a high per- 
fection; red caps of felt; some coarse linen cloth; very 
fine carpets, which I thought to be preferable to those 
of Turkey in their softness, though inferior in pattern; 
some very common earthen- ware; some weapons, sad- 
lery-ware, and copper utensils. There are several 
goldsmiths, but as the application of gold and silver 
in dress is considered as a sin, and the government 
is very despotic, every one is afraid of showing much 
luxury. From this circumstance, the arts find no en- 
couragement, and are by far inferior to those of Europe, 
except in the preparation of leather and in the fabrica- 
tion of carpets and of hha'iks, which the manufacturers 
know how to weave as fine and as transparent as gauze; 
they are also pretty clever in wax-works, weapons, and 
harness. 
The provisions at Fez are wholesome, and of a good 
flavour. The couscoussou is the chief part of the food 
for the people. Their consumption of meat is consi- 
derable, but they use few vegetables. In their meat, 
they are extremely fond of the fat, which they eat with 
