107 
the kadi that they have seen the moon, in order to pro- 
claim the beginning of a new month; and if the clouds 
should prevent the new moon from being seen, the ex- 
piration of thirty days of the last month fixes the new 
one. In order to facilitate these observations, I calcula- 
ted before hand the days on which the new moon would 
appear; and I gave them this kind of almanac, which 
agreeing with the events, inspired them with a great con- 
fidence in every thing I said, and made them entirely 
follow my directions for the beginning and end of the 
Ramadan. Even the sultan ordered that the period of 
this ceremony should be fixt by my indications. 
The beginning of the Ramadan is announced at Fez 
by the firing of some musquets from a neighbouring 
height, and by the mournful sound of the trumpets 
which the public criers blow, on the tops of the minarets 
of all the mosques. The end of the month, or the be- 
ginning of Easter, is also announced by firing of guns 
from the tops of the houses; and wo to those persons 
who love quiet, or who are sick. They are stunned 
by the noise of fire arms, and by the shouts of joy from 
all the inhabitants. 
Notwithstanding the solemn character which religion 
imparts to the month of Ramadan, a great number of 
the lower class of Moors become frantic during this 
period. Some are affected by the repeated prayers and 
by the continual reading of the Koran, others by asce- 
tic or holy books. Others again suffer from the weak- 
ness of their stomach, and the sadness which is its in- 
separable companion. All are moved by the horrible 
and dismal noise of the trumpets which the Mueddens 
sound from the tops of the minarets, at various hours 
of the day and of the night, and which give rise to ma« 
ny quarrels amongst the people. 
