48 SERAGLIO OR HAREM OF THE EMPEROR OF MOROCCO, 
sultana, had very little more than half-a-cro\vn English a day, and the 
others less. He indeed made them occasional presents of money, 
dress, and trinkets, but this never could be sufficient to support the 
expenses they must incur. Their greatest dependence therefore was on 
the presents they received from those Europeans and Moors who visited 
the court, and who employed their influence in obtaining some par- 
ticular favour from the emperor. This was the most successful mode 
that could be adopted. 
When Mr. Lempriere was at Morocco, a Jew, desirous of obtain- 
ing a very advantageous favour from the emperor, for which he had 
been a long time unsuccessfully soliciting, sent to all the principal ladies 
of the harem presents of pearls to a very large amount ; the consequence 
was, that they all went in a body to the emperor, and immediately 
obtained the wished-for concession. The ladies separately furnish 
their own rooms, hired their own domestics, and in fact do what they 
please in the harem, but are not permitted to go out without an express 
order from the emperor, who very seldom grants them that favour, 
except when they are to be removed from one palace to another. In 
that case, a party of soldiers is despatched a little distance before 
them, to disperse the male passengers, and prevent their being seen. 
This previous step being taken, a piece of linen cloth is tied round the 
lower part of the face, and afterwards these miserable females cover 
themselves entirely with their haicks, and either mount mules, which 
they ride like men, or, what is more usual, are put into a square car- 
riage or litter constructed for this purpose, which by its lattice work 
allows them to see without being seen. In this manner they set off, 
under a guard of black eunuchs. This journey, and sometimes a 
walk within the bounds of the palace, is the only exercise they are 
permitted to take. The late emperor s harem consisted of between 
60 and 100 females, besides their numerous domestics and slaves. 
Many of the concubines were Moorish women, several were European 
slaves, who had either been made captives, or purchased by the em- 
peror ; though some w^ere negroes. 
In this group, the Europeans, or their descendants, had by far the 
greatest claim to the character of handsome. There w as one in par- 
ticular, who was a native of Spain, and taken into the harem at 
about the same age as Lalla Doiiyau, who was indeed a perfect 
beauty; and many others were almost equally handsome. 
The eunuchs, who have the entire charge of the women, and who 
in fact live always among them, are the children of Negro slaves. 
They are generally either very short or fat, or else tall, deformed, and 
lame. Their voices have that particular tone which is observable in 
youths who are just arriving at manhood ; and their persons toge- 
ther afford a disgusting image of weakness and effeminacy. 
M. Lempriere gives a very curious account of the manners and 
ignorance of these immured females, from his own observation. 
Attended by an eunuch, says he, after passing the gate of the harem, 
which is always locked, and under the care of a guard of eunuchs, 
we entered a narrow and dark passage, which soon brought us to the 
court into which the women’s chambers open. We here saw num- 
bers of both black and white women and children, some concubines. 
