M O R 0 
laudable plans into full effedf, he railed his relation, Mu- 
ley Dris, to the rank of his aifociate in the empire; but, 
after the death of this prince in 1772, Sidi Mahomet in¬ 
dulged his own propensities more freely, to the dishonour 
of his government, as well as to the detriment of his 
country. Sidi Mahomet, who, after a reign of thirty- 
three years, died in 1790, was fucceeded by one of his Ions, 
Muley Yezid. The prefent emperor is Muley Solyman. 
We have feen that the territories of Morocco are formed 
by the union of feveral fmall kingdoms, anciently limited 
to a lingle province, and perpetually at variance among 
themfelves, till at length they were fubdued and united 
under one fovereign by the fharifs. The fouthern part 
of the empire contains the kingdoms of Sus, or Sufe, 
Tarudant, Morocco, Tafilet, and Sugulmeffa; and the 
northern, thofe of Fez, Mequinez, and Tremecen; but 
the latter, which was formerly fubjedt to Morocco, hav¬ 
ing been conquered by the Turks of Algiers, is now a 
part of the territories of that regency. 
The kingdom of Morocco comprehends at prefent the 
provinces of Morocco, Efcura, Ramna, Duquella, Abda, 
Sherma, Hea, Sus, Dra, and Gefula ; that of Fez camtains 
thofe of Temfena, Shavoya, Tedla, Beni-HaiTen, Fez, Rif, 
Garet, Shaus, and Algaub, or El-Garb. Thefe provinces 
have been called by other names, fo that the geography 
of the country has been confuted ; and befides, the limits 
of thefe provinces have frequently varied, according to 
the different tribes that have occupied them, and this 
variation of extent has occafioned a variation of name. 
Befides the provinces which compofe the empire of Mo¬ 
rocco, the fharifs claim fovereignty of the Vied de Nun 
and the dejert, or Sahara; but their authority over thefe 
is very precarious, being dependent on the will of their 
fubjedts and temporary circumltances. The,people who 
inhabit thefe deferts, far removed from the centre of 
defpotic authority, live in tribes or fmall republics, and 
choofe their own chiefs. They neverthelefs retain for the 
emperor of Morocco that refpedt and veneration which 
his power, and the idea they have of his fupremacy as 
head of the church, infpire; but they pay or refufe tri¬ 
bute according to their own pleafure. This part of the 
coaft has been called Vied de Nun, from Cape Non, difco- 
vered by the Portuguefe in the beginning of the fifteenth 
century, and to which they gave this name, becaufe thofe 
avho firlt doubled it never returned. 
The whole empire of Morocco is furrounded to the 
eaft, north, and fouth, by a chain of valleys and moun¬ 
tains, which are diftinguiihed according to the numbers 
and names of the tribes by which they are inhabited. 
From Laracha to near Saffi, the weftern part forms a fort of 
plain, which, in many places, is fifteen or twenty leagues 
in breadth, from eaft to weft. The principal mountains 
form the chain whiqh goes under the name of Mount 
Atlas, and runs the whole length of Barbary from eaft to 
weft, palling through Morocco, and abutting upon that 
ocean which feparates the eaftern from the weftern con¬ 
tinent, and which from this mountain is called the At¬ 
lantic Ocean. The principal rivers, befides the Malva or 
Mulvya above mentioned, which rifes in the deferts, and 
running from fouth to north divides Morocco from the 
kingdom of Algiers, are the Suz, Ommirabili, Rabbata, 
Earache, Darodt, Sebon, Gueron, and Tenfift, which rife 
in Mount Atlas, and fall into the Atlantic Ocean. 
The climate of Morocco is in general fufticiently tem¬ 
perate, healthy, and not fo hot as its fituation might lead 
us to fuppofe. The chain of mountains which form the 
Atlas, on the eaftern fide, defends it from the eaft winds, 
that would fcorch up the earth were they frequent. The 
furnmit of thefe mountains is always covered with fiiow; 
and their abundant defcending ftreams fpread verdure 
through the neighbourhood, make the winter more cold, 
and temper the heats of fummer. The fea on the weft 
fide, which extends along the coaft from north to 
fouth, alfo refrefhes the land with regular breezes, that 
feldom vary, according to their feafons. At a diftance 
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from the fea, within land, the heat is fo great, that the 
rivulets become dry in fummer; but, as in hot countries 
dews are plentiful, the nights are there always cool. The 
rains are tolerably regular in winter, and are even abun¬ 
dant, though the atmolphere is not loaded with clouds 
as in northern latitudes. Thofe rains which fall by in¬ 
tervals are favourable to the earth, and increafe its fecun¬ 
dity. In January the country is covered with verdure, 
and enamelled with flowers. Barley is cut in March, but 
the wheat-harveft is in June. All fruits are early in this 
climate; and in forward years the vintage is over in the 
beginning of September. Though in general there is 
more uniformity in hot than in northern climates, the 
firft are neverthelefs expofed to the intemperance of wea¬ 
ther: heavy rains often impede the harveft; and drought 
has ftill greater inconveniences, for it enfures the propa¬ 
gation of locufts; arid thefe locufts, which have fo often 
laid hot countries defolate, fometimes commit the moft 
dreadful ravages in the empire of Morocco. The devaf- 
tation of locufts increafes the price of provifions, and 
often occafions famines; but the Moors find a kind of 
compenfiuion in making food of thefe infedts ; prodigious 
quantities are brought to market falted and dried like 
red herrings. They have an oily and rancid tafte, which 
habit only can render agreeable; they are eaten here, 
however, with pleafure. 
The foil of Morocco is exceedingly fertile; the land, 
light and fandy. on the weftern coaft, contains in itfelf 
falts fufficient to make it fruitful. To thefe falts, and 
to the abundant dews, muft we attribute a humidity al- 
moft corrofive; which, without making any fenfible im- 
prefiion on bodies, quickly covers with ruft, iron, fteel, 
metals, and even keys and fciflars carried in the pocket. 
The increafe of corn in Morocco is often as 60 for one, 
and 30 is held to be but an indifferent harveft. The pro¬ 
perty of land is entirely precarious, fo that each indivi¬ 
dual grows little more than fufficient for his own wants. 
Hence it happens, when the harveft fails, from the ravages 
of locufts or the intemperance of feafons, that thefe people 
are expofed to mifery, fuch as Europeans have no con- 
of, who enjoy a ftable adminiftration which ob¬ 
viates and provides for all their wants. Oranges, lemons, 
and thick-fkinned fruits, the trees of which require little 
nurture, grow in the open fields and there are very large 
plantations of them found, which they take the trouble / 
to water, to increafe their product. Their vines yield 
excellent grapes. Figs, melons, water-melons, apricots, 
apples, and pears, are in tolerable plenty. The tree called 
the Barbary fig, or prickly pear, (Cadtus opuntia,) is 
plentifully found in the empire of Morocco. The olive 
grows every-where along the coaft, but particularly to 
the fouth. In the province of Sus, between the 25th and 
30th degrees, the inhabitants have an almond-harveft, 
which varies little, becaufe of the mildnefs of the cli¬ 
mate. The palm-tree is common in the fouthern pro¬ 
vinces of Morocco; but dates ripen there with difficulty, 
and few are good, except in the province of Sus, and to¬ 
wards Tafilet, where they are ftill better, becaufe of its 
diftance from the fea. On the coaft of Salee and Mahmora, 
there are forefts of oak, which produce acorns near two 
inches long; they tafte like chefnuts, and are eaten raw 
and roafted. The empire of Morocco alfo produces much 
wax; but, fince it has been fubjedted by the emperor to 
the payment of additional duties, the country people 
have negledted the care of their hives. Salt abounds in 
the empire, and in fome places on the coaft requires only - 
the trouble of gathering. The Moors cultivate their 
lands only in proportion to their wants; hence two-thirds 
of the empire at leall lie wafte. 
The inhabitants of the empire of Morocco, known by- 
the name of Moors, are a mixture of Arabian and African 
nations, formed into tribes ; with the origin of whom we 
are but imperfedtly acquainted. Thefe tribes, each ftran- 
gers to the other, and ever divided by traditional hatred 
or prejudice, feldom mingle. It feerus probable that moft 
of 
