Chapter XV: Letter VII

_Emperor's March to Marocco.--Doubles the Customs' Duties of
Mogodor.--The Governor, Prince Abd El Melk, with the Garrison and
Merchants of Santa Crux, ordered to go to the Court at
Marocco.--They cross the Atlas Mountains.--Description of the
Country and Produce.--Dangerous Defile in the Mountains through
which the Author passed.--Chasm in the Mountain.--Security of Suse
from Marocco, originating in the narrow Defile in the Mountains of
Atlas.--Extensive Plantations of Olives.--Village of Ait
Musie.--Fruga Plains.--Marocco Plains.--Fine Corn.--Reception at
Marocco, and Audience with the Emperor.--Imperial Gardens at
Marocco.--Prince Abd El Melk's magnificent Apparel, reprobated by
the Sultan.--The Port of Santa Cruz, shut to the Commerce of
Europe, and the Merchants ordered to Mogodor.--The Prince banished
to the _Bled Shereef_ or Country of Princes, viz., Tafilelt, of the
Palace at Tafilelt.--Abundance of Dates.--Face of the Country.
--Magnificent Groves of Palm or Date-trees.--Faith and Integrity of
the Inhabitants of Tafilelt.--Imperial Gardens at Marocco.--Mode of
Irrigation.--Attar of Roses, vulgarly called Otto of Roses (Attar
being the Word signifying a Distillation.)--State of Oister Shells,
on the Top of the Mountains of Sheshawa, between Mogodor and
Marocco, being a Branch of the Atlas.--Description of the Author's
Reception on the Road from Marocco to Mogodor.--Of the Elgrored, or
Sahara of Mogodor._

TO JAMES WILLIS, ESQ.

Santa Cruz, March 15, 1797.

When the emperor Soliman proceeded from Fas with a numerous army to
74 the south, he doubled the export and import duties at Mogodor,
viz., from six to twelve per cent., payable in kind. Those of Santa
Cruz remained as before, but so soon as his imperial majesty
reached Marocco, he sent orders for the prince Abd El Melk, who is
his nephew and governor of Santa Cruz, with the garrison, together
with the merchants, to proceed to Marocco; accordingly we all
departed, the prince having first engaged a revered (fakeer) saint
to accompany the army across the Atlas mountains, the fastnesses of
which it appeared no army would be permitted to pass, without the
protection of this fakeer. We departed about noon, and passed
through the plains of the Arab province of Howara[100], a very fine
country; we pitched our tents at sunset, near a sanctuary, where we
had all kinds of provisions sent to us, in great abundance: we
continued our journey the following morning through the plains, and
about the middle of the day we reached the foot of Atlas.

This country abounds in extensive plantations of olives, almonds,
and gum trees; some plants of the (_fashook_) gum ammoniac are here
discovered. Vines producing purple grapes of an enormous size and
exquisite flavour: (_dergmuse_) the Euphorbium plant is discovered
in rocky parts of the mountains; and great abundance of worm-seed
75 and stick-liquorice.[101] The indigo plant (_Enneel_) is found
here; as are also pomegranates, of a large size and a most
exquisitely sweet flavour, and oranges. Ascending the Atlas, after
five hours' ride, we reached a table-land, and pitched our tents
near a sanctuary. The temperature of the air is cooler here, and
the trees are of a different character; apples, pears, cherries,
walnuts, apricots, peaches, plums, and rhododendrums, were the
produce of this region. The next morning at five o'clock, the army
struck their tents, and after ascending seven hours more, we met
with another change in vegetation. Leguminous plants began to
appear; pines of an immense size, ferns, _the belute_, a species of
oak, the acorn of which is used as food, and is preferred to the
Spanish chesnut; elms, mountain-ash, _seedra_ and _snobar_, the two
latter being a species of the juniper. After this we passed through
a fine campaign country of four hours' ride: we were informed that
this country was very populous; but our fakeer and guide avoided
the habitations of men. We now began again to ascend these
magnificent and truly romantic mountains, and in two hours
approached partial coverings of snow. Vegetation here diminishes,
and nothing is now seen but firs, whose tops appear above the snow;
the cold is here intense; and it is remarkable, that, the pullets'
eggs that we procured in the campaign country just described, were
nearly twice the size of those of Europe. Proceeding two hours
76 further, we came to a narrow pass, on the east side of which was an
inaccessible mountain, almost perpendicular, and entirely covered
with snow; and on the west, a tremendous precipice, of several
thousand feet in depth, as if the mountain had been split in two,
or rent asunder by an earthquake: the path is not more than a foot
wide, over a solid rock of granite. Here the whole army dismounted,
and many prostrated in prayer, invoking the Almighty to enable them
to pass in safety; but, however, notwithstanding all possible
precaution, two mules missed their footing, and were precipitated
with their burdens into the yawning abyss. There is no other pass
but this, and that of Belawin, which is equally dangerous for an
army; so that the district of Suse, which was formerly a kingdom,
might be defended by a few men, against an invading army from
Marocco of several thousands, by taking a judicious position at the
southern extremity of this narrow path and tremendous precipice,
which is but a few yards in length. Proceeding northward through,
this defile, we continued our journey seven hours, (gradually
descending towards the plains of Fruga, a town of considerable
extent, distant about fifteen miles from the mountains.) Proceeding
two hours further, making together nine hours' journey, the army
pitched their tents, and we encamped on another table-land, on the
northern declivity of Atlas, at the entrance of an immense
plantation of olives, about a mile west of a village, called Ait
77 Musie, a most luxuriant and picturesque country. The village of Ait
Musie contains many Jews, whose external is truly miserable; but
this appearance of poverty is merely political, for they are a
trading and rich people, for such a patriarchal country. The olive
plantations at this place, and in many other parts of this country,
do honour to the agricultural propensity of the emperor Muley
Ismael, who planted them. They cover about six square miles of
ground; the trees are planted in right lines, at a proper distance;
the plantation is interspersed with openings, or squares, to let in
the air. These openings are about a square acre in extent.

[Footnote 100: migration from this tribe attacked and took the
city of Assouan, in Egypt, some years ago. Vide Burckhardt's
Travels in Nubia.]

[Footnote 101: This root abounds all over Suse, and is called
by the natives _Ark Suse, i.e._ the foot of Suse: the worm-seed
is called sheh.]

In travelling through the various provinces of South and West
Barbary, these extensive plantations of olives are frequently met
with, and particularly throughout Suse. It appeared that they were
all planted by the emperor Muley Ismael, whose indefatigable
industry was proverbial. Wherever that warrior (who was always in
the field) encamped, he never failed to employ his army in some
active and useful operation, to keep them from being devoured by
the worm of indolence, as he expressed it. Accordingly wherever he
encamped, we meet with these extensive plantations of olive trees,
planted by his troops, which are not only a great ornament to the
country, but produce abundance of fine oil. The olive plantations
at Ras El Wed, near Terodant in Suse, are so extensive, that one
78 may travel from the rising to the setting sun under their shade,
without being exposed to the rays of the effulgent African sun.

We remained encamped at Ait Musie[102] three days, amusing
ourselves by hawking with the prince's falconer, and hunting the
antelope. Early in the morning of the fourth day, we descended the
declivity of the Atlas, and travelling eight hours, we reached the
populous town of Fruga, situated in the same extensive plain
wherein the city of Marocco stands. From this village to Marocco, a
day's journey, the country is one continued corn-field, producing
most abundant crops of wheat and barley, the grain of which is of
an extraordinary fine quality, and nearly twice the size of the
wheat produced at the Cape of Good Hope.

[Footnote 102: Here the prince sent couriers to the emperor, to
announce his approach.]

On our approach to the metropolis, the emperor sent the princes
that were at Marocco to welcome the prince Abd El Melk. They were
accompanied by 100 cavalry, who saluted our prince with the Moorish
compliment of running full gallop and firing their muskets. These
princes, who were relations of Abd El Melk, son of Abd Salam, shook
hands with him respectively, and then kissed their own. This is the
salutation when friends of equal rank meet. We entered the city of
Marocco at the _Beb El Mushoir_, which is the gate situated near
the palace and place of audience, towards the Atlas mountains. The
79 next day I had an audience of the emperor, who received me in (the
_Jenan En neel_) the garden of the Nile, a small garden adjoining
the palace, containing all the fruits and plants from the Nile[103]
of Egypt. The (_worde fillelly_) Tafilelt-rose grows in great
luxuriance in this garden, resembling that of China; the odour is
very grateful and strong, perfuming the air to a considerable
distance. This is the rose, from the leaves of which the celebrated
(_attar el worde_) _i.e._ distillation of roses is made, vulgarly
called in Europe, _otto_ of roses.

[Footnote 103: This orthography, _Nile_, has been imported from
France; with the French it is pronounced as we pronounce Neel;
and this is the intelligible pronunciation in Africa.]

The emperor declared the port of Santa Cruz to be shut; and that no
European merchant of any nation should continue there. He gave me
my choice, either to quit the country, or establish a house at
Mogodor. I entreated a short time to consider which I should
choose, which was readily granted.

The prince Abd El Melk was magnificent in his apparel, the Emperor
dressed very plain; these were two incompatible propensities, the
latter had probably heard of the prince's extravagance in this
respect, and chose to moralise with him by comparing his own
parsimonious and plain apparel to _his_ costly attire; and
insinuating that the iron buckle to his belt answered every purpose
of a gold one, reprimanded the prince for the extravagance and
vanity of his wardrobe, and acquainted his Highness that the port
80 of Santa Cruz should no longer remain open to European commerce.
The prince remained some days after this notification at Maroco; an
annual stipend was allowed him and he was sent to (the _Bled
Shereef, i.e._ the country of princes, viz.) Tafilelt, and had
apartments allotted him in the Imperial Palace at that place, which
is very magnificent and extensive. It is built of marble collected
for the most part from the _Kaser Farawan_ or ruins of Pharaoh, an
ancient city now in ruins, contiguous to the sanctuary of Muley
Dris Zerone, east of the city of Mequinas, on the western declivity
of the Atlas; this marble was transported across the mountains of
Atlas on camels, a distance of fifteen journies to Tafilelt. The
inhabitants of this part of Bled Eljereed live principally on
dates, which abound so in this country that the fruit of one
plantation is commonly sold for 1000 dollars, producing 1500 camel
load of dates, or 4500 quintals; there are thirty-five species of
this rich fruit, of which the _butube_ is unquestionably the best
and the most wholesome; it is rich, of a fine flavour, and sweet as
honey: the _buscré_ is also good; but so dry and full of saccharine
matter that it resembles a lump of sugar. Undoubtedly if this
country were in the hands of Europeans they would extract sugar,
perhaps as much as 150 lb. from a camel load of dates weighing 300
lb. The _adamoh_ is the date that is imported to this country; it
is the best for keeping, but at Tafilelt they use it only for the
cattle, considering it an unwholesome kind and heavy of digestion.
81 The country from the eastern declivity of Atlas to Tafilelt, and to
the eastward of Tafilelt, even unto Seginmessa is one continued
barren plain of a brown sandy soil impregnated with salt, so that
if you take up the earth it has a salt flavour; the surface also
has the appearance of salt, and if you dig a foot deep, a brackish
water ooses up. On the approach, to within a day's journey of
Tafilelt, however, the country is covered with the most magnificent
plantations and extensive forests of the lofty date, exhibiting the
most elegant and picturesque appearance that nature, on a plain
surface, can present to the admiring eye. In these forests there is
no underwood, so that a horseman may gallop through them without
impediment. Wheat is cultivated near the river, and honey is
produced of an exquisite quality. The faith and honour of the
(filelly) inhabitants of Tafilelt is proverbial; a robbery has not
been known within the memory of man; they use neither locks nor
keys, having no need of either!

Having had my audience of leave of the Emperor, I prepared to
proceed to Mogodor, but before I describe the country through which
we passed thither, it may not perhaps be uninteresting to give some
account of the Imperial gardens at Marocco, which are three, the
_Jenan Erdoua_, the _Jenan El Afia_, and the _Jenan En. neel_: the
last is confined to plants brought from the Egyptian Nile. The
_Jenan El Afia_, and the _Jenan Erdoua_, contain oranges, citrons,
82 vines, figs, pomegranates, water and musk melons, all of exquisite
flavour. The orange and fig trees are here as large as a middling
sized English oak. Roses are so abundant at Marocco that they grow
every where, and have a most powerful perfume, insomuch that one
rose scents a large room; all other flowers are in abundance, and
many that are nursed with care in English hot-houses are seen in
the Marocco plains growing spontaneously. These gardens, as well as
others throughout the country, are watered by the Persian or
Arabian wheel, with pitchers fixed to it, which discharge the water
into a trough or tank; as the pitchers rise and turn over their
contents into this tank, the water is communicated to the garden
and inundates the plants. Departing from Marocco to Mogodor, the
first day's journey is through the plains of Sheshawa, a fine
campaign country abounding in corn; the mountains of Sheshawa,
which are higher than any in Great Britain, have strata of oyster
and other shells at the top of them. We encamped at the foot of
these mountains; I had the curiosity to examine the depth of these
strata of shells, and found them several feet deep, and extending
all the way down the mountains. The rivers Sheshawa and Wed Elfees
water these plains. The next day's journey brought us to a
sanctuary, where we met very good entertainment, that is, such as
the country affords, plenty of good provisions and hospitable
treatment.
83
The next evening we encamped at a place called _Dar El Hage
Croomb_, a very picturesque situation, where we were hospitably
entertained; the Sheik coming to drink tea with me, related the
history of his ancestors and traced his descent through many
generations of warriors, whose dextrous management of the lance was
the burden of the story. The next day, after travelling about six
hours, we arrived at the extremity of the productive country, and
entered _El Grored_, or the desert of sandy hills, which divide the
rocky peninsula of Mogodor, from the cultivated land; this Sahara
consists of loose sand-hills very fatiguing to the horses, and
although not more than three miles in width, we were an hour and a
half in crossing them, before we entered the gate of Mogodor.
84