To The South, And About Eight Leagues From _Rabat_, In A Sandy And
Almost Desert Place, Is A Castle, In
A most dilapidated state, called
_Mensooria_, which was erected by _Jacob Al__mansor_, for the
accommodation of travellers, and is
Still resorted to by the trading
Moors and Jews, as a refuge at night from the attacks of robbers.
Conceiving it rather hazardous to penetrate further in useless
researches, I returned to this place, greatly chagrined at having been
foiled in my attempts to explore the remains of antiquities in
_Shella_, and other places. I assure you, my disappointment was not
owing to the want either of perseverance or resolution, but the
serjeant of my guard was an ignorant bigot, and a great coward,
therefore unwilling and unable to protect, or share any danger with
me. On my return here, I dismissed him, and obtained another serjeant,
and a new guard, from the Governor, who caused my dismissed serjeant
to be seized; and ordered him the _pallo_; but, at my intercession, he
was pardoned, upon his promising for the future to evince a more
soldierlike conduct, when summoned on duty.
The town of _Alcasser-Quiber_ being only three leagues from this
place, I also went thither, to see the _Socco_, which is held once a
week, and is frequented by a vast number of the inhabitants of the
neighbouring mountains, who carry their produce, consisting of cattle,
fowls, eggs, butter, soft cheese, and large quantities of wool, hides,
and wax.
This city lies to the eastward of Larache, on the banks of the river
_Luxos_, and is separated from the town of _Arzilla_ by alternate
vallies and plains, amongst which some remains of redoubts,
apparently, for the protection and defence of camps, are to be seen,
and near which that unfortunate battle was fought in 1578, wherein
_Don Sebastian_, King of Portugal, lost both his army and his life.
_Alcasser-Quiber_ is a place of some note, carrying on an extensive
and profitable commerce with Tetuan and other places. The town and its
environs suffer greatly by the occasional overflowing of the river
Luxos, which might however easily be remedied; but the Moors have no
notion of altering things; therefore, without endeavouring to secure
themselves from a recurrence of such disasters, they allow their
houses to be filled with water, and themselves to be, not
unfrequently, washed out of them.
This town contains upwards of fifteen hundred families, exclusive of
six hundred Jews, whose quarter is distinct from the Moors. It is
commanded by an Alcaid, subject to the authority of the Governor of
Larache, and ranks among the principal cities of the empire of
Morocco.
LETTER V.
_Leave Larache with an Escort - Curious Custom on returning from
Mecca - Arrive at Tetuan_.
Tetuan.
His Excellency the Governor of Larache being perfectly recovered, I
took my departure from that city. For the sake of novelty, I proposed
returning to Gibraltar, by this route, rather than by Tangiers. I
obtained a letter of recommendation to _Sidy Ash-Ash_, and was
accompanied by a strong guard, provided with a tent, and all other
necessaries for the journey.
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