To The South, And On The Opposite Side Of The River _Salee_, Is The Maritime City Of _Rabat_, Commanded By A Black Chief, And Garrisoned With Black Soldiers.

It is defended by a fort and strong batteries, adequate to prevent a hostile landing.

It contains several ruins of importance; among the most conspicuous of which are those of a large mosque, and the famous castle built by _Almansor_ the _Invincible_, together with a superb square tower; which latter is still in a tolerable state of preservation, and is called the tower of _Hassen_. This tower is about two hundred feet in height, strongly built with cut stone, and most curiously decorated with Arabic characters. It contains a staircase of easy ascent to the top, whence I had a most extensive prospect of the Atlantic Ocean, where vessels are descried sailing at an immense distance.

The walls of Rabat are nearly two miles in circumference, and fortified by several square towers. Exclusive of its regular garrison, it contains four thousand militia-men, and about fifteen hundred sailors, besides several Moorish merchants and Jews; which latter live in a separate quarter.

This town, as well as Salee, is admirably calculated for trade, capable of furnishing foreign markets with large quantities of wool, leather, wax, and other important commodities. These contiguous cities are surrounded by gardens, watered by plentiful streams, which are artificially conveyed from a neighbouring spring, that takes its rise in a valley called _Tamura_, to the south of Rabat, and which also supplies all the houses of the two towns with fresh water.

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