Both Places Contain Docks For Building Vessels, And Several Small
Corvettes In The Emperor's Service Winter In These Harbours:
But the
roads, like those of Larache, are only to be frequented from the
beginning of April to the end of September, on account of the shifting
of the sand, which accumulates on the wind blowing from the
south-west, when the bar is rendered unsafe for vessels to pass.
Too
great attention cannot be paid by commanders or masters of ships, on
anchoring there, as a great number of anchors have been lately lost,
and many vessels stranded.
Curiosity prompted me to inspect a small ruinous town to the east of
_Rabat_, named _Shella_, supposed to have been built by the
_Carthaginians_: but my approach was rudely prevented by the
inhabitants; no Christian, nor even Jew, being suffered to enter, on
account of its containing several tombs of their most celebrated
saints, while in fact it is only a sacred asylum for malefactors, and
all the rogues of the country.
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.
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