The grand staple exports are only two, gum and almonds;
upon the sale of these, the commercial activity of this city entirely
depends. English vessels come directly from London, the French from
Marseilles; but so badly is this commerce managed that, at the present
time, Morocco produce is higher in Mogador than it is in London or
Marseilles; for instance, Morocco almonds are cheaper in London than
Mogador.
Mazagan, and some few other ports, export produce direct to Europe, but
Tangier is the next commercial port of the empire. There is an important
trade in manufactures and provisions carried on between Tangier and
Gibraltar. The Fez merchants have resident agents in Gibraltar. Curious
stories are told of Maroquine adventurers leaving Tangier and Fez as
camel-drivers and town-porters, and then assuming the character and
style of merchants in Gibraltar, throwing over their shoulders a
splendid woollen burnouse, and folding round their heads a thoroughly
orthodox turban in large swelling folds of milk-white purity.
In this way, they will walk through the stores of Gibraltar, and obtain
thousands of dollars' worth of credit. The merchant-emperor found it
necessary to put a stop to this, and promulgated a decree to the effect,
that "he would not, for the future, be responsible for the debts of any
of his subjects contracted out of his dominions."
This was aimed at these trading adventurers, and the decree was
transmitted to the British Consul, who had it published in the Gibraltar
Gazette while I was staying in that city.
