And On The Refusal Of
Our Consul To Sanction This Illicit Conveyance Of Slaves By British
Vessels, The Emperor Applied To The French Consul, Who Condescended To
Hoist The Tri-Coloured Flag For The Transport Of Slave-Eunuchs!
This is
one way of mitigating the prejudices of the Shereefian Court against the
French occupation of Algeria.
Many slaves are carried up and down the
Mediterranean in French vessels.
The keeper of an hotel related to me with great bitterness, that the
French officer who came with me from Gibraltar had left Tetuan for
Algeria. The officer had ordered a great many things of this man,
promising to pay on his return to Tangier. He deposited an old hatbox as
a security, which, on being opened by the hotel keeper, was found to be
full of greasy paper. At Tetuan, the officer gave himself out as a
special envoy of the Emperor of the French.
My good friends, the Moors, continue to speculate upon the progress of
the French army in Algeria. I asked a Moorish officer what he thought of
the rumoured French invasion of Morocco. He put the backs of his hands
together, and locking together his fingers to represent the back of a
hedgehog, he observed emphatically; "Impossible! No Christians can
invade us. Our country is like a hedgehog, no one can touch us." Tangier
Christians will never permit the French to invade Morocco, whatever may
be the pretext. This is even the opinion of the foreign consuls.
As a specimen of the commercial system of this country, I may mention
that the monopoly of exporting leeches was sold this week to a Jew, at
the rate of 25,000 dollars. Now the Jew refuses to buy leeches except at
his own price, whilst every unfortunate trader is obliged to sell to him
and to him only. In fact, the monopolist fixes the price, and everybody
who brings leeches to Tangier must accept it. This case of leeches may
be applied to nearly all the monopolies of the country. Can anything be
more ruinous to commerce?
All the Moors of Tangier, immediately on entering into conversation with
me, inquire if I am Engleez? Even Moorish children ask this question: it
appears to be a charm to them. The Ayd Kebir (great feast) was
celebrated to-day, being the first of the new year. It was ushered in
yesterday by prayer in the mosques. About 9 A.M. the governor, the
commandant of the troops, and other Tangier authorities, proceeded to
the open space of the market, attended with flags and music, and some
hundred individuals all dressed in their holiday clothes. The white
flag, typical of the sanctity of religion, floated over others of
scarlet and green; the music was of squeaking bagpipes, and rude
tumtums, struck like minute drums. The greater part were on horseback,
the governor being most conspicuous. This troop of individuals ascended
a small hill of the market-place, where they remained half an hour in
solemn prayer.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 13 of 102
Words from 6325 to 6828
of 52536
