A Jew, once purchasing oil from a poor Arab, carried his villainy so far
as actually to make his tare and tret weigh more than the skin-bag when
full of oil, and coolly told the amazed Arab he had no money to give him
for the value received.
"Give me back my oil!" cried the Arab. At this
the audacious Jew retorted, "There is none!" A European merchant
interfered, and saved the Jew from the bastinado he so richly deserved.
A Kady hearing of these abominations, took upon himself to begin a
reform, and went about examining weights. For his honest pains, and, in
the midst of his work of reform, the officious functionary received an
order from the Sultan, enjoining him to cease his interference, and
condemning him, as a punishment for his over-righteousness, "_to teach
twelve little boys to read every day, and not to sit at his own door for
the space of one year_." So unthankful, so odious is the task of
reforming in Morocco and many other countries.
This account of the abominable system of two kinds of weights, I derived
from most unquestionable authority, otherwise I could not have given
credit to the statement.
There were incessant rumours of war from the North. The Emperor had got
himself into difficulties with Spain and France. Orders had been sent
down to reinforce this garrison and that of Aghadir. The day before, the
Governor, calling his troops before him, did not shew his usual good
sense and prudence.
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