This Devout Scene Raised The Moors Greatly In My Estimation.
I thought
men could not be barbarians, or even a jealous or vindictive race, who
were charmed with such simple melody of sounds, and with sentiments so
pure and true to nature.
The Arab youth sang: -
Oh, there's none but the One God!
I'll journey over the Desert far
To seek my love the fairest of maidens;
The camels moan loudly to carry me thither,
Gainly are they, and fleeter than the swift-legged ostrich.
Oh, there's none but the One God!
What though the Desert wind slay me;
What of it? death is from God.
And woe to me! I cannot repine.
But I'll away to the abode of my love,
I'll embrace her with all my strength,
I'll bear her back thence, and rest her on my couch.
Oh, there's none but the One God!
So sang in plaintive accents the youth, until the last ray of the sun
lingered on the minarets' tops, when, by the louder and authoritative
voice of the Muezin calling the Faithful to prayers, this crowd of the
worshippers of song and vocal harmony was dispersed to meet again, and
forthwith chant a more solemn strain. The poor lad of the streets and
highways went into the mosque along with his motley group of admirers;
and all blended their voices and devotion together in prayer and
adoration, lowly and in profound prostration, before the Great Allah!
It is my intention, in the course of the present narrative, to give a
brief account of the principal towns and cities of North Africa; and I
cannot do better than begin with Tangier. This city is very ancient,
having probably been built by the aboriginals, Berbers, and was usually
called by the Romans, Taigo on Tingis. The Emperor Claudius re-peopled
it, and called it Julia Traducta. The Moors call it Sanjah, and relate
that Benhad Sahab El-Alem built it, also surrounded it with walls of
metal, and constructed its houses of gold and silver. In this condition,
it remained until destroyed by some Berber kings, who carried away all
its treasures. The modern Tangier is a small city of the province of
Hasbat, picturesquely placed on the eastern slope of a hill, which
terminates in the west with its port and bay, having some analogy to the
site of Algiers. It has almost a square form, and its ramparts are a
wall, flanked here and there with towers. This place, likewise, is most
advantageously situate in the narrowest part of the Straits of
Gibraltar, at a few miles east of Cape Spartel, and thirty miles W.S.W.
of Gibraltar, and has, therefore, been coveted by all the conquerors of
North Africa. The Phoenicians, Romans, Goths, and Arabs successively
effected its conquest; and it was long a bone of eager contention
between the Moors and Portuguese. In 1471, Alonzo, King of Portugal,
took it from the Moors; and in 1662 it came into the hands of the
English, as a part of the dowry of Catherine, queen of Charles II.; so,
whilst in our possession it was a place of considerable strength; but on
its evacuation in 1684 by order of the English government, who were
disgusted by the expense of its occupation, and the bootless collisions
with the natives, the fortifications were demolished, and only the
vestiges of them now are visible.
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