With
the Moors, the festivals of religion are bona fide festivals. It may
also be added, as characteristic of these North African barbarians,
that, whilst many a poor person in our merry Christian England does not,
and cannot, get his plum-pudding and roast-beef at Christmas, there is
not a poor man or even a slave, in Morocco who does not eat his lamb on
this great feast of the Mussulmans. It would be a mortal sin for a rich
man to refuse a poor man a mouthful of his lamb.
Of course there was a sensation among the native population, and even
among the consular corps, about my mission; but I have nothing very
particular to record. I had many Moorish visitors, some of whom were
officers of the imperial troops. I made the acquaintance of one, Sidi
Ali, with whom I had the following dialogue: -
Traveller. - "Sidi Ali, what can I do to impress Muley Abd Errahman in my
favour?"
Sidi Ali. - "Money!"
Traveller. - "But will the Emir of the Shereefs accept of money from us
Christians?"
Sidi Ali. - "Money!"
Traveller. - "What am I to give the minister Ben Dris, to get his
favour?"
Sidi Ali. - "Money!"
Traveller. - "Can I travel in safety in Morocco?"
Sidi Ali. - "Money:"
Indeed "money" seems to be the all and everything in Morocco, as among
us, "the nation of shopkeepers." The Emperor himself sets the example,
for he is wholly occupied in amassing treasures in Mequiney.
