A Moor offered to allow me to take a passage without any
expense in his vessel, provided I could obtain a note from our
government; but the Governor of Gibraltar required an introduction in
form, and, before I could receive a letter from Mr. Hay to present to
him, the vessel left for Mogador. I therefore lost money and time
without any necessity.
CHAPTER IV.
Departure from Gibraltar to Mogador. - The Straits. - Genoese Sailors. -
Trade-wind Hurricanes en the Atlantic Coast of Morocco. - Difficulties of
entering the Port of Mogador. - Bad provisioning of Foreign
Merchantmen. - The present Representative of the once far-famed and
dreaded Rovers. - Disembarkation at Mogador. - Mr. Phillips, Captain of
the Port - Rumours amongst the People about my Mission. - Visit to the
Cemeteries. - Maroquine Wreckers. - Health of the inhabitants of
Mogador. - Moorish Cavaliers "playing at powder" composed of the ancient
Nuraidians. - The Barb. - The Life Guards of the Moorish Emperor. - Martial
character of the Negro. - Some account of the Black Corps of the
Shereefs. - Orthodoxy of the Shereefs, and illustrative anecdotes of the
various Emperors.
On leaving the Straits (commonly called "The Gut,") a noble sight
presented itself - a fleet of some hundred merchantmen, all smacking
about before the rising wind, crowding every sail, lest it should change
ere they got clear of the obstructive straits. Many weeks had they been
detained by the westerly gales, and our vessel amongst the rest. I felt
the poignant misery of "waiting for the wind." I know nothing so
wearisome when all things are made ready. It is worse than hope
deferred, which sickens and saddens the heart.
I have lately seen some newspaper reports, that government is preparing
a couple of steam-tugs, to be placed at the mouth of the straits, to tow
ships in and out. We may trust it will be done. But if government do it
not, I am sure it would answer the purpose of a private company, and I
have no doubt such speculation will soon be taken up. Vessels freighted
with perishable cargoes are often obliged to wait weeks, nay months, at
the mouth of the Straits, to the great injury of commerce. In our days
of steam and rapid communication, this cannot be tolerated. [13]
After a voyage of four days, we found ourselves off the coast of
Mogador. The wind had been pretty good, but we had suffered some delay
from a south wind, which headed us for a short time. We prayed for a
westerly breeze, of which we soon got enough from west and north-west.
The first twelve hours it came gently on, but gradually increased till
it blew a gale. The captain was suddenly called up in the night, as
though the ship was going to sink, or could sink, whilst she was running
as fast as we would let her before the wind.
