It is true that many Moors, especially learned
men, divorce their wives when they get old, feeling the women an
embarrassment to them, and no wonder, when we consider these poor
creatures have no education, and, in their old age, neither afford
connubial pleasure nor society to their husbands. With respect to
divorce, a woman can demand by law and right to be separated from her
husband, or divorced, whenever he ill-treats her, or estranges himself
from her. Eunuchs, who have the charge of the women, are allowed to
marry, although they cannot have any family. The chief eunuch of the
Bardo has the most revolting countenance.
Our tourists brought home a variety of curious Jereed things: small
date-baskets full of dates, woollen articles, skins of all sorts, and a
few live animals. Sidi Mohammed also made them many handsome presents.
Some deer, Jereed goats, an ostrich, &c., were sent to Mr. R. after his
return, and both Captain B. and Mr. R. have had every reason to be
extremely gratified with the hospitality and kind attentions of the "Bey
of the Camp."
It is very difficult to ascertain the amount of tribute collected in the
Jereed, some of which, however, was not got in, owing to various
impediments. Our tourists say generally: -
Camel-loads. [40]
Money, dollars, and piastres, (chiefly I
imagine, the latter.) 23
Burnouses, blankets, and quilts, &c. 6
Dates (these were collected at Toser,
and brought from Nefta and the surrounding
districts) 500
- -
Total 529
It is impossible, with this statement
before us, to make out any exact
calculation of the amount of tribute.
A cantar of dates varies from fifteen
to twenty-five shillings, say on an
average a pound sterling; this will
make the amount of the 500 camel-loads
at five cantars per load L2,500
Six camel-loads of woollen manufactures,
&c., at sixty pound per load, value 360
- - -
Total L2,860
The money, chiefly piastres, must be left to conjecture. However, Mr.
Levy, a large merchant at Tunis, thinks the amount might be from 150 to
200,000 piastres, or, taking the largest sum, L6,250 sterling:
Total amount of the tribute of the Jereed:
in goods L2,860
Ditto, in money: 6,250
- - -
Total L9,110
To this sum may be added the smaller presents of horses, camels, and
other beasts of burden.
* * * * *
Before leaving Mogador, in company with Mr. Willshire, I saw his
Excellency, the Governor again, when I took formal leave of him. He
accompanied me down to the port with several of the authorities, waiting
until I embarked for the Renshaw schooner. Several of the Consuls, and
nearly all the Europeans, were also present. On the whole, I was
satisfied with the civilities of the Moorish authorities, and offer my
cordial thanks to the Europeans of Mogador for their attentions during
my residence in that city.
A little circumstance shews the subjection of our merchants, the Consul
not excepted, to the Moorish Government. One of the merchants wished to
accompany me on board, but was not permitted, on account of his
engagements with the Sultan.
A merchant cannot even go off the harbour to superintend the stowing of
his goods. Never were prisoners of war, or political offenders, so
closely watched as the boasted imperial merchants of this city.
After setting sail, we were soon out of sight of Mogador; and, on the
following day, land disappeared altogether. During the next month, we
were at sea, and out of view of the shore. I find an entry in my
journal, when off the Isle of Wight. We had had most tremendous weather,
successive gales of foul wind, from north and north-east. Our schooner
was a beautiful vessel, a fine sailer with a flat bottom, drawing little
water, made purposely for Barbary ports. She had her bows completely
under water, and pitched her way for twenty-five succeeding days,
through huge rising waves of sea and foam. During the whole of this
time, I never got up, and lived on bread and water with a little
biscuit. Captain Taylor, who was a capital seaman, and took the most
accurate observations, lost all patience, and, though a good methodist,
would now and then rush on deck, and swear at the perverse gale and
wrathful sea. We took on board a fine barb for Mr. Elton, which died
after a few days at sea, in these tempests. I had a young vulture that
died a day before the horse, or we should have fed him on the carcase.
[Illustration]
An aoudad which we conveyed on account of Mr. Willshire to London, for
the Zoological Society, outlived these violent gales, and was safely and
comfortably lodged in the Regent's Park. After my return from Africa, I
paid my brave and hardy fellow-passenger a visit, and find the air of
smoky London agrees with him as well as the cloudless region of the
Morocco Desert.
APPENDIX.
The following account of the bombardment of Mogador by the French,
written at the period by an English Resident may be of interest at the
present time.
Mogador was bombarded on the 13th of August, 1844. Hostilities began at
9 o'clock A.M., by the Moors firing twenty-one guns before the French
had taken up their position, but the fire was not returned until 2 P.M.
The 'Gemappes,' 100; 'Suffren,' 99; 'Triton,' 80; ships of the line.
'Belle Poule,' 60, frigate; 'Asmodee' and 'Pluton,' steamers, and some
brigs, constituted the bombarding squadron. The batteries were silenced,
and the Moorish authorities with many of the inhabitants fled, leaving
the city unprotected against the wild tribes, who this evening and the
next morning, sacked and fired the city.
