Dawn Of
Day Was Fast Approaching, And Every Hour's Delay Rendered Their
Condition More Precarious.
In this emergency, Mr. Lucas, who never once
failed or lost his accustomed suavity and presence of mind amidst these
imminent dangers, resolved upon communicating with the fleet by a most
hazardous experiment.
On his way from the town-gate to the water-port,
he noticed some deal planks near the beach. The idea struck him of
turning these into a raft, which, supporting him, could enable their
party to communicate with the squadron. Mr. Lucas fetched the planks,
and resolutely set to work. Taking three of them, and luckily finding a
quantity of strong grass cordage, he arranged them in the water, and
with some cross-pieces, bound the whole together; and, besides, having
found two small pieces of board to serve him as paddles, he gallantly
launched forth alone, and, in about an hour, effected his object, for he
excited the attention of the French brig, 'Canard,' from which a boat
came and took him on board.
The officers, being assured there were no Moors on guard at the
batteries, and that the Berbers were wholly occupied in plundering the
city, promptly and generously sent off a boat with Mr. Lucas to the
rescue of the alarmed and trembling fugitives. The Prince de Joinville
afterwards ordered them to be conveyed on board the 'Warspite.' The
self-devotedness, sagacity, and indefatigable exertions of the excellent
young man, Mr. Lucas, were above all encomiums, and, at the hands of the
British Government, he deserved some especial mark of favour.
Poor Mrs. Levy (an English Jewess, married to a Maroquine Jew), and her
family were left behind, and accompanied the rest of the miserable Jews
and natives, to be maltreated, stripped naked, and, perhaps, murdered,
like many poor Jews. Mr. Amrem Elmelek, the greatest native merchant and
a Jew, died from fright. Carlos Bolelli, a Roman, perished during the
sack of the city.
Mogador was left a heap of ruins, scarcely one house standing entire,
and all tenantless. In the fine elegiac bulletin of the bombarding
Prince, "Alas! for thee, Mogador! thy walls are riddled with bullets,
and thy mosques of prayer blackened with fire!" (or something like
these words.)
COMMERCE WITH MOROCCO.
TANGIER.
Tangier trades almost exclusively with Gibraltar, between which place
and this, an active intercourse is constantly kept up.
The principal articles of importation into Tangier are, cotton goods of
all kinds, cloth, silk-stuffs, velvets, copper, iron, steel, and
hardware of every description; cochineal, indigo, and other dyes; tea,
coffee, sulphur, paper, planks, looking-glasses, tin, thread,
glass-beads, alum, playing-cards, incense, sarsaparilla, and rum.
The exports consist in hides, wax, wool, leeches, dates, almonds,
oranges, and other fruit, bark, flax, durra, chick-peas, bird-seed, oxen
and sheep, henna, and other dyes, woollen sashes, haicks, Moorish
slippers, poultry, eggs, flour, &c.
The value of British and foreign goods imported into Tangier in 1856
was: British goods, L101,773 6_s_., foreign goods, L33,793.
The goods exported from Tangier during the same year was: For British
ports, L63,580 10_s_., for foreign ports, L13,683.
The following is a statement of the number of British and foreign ships
that entered and cleared from this port during the same year. Entered:
British ships 203, the united tonnage of which was 10,883; foreign ships
110, the total tonnage of which was 4,780.
Cleared: British ships 207, the united tonnage of which was 10,934;
foreign ships 110, the total tonnage of which was 4,780.
Three thousand head of cattle are annually exported, at a fixed duty of
five dollars per head, to Gibraltar, for the use of that garrison, in
conformity with the terms of special grants that have, from time to
time, been made by the present Sultan and some of his predecessors. In
addition to the above, about 2,000 head are, likewise, exported
annually, for the same destination, at a higher rate of duty, varying
from eight dollars to ten dollars per head. Gibraltar, also, draws from
this place large supplies of poultry, eggs, flour, and other kinds of
provisions.
MOGADOR.
From the port of Mogador are exported the richest articles the country
produces, viz., almonds, sweet and bitter gums, wool, olive-oil, seeds
of various kinds, as cummin, gingelen, aniseed; sheep-skins, calf, and
goat-skins, ostrich-feathers, and occasionally maize.
The amount of exports in 1855 was: For British ports, L228,112 3_s_.
2_d_., for foreign ports, L55,965 13_s_. 1_d_.
The imports are Manchester cotton goods, which have entirely superseded
the East India long cloths, formerly in universal use, blue salampores,
prints, sugar, tea, coffee, Buenos Ayres slides, iron, steel, spices,
drugs, nails, beads and deals, woollen cloth, cotton wool, and mirrors
of small value, partly for consumption in the town, but chiefly for that
of the interior, from Morocco and its environs, as far as Timbuctoo.
The amount of imports in 1855 was: British goods, L136,496 7_s_. 6_d_.,
foreign goods L31,222 11_s_. 5_d_.
The trade last year was greatly increased by the unusually large demand
for olive-oil from all parts, and there is no doubt that, under a more
liberal Government, the commerce might be developed to a vast extent.
RABAT.
The principal goods imported at Rabat are, alum, calico of different
qualities, cinnamon, fine cloth, army cloth, cloves, copperas, cotton
prints, raw cotton, sewing cotton, cutlery, dimity, domestics,
earthenware, ginger, glass, handkerchiefs (silk and cotton), hardware,
indigo, iron, linen, madder root, muslin, sugar (refined and raw), tea,
and tin plate.
The before-mentioned articles are imported partly for consumption in
Rabat and Sallee, and partly for transmission into the interior.
The value of different articles of produce exported at Rabat during the
last five years amounts to L34,860 1_s_.
There can be no doubt that the imports and exports at Rabat would
greatly increase, if the present high duties were reduced, and
Government monopolies abolished.
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