Anciently, The Mountains Hereabouts Formed The African
Pillars Of Hercules Opposite To Gibraltar, Which May Be Considered The
European Pillar Of That Respectable Hero Of Antiquity.
Passing Tangier after a day's journey, we come to Arzila or Asila, in
the province of Hasbat, which is an ancient Berber city, and which, when
conquered by the Romans, was named first Zilia and afterwards Zulia,
_Constantia Zilis_.
It is placed on the naked shores of the Atlantic,
and has a little port. Whilst possessed by the Portuguese, it was a
place of considerable strength, but its fortifications being, as usual,
neglected by the Moors, are now rapidly decaying. [20] The population is
about one thousand. The country around produces good tobacco. The next
town on the Atlantic, after another day's journey southwards, is El
Araish, _i.e._, the trellices of vines; vulgarly called Laratsh. This
city replaces the ancient Liscas or Lixus and Lixa, whose ruins are
near. The Arabs call it El-Araish Beai-Arous, _i.e._, the vineyards of
the Beni-Arous, a powerful tribe, who populate the greater part of the
district of Azgar, of which it is the capital and the residence of the
Governor. It was, probably, built by this tribe about 1,200 or 1,300,
AD. El-Araish contains a population of 2,700 Moors, and 1,300 Jews, or
4,000 souls; but others give only 2,000 for the whole amount, of which
250 are Jews. It has a garrison of 500 troops.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 66 of 196
Words from 17412 to 17661
of 53114
