On Approaching The City, However, The Country Appears More
Cultivated, Luxuriant, And Rich.
The figures of some common women, apparently employed in agricultural
occupations, struck me with surprise, as their dress was quite
different from any I had seen when in this country before.
On their
head they wore a straw hat, of an enormous circumference; under this
was a piece of white cloth extending over the forehead to the eyes;
and immediately below this another, which reached as far down as the
chin; their eyes peeping through the intermediate space. Their bodies
were enveloped in a coarse haik, a species of serge of their own
manufacture.
Upon entering the city gate, one of my guards took hold of my bridle,
and conducted me over innumerable rocks, to the Jewish town. The
surface of the ground being an uneven rock, which every where remains
unlevelled, the streets consist of abrupt ascents and descents, even
worse than those of Larache; they are also extremely narrow and dirty;
and as the houses have no windows towards the streets, you in fact
pass along between two dead walls, almost suffocated by a hot and
fetid atmosphere.
When we reached the house of the Vice-consul, I was presented with a
glass of _aguardiente_, for refreshment. After having passed the
evening in the company of a numerous party of Barbary Jews, I retired
to bed; and in the morning I waited on the Governor, to pay my
respects to him. On our way thither, I was not a little surprised to
see our Vice-consul pull off his slippers as we passed the mosques,
and walk bare-footed. I soon learned, that the Jews are compelled to
pay this tribute of respect, from which Christians are exempt,
although they do not escape very frequent insults when walking through
the city.
We found His Excellency sitting cross-legged on a tiger-skin, smoking
his pipe, under a niche in one of the courts of his mansion. He
received me with great politeness, and assured me that every thing
should be arranged to render my journey to Larache safe and
agreeable. Both, the Governor and his secretary asked me numberless
questions respecting the laws and manners of the English; to all of
which I gave short and general answers.
As we returned from the castle we passed through a street of unusual
breadth, on each side of which were the shops of the merchants. I
thence proceeded to take a general survey of the city; examining the
different places allotted to people engaged in various branches of
trade, and the manufactories of silk, carpets, and mats; and
afterwards went to the public markets for meat, poultry, vegetables,
cattle, sheep, horses, and mules. They are in spacious squares, and
are exceedingly well stocked. I next went to see the _Socco_, which is
a place appointed for the sale of several articles of wearing apparel
as well as all sorts of goods, by public auction. The auctioneer walks
backwards and forwards, exhibiting the commodities for sale, and
bawling out the different prices offered.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 21 of 76
Words from 10410 to 10924
of 39195
